Update 9:50pm PT 8/2/2015: After carefully reviewing all the responses, these are my 3 winners. Reasons: I love Taylor Swift, I love when people try to teach their spouses about MS, and I love Australia (even though I have never been). Thank you to everyone who commented on this post. Have a great evening!
- Elena: Taylor Swift concert at Levi’s stadium! I’ve bought tickets since day 1 in December 2014 and have been waiting and waiting. And now it will finally be here! I’m like a little girl that can’t control her excitement and have no shame admitting I like her and her songs.
- James: I’m looking forward to teaching my wife more about MS’ing so she can help me!
- Marc: Looking forward to a trip to Tasmania to see some college friends for the first time in a decade and then to Sydney/Cairns as a gift for my brother’s 30th bday party
Good morning everyone, I hope your weekend is going well. With the end of July a few days ago, I wanted to take a look at my site stats and see how things are going. I finished off July with a few good posts and ended up with 104,909 total page views for the month. That is a pretty good finish, but there is always room to grow. Thank you to my long time readers for coming back day after day to my blog, I really appreciate each and every one of you.
I love looking at the below report that shows which posts were the most popular over the last 30 days. All the posts are from July, with the exception of the 4 posts mentioned below. It is amazing to see a few posts from earlier this year and from last year that have very good staying power. Thank you Google search :)
Alright, enough stats talk. Let’s get to the Amazon eGift Card Giveaway! The giveaway will run today only and end tonight (Sunday, August 2, 2015) at 9pm PT. All you have to do is leave a comment below telling me what you are most looking forward to in August. I will pick my 3 favorite responses and send 3 winners a $10 Amazon eGift Card. To get things started, here is what I am looking forward to in August:
I am flying down to Orange County in mid August to see my family for the weekend (OC Meetup scheduled too). Stay tuned!
Good luck everyone and have a great Sunday! Here’s to an amazing August!
Looking forward to the end of tourist season toward the end of August — fewer crowds, better prices!
Do you have any trips coming up in August/September?
So far just DFW early Sept. More to come, I’m sure!
Hmm, good question. I’m looking forward to the last month of summer (essentially) and also the Woodward Dream Cruise, a car show of sorts that we do here in Michigan :).
Sounds like a lot of fun. I hear Michigan summers are quite nice :)
In August I am looking forward to fixing a fancy LG refrigerator I found on Craigslist. lol. No travel plans for August but November we will fly to Washington DC so that should be fun.
Good luck with your refrigerator repair. Have you fixed a refrigerator before?
Looking forward to seeing our favorite comedian Tommy Johnagin in St Louis in a few weeks!
Sounds like a lot of fun, I am not familiar with Tommy Johnagin, has he been around for a while?
Looking forward to my vacation cruise to the Canary Islands and Morroco. Never been there before!
Ohh, that sounds awesome. I love cruises (only been on one from Seattle to Alaska) and definitely want to go again soon. Have a great time!
We have 2 birthdays in the month of August. In keeping with our family summer trip tradition, our vacation to Brazil is this month. A great month to travel and a perfect excuse for the hotel to give us special treatments, er cake and card.
Since our summer is Brazil’s winter, I’m sure it is less busy. Which cities will you be visiting?
Rio. Their winter weather is in the 70s, which will be the same as our Midwest summer temps. lol
Sounds perfect, have a great time in Rio (don’t forget the sunscreen).
I’m moving mid-August, so I am looking forward to doing some house items shopping within the mileage portals to gain tons of extra miles. Just made around 10,000 miles through the Sears/UAL 10X yesterday. Pretty sweet, since I needed those appliances anyway.
Good luck with your move, Sharon. I’m glad Sears and the online shopping portals are saving you some money / giving you plenty of miles for your purchases. What’s next on your list of things to buy?
I’m looking forward to planning my Hawaii vacation!
That sounds fun, if you have an extra ticket, I’d be happy to come too :)
Looking forward for my trip to Shasta in houseboat (a first for me)
Houseboats are very interesting. I’ve never been on/in one, but I saw some very nice houseboats near Portland. How fast do they move?
I’m gonna focus on house projects. Build a fence, install a pedestal sink, replace an exterior door. No travel this month but taking the family to the beach in September. That’s what I’ll be thinking about during my mundane housework.
Sounds like you sure know your way around a tool box. I’m sure with all the money you save doing all the work yourself, you can have a great trip to the beach with your family. Which beach/island are you heading to?
Looking forward to a nice August in NYC!
Hopefully NYC is not too hot in August :)
I am looking forward to celebrating my grandsons 2nd birthday on Chincoteague Island in a couple of weeks. Can’t wait to see my little guy!
I had to google Chincoteague Island, but it looks like a lovely island off the coast of Virgina. Have a great time with your grandson!
Pony Penning day? Isn’t that the famous pony Island?
Making a move to a city where my friend Esther says its easier to MS! :D
Move to wherever Ester lives and you will have plenty of luck MSing :)
Bringing a friend to visit from MEX using a combo of SkyPesos and MR points (via Flying Blue), and heading to FTU in DC. That and getting things started up again at my job for the school year.
Sounds like fun, Tonei. Hopefully you found some cheap award seats from MEX. Have fun at FTU DC, let me know how it goes.
I did okay, it was pretty short notice so my options were limited. Nonstop return on Aeromexico was 12.5k MR through Flying Blue; there was only saver availability in business on the outbound so my friend gets a treat, it was 30k SkyMiles for nonstop business versus 32.5k for coach on DL with connections. So 42.5k RT and most of that was SkyMiles that I got a while back through Fidelity and Suntrust.
Pretty good job with Delta and SkyTeam for that redemption.
Looking forward to September! And also a trip to SFO at the end of August. :)
Have a great time in SF, it should be nice weather (hopefully). It’s been pretty nice the past 1-2 weeks in SF.
Looking forward to Squamish Valley Music Festival next weekend!
I drove from Vancouver to Whistler and we saw many signs in Squamish(?). Have a great time at the music festival :)
Flying to SCL via IAH to explore Santiago’s history and ringed Andes Mt. views. This has been a longterm goal that is finally coming true! Life is good. Thanks for your blog.
Have a great trip to Santiago and enjoy the amazing views from the Andes.
Looking forward to a trip to Vietnam to visit my dear boyfriend. Just bought some new IT luggage distinction so looking forward to using it… :)
Have a great trip to Vietnam. Hopefully your new luggage will make your trip a little easier.
Do you/your boyfriend happen to have any tips on something great to do in HO chi minh?
I’m get to visit my roommate from my deployment to Iraq. He lives in HO Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Get to try out several airlines in business and first on the three day flight (really only about 30 hours but an 11 hour time difference with late departure and early arrival has me there three calander days later)! Also get a free stopover in Germany on the way back. This will be my most complex itenerary yet! I couldn’t do it without some serious MSing (which this blog is known for! And I, not just sucking up because I want to win…….!)
Thank you for your service, Seth. I hope your flights go according to plan and you enjoy your business and first class seats. Have a great time in Vietnam.
I’m looking forward to go to next Travel Hacker Meetup in August! I learned a lot from the past meetup and meet and share with people who are in this wonderful hobby (or full time job for some :))!
The next SF Travel Hacker Meetup will be about MS and there will be a panel discussion. I will be one of the panel experts, so it should be a very interesting meetup. I will see you there Jason!
That’s awesome! Look forward to explore the MS opportunities together!
Looking forwards to leaving tomorrow for a 7 day cruise to Alaska followed by 3 days at the camlin in Seattle with my wife and 2 boys and not having to deal with the 100’s of emails I get from ebay buyers daily
I went on an Alaska cruise from Seattle when I was about 10-12 years old and it was awesome. Lots of fun things to do for children (and grownups) alike. Have a great time!
Looking forward to a trip to Tasmania to see some college friends for the first time in a decade and then to Sydney/Cairns as a gift for my brother’s 30th bday party
That’s awesome. I’m guessing you grew up in Australia? Up and down the coast of eastern Australia and visiting Tasmania are on my lengthy bucket list.
actually no, I’ve never been to Australia before either. Just met 3 tassies while studying abroad and they became some really good friends. And I was flush with AA miles so decided to use them to book a trip for my brother. Thanks again for the gift card!
Have a great trip, glad AA could help you visit your college friends.
Looking forward to the Florida breaking toward cooler times
Haha, does it ever get cooler in Florida?
Looking forward in selling my company ESPP shares so i can plan a trip.
I hope your ESPP shares have appreciated since you bought them and you can plan a nice trip with the proceeds. Any idea of where you want to go?
Checking out the first Salt Lake City Fringe Festival. Oxymoron?
Is a fringe festival like an arts/culture festival or something different?
I’m looking forward to teaching my wife more about MS’ing so she can help me!
That will be a gift that keeps on giving. Good luck with your teaching!
Looking forward to the calm before the storm. Between the previous EY and UA, and recent AA fare specials, I have 31 individual flights scheduled between Aug 30 and Nov 27 (incl. connections), and I’ll likely add 6 more for intra-destination trips. Probably not a lot for business travelers, but this is all leisure – and using up the last of my vacation days!
Wow, that is a lot of flying. Which destination are you looking forward to the most?
South Africa first and Hawaii second. Stars aligned too to use up Carlson points at JNB and Cape Town. That’s where I need a connecting RT. Know any good city hoppers down there? BTW, great job with the blog and thanks for the giveaway offer.
Have a great time in South Africa (another bucket list location). I don’t know of any city hoppers there, unfortunately. Thanks for reading my blog and have a great evening!
I’m looking forward to being fully recovered from surgery, which caused me to cancel one trip this month. Hoping to be well enough to start going hiking and to take a weekend trip!
I wish you a speedy recovery, Kim. Hopefully you will be as good as new in no time :)
I am looking forward to an upcoming 3-week trip to Kyrgyzstan and Azerbaijan. I will not only get a chance to meet people in 2 exotic countries and cultures, I will have the opportunity to try using some of the Russian language I studied years ago. As an independent traveller, I should have some “once-in-a-lifetime” experiences.
Those are definitely some very exotic / less-touristy places to go. Hopefully your Russian is not too rusty. Have a great time!
I’m looking forward to planning more vacations!
Aren’t we all? What vacation did you have in mind?
Taylor Swift concert at Levi’s stadium! I’ve bought tickets since day 1 in Decemeber 2014 and have been waiting and waiting. And now it will finally be here! I’m like a little girl that can’t control her excitement and have no shame admitting I like her and her songs.
That sounds awesome, I hope the concert will be well worth the wait. Let me know what Levi Stadium is like during a Taylor Swift concert :)
Two nights at the Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe with my wife, using our newly minted diamond status and a DSU.
The Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe Resort Spa And Casino property looks beautiful (and only 20,000 Hyatt points per night). Have a great stay and let me know what your thoughts of the property/spa/casino are.
Last few weekends of good beach weather and the end of the pool season in Virginia. Also, hard court tennis season starts in North America – a few good tournaments coming up – Citi open, Rogers cup, US Open…
I really enjoy watching tennis, but I have never made it out to a tournament. Are there any tournaments near the Bay Area that are worth going to?
Finishing up planning for a Abu Dhabi trip in September.
Sounds fun. Are you flying to AUH or through AUH to another destination?
I am looking forward to go back home and see famiyl and friends after 3/4 of a year away from thema and constantly traveling…
It’s always nice to go back home and hang out with friends and family members :)
I’m looking forward to getting my 40,000 club carlson points that NEVER seem to come!
Haha, try to stay patient and I hope your Club Carlson points come sooner rather than later.
Pay off remaining debts! We are going to AZ for the first tome(Hyatt on points) so excited
Good luck with paying off your debts and have fun in AZ. I stayed at the Hyatt Place Scottsdale, AZ last weekend. Which property are you going to?
I am looking forward to the beauty and good weather of my home county, Marin in California, I like to travel when the weather is bad here.
I know Marin is just north of SF, what would you recommend for a day trip from the East Bay?
Going to AZ on Hyatt points! Can’t wait to go hiking!
Hiking the Grand Canyon? I went with my brother and we hiked to the river and back in 1 day. My legs were dead the next few days.
Looking forward to use my Marriott points!
Great idea, any particular Marriott property in mind? I like the idea of using the points at the Atlantis Resort in the Bahamas :)
Looking forward to enjoying more time on the river here in VA around a few planned trips–the water temp and long daytime hours are terrific!
Enjoy your time on the river. Do you have a canoe or boat that you use?
Looking forward to two 3-day-weekend trips already booked: (1) Provincetown, MA and (2) Hilton Head, SC (never been, & a good excuse to use the Omni hotel certificate I bought cheap during the annual Daily Getaways promotion run by USTA)!
I’ve heard many great things about Hilton Head, so I hope you enjoy your stay. Good purchase from the USTA :)
A weekend away for my birthday :)
Happy birthday! Where are you celebrating this year?
I’m looking forward to starting my Peace Corps service. I’ll be teaching English in Thailand for two years!
That sounds awesome, I wish you the best of luck :)
I have a baby girl on the way due in Oct. I will purchase plenty of baby stuffs during Aug and Sep, including stroller, car seat, crib, etc….First baby, excited.
Congrats on your future baby girl! I wish you the best of luck with parenthood :)
Definitely my birthday later this month and a surprise trip my wife planned for us and she won’t tell me the destination!
Happy birthday and I hope you have a great trip, wherever you end up going.
I am so excited to be heading for a dream trip to Arizona this August. My husband, brother-in-law, and I will be heading to the Grand Canyon, Sedona, Page Canyon, Horseshoe Bend, Monument Valley, and Four Corners Monument!
Once in a lifetime!
The Grand Canyon is absolutely amazing. It is so much bigger in person. I hope you bring great hiking shoes for your trip.
I look forward to using American miles for my trip to London
Nice job, Tim. I booked SFO-LAX-LHR on AA for 50,000 miles in business class for my upcoming EuroTrip in January. Hopefully you can find great award space too.
Look forward to getting my annual free night from my Chase Marriott card
I have a love hate relationship with that free night certificate. It is so difficult to use that it becomes annoying at times. Do you have a hotel in mind you want to use it on?
Looking forward to my cousin’s wedding later this month!
Congrats to your cousin on his/her wedding.