Author Archives: Shelli

About Shelli

Shelli Stein is a health and fitness entrepreneur who travels the world in search of culture, food, and fun! Besides contributing to Travel with Grant, you can find her at Joy in Movement.

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Where Are The Most Viruses in an Airport?

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At the airport, “virus central” isn’t where you think it is. But do we really think ANY place in an airport isn’t chock full of germs? I would have guessed bathrooms were the dirtiest spots. But I’d be wrong. I like knowing which places at the airport are the most likely ones to be full of germs and viruses so I can take extra precautions. Can’t hurt, right? Does the TSA take any extra measures to “secure” us from germs and viruses?  I was surprised to learn where the dirtiest germ and viruses places are and also about a TSA protocol that I can now request. Hopefully this will keep me away from “virus central.” Be prepared to up your stash of hand sanitizer after you read this!

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Three Money-Saving Perks

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We usually think of spending when it comes to credit cards. But looking at it from a different angle, saving on our travels by using credit cards with perks puts more money in our pockets, which is even better. I’ve been answering a lot of questions recently about the different perks on cards, so thought I’d remind us of my favorite, most useful three. Though it may seem obvious, these traveler-friendly credit card perks are often overlooked. Continue reading →

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Don’t Miss Free Museum Day on September 22

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Don’t miss Free Admission Day! On Saturday, September 22, many museums across the U.S. will waive their usual entrance fees for visitors. About 1,300 museums will participate this year. Sponsored by the Smithsonian, you can access the list of museums on its website, here. Select your museum or browse by your zip code or state. It’s a super easy site to navigate. Then print your free pass (one pass covers two adults for the day).

It may seem obvious, but I’m going to look for museums with higher admission prices or ones I might not have visited because they’re a bit off the beaten path. Florida tops the list with 101 museum offerings! I don’t know if this is the first year this is happening or if it’s been around for a while, but I just found out about it so wanted to share the info with you. If you spot any must-see museums on the list, let us know. We have readers from all over U.S.!

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You’ve Never Seen Anything Like This Superpod of Dolphins!

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When I lived in the Bay Area the Monterey Peninsula was my favorite get-away spot. Hiking, kayaking, walking along the coast in Pacific Grove, enjoying the Monarch butterfly migrations, the local movie house and coffee shops and one of the best bagel places, ever……..the Monterey area had it all. I’ve spent countless hours gazing at the ocean watching and enjoying the marine life, but never ever did I see anything like what this lucky guy who works for the Monterey Aquarium captured last week on video. You have to see this. Be prepared to be awed and to view this over and over again!

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PSA: Hyatt Elites–Don’t Forget This Valuable Benefit!

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Resort fees, destination fees; call them what you want, they all stink. Hotels have a menu (except we don’t get to pick and choose) of junk fees that are attached to our bills for all kinds of “services and amenities” that used to be complimentary or something we could choose to pay extra for. I don’t think any of us really believe hotel claims about why they’re now adding on these fees. From what I’ve read, it seems like these fees enable hotels to still claim their rates are lower and also pay less to travel agents since commissions are paid based on the base rate, not the total rate.

Some of us though do have a work-around for these fees and I was reminded of this recently when booking a Hyatt hotel. As I was finishing up my booking the total rate for the night seemed so high that I actually noticed it. The taxes and fees came to 20% of the total bill.

a close-up of a price list Continue reading →