Category Archives: Trip Reports

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Up Close and Personal with My Award Booking Team

Do you ever wonder where the expression, “You don’t do business with a business, you do business with people,” originated? Ok, I’ve never thought about where it originated either, but after all my years in business, I can tell you it’s a total truism. When I find good business people to do business with, I love it! As a frequent traveler who likes to travel “well” and use miles and points for award tickets, I’m a long-standing client of Juicy Miles. But that’s just a business name, isn’t it? The man behind the business, and at the helm of this great group of people, is Adam.

A few weeks ago, it dawned on me that the image that many people must have of award booking businesses is that they aren’t “real” businesses. I think many people think it’s something people do in their spare time to help friends and family members figure out all the rules and regulations for using that stash of miles/points. But in the case of Juicy Miles, it’s the real deal. It’s very well run and they’re great at what they do. And they’ve just redesigned their Juicy Miles website which makes submitting your requests super easy! I want you to get to know Adam better, so I reached out to him with a few questions about what he does, why he does it, how he trains his team, and more. Hope you enjoy the interview!

  • Shelli: Juicy Miles started in what year?
  • Adam: Believe it or not, Juicy Miles went live all the way back in 2011 (I think we first communicated in 2014 or so).

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a map of europe with black text

The #1 Essential Travel Skill

There are so many skills that are essential to traveling well, it’s mind boggling. Maybe your idea of essential is different than mine, but having just come off a three week trip to four different countries, I’m moving sleeping well to the top of the list.

A while ago, I wrote about how to get a good night’s sleep in hotels, but the bottom line really is being able to fall asleep no matter where you are, even on planes. Sleep deprivation is a chronic problem for people, and especially for those of us who travel a lot. Here’s a great, helpful article I just read about a method developed during WW2 so that pilots could fall asleep within two minutes. The article’s approach is simple and well worth trying. Take a look at the article and see what you think. Are you already someone who can sleep anywhere and fall asleep quickly? If so, share your tips with us in the comments!

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United Airlines Saga: Flight Cancelled, then Rebooked, then New Flight Cancelled

Good afternoon everyone.  My friend Jim sent me the following story about his recent United Airlines cancelled, then rebooked, then cancelled flight.  He has a few questions about his experience, so if you know the answers, please leave a comment below.

The Story

  • Flight was delayed due to late inbound flight.
  • Flight was delayed again because no crew was available.
  • After boarding the flight, the pilot told us we had too much fuel, and it would take 30 minutes to burn the additional fuel.
  • It took over 90 minutes to burn the additional fuel.
a white airplane flying in the sky

Image source: https://travelsort.com/united-compensation-for-flight-delays-and-delayed-baggage/

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a heart made of coffee beans

Calling all Ann Arbor Coffee Drinkers

Calling all Ann Arbor coffee drinkers! I have a family event I’m attending in Ann Arbor and want to know where I should drink coffee while visiting. I’ve never been before! As you know, my Bean Around The World reviews sometimes become Bean Around The Corner reviews :) While Ann Arbor isn’t exactly around the corner from my hometown cafe favorite, I’m excited to explore what I figure will be a vibrant coffee scene. So please post your suggestions in the comments below. Thank you, and stay caffeinated!  And in case you missed it, check out my recent post on coffee in Lisbon.

a cup of coffee with a foamy foam in it

Hello Kristof’s Flat White

If you liked this post, please check out all the other cities I reviewed in Shelli’s World Coffee Tour.

a close up of ice cream

New Ice Cream Parlor Open in San Diego – Should you Try It?

There was quite a buzz when rumors started that a new ice cream place would be coming to San Diego. I wouldn’t say San Diego is a big ice cream town at all. As much as I like great ice cream, I only enjoy gelato here because I’ve never sampled ice cream in San Diego that I thought was very good. Having grown up on the east coast, and having lived in many places where there are many choices for great ice cream, well, San Diego just doesn’t cut it as an ice cream city.

Last summer, it was officially announced. Salt and Straw, the Portland, Oregon based, family-run by two cousins, small batch ice cream shop would be opening up in San Diego’s Little Italy area. They finally did open just before New Year’s. Recently, I went down to Salt and Straw and spent a few hours talking with one of the managers about ice cream, the company, and its location here in San Diego. Before I give you the full scoop, though, let me first tell you about my relationship with Salt and Straw ice cream.

a sign on a building

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