Category Archives: Trip Reports

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Great Customer Service from The Jolt All-In-One Portable Charger & 2 Unit Giveaway [Winners Announced]

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Updated at 7:30pm PT on 12/10: I just got a postcard from The Jolt that the company’s name and website are changing to Chargii.  Use promo code JOLT2CHARGII to get 30% off your purchase.  Code expires on 1/1/19.

Updated at 7am PT on 2/21: Here are the 2 winners of The Jolt.  If you did not win, you can still use the promo code TRAVELWITHGRANT to save 25% off The Jolt.  Thank you to everyone who participated in the giveaway.  Have a great day everyone and stay charged!

  • Marc: Cross country road trip by myself and there were no radio stations available when my phone died. So I enjoyed several dead quiet hours at night with nothing but the desert roads in front of me and a heroic dose of caffeine in my cup holder.
  • Christina: Driving in Ireland with my sister, no GPS (WHY DIDN’T ANYONE TELL ME THEY DON’T USE SIGNS OR NUMBERS), lost for over an hour, ending up on a gravel road in the middle of farmland, and then blew a tire when I hit a hole, with a dead phone battery. The absolute worst travel experience ever. The upside: a nice farmer drove by about 20 minutes later, put his coat on the ground so I wouldn’t get dirty kneeling on the ground, and showed us how to put the donut tire on (and actually did most of the work), then drew me a detailed map how to make it to the main road. He wouldn’t take a monetary gift, just a smile and a handshake. And this is why I travel…life experiences and memories. PS: I want to go back to Ireland.

Good morning everyone. A few days ago, I reached out to GetTheJolt, the maker of my favorite all in one portable charger.  I bought 2 of these chargers on Amazon in November and have taken them with me everywhere.  My girlfriend uses 1 of The Jolt chargers almost everyday because she is always on her iPhone.  Long story short, one of The Jolt chargers would no longer charge, so I contacted The Jolt through their Contact Us page.  On their website, they state, “We have 3 customer service representatives that serve you from 7am – 7pm PST Monday through Friday. We promise to respond to all inquiries within an hour.”  Oh really, let’s see if that is really true…

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Image source: https://www.getthejolt.com/

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Seattle Museum Month: 50% or 100% Off Museums (Ends February 28)

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Good afternoon everyone, I hope you had a great Presidents’ Day Weekend.  Last weekend, I was up in Seattle with my girlfriend and we were visiting her sister.  When we checked into our hotel, the front desk staff informed us that February was Seattle Museum Month and all participating museums were 50% or 100% off.  That was a pleasant surprise, since we planned to check out some of Seattle’s museums during our stay.  The card is only for guests staying in participating downtown hotels, so if you are staying outside the city, you might be out of luck.  This discount is even better than the local discount.  Take this card with you to every museum and show it when you purchase your museum tickets.  Since today is February 20, you only have 8 more days to take advantage of the discount, but if you are visiting Seattle for this weekend’s FTU Signature Event, this could be perfect for you (unfortunately, I won’t be at the FTU this weekend).

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What is the Best Transportation Option from Airport to City Center in these 85 Cities?

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Are you an expert in knowing the best, cheapest, or safest way to get from an airport to the city center? I’m not, as proven by my totally crazy airport to city center experience in Buenos Aires. Here’s a great article that compares 85 cities around the world when it comes to getting to the city center by taxi, Uber, or renting a car. I’ve been to 42 of the cities on the list and I can see I made some good choices, and can do better next time. See what you think!

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Image source: http://www.jfktaxiservice.com

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Everything You’ve Ever Wanted to Know About BlaBlaCar (Ridesharing Service)

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As travelers, we’re always looking for options for getting from one place to another. Especially in Europe, I noticed people using BlaBlaCar because it can be the cheapest and easiest option to get from one city to another. So what is BlaBlaCar, how do you use it, and is it any good? Maybe you already know that BlaBlaCar is a ridesharing community that has both an app and a website. Drivers publish their upcoming trips. For a fee, riders go along for the ride. BlaBlaCar started in France and is now available in 22 countries, mostly in Europe, but also in Brazil, Ukraine, Russia, Turkey, India, and Mexico. I haven’t had a chance to use BlaBlaCar yet, BUT when I was recently in sLOVEnia, my cousin came from Italy to spend time with me and she’s used BlaBlaCar, so I asked her some questions about her experience. I hope you enjoy the interview!

Shelli: How many times have you used BlaBlaCar?

My cousin Juliana: I’ve used BlaBlaCar three times, and not too recently, so I don’t know how my experiences compare to what’s on offer now. Everything went exactly as it should have, so I have no horrible memories and nothing that sticks out as unpleasant or unfortunate.

S: Do you find that the website and app work well?

J: I’ve only used the website (blablacar.co.uk, blablacar.fr, and blablacar.it versions). It worked well. Continue reading →

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4 Amazing Things to See & Do on Kauai

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Kauai is called the “Garden Isle” because it’s lush and full of natural beauty. It’s geologically the oldest of the main Hawaiian Islands and fourth largest in size. It seems to be the favorite island of people who visit Hawaii, and I believe the natural beauty is what ranks it so highly. My cousins are celebrating a very special wedding anniversary and flying from the East Coast to Kauai. Having lived in Hawaii, though not on Kauai, I have been a frequent visitor to the Garden Isle, so I was happy to suggest some of my favorite beautiful sites to see. I suggested four that would not only showcase Kauai’s beauty, but also take them to different parts of the island, as well.

Wailua Falls Overlook is a two-tiered waterfall. Almost every time I’ve been there, I’ve seen a rainbow in the falls. Spotting rainbows are one of the magical sites in Hawaii, and I never grow tired of seeing them. Early morning at the falls is a nice quiet time, though certainly it’s a special site no matter when you go.

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Wailua Falls Overlook. Image source: https://www.hawaiidiscount.com/tours/kauai/island-sightseeing-tours/scenic-hanalei-tour.htm

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