Tag Archives: Hyatt Hotels

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Italian Vacation Part 1: Gelato in Venice, Park Hyatt Milan Meat Slicer and the Last Supper

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Are you taking advantage of Europe being on sale these days? I know many readers are heading over the pond. If Italy is in your plans, either now or sometime in the next year or so, be sure to read this post. After all, who doesn’t plan on visiting Italy sooner or later. I’ve got four Italian destinations for you, so let’s get started.

VENEZIA (Venice, Italy)

a boat on the water next to a building

Venice, Italy by water

Venice is an amazing place. I could easily sit all day and watch the waterway life. But of course, I had to stay somewhere, eat something, drink coffee and indulge in gelato, so here are some tips for you. When I’m in Italy, I have my priorities, so let’s start with gelato :)

There’s actually a place in Venice I’d suggest staying AWAY from. It’s called Gelateria Alaska. It was on some lists of top gelato in ALL of Italy, which totally baffles me. First off, the guy working there was plain nasty. “Can I taste a flavor?” I asked him. He responded with a gruff NO. I should have walked out at this point because his energy was plainly foul, but I didn’t. And the gelato was not very good at all. Oh well. Lesson learned, stay away from Gelateria Alaska. My preferred gelato in Venice is Grom. They’ve been around for a while now and can be found throughout Italy. I’m definitely partial to their pistachio and chocolate with hazelnut flavors.

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Grom Gelato in Venice, Italy. Image source: http://comradechufood.blogspot.com/2011/12/grom-venice-italy.html

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Where to Eat Kangaroo Meat in Sydney, Australia? Check Out These 6 Restaurants

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Good afternoon everyone, the following post is a guest post from my friend Jeff.  He recently traveled to Sydney, Australia, and sent me this very interesting post.  Warning, if you are a vegetarian or vegan, you will probably want to skip this post.  Without further ado, take it away Jeff!

On a recent trip to Sydney, I made it a mission to try Kangaroo meat prepared in as many ways as I could. This obviously isn’t something you come across frequently in the States and, to my surprise, wasn’t something dotting the menus throughout Sydney either. With my smartphone as my guide, I was able to track down a few, and to varying degrees, was delighted by my findings.

1) Moo Gourmet Burgers

Moo Gourmet Burgers is a small restaurant chain in Sydney. I believe there are at least 4 locations throughout the city that prepare a variety of beef burgers and a nice list of specialty burgers including a duck and bacon burger, lamb burger, and of course, a kangaroo burger. Fries (chips), salads, smoothies, and Moo Brew beer are also available. I made my stop at the Newtown location for lunch.

This was my first experience eating kangaroo and I really enjoyed it. Though the toppings are the thing that really made this burger. The meat, prepared well done (not by choice), was a little dry and could have been beef and the burger would have been just as good. Burger came topped with caramelized onions, tomato, homemade mayo, rocket (arugula), and beetroot relish on the bottom. I wish places here in the US offered beetroot relish as a condiment. I don’t believe I’ve run into that before this trip and it seems almost a ubiquitous offering in Sydney. Wash it all down with the Moo Brew Pilsner. Definitely worth a quick stop at one of their locations for lunch while wandering the city.

My Roo Rating: 3/5 Roos

a burger with onions and lettuce on a plate

Kangaroo Burger in Sydney – Moo Gourmet Burgers

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See, Eat & Drink: The Perfect Long Weekend in Vancouver, Canada

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Heading to Vancouver, Canada, anytime soon? Don’t leave home without this list of what to see and what to do. What makes me an expert? Well, not only do I love Vancouver, but I’ve been going there for years! And what a bargain the US Dollar gets right now ($1.00 USD = $1.35 CAD, as of 5/28). I’m going to make some assumptions: that you haven’t been before or at least in a long while, and that you’re staying downtown, as that’s where most of the hotels are. If you drink coffee, I’ll throw in some great cafes to try too. I’m also assuming you’re not renting a car, since it’s not really necessary.

  1. They don’t have Uber, and taxi from the airport is set by zone, so I always use a taxi into downtown. They do have public transportation, but we still take a taxi from the airport. For two people and given the exchange rate, it makes sense. It’s ~$37 CAD (~$27 USD) from Vancouver International Airport (YVR) and takes about 20-30 minutes depending on traffic.
  2. I stay downtown at the Hyatt Regency Vancouver. Just in case that’s your hotel chain of choice as well, it’s a terrific property. If I’m paying cash for a hotel stay, I always use Pruvo to monitor for price drops! I feel pretty strongly about this hotel, its location, and its lounge.
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Image source: https://www.lai.org/images/home/vancouver-skyline

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ICYMI: Travel News Roundup for Friday, May 26, 2017

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Hi everyone! Sorry I missed an update last week – I was in New York City for the weekend and was a little swamped. Here’s all the news that caught my eye over the past two weeks:

Airlines + Miles

Aeromexico is starting new flights from Mexico City to Seattle and Portland, and adding new Mexican destinations from Atlanta and Los Angeles. [Travel Codex]

Alaska Airlines added Helsinki-based Finnair as a Mileage Plan partner. [Alaska Airlines]

I bought one of the first tickets on Alaska Airlines’ new service from San Francisco to Mexico City, scheduled to begin August 8. [Travel with Grant]

American Airlines now offers a full refund within 24 hours of purchase if a flight is booked at least 2 days before departure (previously it was 7 days). [Travel Codex]

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USPS Lost my VirtualPostMail Package Full of Gift Cards & Credit Cards

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Buenos dias everyone.  A few months ago, I wrote about VirtualPostMail, the service I use to receive, scan, and forward my physical mail. I typically have them collect items for me over the course of a few weeks, and then I select the items I want to keep and have them shipped to wherever I’m going next. Since I was heading to Washington, DC for work last week, I asked VPM to mail a package to my post office box in Washington, DC a few days before I was going to arrive. This package included several important items:

  • My replacement AT&T Access More Credit Card (since someone tried to hack my account)
  • My new Discover It Credit Card in a different design
  • My Amazon Prime Store Credit Card
  • 1 $50 Hotels.com gift card from Amazon
  • 2 $50 Petco gift cards
  • 6 iTunes gift cards from Staples (3 x $100 and 3 x $50)
  • 2 sets of Cabela’s gift cards I purchased from SVM on eBay
  • My Hyatt Explorist welcome packet
  • My new Blue Cross Blue Shield insurance card
A screenshot of 12 envelopes of various sizes from my virtualpostmail dashboard

Will I ever see these envelopes?

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