Kinney Chaos

Cruising with Chaos

You are here: Home / Archives for Travel Tips

Travel Tips

Finding the Best Regional Fast Food

By Leave a Comment

It seems like our teenage daughters phone is always attached to her hand.  That phone always, and I do mean always, has YouTube playing in the background.  My generation listened to the radio for background music; she watches YouTube.  With all that time looking at strange YouTube videos, one of the things that she has learned about is the different fast food restaurants. There are so many around the United States that seem to be more regional fast food options compared to the McDonalds and Subway options. 

Regional Fast Food Options

Check out our favorite Las Vegas Fast Food places to eat!

One of the things I realized over the last year or two is that Las Vegas has a lot of regional fast food options. There seems to be one on every street corner. Ever since our daughter found out In-N-Out Burger was located in Las Vegas, she has been asking to go back. Trying the food at In-N-Out Burger is on her ‘bucket list.’  Here in central Wisconsin, we don’t have that as an option. 

One of my personal favorites is the French Fries from ‘Steak and Shake.’  There is not even a ‘Steak and Shake’ located in the state of Wisconsin, but there are several in Las Vegas. Iincluding one just off the strip at Hooters Casino.  

Maybe Shake Shack is your preference.  That is based off the east coast, but they have a couple in Las Vegas, including one on the Strip and one also included inside T-Mobile Arena.  Closest Shake Shack to us is now at the Mall of America in Minneapolis. 

Maybe you are looking for White Castle?  I would suggest skipping it personally as I was never a fan. However they do have several on the Strip.  Several of these have just have opened within the last several years. 

There are many other regional fast food places and have added other sit-downs ranging from Tilted Kilt to Twin Peaks to a 24 hour Buffalo Wild Wings right on the strip.  I would not be surprised to see more of the regional restaurants open their doors to the Las Vegas area. 

Next Regional Restrauants?

I would love to see a Whataburger or even Waffle House in Las Vegas. Maybe they will move in soon. After all, there is money to be made from tourism. Many people visiting Las Vegas want to try these regional pieces of Americana.

5 Tips for Planning the Perfect Cheap Hawaii Vacation

By 1 Comment

Previous posts I have always listed as something like “Las Vegas on the Cheap.” Unfortunately, there is nothing cheap on the islands of Hawaii.  So the biggest thing is reducing the costs.  This article covers some of our favorite cheap Hawaii vacation tips.

1. Flights for your Cheap Hawaii Vacation

When Joni, Cheyenne and I flew out to Hawaii, we did this on miles.  Luckily for us, we found an excellent redemption deal on United Miles for 45,000 miles each round trip for a non-stop flight from Chicago.  This still took a long time to save up for, but this also gave us time to plan out our trip.

Southwest Airlines is currently looking at having flights for Hawaii.  Rumors are that they will be available within the next year and that will most likely cause more significant competition meaning more affordable flight costs. These new flight option will be great for anyone trying to plan a cheap Hawaii vacation.

2. Plan for Parking Concerns

Something we learned while we were out there is that the cost of driving in Hawaii is unreal.  We did get a rental car deal going through Enterprise with our work account which was better than anything else I could find.  The rental cost isn’t the issue; the cost killer is the parking. 

With the island being so tight for space, parking costs are at a premium.  Most hotels charge for parking which will add another $40 a day to most hotel stays.  Vacations are also meant to be relaxing.  The bumper to bumper traffic that is so bad, that even the interstates have speed limits of 45 MPH makes it a pain to get from point A to point B. 

We ended up returning our car several days early because of this and the upcoming hurricane.  We did not want to deal with any weather damage claims and saved ourselves the extra parking fees as an added bonus.  The best benefit of the car was those off the path restaurants (Like KoKo Head Cafe) and getting to some of the tourist destinations (Like beaches and Shaved Ice) we wanted to see again.  

3. Best deals for Hotels in Hawaii

With Hawaii being so famous, you have many choices when it comes to booking your hotel stays. Options ranging through Marriott, Hyatt, and Hilton are plentiful. Almost every major hotel chain has a hotel and many let you use points you have accumulated.

We ended up staying at a boutique hotel that is part of the Marriott group right of Waikiki Beach.  Not only is this a great tourist destination it puts a lot of things within walking distance.

4. Best Tourist Destinations

Luckily Joni did the research on the site seeing and the best deals. If you don’t plan ahead and just show up at the events day by day, you will find the costs to be huge, or not even able to get access as entrances at certain items are limited. 

The “Go Ohau Card” is part of the “Go City Cards.”  These cards allow you to visit several tourist stops throughout several days depending on the options you purchase. Usually, these are a good deal if you plan to visit a number of the locations the cards offer anyway.

Our Go Oahu card gave us a choice of using a premium feature such as swimming with dolphins.  We were able to then purchase these cards through a shopping portal through Groupon to get even more travel points instead of getting them through their website alone.  The tours are highly recommended, especially the circle tour at the beginning of the trip.

The tours gave us a chance to see some of the tourist places around the island and even if we didn’t stop during the tour we were able to take our car and visit the next day. The things we did were:

  • Pearl Harbor
  • Oahu Hidden Gems and Snorkeling with Turtles
  • Makani Catamaran Sail
  • All of Oahu in one day Tour
  • Iolani Palace
  • Bishop Museum

5. Be Patient

This trip took almost two years for me to plan out and ten years of Joni asking for us to go to Hawaii. The biggest and probably most important tip is to be patient with your planning. Maximize your points and take advantage of points deals to get bonuses and extra savings. If you are looking for a cheap Hawaii Vacation, you will probably need to plan it for several months.

Las Vegas Transportation – Planes, Trams and Automobiles

By Leave a Comment

Once you get to Las Vegas there are going to be additional expenses. You will need to pay for food, activities and the additional transportation costs of getting around.  Las Vegas transportation can be hard to understand. After all those hotels aren’t really that far apart are they? Um…. yes, yes they are. A lot of the decision on whether to get a rental car revolves around what you plan on doing or if you will be drinking.  

Las Vegas Transportation

When I first visited Las Vegas I never got a car rental.  I found it too much of a pain getting around with the traffic and the other tourists who had no clue how to get to point A to point B.  Nowadays, I have found it easier to get a car since I have been there so often.  Below are some of the expected costs without a car.  

City Bus

Your first experience with Las Vegas transportation is going to be at the airport. Getting to and from the airport you have the options for a city bus (also known as RTC), taxi or shuttle bus.  I’ve found that the City bus is a pain as they only stop at the airport a couple times an hour.  You then are trying to maneuver your luggage on a city bus to save a couple bucks.  Not worth the headache. 

Shuttle Bus

The shuttle buses cost about $6.00 one way and is my preferred method of travel from the airport if you aren’t getting a car rental.  Keep in mind though you are sharing the bus with others, so I have had a wait of almost 45 minutes to get to my hotel. Taking that long to get dropped off would typically only happen if you were one of the last stops the shuttle bus was making.

The shuttle bus is still a great alternative to the city bus when considering all your Las Vegas transportation options.

Taxi, Lyft, Uber

Taxi cab costs will vary around $10-25 depending on which hotel you are coming from or going to.  You have the possibility of getting long hauled, which has happened before to me where they take a longer way to try getting a bigger fare. 

I do use this on my return trips to the airport as the shuttle buses you have to Taxicab up earlier than you should to get to the airport on the flight home.  I have not started to use Uber or Lyft yet but that will be something I will be looking into on future trips without a rental car.

Tram

The trams are great if you are trying to quickly navigate between hotels. Not every hotel has a Tram (monorail), so you need to know which ones do and don’t. We almost always use the Tram between Mandalay Bay, Luxor and Excalibur. Other trams such as Mirage and Treasure Island we rarely have used.

The Tram that runs between SLS and MGM Grand charges you to ride. For additional information on the Trams check out this article on the Las Vegas Monorails.

Car Rental

My current favorite way to navigate Las Vegas transportation needs is getting a rental car. Right now this options is pretty inexpensive at around $25 a day after fees.  When I take into consideration if I go to an off-strip casino and the cost of having to use a taxi, I make up my cst. 

I use the rental car as an opportunity to stop at Target to load up on water and snacks compared to paying for it on the strip.  When you can get a case of water for the cost of two bottles on the strip it makes a difference.  I aso have found that eating options are cheaper off the strip. 

Another factor on your Las Vegas Transportation needs is taking into consideration if you are looking at going to the Hoover Dam or other tourist spots that are farther out of the way.  And don’t forget about those parking costs which can quickly add up if you aren’t prepared for thm. Check with your hotel to see what they charge.

So you can see we vary our transportation options when we visit Las Vegas, but you should be aware of what your options are and make sure you understand some basic navigation tips when visiting.

Happy Vacationing!

Tips and Tricks for Kinney Chaos

By Leave a Comment

We get asked about a lot of things and since we cover a wide range of topics here is a list of our tips and tricks, FAQ and the blog posts that go with them. If you have a question we would LOVE to hear from you! Drop us a message by contacting us or commenting on this article!

Travel Tips and Tricks

What is Travel Hacking?

Should I hoard my points or spend as soon as I can?

How can I earn free trips? We earn free hotel stays and airfare by maximizing our reward points. Don’t get overwhelmed. If you are just starting out, pick one or two and get really consistent with those before adding more.

Here are some tips and tricks to help you get started.

What are your favorite hotls to stay at?

What are your tips for flights?

What are the best credit cards to have to get reward points and earn free trips ?

Quotes

Budget and Money Tips and Tricks

How can I budget?

How can I teach my kids about money?

How can I save money on everyday expenses?

Social Media Tips

Travel from Wisconsin: Local vs Hub Flights

By Leave a Comment

A large number of my Vegas trips are between October through March.  The last couple years I have averaged 4-5 of my trips per year during this time frame. Whenever you are trying to decide what flight options you should take, you have to consider how you want to travel from Wisconsin.

Other articles we think you may find useful talking about travel to and from Wisconsin are Road Trip tips and Why we Travel.

Travel From Wisconsin: Flight Hubs vs. Local

With the snow already starting to fly during the fall and winter, I have found I prefer to fly out of a hub vs locally. The local flights around here in central Wisconsin connect you to a regional flight hub. These centers are in Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Detroit or Chicago.  From one of those main airport centers you then have to catch another flight anyway.

I have found when considering how to travel from Wisconsin I prefer to drive to Milwaukee or Minneapolis and fly from there.  Many people have questioned why I would want to drive in the snow during these attempts.  My usual response is “I prefer to gamble when I get to Vegas, not if my flight will make my connecting flight to get to Vegas.” 

With flying out of a hub, I find that there are more options if my flight is delayed or canceled.  Delta seems to have a non-stop trip to Vegas every couple hours from Minneapolis; United has the same in Chicago and Southwest out of Milwaukee. 

Delays

Where I have found my most significant delays are from the small airports.  Most of my canceled flights are the puddle jumpers from the regional hubs back to Mosinee or Appleton.  There are fewer flights, sometimes only 1-2 a day per carrier to these small airports.  I have had a flight canceled for work where they decided to bus us to Chicago.

By that time the connecting flight was long gone leaving me to wait on standby to try to get to my training classes.  I have also been stuck overnight due to some of these flights being canceled and rescheduled for the next morning. These are not good experiences for those of us who need to travel from Wisconsin.

These experiences are why I prefer to drive to the hub location the night before. This way I have the flexibility and no worries if I am going to make the flight due to traffic.  It also reduces the stress on the connecting flight issues if the plane needs to be ‘de-iced.’  When trying to travel on the cheap, even with the increased number of flights at the hubs, you have the best ability at finding a great deal.  

And the biggest tip for flying in the winter when you travel from Wisconsin?  Do not watch Die Hard 2 before flying out.  Yes, I did make that mistake back on my first ever flight back in Junior High during the Winter.

Will Refundable Flights Save you Money or Stress?

By 4 Comments

One of the reasons I like Southwest Airlines the most is their refundable flight policy.  I have had incidents where I have booked for the incorrect weekend and was able to switch flight dates within minutes. Southwest allows you to cancel or change your fare within 24 hours of booking for a refund.

Additionally, if you need to you can cancel your flight up to the departure time you will get a credit. Your Southwest credit is then good for a full year towards a new flight. If you used your Southwest points to book your flight and need to change flights your points are refunded to you. This is just one of the many reasons we love to fly Southwest.

Other airlines I would have paid change fees which would negate any gains I had with using points.  Another benefit is when the flash sales come up, you can at times rebook parts of your flight for the cheaper costs and get the points or cash refund. 

The biggest key to getting the best deals on travel is booking so far in advance.

Refundable Flights

The biggest key to getting the best deals on travel is booking so far in advance.  When you use the flexibility of booking in advance by booking nine months out, that is a lot of time for other things in life to pop up.  It also isn’t just things that change for you in your life. Sometimes you may need to change your flights due to an airline or hotel changing. Right now Marriott workers are on strike at certain areas throughout the country. 

There are current reports of hotels in Hawaii in Waikiki Beach that have no assistance for their bags, no housekeeping or no restaurants available.  When traveling to a dream location in Hawaii, you don’t want to worry about this. The last thing I would want to worry about is if my garbage is still sitting in my room for five days straight and not having towels. 

Having the refundable options would allow you to shift to a different hotel.
This is one of the reasons I prefer to book right through the airlines and hotel companies. Instead of the ‘search engine’ sights such as hotels.com or expedia.com you can usually get better deals. Plus, the refund policies are harder to find at times on different stays and flights through those big companies. 

Will Refundable Flights Save you Money or Stress? #flight #savemoney #delta #southwest #airline

Conclusion

Always look at all your options, and I have seen most hotels will match prices that are located on those sites if there is a big difference.  I recently have found over the last several years that there has not been a significant cost difference between these locations.