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Route 91 Festival

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It seems like it was forever ago but also like it was just yesterday. If it weren’t for the UFC fights the week after, I would have been there for the Route 91 festival when the shooting took place. I would have been in the crowd as Jason Aldean would have been one of the main acts I would have wanted to see.

Route 91 Shooting

Part of me changed the day of the with all the what ifs. Now Cheyenne will be going with me on the next trip at the end of the month. She knows of everything out there, she knows how close I was to being there at that time. Cheyenne has asked a lot of questions over the last several months, but even more recently about Las Vegas. A lot has changed in the 7 and a half years since she was there last.

Las Vegas Changes

The strange thing is the little things that have even changed in the last several months. I have been there eight times since the shooting, and you pick up on small things that you didn’t see before.

  • I have noticed more secondary security throughout the casinos along with upgraded elevator security.
  • Some of the higher end casinos always had a guard at the elevators.
  • Now even some of the lower to mid-end casinos have either guards placed or at least working badge scans that lock the elevators down from going up without an active room key.
  • You do see an increase in the cameras watching above if you look closely as you walk around The Strip.
  • There seems to be more police presence on the street, and they are now more grouped together; it seems but never makes it feel like the area is unsafe.

They have been able to maintain that ‘free spirit’ attitude on the strip but also seems more secure as you look around and notice the small things.

At the age of six, Cheyenne wanted Bellagio Fountains and Mirage Volcano…Now at the age of 13, it is still those attractions, but now it also is the Las Vegas Sign and Mandalay Bay and the fence across the Route 91 festival grounds to pay her respects.

KoKo Head Cafe in Hawaii – Restaurant Review

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This summer we were very fortunate and got to visit the island of Oahu in Hawaii. One of our friends recommended we try to visit Koko Head Cafe if we had the chance. On our second day, we decided we would give it a try.

Koko Head Cafe

The Koko Head Cafe merely is impressive. They are open from 7 AM to 2:30 PM every day featuring brunch style foods with a fun mix of items they are sure to have something there for everyone. Chef Anne Wong runs this little Pan-Asian inspired eatery.

I have to say this was probably the biggest surprise of our entire vacation. Not only was the food amazing, the staff was super helpful and catered to the locals and tourists alike. It was an amazingly refreshing experience.

Food

Cheyenne and Jason both love pancakes, french toast, and waffles. So when they found out one of the items on the Koko Head Cafe menu was a famous Cornflake French Toast, they were sold. This meal did not disappoint. They both gave it an A+ for amazingness.

KoKo Head Cafe meals

I had the daily dumpling special. My dumpling dish was the most fantastic meal I had for my entire vacation. When we visited the dumpling dish featured was beef and mushroom delightful dumpling, and while overall this is served as an appetizer it did not disappoint.

We loved this little restaurant so much; we made a point of returning before we left. All because we wanted to have our French Toast and Dumplings a second time. During our second trip, we tried the Coffee and Doughnuts which are a cinnamon sesame cake donut with a Kona Coffee Anglaise, and they were delicious as well.

Conclusion

The Koko Head Cafe is a must visit location. The food will not disappoint you and will leave you wanting more.

Shopping Portals to earn FREE Travel

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Some of the easiest ways to get miles and points are through shopping portals.  When I started Travel Hacking this is how I earned my first few trips.  Each of the major airlines such as Delta, United, Southwest and American have their own shopping portals and many credit card companies have theirs as well.  When most people think airline shopping portals most people think of the old “Sky Mall” magazine where you buy that dog statue to put in the middle of your garden.  It can’t be further from the truth.

Shopping Portals and Apps

Most people nowadays have gotten comfortable buying through Amazon and eBay online.  These shopping portals cover large retailers that many of us have heard of such as Home Depot, Lowes and even Wal-Mart.  Over the last several years we have purchased refrigerators, stoves and even a car port from Home Depot.  All getting point along the way.  Whether it is home improvement or toilet paper at Wal-Mart extra miles are available.  One thing I noticed is  by using the pick up at Target, not only would I get the miles, but I would no longer have a cart full at the check out wondering what on earth did I buy this time.
Each of the different airlines and most major credit card websites have links for their portals.  All it takes is going to the airline or credit card of choice, and clicking on the link to get to the online store that you want.  Miles generally show up several weeks later.  Sometimes they do provide shopping bonuses.  These are common around back to school time.  Last year we purchased most of Cheyenne’s school supplies online to get the additional miles.
Every little bit adds up. Happy Shopping!!!
Learn how to use shopping portals to earn FREE Travel

Rapid Rewards Shopping

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Rapid Rewards Shopping

Southwest’s reward program is called Rapid Rewards. One of our favorite airlines is Southwest, so it’s not shocking that one of our favorite shopping portals is their Rapid Rewards Shopping portal. One disadvantage of this program is that Southwest doesn’t have any airline partners, so you do have to redeem the points you earn with them.

To get started with this program, visit the Rapid Rewards Shopping portal and Sign up for a new account.

How Can I earn Points?

There are several ways that you can earn points, but how quickly you earn them depends mostly on your shopping habits. There are are many ways to earn points you should refer to the Rapids Rewards website for all the details. However, Here are a few of our favorites:

  1. Ultimate Rewards Credit Card – This is a Chase credit card and the only bank partner of Southwest.  Pro Tip: Earning points through the Ultimate Rewards program and then transferring them to Southwest. Earning Points through Ultimate Rewards gives you lots of options for points redemption, and you can still use them for Southwest as needed.
  2. For everyday online spending use the Rapid Rewards Shopping portal. This is a great option to earn points when you are making purchases online anyway.
  3. Hotel Rentals – Rapid Rewards currently has eight partner hotels where you can earn points by booking with them. Among our favorites are Hyatt and Mlife due to the numerous trips Jason takes out there each year.
  4. View and make sure you take advantage of any promotions that Southwest is currently offering. They have an entire section of their website devoted just to their current promotional content.

Extra Benefits we love:

  • No Blackout dates for flights
  • Your points don’t expire as long as you have activity at least once every 18 months

We hope you have learned a little something extra about the Southwest Rapid Rewards program. Please let us know what else you would like to know about by contacting us!

How to earn points with everyday purchases! Rapid Rewards Shopping

Travel Hacks

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Whether you are traveling on an airplane or making a road trip this summer; I’m sure you want to make your journey smooth. If you would like to find ways to get flights for free or find ways to earn more reward points to take advantage of travel deals make sure you check out our previous articles.

Here are some of the very best travel hacks to help your vacation be more enjoyable!

Travel Hacks for Flights

  • If you type into Google any flight number. You can see exactly where the flight is at any given time.
  • Use your browsers private or incognito mode to purchase tickets.

Airports

  • Need to know the airport wifi? There is a Google Map that will show you a whole lot of airports and their wifi passwords: www.KinneyChaos.com/airportwifi
  • Bring an empty water bottle. This allows you to fill it without paying for a water bottle at the super high airport prices.
  • Need to get through Security fast? If you are in an area with multiple lanes, try to use the path all the way to the left. Most people are right-handed and tend to move towards the right naturally.

Packing

  • Put a dryer sheet in your suitcase to keep it smelling fresh.
  • Put rolled up socks inside shoes to help them keep their shape.
  • Snap a quick picture of that luggage before you send it to your destination. That way you know what your luggage looks like in the event it gets lost, and it can help you speed up your paperwork.

Road trips

  • Need Directions? Skip the gas station and find a pizza delivery place. They know their way around town better than a gas station attendant will.
  • Need a quick travel cup? Use Press’n Seal over the top of your cup and pop a straw through it.
  • Fill up with Gas in the mornings as often as you can. Gas contracts and it’s at the smallest point in the colder morning temps. This gives you the best road trip gas value.
  • If you stop somewhere turn your steering wheel 180 degrees before parking in the sun. This way you won’t burn your hands when you start driving again.

Other

  • When you have to take a taxi, put the destination into your phone map so you can ensure the taxi driver doesn’t scam you.

Have other travel hacks? We would love to hear about them! Just leave us a comment and please share so others can enjoy our tips too!

Why Travel? 5 Reasons You Should

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A couple of years ago I saw this picture with a simple saying “We Travel Not to Escape Life, but for Life Not to Escape Us…”.  This quote has been one of my most favorite sayings since that day.
We Travel Not to Escape Life, but for Life Not to Escape Us... #travel #travelquote #traveltips #escape #stressreduction #reducestress #getaway #exotic #beach

Why Travel? Experiences

I used to travel to “get away.”  One week to Las Vegas a year to get away from life and disconnect.  Now as time goes on, I have found that it’s for the experiences.  I have been to many concerts for musicians that I would never have been able to see back in Wisconsin.  I have been to many different sporting events from Hockey games to UFC fights.  But one of the biggest reasons for my travel hacking is the ability to give my family those memories.  I do take many solo trips, but want to make sure that I can also get those memories for my daughter to remember.
Take advantage of the experiences that traveling can offer you. There are so many new and different things to see or do. Take a moment to enjoy the unique cuisine, do something you’d never do, or catch a concert or show.

Why travel? Reduce Stress

I think everyone has experienced stress and mind fog. To truly relax and rejuvenate, you need to get away from your typical daily life. For most of us, that is work, kids driving us crazy, and other everyday stressors. Build vacation time into your schedule even if you aren’t going far. Get out of your house, away from stress and come back feeling fresh and inspired.

Why Travel? Memories

When I was a child, we did get to go to water parks, a school trip to Washington DC and a car trip to Florida.  I still remember some of those memories: from the drive down, the beach, Disney and my first airplane trip in 8th grade.  Before getting into points, I was always trying to figure out how to get to the experiences in Las Vegas along with being able to get those family trips done with a cheaper cost.  Just by chance, I came across an article in a Las Vegas blog that mentioned how he flies for free.  From that point on I was hooked.
So why does my family travel? To make memories and you should be taking advantage of this too. “Memories are priceless. You can always make more money, But you can’t always make more memories.”

Memories are priceless. You can always make more money; But you can't always make more memories. #memories #traveltips #travelquote #priceless

Why Travel? Pass down traditions

Another reason why we travel is to have the opportunity to pass down traditions. My daughter has been fortunate to see out west and the neon lights of Las Vegas. She has been able to feel the cool white sand under her feet at Siesta Key in Florida.  She has met friends from Florida and Michigan that she will have for the rest of her life.  This summer she is going to Hawaii.  Both Joni and I know this is most likely a one time trip and wanted to make sure she was able to have that experience of volcanoes, beaches, and learn the history of Pearl Harbor.  My grandfather served in World War II.  These will be memories that will stay with her forever, and they are traditions and historical moments we wanted to make sure were passed down.

Why Travel? Family Time

Each year we chose at least one family vacation where our daughter can fly or go to other states.  Her Taekwondo tournaments have taken her throughout the midwest already in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan, and Iowa.  This summer will be her fifth airplane trip by the age of twelve. We get to spend a great deal of time together making memories, and these are moments we will never get to live again. Make the most of your family time; you never know what is going to happen in the future. If you keep waiting to take that vacation or to get away, it may be too late to make those memories and enjoy that time together as a family.
One little hobby has allowed our family to “Travel Not to Escape Life, but for Life Not to Escape Us…”
To find out more information check out our blog articles about Travel Hacking and Ultimate Rewards.