Team Red Mascot

 
Reporting live from St. Pete's Beach on the steamy/rainy Gulf Coast of Florida.  Would I normally choose this time of year to be here? Likely not .. but in the interest of reporting my travels, I am here attending a very large convention.  To keep this writing neutral, I am attending Team Red's big pre-"Super Bowl" gathering.

Team Blue Mascot

  

Just so you follow my drift, Team Blue's gathering is next week in Charlotte.  Of course the big game is November 6th....  And, of course, just getting here from L.A. was a wait-and-see-what-Hurricane-Isaac-may-or-may-not-do experience.  Loved getting that email from AA the day before departure that the flight was cancelled (LA-Miami-Tampa).  Rerouted LA-Dallas-Tampa.   Other than the JOLT during our descent (even the hubby was a bit alarmed) into Tampa, it was a pretty unremarkable journey!      

Pre-Hurricane Isaac

Now back to the trip at hand.  Our hotel is right on a stretch of beach in St. Petersburg at the Tradewinds Island Grand.  We opted for larger accommodations (son Sam is here with us) instead of staying in Tampa proper (smaller accommodations offered) even though it means more daily commute time to the convention center -- some 30+ minutes into Tampa. Most anyone  who has been to a gathering of this size and scope knows hotel space is at an absolute premium.  It's not uncommon for folks to stay 40 miles away just to get a room with "proximity" to whatever is going on.   We did have the added bonus of celebrating son Sam's 23rd birthday the first day with a wonderful meal at Maritana Grill in St. Pete's. 

About to reveal what's inside!

Cheers!

This is my second time in Tampa.  The first was back in the '90s when we came to experience Tropicana Field, home of the Tampa Bay Rays.  Yes, that is a family tradition; I have been to a total of 35 MLB parks and must say the one in Tampa is probably the worst (the old Kingdome in Seattle comes to mind as well).  Still remember the fan spitting chewing tobacco in front of me.  Love the team a lot but they need a new stadium! 

Love him or hate him, the big guy has presence ...

 A major part of the fun in attending these events is meeting people from literally every state in the country.  The outfits are quite extravagant and deliberate -- meaning folks work hard to be noticed.  The same is absolutely true whether at Team Red or Team Blue; enthusiasm, patriotism and spirit is abundant everywhere!



  One more comment about the weather -- I applaud anyone who isn't bothered by humidity.  Wish that were me but, as a lifelong resident of So. Cal, I am undeniably spoiled weather-wise.  When you have to stop and let the glasses de-fog when going from indoors to outdoors, that's just not right!

Veal with peppers and tomato sauce

Thankfully Isaac was a no-show and we're all safe and sound.  Dinner the second night was at Donatello, an old-style Italian restaurant where the entrance walls are covered with a who's who of visitors.  The place was packed, food was delicious and it was the day's second sighting of the NJ Gov who is obviously a foodie ...

Included here are some photos from this quite amazing experience.  Hope you enjoy. 

Downtown Tampa

That is CNN's Campbell Brown on the ledge

Beautiful building; had a dinner event in the atrium

Those are all security boats in the water

About to go in for the first night's speeches

Not just yet ... waiting for Thursday.

Did you know that if you Google "Top Ten Travel Websites," the results are in excess of  15,000,000?!  Ay caramba!  So, the question is: How does one decide upon which to rely?

Besides the obvious choice of Travel with Teri B., I thought I would decipher some of the myriad results (really good, fair and awful) because time is always of the essence.  Of course, no single site can be totally comprehensive and may not appeal to certain travelers.  I personally have never been a fan of Priceline, but know others who swear by it.  I like Frommer's a lot, and almost always invest in their guides to countries I'm visiting.  At the same time, I have stayed at some very great hotels that are not even listed on their site for a particular city. The Mandarin Oriental in Geneva is a recent example. 

The upshot is:  it takes a village -- and a variety of sources -- to plan a trip!   At the risk of being declared brain dead from research, following are some of the sites I found and would love to know your thoughts and preferences as well.

1.  Budget Travel:   Right away I'm liking this one alot -- they also list Bing Travel for their Price Predictor tool where you can search flights and buy or wait according to the information provided.

2. Hipmunk:   I don't think I'm hip enough for this site.  But I do like that you can scroll over dots on a map for a preview of a hotel.  For instance, I'm still vetting prices for an upcoming NYC stay over Labor Day weekend, and the site offers a ton of choices.  But, unless you are a fan of Trip Advisor, on which they seem to base their rankings, you probably won't like this site too much.

3.  Smarter Travel: This site was ranked #1 by TechMediaNetwork, as a provider of "unbiased" travel information.  Sounds good to me. I put in my NYC criteria and it directed me to a choice of about a dozen different bookings sites where I could compare.  Good for bargain hunters and lovers of options.

4.  AirGorilla:  This is a well-established site offering discount airfare; i.e., they are a consolidator (buying blocks of seats from airlines that would otherwise go unsold).  Since they have been around for a long time (in the annals of online travel-planning, that is), they have access to lots of discounts; more than some other well-known sites.  Part of their profits go to saving gorillas; hence, the name!

5.  Kayak:   I've mentioned this site before but it is well worth including again.  This is a no-frills website and very easy to navigate.  It has been very helpful in my learning about internal flights in China/So. Korea while planning next year's vacation.

So I don't know about you, but I'm exhausted from all this research!  Time to take a vacation.  Look forward to the next blog, where I'll be sharing the sights and sounds of Tampa-St. Pete's in Florida. ..

What is it that keeps you from making plans to travel? There are the obvious reasons that it can be expensive, or that you really prefer to stay home, or you just don't know how?   Lots of people have commented to me that they really want to travel but just don't know how to get started.   Well, help is officially on the way!

Travel with Teri B. was designed not only to share some unique insights of my personal travels but also to encourage you to take that next step and actually see something not in your everyday life.  Remember that not every journey has to break the bank; there are lots of ways to see this incredible planet even as it seems like we all have less time, money, or both with which to do so.   

Brand new and exclusively offered to loyal readers of Travel with Teri B. is my Client Questionnaire (right side of this blog entry). Whenever you are ready to go, I am ready to help...

But here is something to think about:  If that big journey just isn't in the cards this month or even this year, why not make the time to take a day trip to somewhere not more than a couple of hours away where maybe you haven't been in a long time.  For those of us who live California, the possibilities are endless.  I have no doubt you can find somewhere you've always wanted to go but just never have ...     

The point is to get out of your comfort zone and see what unfolds.  What's the worst that can happen?  You get lost?  That's what GPS is all about!  How about going on the website of Guy Fieri, host of the Food Network's Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, and find somewhere to check out?  (Full disclosure:  I just surprised myself with how many local haunts I've yet to try!)

And following up on the poll posted about where we should meet our college-age kids for Thanksgiving this year (past locations were NYC, Chicago and New Orleans), Nashville got the nod.  Turns out it is not that easy to get to Memphis from LAX so a visit to Graceland will just have to wait.  Since the King and I share the same birthday, I know that visit will have special meaning!


But back to Nashville, some of the sites we'll be seeing are The Hermitage (Home of President Andrew Jackson), Grand Old Opry, Jack Daniels Distillery, and the Country Music Hall of Fame!

Travel blogging with no immediate trips coming up?  Mon Dieu! (or "oy vey" more likely ...)  Well, one cannot be on the road all the time, as great as that sounds.   The reality is a ton of time is spent in the planning and research phase so that when the actual time comes, things go smoothly and uneventfully -- barring any acts of God, of course. 


And as thorough as I am, there are the blips.  On the recent trip to Napa, I am at the airport Avis counter when they kindly point out that yes, I do have reserved a car in Oakland ... Oakland somewhere in Michigan, that is, and not Oakland, CA.  Ooopsie.  Of course now the rate being offered is not what I had anticipated, but managed to get it to an acceptable place.  Stuff like that happens to all of us....

Notwithstanding the previous info, I am a plan-ahead person.  I don't particularly like surprises.  I want to know that the accommodations and yes, even some meals, are what I expect and want them to be.  Here are some of my go-to tips for travel planning: 

I love Excel.  That might sound like over-kill, but it's so easy to set up an Excel file and great to edit as you go.   An example of what I'm doing for the big post-tax-season trip next spring is below.   Plus with this type of file, I can give the hubby the bone-chilling costs so he can manage the foreign currency issues.  And, yes, we always arrive with the relevant currency in hand ...

 

DATE	CITY	FLIGHT INFO	HOTEL/ROOM DETAILS	TOTAL	ACTUAL
				Local	USD
				Currency	Currency
15-Apr		Cathay Flight 883
		depart LAX 11:50 p.m.
17-Apr		arr. Hong Kong 5:40 am
17,18,19,20	Hong Kong
21-Apr		Flight to next city
		Seoul or Beijing
21,22,23,24
25-Apr		Flight to next city
25,26,27,28
4/29/2012		Flight to Shanghai
29/30/1/2	Shanghai
2-May		AA #182
		depart Shanghai 9:30pm
2-May		arrive LAX 6:10pm

I immediately read Travel and Leisure and Conde Nast Traveler magazines when they arrive, and tear out articles that are relevant now or regarding my list of places to go.  Being organized when collecting info is key to actually being able to find it when you need it! 

So labelled folders are my friends (ie., mileage info, airlines, cities, etc.) I also keep another Excel file of countries where I've been and my wish list for future travel destinations.  

Lastly since taking and sharing gorgeous pix is a huge part of the travel experience -- both online and in the Shutterfly book I do after each trip -- a new camera was in order.   Off I went to my fave, Samy's Camera, where everyone behind the counter is extremely knowledgeable.  My older Nikon Coolpix S60 had a few minor issues so I am now the proud owner of the next generation -- a  Nikon Coolpix S100.  Best of all is the larger screen (for the fading eyes)!  Here are a few random shots, plus the last frame is a brief video(!) from the new acquisition ...

 Gerbera daisy popping up

Tomatoes finally ripening in my garden ...

and a Japanese cucumber "unfurling"

Pre-Star Spangled Banner

Napa Valley is one of the best destinations around -- often referred to as Disneyland for adults -- and the site of a very recent journey.  Remember all you newbies to Travel with Teri B., click on any text in bright colors for informational links.

Ah, but back to Napa, one of my favorite spots on the planet.  To think that I, a resident of the San Fernando Valley area of Los Angeles, need only board the one-hour  Southwest flight from Burbank to Oakland, rent a car, and be in Napa within two hours after landing makes me wonder why I don't do this more often!   If only the hotel prices hadn't skyrocketed (along with the number of wineries) ...

This trip has special meaning ... my mom (a fabulous 83-year-old) and I are visiting cousins at their place in Silverado.   But Gaga (as my mom is known to mostly everyone) hasn't been on a plane in about 3 years so I had to adjust my normal take-no-prisoners attitude with flying and airports in general and ratchet it down several notches, meaning going at a slower pace.   And that was just fine! 

 

Gaga, Me, Ryan Cobb & Jen Bialosky

 While it's virtually impossible NOT to eat well in Napa, we regrettably skipped the requisite stop en route at the gastronomic haven long located in Berkeley-- Chez Panisse.  I momentarily digress from the current trip to say it is worth a special journey there to sample Alice Waters' incredible cuisine.  Enough said.  We did have a fun lunch while enjoying the incredible view at the Berkeley Marina eating fresh goodies at Skates on the Bay with my niece and her hubby.

With Cousin Mary Rabb

And on to Silverado where we enjoyed family on the first night.  Monday was the grand tour of Napa, starting with a new fave -- Oxbow Public Market.

  Separate from the fact that our cousins and hosts had a major involvement in the development of this food emporium, I just loved it.  It reminded me very much of the Ferry Building in downtown San Francisco with all the fun eateries.  Had THE MOST AMAZING pizza margherita at Ca' Momi; could have closed my eyes and been right back in Italy!

Making our way up Highway 29, we made a brief stop at the newly reopened Oakville Grocery, which has great picnic tables outside.  We continued with a stop at Dean & Deluca and finally for cookies and coffee at the wonderful Model Bakery in St.Helena.  Love browsing in the shops.  

Fruit tarts - yum!

Barely a cookie crumb was left!

 

Dinner was at Mustards Grill, a Napa go-to for 27 years.  Many of these great restaurants have their own kitchen gardens so it's literally straight-to-your-plate goodness.   

Pole beans at Mustards

Dave Rabb, our other host  ~~

French Laundry hothouse tomatoes ...

and strawberries

After dinner we made a stop by the world-class French Laundry to pick up tips at their amazing garden that feeds the various Yountville kitchens of Chef Thomas Keller.  Have eaten there a few times and it is incomparable. 

 

Holly and Bob in Petaluma

On to Petaluma the next day, a wonderful smallish town about an hour from Napa, to visit another cousin and catch up over lunch.   

From another table -- amazing charcuterie, etc.

Our lamb sausage pizza

 For dinner that night, it was downtown Napa for patio dining at Oenotri.

Chocolate panna cotta and olive oil cake with cherries and lemon gelato

Alas, home the next day to savor the great food and special company of this fun trip... now I must go to the gym!

International traveling and maximizing miles is not for the faint of heart or those inept at calculating numbers ... I'll just start this blog with that realization.   Remember for you newbies to Travel with Teri B., please click on any text in bright colors for informational links!

As I was saying, one must be very ambitious and aware of how airlines work to snag those precious award seats.   I am proud to announce I am the new "possessor" of two business class seats on Cathay Pacific to Hong Kong for next year's trip using my American miles.   Unfortunately, American does not allow the purchase of economy seats and using miles for upgrading on their partner airlines.  But I've flown Cathay before and loved it.

The other long leg of this trip is obviously the return journey from one of the 3 other locations we'll be visiting (Shanghai, Beijing and Seoul).   While exploring options again with the folks at American Advantage (many of whom are very good), and studying closely a map of Asia, it turns out a  bit of crisscrossing is necessary instead of going from Hong Kong in some logical direction of north and then west.

                                                                    

I finally found out that I can fly non-stop from Shanghai to LAX on American; the flight leaves in the evening allowing for an additional full day of sightseeing, and the miles are less than from either Seoul or Beijing, both of which involve an additional stop.  So as soon as the Starwood miles I transferred to American kick in, I'll finalize my business class seats for the flight home and then wait until the fall to book the couple of internal flights and start looking at hotels.  So love Starwood -- they actually award bonus miles when transferring points to American (am I special or is this offered to everyone ...?)  The hubby accuses me of spending way too much time on this endeavor (miles/points that is), but to me these are real savings and not  "mystery" savings as he is so fond of saying!  Plus award seats are few and far between so one must be a bit aggressive to get them ...

No, I am not an expert on miles.  For that, I have been relying on a daily blog from  The Points Guy -- you know, one of those obsessive flyers who will get on a plane just to bulk up his mileage account.  I, for one, have both a day job and a life so that is over the top in my world.   Having said that, his information has been very useful in earning/maximizing miles for these big journeys.  And for all of you who are interested in the nitty-gritty of airline operations and why it's so expensive to fly, read this current edition of The Middle Seat, a regular column in the Wall Street Journal.  The article goes a long way to explain how difficult it is for the airlines to make a buck ...