Denver Trip – Part 1

Hello everyone!

We are back from Denver! It was a great trip with great people, place and weather.

Quick overview:

Flight:

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I went with my sister and one of my best friends. We flew out on a Thursday and returned on a Sunday. Our flights were about $276 on American Airlines. American Airlines did lose our bags on the way back to Boston, which was a definitely off-putting when you land at 2:00 AM slightly hungover, tired and bagless. However, while American Airlines is not my favorite, they had my bag located back to me by 8:00 PM the following day – which is pretty impressive.

Hotel:

Again, as I mentioned in a previous post, I used my Marriott Rewards points to pay for the hotel in Denver (which was amazing – we did not have to pay for a hotel for 3 nights!) We stayed at the Marriott Residence Inn Denver City Center. Honestly, this place was AMAZING! Here’s why:

• Nestled right in the heart of downtown Denver, walking distance to attractions & especially 16th Street Mall (a long street of shops, restaurants, bars  etc.) This was a huge plus because we did not need to pay for cabs to take us everywhere – we could just walk!
• Free Breakfast! Hot buffet breakfast was included every day. It was a really great spread for a free breakfast: eggs, waffles, yogurt, sausage, hash, fruit etc.
• Free “Happy Hour” – Yes, its true. The Residence Inn Denver City Center offers free dinner, beer and wine from 5:30-7:30 Monday – Thursday. It is terrific. We were able to catch the Thursday happy hour and indulged in free wine and cheese burgers.
• Most of the rooms are suites. We had a full kitchen including full size refrigerator  dishwasher, microwave, stove etc. So, if you want to shop and cook you have all the equipment and utensils to do so. Don’t have time to shop for groceries? No sweat. Drop your grocery list off at the front desk before 9 AM and have your groceries delivered same day FOR FREE. All grocery items are charged to your room, but the service is free.
• Free internet
• Trendy but homey interior decor
• ROOF TOP DECK – This roof top desk was just so cool! It has a fire pit, chairs and an amazing view. Can’t beat that!
• Friendly and helpful staff
• Free coffee 100% of the time in the lobby

roof top deck – Marriott Residence Inn Denver City Center – May 2013

Other:

I’ll use this information to share some other general information that may be helpful for you if you are ever planning a trip to Denver (I highly recommend that you do.)

• Cab ride to/from airport: $60 each way (be prepared with some cash as some of the cabs will not accept cards.) The airport was located way farther from the city center than we anticipated. There is also a “super shuttle” you can take as well that I think is around $20 something each way.
• Dispensaries are around. However – as any locals will tell you – as of now, they do not sell marijuana to the general public – you must have a medical prescription/card.
• Denver is “the Napa Valley” of beer. There are tons of different microbreweries around with some great tasting beer.
• Denver is home to 7 pro sports teams
• If you are from New England, we have a bad rap of not being the nicest people around. However, in Denver it was glaringly apparent to me that people out there truly go OUT of their way to do nice things for each other – even strangers.

Rock Bottom Brewery – Denver, Co

So Denver, thanks for the hospitality – we’ll be back! More details and pictures to come about restaurants, bars and activities we enjoyed. Truly a great vacation in a great city!

South Shore Bars & Restaurants

Hello everyone! Happy Wednesday, we are half way through the work week!

For today’s post I decided to focus on the South Shore area of Massachusetts and do a breakdown of some of the best bars / restaurants to go to for date night, girls night out or a group outing.

Drinks / cocktails / Bar bites:

• The Black Raspberry Pub – Located in Cordage Park in Plymouth the Black Raspberry pub is hidden in the back of the building. It offers your regular pub food options, but what is really special about this pub is that it offers FLIGHTS of MARTINIS. That’s right – choose 4-5 martinis to try in one sitting! They also offer a full bar with reasonably priced coctails and beers, so bring your designated driver. Another draw is half priced pizzas on certain days, live entertainment and poker tournaments.

website: http://www.theblackraspberry.com/AppSalKids.htm

• The Driftwood Publick House – Located in Court St. in Plymouth, MA, Driftwood Publick House offers a wide range of draft and bottled beer. The beers also vary in alcohol content and flavors etc. Another cool aspect about this bar is that when you order a beer, you are given a glass BASED on the alcohol content. For instance, if you get a budlight, you will get a larger glass (as it is lower in alcohol content) than the SIERRA NEVADA HOPTIMUM  (which is 10.4% alcohol). The prices for these beers, wine and cocktails are easy on the wallet as well. Lastly, Driftwood offers some cool and creative twists on pub food such as a Philly Stuffed Pretzel, a petzel stuffed with steak, onion, and American cheese cheese served with a spicy creme fraiche. (Try it, its delicious.) 

website: http://www.driftwoodpublickhouse.com/welcome.html

Menu – Coop’s Bar & Grille

• Coops Bar and Grill – If you are looking for a place to come and relax, eat some comfort food and play a little keno and/or trivia after work or on the weekend, Coops is a great place to go. Located on Washington St. in Quincy, Coops has trivia weekly which is always fun. It also offers daily food specials and cheap drinks. The bar staff is super friendly as well.

Website: http://www.coopsbarandgrille.com/

• Cagney’s – Cagney’s is also located on Washington St. in Quincy. It is small, local bar with great food and reasonable prices. They also organize events such as 5K’s and fundraisers and offer trivia weekly. Their chocolate martini is amazing and only $8 -$9. A must try.

Website: http://cagneysquincy.com/

• Pizzings – Pizzings is located in Marshfield, MA and is a local hot spot. It offers 50 cent wings every Monday. Choose from 45 sauces/ flavors for your wings!! It also boasts cheap beer and cocktails.
  

website: http://www.pizzingspizza.com/marshfield/menu.html#wings

Date Night:

• Fat Cat- Fat Cat is one of my personal favorites. It can be a bit expensive but it is ALWAYS worth it. They offer unique menu items and GIANT portions of food. Also, their wine, beer and cocktail list is definitely up to par. The Fat Cat has the wine of the month that is offered by the glass at a discounted price and also offers entire Fat Cat brand line of wine as well. This restaurant does not take reservations and is extremely small. Be prepared to wait or try to go at an off- peak time. The small intimate setting is great for a date. 

website: http://www.fatcatrestaurant.com/

• East Bay Grille – East Bay Grille is located right on the Plymouth, MA waterfront. It is a bit pricey but it’s menu includes fresh seafood, pasta dishes and creative cocktails. The outdoor deck is great in the spring and summer months. It is definitely a nice restaurant and location for date night.

website: http://www.eastbaygrille.com/

• The Fairview Inn – Located in the Brant Rock area of Marshfield, the Fairveiw doubles as an inn and restaurant. The Inn has an old, rustic feel to it but is tastefully decorated. It normally attracts an older crowd, but nonetheless, it is still a great restaurant for a date. The food is excelled and they pour strong drinks. Often times, you will see the Fairview on livingsocial.com or groupon.com for discounted vouchers. I have snagged a couple in my day and have never been disappointed. 

website: http://www.thefairviewinn.com/

Girl’s night:

• Bistro Chi – Bistro Chi is located in downtown Quincy. It is has a modern look and feel and has an extensive menu and cocktails. Great place to share fruity, fun drinks with the girls, get some sushi or orange chicken and relax.

website: http://www.bistrochi.com/menu.html 

• Roo Bar – The bar offers a refreshingly fresh and creative menu. Its a great place to come with friends and try the different
  

  Crab cakes topped with green apples – Roo Bar

  pizzas, appetizers and seafood. Roo bar offers an extensive list of cocktails/ berr/ wine as well. The interior of Roo Bar is aesthetically pleasing as well, an interesting mix of contemporary and rustic.

website: http://www.theroobar.com/

•  Hola – Hola is a small little place in Marshfield. It has a fantastic menu of tapas and small plates to share. Hola is also known for their unique and tasty ingredient combinations and flatbreads. They also mix signature cocktails and feature a different cocktail weekly.

website: http://www.restauranthola.net/

• Anna’s Harborside Grille – Also situated on the Plymouth Waterfront, Anna’s Harborside Grille has great options for lunch and dinner. For those of you with gluten allergies – it has a huge variety of gluten free options. Its bold and modern decor is a great atmosphere for a girls night out.

website: http://annasharborsidegrille.com/

• Blue- eyed Crab – I have mentioned the Blue- Eyed Crab in a previous post, but it truly is a restaurant that shouldn’t be missed if
  

  Dessert platter – Blue-Eyed Crab

  you are in the Plymouth area. It has a menu inspired by Caribbean island flavors and offers fresh seafood. It also is a Rum bar that boasts a variety of different rums. The decor inside is fun and makes you feel like you are sitting on a beach in the Caribbean. The waitstaff is friendly and attentive and that is always a plus. 

website: http://blue-eyedcrab.com/

Company dinners or group dinners:

• Wahlburgers – Owned and operated by the Wahlburgs, Wahlburgers is located in the Hingham Shipyard in Hingham, MA. It has comfortable outdoor seating and outdoor heaters for chilly nights. It also has a FULL bar and the food is pretty good too. You have a choice to be seated and served or you can order at the counter yourself.
  

website: http://wahlburgers.com/

The Cabby Shack – Located on the Plymouth waterfront, The Cabby Shack has an enormous deck that overlooks the ocean. In the summer months, it is an amazing place to enjoy the sun and knock back a couple beers. Cabby Shack does have a decent amount of sitting for big groups, but again – in the summer make reservations or prepare to wait. Another big draw is the daily specials and deals.

website: http://www.cabbyshack.com/

Breakfast:

• Mad Hatter Cafe – This place is a small little cafe on Main St. in Weymouth, MA. It is family owned and operated and it is a classic breakfast cafe. The food is excellent and the wait staff is friendly. The place is small and seat yourself  – so I would suggest not going at peak hours.
  

website: http://www.facebook.com/MadHatterCafeWeymouth

• The Early American – This is another small breakfast place based in downtown Quincy. The prices are UNBEATABLE and the food is always good. Definitely a good value.
  

website: https://www.facebook.com/TheEarlyAmerican

Been to any of these places? Share your thoughts or comments!

Planning an Affordable Trip: First Steps

Hey, Hey, Hey!

We all know how important a budget is to trip planning. Conversely, we also know how difficult it is to stay WITHIN the budget! I plan/ have planned a number of different trips for both work and leisure and have found a few different ways to aid in keeping travel AFFORDABLE. Lets face it, as 20-somethings, we don’t have the funds to putting up mad money!

Tip 1: Research, Research, Research.

• While it requires a little bit more time and effort on your end, researching sites such as Orbitz.com, travelocity.com, bookit.com, hotwire.com and kayak.com for different prices will 100% save you money. Playing around with dates, timelines, and airlines as well is a good trick to getting the cheapest airfare/hotels possible.
• If you don’t mind getting a couple of extra emails a week, you can subscribe to the email lists for these website and get alerted to “members only” sales and coupon codes.
• Another trick is to follow your favorite airlines and hotels on Twitter and/or Facebook. For example, I follow JetBlue and
  Southwest on Twitter, so I can see as soon as they post those amazing $49 flight deals :)
• As I mentioned above, sometime the airlines themselves have flight sales for both one way trips or round trips. It is a good idea to always give the specific airline website a quick glance to see if they are having a sale or if they lowered the price of a certain flight so that more customers will buy directly from them vs. a website like orbitz etc.

Tip #2: Rewards Programs and Frequent Flier Programs

• While there are differing thoughts/ theories on how to most effectively use these programs, I have found it successful to join every airline’s free frequent flyer program. It is easy to join straight through each respective airline’s website. I have found this effective because I do find myself traveling to different domestic and international destinations and sometimes I do not have the option to stick to my favorite 2-3 airlines. Therefore, each time you fly with an airline, you will get points no matter what airline you fly.
• I have also found it valuable to join the free loyalty programs (again, you can easily sign up from each respective hotel website.) Much like flying I think it is nice to have an account number with a hotel (or multiple) chain. Currently, I have free accounts with both Marriott and Hilton. You get points for each stay and any purchases you make at the hotel gift shop.
• Lastly, if you are comfortable with getting a credit card, that is a fantastic way to show your loyalty to an airline or hotel chain and it will kick start your point earning for free flights and hotel stays. Chase also has credit cards that you can get to also earn points to all aspects of travel. It is really a personal preference. I currently have the Visa Marriott Rewards Card and I love it. The perks include free hotel stays, late check out, and 20% off at hotel stores and Hertz. Points are awarded as follows: 5 pts. per every $1 spent at the Marriott; 2 pts. for every $1 spent on airline tickets, car rentals & restaurants; and 1 per $1 spent everywhere else. I am planning a trip to Denver, CO at the moment with one of my best friends and my sister and we are not paying for a hotel ANY of the nights we are there. I paying solely on points/ vouchers from my Marriott card! :)
• If you are a AAA member, ALWAYS remember to get your discounted hotel room rate.

Tip #3: Plan ahead.

• Plan flights ahead of time, flights get more expensive the closer you get to your departure date.
• When booking hotels, look to see if they include breakfast, parking and internet. Many hotels will include at least one the 3, if not all 3 depending on location and brand.
• If you are planning to go to extremely popular tourist attractions, research them ahead of time to see if tickets and/or reservations need to be made ahead of time. (Also, this is helpful if you are going in a big group)

Tip #4: Daily Deal Websites

• Daily deal websites such as groupon.com, livingsocial.com, google offers etc. often have getaways and vacation deals. These deals often include in-room amenities such as chocolates or a bottle of wine or include some type of dinner offer. It is important to research the hotel or resort that is being featured in these deals. However, I have had a great experience using these deals. I purchased a trip to The Palms in Las Vegas last October and it included entry to all the night clubs, all hotel amenities and access to the AMAZING buffet of food offered at the hotel. It was a fantastic deal and it was a great experience. These sites are just another place to look for a nicely packaged deal at a truly reasonable price.

The Palms – Las Vegas – we stayed here with the Groupon we purchased

Questions? Comments? Tweet to me @unabridged_12 or leave a comment below :)