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” All that raw land that rolls in one unbelievable huge bulge over to the West Coast, and all that road going…” -Jack Kerouac

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“He who would travel happily must travel light.– Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

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Hotel Intel

“I knew it. I knew it. Born in a hotel room – and God damn it – died in a hotel room.” -Eugene O’Neill

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  • Hilton Honors Status: Officially Worthless in 2026

    Hilton Honors Status: Officially Worthless in 2026

    The purpose of a hotel loyalty program is to make frequent guests feel appreciated and keep them coming back for exclusive perks they can’t get anywhere else. In 2026 Hilton has degraded the experience of its Hilton Honors program so badly that it now has the opposite effect: the program will prevent me from booking…

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  • Review of the Comfort Suites Baltimore Inner Harbor

    Review of the Comfort Suites Baltimore Inner Harbor

    If you’re searching for a hotel in Downtown Baltimore these days you often have two choices: pay exorbitantly high rates or settle for substandard quality… at rates that are slightly lower but also exorbitant! Let’s take a look at why you shouldn’t stay at the Comfort Suites Baltimore Inner Harbor. I booked this hotel for…

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  • Review of the Days Inn Sarasota, FL: Hotel Intel

    Review of the Days Inn Sarasota, FL: Hotel Intel

    If you’re searching for a hotel in Sarasota you’ve got choices all up and down the scale of quality. But if you’re coming for Spring Training and trying to keep the costs even a little within reason you’ll unfortunately be near the bottom of that scale, which is where we find ourselves at the Days…

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  • Hotel Hacks: Save More Money When Hotel Rates are Highest

    Hotel Hacks: Save More Money When Hotel Rates are Highest

    The best travel deals are usually found outside a destination’s peak season. But what if you’re attending an event that draws hundreds of thousands? Or your schedule is limited to peak times by work and school? How do you save more money if you want to celebrate Christmas at home on Christmas morning? It is…

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  • Review of the Boca Suites Deerfield Beach: Hotel Intel

    Review of the Boca Suites Deerfield Beach: Hotel Intel

    If you’re searching for a hotel around Boca Raton you’ve got plenty of choices. But if you’re coming in peak season and not made of money those choices get narrow pretty quickly. In that case you might find yourself looking at the Boca Suites Deerfield Beach as I did recently. Can this Best Western property…

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  • Review of the RTIC Everyday Cooler: Gear Guide

    Review of the RTIC Everyday Cooler: Gear Guide

    Personal day-use coolers have always been a staple of road trip travel. Driving around the Florida coasts as much as I do, mine was getting daily use. Eventually an upgrade was in order and I wanted something with some size and substance. But I was still a bit hesitant to shell out Yeti money for…

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  • Singapore: Make It a Long Weekend Not a Lost Weekend

    When booking hotels in Singapore sticker shock is common. Travelers often compare prices to other countries in the region. It’s not unusual to perceive better value in places like Bangkok or Phnom Penh. I believe thinking this way is a mistake. Visiting a rich country is a different experience than one that’s still developing. You…

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  • Is Bali’s Kuta Beach Really as bad as You’ve Heard?

    If you’re searching hotels in Bali Kuta Beach is likely on your radar. Especially if you’re budget conscious, the sheer number of hotels there and proximity to the airport make it very appealing for a few quick days on the beach. But you may have also noticed in your searches that many of the top…

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  • Traveling to the Philippines? Don’t Make This Mistake

    After spending twenty years going to sea I’ve heard a lot about the Philippines. Filipinos make up a large portion of the world’s maritime workforce and many sailors enjoy spending time there when they’re not working aboard a ship. One thing I hadn’t heard about in all those years was the Filipino customs observed during…

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  • My Favorite City in Asia: Hong Kong

    I can’t say for sure that Hong Kong is the world’s coolest city. But I don’t know of any other place where you can buy a Patek Philippe and visit a brothel in the same building. What I can tell you is that the vibes are impeccable. Unique among cities, HK seems to exist outside…

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  • What You should Know About Flying Asian Discount Airlines

    If you’re traveling between cities in Asia and searching flights online you’ve already seen results dominated by Asian discount airlines. Hopping around Asian countries is the kind of scenario where Skyscanner becomes invaluable. You can set your starting point and be flexible on both time and location to see all the lowest fares on the…

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  • How to Survive A Weekend in Nashville

    So you got yourself a hotel room downtown (check rates) and you’re ready to blaze into town and hit the honky tonks for a weekend in Nashville. Bless your heart. While a lot of other sites are going to offer you a “perfect” 3 day itinerary or claim to have knowledge “from a local” I’m…

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