best travel blogs

A Site About Being at home in hotels around the world

Let’s Connect

Know where the Ice Machine is in real time by following on BlueSky and Instagram.

Solo Travel Blogs

Subscribe to The Ice Machine

Sign up here for email updates and reader exclusives.

Featured Content

Nomadic Living

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

travel gear

Travel Gear

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

luxury travel blogs

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

Recent Posts

  • 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…

    Read Post

  • 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…

    Read Post

  • 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…

    Read Post

  • 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…

    Read Post

  • 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…

    Read Post

  • 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…

    Read Post

  • Churchill Downs: An Insider’s Guide to the Twin Spires

    Once the most popular sport in the US, thoroughbred racing has become something of a niche pursuit in the 21st century. You can count on one hand the number of US racetracks that stand on their own as a tourist destination. Many of the country’s busiest tracks are in places like New York, LA, New…

    Read Post

  • Is Buc-ee’s the Most Overrated Attraction in Roadside America?

    Not so long ago we were all going happily about our lives, blissfully unaware that a certain chain of Texas gas stations was on a quest for global domination. It wasn’t even 10 years ago that the first Buc-ee’s outside of Texas opened its doors. Since 2016 the brand has developed 11 locations and counting…

    Read Post

  • Ever Seen a Thai 7-Eleven? Take a Quick Tour in Photos

    Planning a trip to Bangkok is wild. It’s a lot of work sorting through hotels and finding a flight that works for you. But once you’re in the city it won’t take long at all before you find yourself inside a Thai 7-Eleven. On one hand they’re pretty similar to the stores we have here…

    Read Post

  • My Results on the Atlantic City Status Match Merry Go Round

    About a month ago Frequent Miler wrote a very long, detailed and helpful post about how to get free cruise offers by matching casino statuses. You should go and read through it. Even if you aren’t holding a casino status it explains how to gain status by matching from hotel loyalty programs. On top of…

    Read Post

  • How to Take a Train from PHL Airport to the Beach

    I recently became aware that there are a number of benefits available by matching a high level casino status around Atlantic City. Free rooms at the beach and cruises are there for the taking. The only catch is you have to actually be in Atlantic City to take advantage of these promotions. If you’re looking…

    Read Post

  • Review of the Tropicana Atlantic City: Resort Report

    Atlantic City appeals to a very specific kind of traveler. It’s a place for someone who wants to go to the beach, but also wants to be around a lot of casino gambling. If you just want the casinos you’re better off going to Vegas, or maybe just finding the one closest to home. If…

    Read Post

Search

cool travel blogs