The mid-mountain lodge, Thunderhead, at Steamboat Ski Resort in Colorado, USA. Steamboat is known as Ski Town USA as it has sent more athletes to the Olympic Winter Games (100 and counting!) than any other town in the country.
Travel Tuesday Photo: Thunderhead Lodge, Steamboat Ski Resort, Colorado, USA
Categories: Colorado, North America, Picture of the Week, United States
Tags: Colorado, Steamboat, Travel Tuesday Photo
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Travel Tuesday Photo: Bison Calves, South Dakota, USA
Baby Bison resting in Custer State Park in South Dakota, USA
This photo is from the Quick Trip to the Northern Plains trip in 2022, and specifically from Our Visit to the Crazy Horse Memorial and Custer State Park.
Travel Tuesday Photo: Pitti Palace, Florence, Italy
The back of the Pitti Palace overlooking Florence, Italy as seen from the Boboli Gardens
This photo is from the Return to International Travel trip report and specifically from Our Time In Florence, Part 1.
Categories: Europe, Italy, Picture of the Week
Tags: Firenze, Florence, Italy, Pitti Palace, Travel Tuesday Photo
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Activate 2024 3rd Quarter Bonus Categories
It’s the 15th of the 3rd month of the quarter so it’s time to activate bonus categories for card that have quarterly bonuses for next quarter. All of these cards offer bonus points or cash back on up to $1500 in purchases during the quarter.
US Bank Cash+
If you’re not already getting 5x Ultimate Rewards points by using a Chase Ink card (and even if you are!) you may want to switch the card you’re using for payment for TV/Internet/Streaming Services and Cell Phones. You must register your card before September 15th to get the bonus cash-back in the categories you select. As a reminder, you choose two 5% categories and one 2% category. Effective this past November, US Bank changed the way you select your categories. Now you’ll need to log into your account and go to the Rewards Center. I found it a little clunky but I’m sure I’ll get used to it. For more info, see this post from Travel with Grant. I’m choosing Home Utilities again as 5x categories and will switch to TV, Internet and Streaming as my second 5x category; since I dropped my Amex Platinum card this will be my best choice for streaming services. I’ll continue with Grocery Stores for 2x.
US Bank Categories for Q1 2024
Discover Card
Unlike years past, Discover is not revealing the entire year’s calendar. For Q3 the categories are:
I don’t buy much at Walmart but 5% off at the grocery is always welcome.
To activate the bonus, simply log into your Discover account and click on the Activate Now button or look for the email where you can register in one click.
Chase Freedom and Freedom Flex
Chase Freedom’s Q3 categories are Gas Stations/EV Charging, Select Live Entertainment, and Movie Theaters.
Activate these changes by visiting the Chase registration site by September 14.
In the end
Always register for the bonus categories even if you don’t think you’re going to use them. You’ll never know when they might come in handy!
Categories: Cash Plus, Chase, Credit Card Promos, Credit Cards, Discover, Freedom, US Bank
Tags: Chase Freedom, Credit Card Promos, Discover Card, US Bank Cash Plus
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Lodging Review: Beaver Run Resort, Breckenridge, Colorado
For my final ski trip of the ski season my club chose to stay at the enormous Beaver Run Resort in Breckenridge, Colorado. The resort has a great location, right beside the Beaver Run chair and is marketed as ski-in/ski-out though that’s technically only true if you’re staying in one of the four buildings.
Beaver Run Resort (photo credit: Breckenridge Real Estate)
Location
The resort is located on Village Road which is a fairly active side road in the town. The free public buses do travel this road and there’s a major bus stop right across the road from the resort’s residence buildings, next to the Beaver Run lift. While you can walk into town (it’s about a half-mile) if the weather’s not great you can easily catch a bus at this spot or schedule the resort’s own bus and have them take you wherever you like in town for free.
Layout
The resort is comprised of four buildings with residences that are all connected via covered walkways and/or tunnels and what is called simply the Main Building that has the resort’s front desk, the conference rooms and the bars, shops and restaurants.
As you can see in the photo below, Building 4 is on the far left. It has its own heated pool and large hot tub. The red dotted line just below it represents the Beaver Run lift. This is the only building that is truly ski-in/ski-out as you can ski down to the left of the lift and take a side entrance into Building 4. While that’s certainly convenient, if you’re in Building 4 it’s quite a walk to be able to get to any of the other buildings and to the conference building without going outside. You can see the covered, elevated walkway that goes from Building 4 to Building 3 in the photo (it goes right through the word “Village”).
Layout of Beaver Run Resort (Google Maps)
Building 3 has residences and on the very bottom floor has the entrance to the indoor/outdoor pool as well as the small gym and The Spa at Beaver Run. The floors above all contain residences. This is also where you can access the many smaller hot tubs out on the deck. There is a common lobby, called The North Lobby, that connects Buildings 3 & 2 and from there you take a covered walkway over to the conference building. In this covered walkway you’ll find The Hub, the Deli/Market, a small bar and the steps down the ski lockers for Buildings 1-3. From there it’s a short walk across a plaza to the slopes.
Building 1 is located on the right of Building 2. As I did not go over there I’m not sure what kind of lobby or connector there is.
The resort provided this video which can help groups orient themselves to the layout. I found it extremely helpful. Continue reading
Categories: Breckenridge, Colorado, Condos, Lodging Review, North America, United States
Tags: Breckenridge, Colorado, Lodging Review, Ski, Ski Condo, Ski Lodging, Skiing, Snowboarding
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Lodging Review: avid Hotel – Denver Airport Area
As I was shopping for airfare for my final ski trip of the season I found a really good fare arriving in Denver the Friday night before the trip was due to begin on Saturday. Since I had several free night certificates from my credit cards, I shopped around for a hotel with a free airport shuttle and free breakfast. I ended up selecting the avid Hotel Denver Airport, which is part of the Intercontinental Hotel Group (IHG). I have an IHG credit card that is no longer available so essentially I paid the $49 annual fee for this room, which is a bargain.
avid Hotel – Denver Airport Area
Airport Shuttle
Once I got my bags I called the hotel for the shuttle before I even left the building. I was told it would arrive “shortly”. I dragged my two giant bags out to the proper island and waited. And waited. When the shuttle finally arrived the gentleman driving did a good job of getting my two bags loaded. It had taken so long for the shuttle to arrive that I thought he must have been picking up other folks but the shuttle was empty. Let’s just say he was a very cautious driver. We then had to go to the other side of the airport and pick up several other parties. This shuttle services several hotels that are adjacent to one another and, naturally, the other parties got dropped off first. This was probably easier since my bags would have been at the back/bottom of the pile of luggage. The hotel is 5.6 miles from the airport, per Google Maps, and the drive should take about 10 minutes. Continue reading
Categories: avid, Colorado, Hotel, IHG, Lodging Review, North America, United States
Tags: avid Hotel, Colorado, Denver, Hotel, IHG Hotels, Lodging Review
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Lodging Review: EconoLodge, Gunnison, Colorado
If I want to get from Crested Butte to Memphis in one day I must leave on the morning United Airlines flight or the midday United or American Airlines flights out of Gunnison. That means if I want to ski on the morning on the final day of our long weekend that I must overnight in Gunnison and fly out the next day.
The past two years I’ve stayed at the Holiday Inn Express in Gunnison. Last year I checked their website to ensure they had an airport shuttle before I booked and as soon as I made my reservation I emailed to let them know I’d be needing the shuttle. This year they didn’t list airport shuttle as an option on their site and I confirmed with them that it is no longer offered as they just don’t have anyone to drive it.
(As a side note, it seems odd to me that in a college town – home of Western Colorado University- that they don’t have anyone to do things like drive hotel shuttles and run Uber/Lyft services. But I digress.)
So this year I tried one of the other two hotels available on points, the EconoLodge in Gunnison. EconoLodge is part of the Choice Hotels system. All of the Choice points I have were brought into the system when Choice acquired Radisson Rewards and this is my first opportunity to use them. No, it’s not an aspirational use but I thought I’d give it a try.
Update July 2024: this property is now a Quality Inn which is still part of the Choice Hotels family.
EconoLodge Gunnison
photo credit: TripAdvisor
Location
The EconoLodge is located on East Tomichi Avenue, one of the two major roads in Gunnison. The hotel is located next to the park with the covered outdoor skating rink and across from the visitor information center. It’s actually just down the street from the Holiday Inn Express but is closer to Main Street, the other major road, which leads to the ski resort that’s about 30 miles away.
As my family wanted to get back to Denver in time for the Super Bowl, our Sunday ski day was much shorter than normal and they’d deposited me at the EconoLodge around noon, well before the posted check-in time. In fact, when I handed the desk clerk my ID and credit card she seemed to think I was checking out, not in! Even though I was early they managed to find a room for me. I’d requested a king room on the ground floor and one was available, although it was an accessible room and so had features I didn’t need. But that was fine with me.
As I made my way down the hall to my room, I was especially glad I’d asked for a ground floor room as I did not see any elevators, only stairs, leading the second floor. I’d packed all my stuff into my skis bag and a large backpack for this weekend trip. Since we’d come practically straight from the slopes and had to cram our gear in the mini-van pretty much any way it would fit, my skis, poles and boots were not in the bag and I needed a luggage cart just to get everything in one trip. It would not have been fun to have to go up and down the stairs multiple times! Though Gunnison has a lower elevation than the resort, for a flat-lander like me the air is still thin! Continue reading
Categories: Choice Hotels, Colorado, EconoLodge, Hotel, Lodging Review, North America, United States
Tags: Choice Hotels, Colorado, EconoLodge, Gunnison, Hotel Review, Lodging Review
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Activate 2024 2nd Quarter Bonus Categories
It’s the 15th of the 3rd month of the quarter so it’s time to activate bonus categories for card that have quarterly bonuses for next quarter. All of these cards offer bonus points or cash back on up to $1500 in purchases during the quarter.
US Bank Cash+
If you’re not already getting 5x Ultimate Rewards points by using a Chase Ink card (and even if you are!) you may want to switch the card you’re using for payment for TV/Internet/Streaming Services and Cell Phones. You must register your card before June 15th to get the bonus cash-back in the categories you select. As a reminder, you choose two 5% categories and one 2% category. Effective this past November, US Bank changed the way you select your categories. Now you’ll need to log into your account and go to the Rewards Center. I found it a little clunky but I’m sure I’ll get used to it. For more info, see this post from Travel with Grant. I’m choosing Home Utilities again as 5x categories and will go back to Gyms & Fitness Centers as my second 5x category. I’ll continue with Grocery Stores for 2x.
US Bank Categories for Q1 2024
Discover Card
Unlike years past, Discover is not revealing the entire year’s calendar. For Q2 the categories are:
Gas at 5% off is a good deal and I’ve just been thinking about how I need to get some mulch for the bedding around my property. I think now I’ll wait until April 1st to buy it at my local home improvement store!
To activate the bonus, simply log into your Discover account and click on the Activate Now button or look for the email where you can register in one click.
Chase Freedom and Freedom Flex
Chase Freedom’s Q1 categories are Amazon, Hotels and Restaurants. Restaurants is always a great category for me.
Activate these changes by visiting the Chase registration site by June 14.
In the end
Always register for the bonus categories even if you don’t think you’re going to use them. You’ll never know when they might come in handy!
Categories: Cash Plus, Chase, Credit Card Promos, Credit Cards, Discover, Freedom, US Bank
Tags: Chase Freedom, Credit Card Promos, Discover Card, US Bank Cash Plus
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Lodging Review: Emmons Condo #428 – Crested Butte, Colorado
This was the third year in a row that I’ve been to Crested Butte and was joined by my Denver-based cousin and her family. Our first year we were at the San Moritz condos where the slopes were accessible at the end of the parking lot. In 2023 we stayed slopeside at the Gateway Condos which I did not get to review due to a late arrival. This year we stayed in the Emmons Building which is right at the base and has the best location of the three places we’ve stayed. The downside is that there’s no elevator and our unit was on the fourth floor up from the parking lot. However, that’s not quite as bad as it sounds as when coming from/going to the slopes the unit is only two floors up. Still it made it quite tough unloading the car – even for my relatives who are accustomed to living at altitude! But we were aware of this when we made our reservations and decided that the convenience of being right at the base was worth it.
Emmons Building Exterior and Parking Lot; Hot Tub is just above the building name
Location and Check-in
The Emmons Building is located on Gothic Road just past the pedestrian bridge and next to the Lodge at Mountaineer Square. In fact, despite what our paperwork told us, check-in was actually in Mountaineer Square which is where Vail Resorts lodging is headquartered. Previously check-in had been in The Plaza and that’s what my paperwork indicated when we made our reservations in August. But when we arrived at The Plaza, there was a sign on the desk pointing us to Mountaineer Square.
I was helped right away at the front desk and after seeing Lodge guests being handed key cards I was a bit surprised to be handed actual old-school keys for our unit. It turns out that Unit 428 is the only unit in the Emmons Building that is managed by Vail Resorts and those keys would be a source of frustration later on. But I was able to get keys for the three adults with no issues.
From the resort side, the Emmons Building is right behind the Treasury Center, and that building is positioned behind the Red Lady Express Lift so it’s really hard to beat the location. Guests who booked through Vail Resorts in the Lodge at Mountaineer Square and this one condo in the Emmons Building have access to the free ski check located on the uphill side of the Treasury Center. It was nice not having to drag our skis up and down the stairs each day! While there is a ski closet on the ground floor of the Emmons Building, we were never given any info on how to access it so I assume it’s for folks who make their reservations via other means. Continue reading
Categories: Colorado, Condos, Crested Butte, Lodging Review, North America, United States
Tags: Colorado, Crested Butte, Lodging Review, Ski Condo, Ski Lodging
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Lodging Review: Snow Flower Condos Unit 43, Park City, Utah
Our ski club stayed here for a week in early January. The property is older but the location is fantastic.
The property is comprised of four buildings along Silver King Drive with Building 1 being the one closest to the intersection of Three Kings Road and Building 4 being furthest up the hill. Each building has an underground garage and one parking space allocated to each unit.
Our motorcoach brought us to the Building 1 garage entrance and, since we’d paid for porterage, the staff met us there and collected all our luggage. So it was left to us to find our rooms and our bags were delivered shortly thereafter. If you are being dropped off by a shuttle or otherwise not being taken directly to your building, it’s definitely worth paying for porterage if you’re lugging giant ski bags and groceries.
The office is located at the top of the steps of Building 1 and our trip leaders commented that the staff there was extremely easy to work with.
The property isn’t especially memorable from the street level but as you can see from the two photos below, it is right at the base beside the First Time and Eagle lifts. The pool and hot tub shown below are between Buildings 1 and 2. There is another, smaller pool/hot tub attached to Building 4 but easily accessible from Building 3. All of the buildings have exterior access in the middle of the building. On the street side there’s a front door or you can walk out through the garage. Slopeside access is achieved via the ski locker room. All non-public doors, including individual units, are accessed via a key code so there’s no issue about losing your key, only your brain forgetting the code!
Snow Flower Condos, Park City – Photo from Trip Advisor
Snow Flower Condos, Park City – Photo from Trip Advisor
Categories: Condos, Lodging Review, North America, Park City, United States, Utah
Tags: Lodging Review, Park City, Ski Condo, Ski Lodging, Snow Flower, Utah
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