Review: The Summit at Big Sky Resort

I love to ski and went on two trips this past ski season. The first one was to Big Sky, Montana, which is one of my very favorite places. It’s a little remote – the closest major airport is Bozeman (BZN), which is about 90 minutes away – but being a little hard to get to means it’s not crowded. And by “not crowded” I mean that if there are two groups of people in front of you in a lift line, that is a lot. They define a “busy day” as one with more than two people per skiable acre. As someone who is not overly fond of crowds, this is just fantastic for me.

My first trip to this resort was in 1994 and I’ve stayed in four different accommodations over the years since our ski club visits every 2-3 years. By far the best choice is The Summit.

View of the Summit from the slopes

View of the Summit from the slopes

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Categories: Lodging Review, Montana, North America, United States | Tags: , , , , | Leave a comment

SPB Hyatt Regency DFW

SPB Trip Planning
SPB Qantas First Class to Sydney
SPB Park Hyatt Sydney
SPB Sydney Opera House
SPB Around Sydney
SPB Flying to/from Uluru
SPB Emu Walk Apartments
SPB Uluru and Kata Tjuta
SPB Park Hyatt Melbourne
SPB Around Melbourne
SPB Flying to Fiji
SPB Hilton Fiji
SPB Snorkeling Trip
SPB Fiji Air Business Class to Los Angeles
SPB Hyatt Regency DFW

It was after 11 PM when my flight from Los Angeles touched down in Dallas. I was rather tired after starting my day in Fiji, flying overnight to the States and it was now approaching midnight central time. I used the phone in baggage claim to reach the front desk of the Hyatt Regency DFW, which is on the airport grounds. I was given instructions as to where to meet the shuttle and was told it would be along within about 15 minutes.

I had debated between the Grand Hyatt DFW, which is attached to the terminal, and the Hyatt Regency for the last night of my trip. The Grand Hyatt is a category 3 hotel, which means 12,000 points per night, while the Hyatt Regency is a category 2 hotel for 8,000 points. While I loved the convenience of the Grand Hyatt, I thought I’d be better off saving those 4,000 points for the future.

Once on board the shuttle we made stops at several other terminals and I believe the van was nearly full by the time we reached the hotel. Since I only had a carry-on (my large suitcase was checked all the way through to Memphis) I was able to head straight inside to check in. Due to my tiredness I was a bit dismayed to see a long line of people waiting to check in. There were three people working the front desk and they were all working to reduce the line but there were just quite a few of us. That’s when I noticed the kiosk. I’d not seen one of these before but decided to give it a try. There were still only a few people behind me in line so I didn’t have much to lose if the kiosk did not work.

I was thrilled to find I was able to check in, swipe my credit card and the kiosk issued me a key to a room on the 12th Floor. Success! I found the elevator and had a solo ride up.

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Categories: Hyatt, Lodging Review, North America, Texas, United States | Tags: , , , , , | Leave a comment

SPB Fiji Air Business Class to Los Angeles

SPB Trip Planning
SPB Qantas First Class to Sydney
SPB Park Hyatt Sydney
SPB Sydney Opera House
SPB Around Sydney
SPB Flying to/from Uluru
SPB Emu Walk Apartments
SPB Uluru and Kata Tjuta
SPB Park Hyatt Melbourne
SPB Around Melbourne
SPB Flying to Fiji
SPB Hilton Fiji
SPB Snorkeling Trip
SPB Fiji Air Business Class to Los Angeles
SPB Hyatt Regency DFW

Our flight back to the US did not leave until after 9:30 PM, so we had a full day to enjoy Fiji. Of course we still had to check out well before it was time to leave for the airport but the Hilton has some rooms that are not suitable for overnight guests but are a nice place to lounge until the proper time. Most importantly they’re air conditioned – something not available in the open-air lobby. I really appreciate that because I don’t want to be all sticky from perspiration when I’m about to fly for 10+ hours!

Our driver from Rosie Holidays came to pick us up in plenty of time to get to the airport. This was such a lovely experience compared to Sunbus in both Sydney and Melbourne. We arrived at the airport in plenty of time for our flight. Since two of us were in business class and there were very few passengers around just yet, the rep at the premium line took care of all of us, which was nice.

From there we wandered through to the Fiji Air Tabua Lounge.

Fiji Lounge Entrance

Fiji Air Tabua Lounge Entrance

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Categories: Airline Clubs, Fiji Air | Tags: , | 1 Comment

SPB Snorkeling Trip

SPB Trip Planning
SPB Qantas First Class to Sydney
SPB Park Hyatt Sydney
SPB Sydney Opera House
SPB Around Sydney
SPB Flying to/from Uluru
SPB Emu Walk Apartments
SPB Uluru and Kata Tjuta
SPB Park Hyatt Melbourne
SPB Around Melbourne
SPB Flying to Fiji
SPB Hilton Fiji
SPB Snorkeling Trip
SPB Fiji Air Business Class to Los Angeles
SPB Hyatt Regency DFW

We decided we wanted to go snorkeling and we were able to book a trip through the hotel. Since this was recorded as a hotel charge, I was able to redeem Barclay’s Arrival Plus points for the cost of the trip!

We ended up with the crew from Whale’s Tale and these guys knew how to have fun. We boarded their sailboat in Port Denarau and began our sail toward what I assume is their own island. They call it Snorkel Island. We were served breakfast drinks on the way and it was so nice just to sit up on the deck in the shade of the sail and enjoy the gorgeous weather.

I don’t actually have any photos of the island itself because we were too busy having fun. There’s a small coral reef around parts of the island and we had fun just paddling around looking at the fish. They had other water toys like small kayaks available as well.

They cooked our lunch in the small pavilion that looks to be a mostly permanent structure there. Fresh fish and vegetables with a fruit drink (or adult beverage) to wash it down. Tasty!

After lunch we played beach volleyball. This is where my body reminded me I’m not as young as I used to be – which was one of the purposes of this trip!

One of the guide took us down to the shoreline where some small black-tipped sharks would come as he fed them the leftover fish pieces. There weren’t a lot of them but I wouldn’t want to get in their way! But it was fascinating to watch them up close.

When it was time to return we hopped back on the sailboat for the ride in. It was interesting that on the ride out we passengers were all in our own little clusters but at the end of the day there was much more conversation between the groups. That’s one of the great things about travel – now we’ve met some Kiwis that we can meet up with should we ever make it to New Zealand!

On our last day we spent time just lounging around the hotel pool. My friends visited the spa for a massage (I already had one scheduled when I returned) and we just enjoyed the lovely weather in Fiji. As our flight did not leave until late evening, even on the last in Fiji we were able to swim and relax. We hated to leave this island paradise but after two weeks it was finally time to go home.

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SPB Hilton Fiji

SPB Trip Planning
SPB Qantas First Class to Sydney
SPB Park Hyatt Sydney
SPB Sydney Opera House
SPB Around Sydney
SPB Flying to/from Uluru
SPB Emu Walk Apartments
SPB Uluru and Kata Tjuta
SPB Park Hyatt Melbourne
SPB Around Melbourne
SPB Flying to Fiji
SPB Hilton Fiji
SPB Snorkeling Trip
SPB Fiji Air Business Class to Los Angeles
SPB Hyatt Regency DFW

After our early morning arrival in Nadi we were whisked away to our home for the next few nights, the Hilton Fiji Resort and Spa. Check in took a little while as there were several folks on our flight checking in at the same time. The large open-air lobby has lots of comfortable seating and is a great place just to sit and relax.

Hilton Fiji Lobby Waiting Area

Hilton Fiji Lobby Waiting Area

Hilton Fiji Reception

Hilton Fiji Reception

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Categories: Fiji, Hilton, Hotel, Lodging Review | Tags: , , , | Leave a comment

SPB Flying to Fiji

SPB Trip Planning
SPB Qantas First Class to Sydney
SPB Park Hyatt Sydney
SPB Sydney Opera House
SPB Around Sydney
SPB Flying to/from Uluru
SPB Emu Walk Apartments
SPB Uluru and Kata Tjuta
SPB Park Hyatt Melbourne
SPB Around Melbourne
SPB Flying to Fiji
SPB Hilton Fiji
SPB Snorkeling Trip
SPB Fiji Air Business Class to Los Angeles
SPB Hyatt Regency DFW

Even after leaving the hotel about a half-hour late, we still got to the airport early for our check-in. Well, we thought it was early. The thing about flying premium cabins is that you can forget what life is like when you fly in the back of the plane! Since we’d only found economy award seats for the flight to Fiji, we were stuck in the check-in line with most of the rest of the plane. Since there’s only one Fiji Air flight at that time of day, there was quite a queue at check-in. It made me really miss flying in business class! Continue reading

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Register Now for Chase Freedom Q2 Bonus

The Chase Freedom card is a terrific no-fee credit card. Each quarter it offers 5x Ulitmate Rewards (UR) points in certain bonus categories.
2016-03-17 Freedom 2Q Categories

Those UR points can be redeemed for a penny a point, which is not a bad deal. But if you have one of the other Ultimate Rewards cards like the Sapphire Preferred or one of the Ink business cards, you can combine your UR balance between the cards. That means you can transfer your UR points to airlines (like United) or hotel programs (like Hyatt) and get more value than one penny per point.

Today I received a reminder email from Chase that it was time to register for the second quarter bonuses, which will begin on April 1.

2016-03-17 Freedom 2Q Registration Email

If you received this email you can just click on the link and, voila!, you’re registered.

If you did not receive the email you can go to the registration website and sign up there.

2016-03-17 Freedom 2Q Registration Site

Once you’ve signed up you should get an email from Chase indicating your registration was successful.

2016-03-17 Freedom 2Q Registration Complete

This quarter you can earn bonuses for up to $1500 in purchases at Grocery Stores and Wholesale Clubs. Note that most Wal-Marts and Targets do not qualify as grocery stores for this promotion. Wholesale Clubs like Sam’s and BJs will work too.

This is an easy category to max out as many grocery stores and warehouse clubs sell Visa gift cards. Buy 3 x $500 Visa gift cards and you’re done for the quarter! Or, if you don’t have an easy way to liquidate Visa gift cards, there are restaurant and other store gift cards that can be bought in many grocery stores. And often you can earn at least double fuel points for these gift cards. And remember that a gift card doesn’t have to actually be a “gift”. You can use it for yourself for places where you regularly dine or shop.

So be sure to register today!

Don’t have this card? You can sign up for one here. I make no money from this link but it will help support one of the full-time bloggers who help get the word out about the points & miles game.

Categories: Chase, Credit Card Promos, Credit Cards, Freedom | Tags: , | Leave a comment

SPB Around Melbourne

SPB Trip Planning
SPB Qantas First Class to Sydney
SPB Park Hyatt Sydney
SPB Sydney Opera House
SPB Around Sydney
SPB Flying to/from Uluru
SPB Emu Walk Apartments
SPB Uluru and Kata Tjuta
SPB Park Hyatt Melbourne
SPB Around Melbourne
SPB Flying to Fiji
SPB Hilton Fiji
SPB Snorkeling Trip
SPB Fiji Air Business Class to Los Angeles
SPB Hyatt Regency DFW

We weren’t really sure what to expect from Melbourne as its sites are not as famous as, say, Sydney’s Opera House or Harbour Bridge. We did learn there’s a hop-on/hop-off bus and a free trolley system so we grabbed tourist maps from the front desk and walked to the closest stop.

The bus stop was diagonally opposite the Victoria Train Station, which I thought was just a beautiful building. Not wanting to miss our bus we didn’t go inside to explore but I sorta wish we had.

Victoria Station, Melbourne

Victoria Station, Melbourne

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Categories: Australia, Oceania, UNESCO World Heritage Site | Tags: , , | Leave a comment

SPB Park Hyatt Melbourne

SPB Trip Planning
SPB Qantas First Class to Sydney
SPB Park Hyatt Sydney
SPB Sydney Opera House
SPB Around Sydney
SPB Flying to/from Uluru
SPB Emu Walk Apartments
SPB Uluru and Kata Tjuta
SPB Park Hyatt Melbourne
SPB Around Melbourne
SPB Flying to Fiji
SPB Hilton Fiji
SPB Snorkeling Trip
SPB Fiji Air Business Class to Los Angeles
SPB Hyatt Regency DFW

Our flight landed mid-afternoon in Melbourne and while we’d expected it to be cooler than Uluru, it was a good bit cooler than Sydney too. Not cold, but long sleeves and a light jacket felt good in the evenings with the wind.

We took the Sunbus Melbourne from the airport to the Park Hyatt. Their representative showed up near baggage claim very shortly after we got our bags, which was great timing. We then had to traipse over to the international terminal to find the remaining passengers for our van and then we all played “follow the leader” out to our shuttle.

Naturally we were one of the last groups to be let off at our hotel but we were warmly greeted by the bellman at the Park Hyatt Melbourne. He took our big bags as we went inside to check in. The front desk is located to the right of the main entrance and is staffed by delightful, helpful folks. They confirmed our club room and that we would have breakfast included and gave us our keys.

Park Hyatt Melbourne From The Street

Park Hyatt Melbourne From The Street

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Categories: Australia, Hotel, Hyatt, Lodging Review | Tags: , | 2 Comments

SPB Uluru and Kata Tjuta

SPB Trip Planning
SPB Qantas First Class to Sydney
SPB Park Hyatt Sydney
SPB Sydney Opera House
SPB Around Sydney
SPB Flying to/from Uluru
SPB Emu Walk Apartments
SPB Uluru and Kata Tjuta
SPB Park Hyatt Melbourne
SPB Around Melbourne
SPB Flying to Fiji
SPB Hilton Fiji
SPB Snorkeling Trip
SPB Fiji Air Business Class to Los Angeles
SPB Hyatt Regency DFW

When planning this trip I wanted to include Sydney as a stop since one of my travel companions had never been and I was happy to go back as I really enjoy it. But I also wanted to include places I hadn’t been. One of the great icons of Australia is its Red Centre and the large rock formation known as Uluru. Until I started researching the area I wasn’t aware there’s another formation nearby known as Kata Tjuta. In case you need a pronunciation guide, Uluru is pronounced OO-loo-roo and Kata Tjuta is KHAT-ah JU-tah

We arrived in the middle of a Tuesday afternoon during the third week of October and it was HOT. I cannot even imagine how it feels in the middle of the summer. My advice: stick to visiting in mid-April to mid-October (Autumn through Spring) and skip the summer months.

The park is about a 10-minute ride from the Ayers Rock Resort and entry is at a single ranger station. Each person in the vehicle must have a park pass so if you get behind several cars where people do not have passes, the line can back up. Park passes start at $25 AUD for a 3-day pass which should be all you need. If by chance you’ll make more than one trip to Uluru during a year’s time, opt for the annual pass at $32.50 AUD.

Uluru itself is about a 10-15 minute drive from the park entrance. As we were driving towards it we could occasionally catch glimpses of it in the distance and then we came around a bend and there it was. Pictures really don’t do it justice and I wanted to pull the car over right there and then and start taking photos. Apparently a lot of other people had the same idea because there were “No Stopping” signs all over the place! Well, at least I was in good company with my idea.

Uluru Farewell

Hello Uluru

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Categories: Australia, Oceania, UNESCO World Heritage Site | Tags: , , , | Leave a comment

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