Traveling

Made In America: Beyond The Festival

20 Aug

4 Things To Do In Philadelphia

It’s still the summertime and we have a few more festivals to hit up before the weather changes and cuffing Season is in full swing. If you live in the Northeast, then you’re probably ~~patiently~~ awaiting the last festival of the season in this region, Made In America. Founded by Jay-Z, Made In America is a massive music and arts festival held annually in Philadelphia, PA.

If you are planning a trip to Philadelphia and would like to explore the area while attending the festival, or would just like a break from the festival for a few hours, I have provided a first-timer’s guide to Philly with 4 things you can do beyond the festival.

Explore Philly Street Art

Everywhere you look in Philadelphia there is an art of some kind on display. Philadelphians definitely appreciate their art and I’m here for it! If you have some time, plan a self-guided tour of some of the murals and street art around the city. Now, I’m not going to leave you hanging, I’ve provided a list of some of my favorites with GIS locations for them.

If you want something a little more structured, the cool folks at Mural Arts Philadelphia actually created a self-guided Philidelphia Walking Tour with 2 different routes, one for north of Market Street and the other is south of Market Street. You can access it here.

Hang Out At Spruce Street Harbor Park

Or take a nap, whichever suits your fancy. Spruce Street Harbor Park is the cutest little park on the Delaware River Waterfront. What’s so cute about it you ask? The park features, colorful hammocks, floating gardens, food and beverages from popular Philly restaurants and at night the park is lit up with hanging lights that change colors and sparkle. It’s so instagramable!

While I was visiting, people where straight-up SLEEP in those hammocks. Oh yall chill’n, chill’n!

Depending on the time you have, you can rent the park and throw a private event for up to 20 people in one of their two Hammock Lounges. Shoot I’m trying to make up an event to have a party here. Oh, you fancy, huh?

Sheree Sassy GIF from Sheree GIFs

Play At Blue Cross RiverRink

Once you’re well-rested and done hanging out at the park, head over to the Blue Cross RiverRink for Summerfest. During Summerfest, the area features a roller rink, a boathouse style lodge, a play area for kids, carnival-style games, food and so much more. It’s real cute!

The best part is admission to Summerfest is free! If you choose to, you will have to pay for roller skating, mini-golf, games, and rides, which happen to be pay-as-you-go. But you are bound to enjoy yourself just being in the atmosphere!

Create Your Own Walking Food Tour

One of the many things I enjoy about the Northeast is the plethora of cuisine options. Within a one mile radius, you have the option of Banh Mi, Ackee and Saltfish, Butter Chicken and of course a Philly Cheesesteak.

Taste your way through Philly while experiencing the best of its many foods and flavors. From Italian food in South Philly to Portuguese food in North Philly, you are bound to find something. And if for whatever reason you still aren’t satisfied, Reading Terminal, the nation’s oldest continuously operated farmer’s market located in the heart of Philadelphia, has even more options for you.

There you have it guys, now it’s your turn to go and experience Philly. Have you visited Philadelphia before? What’s your favorite part of the city? Drop your responses below. As always, pray fervently, travel often!

5 Ultimate Packing Tips: Carry On Essentials

23 Jul

This post contains affiliate links. This means I may make a small commission if you make a purchase after clicking on a link in this post.

5 Carry On Essentials

Real question, raise your hand if you like to wait? Waiting in line, waiting for people, waiting for God to move on your behalf. Is that something you find pleasure in? If you are anything like me, your answers are, No, No and please come on Jesus! Waiting is just not my thing. This is why whenever possible, I refuse to check a bag when traveling. Listen, I want to maximize all my time and save a coin while doing that. Waiting at a carousel for a bag that I had to pay to check is a hindrance to that. In this post, I will be sharing some tips on how you can pack a carry on to ensure you never have to check a bag ever again.

Carry On Essentials

Roll’em Tight

The tighter you roll your clothes, the more you can fit in the bag. I learned this from my aunt who is a retired flight attendant. I used to stand in amaze at how she could legitimately fit her ENTIRE life in one roller bag.

Additionally, when you are rolling your clothes you MUST be neat. The only way you are going to fit everything in one bag is if you are neat with the way you pack.

Packing Cubes

Now, this is something new to me. I hear they are the bomb, I just haven’t jumped on the bandwagon. @bykriskeys, the creator of a luxury brand that specializes in providing illustrations and travel wear to businesses and people across the world, put us on these. It definitely makes sense that these would work because that same aunt that I mentioned earlier used to pack things in gallon size storage bags. The packing cubes of the 90s. Click here to grab your own packing cubes.

*Update* While scrolling through Youtube, I came across thsese super dope compression packing cubes that allows you to pack even more in your carry on!

All Shoes Don’t Matter

Listen, Sis… and Bro, you don’t need all of them! Pick a couple of pairs and make them work. The maximum number of shoes I will pack for a weekend trip is 3. For a week-long trip, it’s usually 2. Reason being, week-long trips typically require you to pack more than if you were only going for a couple of days. Hear me, if it is a necessity for you to have a different pair of shoes for every outfit, this carry-on ministry is not for you, continue checking, sis.

Repeat Article of Clothing

Additionally, along those same lines, if you must have a different outfit for every day of travel, once again, you’re not about that carry on life. (Totally not judging, do you. I mean that just means more overhead bin space for me!) Utilizing a carry-on only, means having one pair of pants that work with two separate tops. And those tops, they should be lightweight and easy to roll up. You can be about that carry on life you just gotta leave some stuff behind. Everything can’t go with you. THAT WILL PREACH!

Pack Things in Things

Since traveling with a carry-on only, I have discontinued my toiletry bag. Instead, I put things in things. Skincare and toothpaste are typically stored in a shoe. Chill out, they’re my shoes and my feet are clean so I don’t have any problems. If it’s that much of a problem for you, you can always put the items in a storage bag before putting it in your shoes.

Bonus

Because I care about you and want to help to improve your quality of life I have a bonus for you! I limit the number of toiletries I pack when I am operating out of a carry-on only. Depending on how long I’ll be gone, I use the same product for body soap, toothpaste, face wash, and laundry detergent. Yes, I try to do laundry especially if I will be gone for more than a week. You can grab that product here.

And there you have it. I’m confident that if you incorporate these tips in your travel plan, you should never have to check another bag ever again. Do you have any carry-on secrets that are not mentioned above? I want to hear about them. Drop your comments below. And as always, pray fervently, travel often!

5 Amusement Parks Worth Visiting in the Mid-Atlantic Area

25 Jun

Summer is finally here and it’s time to be out! Every summer I have all these plans of doing all these things and then, nothing. However, lately, I’ve been thinking about taking that obligatory adult Disney trip. You know the one where you spend $1,000.98 on an admission ticket to Magic Kingdom just to take a picture in front the world famous Cinderella Castle wearing Mikey ears to post on social media for all the world to see. But then I had to ask myself, “Who got Walt money?” Not me, not right now. Because, debt.

However, I gotta be honest with myself, not doing anything at all isn’t an option. Not for me anyway. And that’s probably true for you too.

In this post, I will be sharing 5 Amusement Parks to check out if you are in the Mid-Atlantic area. As a point of reference, I will provide the driving distance to these parks from Washington DC.

Kings Dominion

Drive Time: 1 hr 25 mins

First up we have Kings Dominion. KD is an amusement park located in Doswell, VA, 75 miles south of DC. So you know what that means…DAY TRIP! Due to the close proximity to DC, you could easily drive down in the morning, enjoy the park for the day, and drive back to retire in your own bed that night!

The following are some details about KD:

Kings Dominion is the only Virginia amusement park that offers two parks for the price of one. Soak City, a water park associated with Kings Dominion is free with your KD admission ticket.
The Intimidator 360, located at KD, is one of the tallest and fastest coasters on the east coast
Lockers are available to rent on a first come, first serve basis.
KD has a total of 62 rides. Twelve of them are rollercoasters and 14 of them are rides at their water park, Soak City.

More information about King’s Dominion can be found here.

Bush Gardens Williamsburg Va

Drive Time: 2 hrs 27 mins

Busch Gardens Williamsburg is an amusement park themed around European countries located 155 miles south of Washington, DC. The park is separated by 10 different hamlets or villages all themed to European villages. The rides in the villages also follow the hamlet’s theme.

If your an animal lover, you’re going to love this park. Jack Hanna has a Wild Life Reserve at the park, giving you the opportunity to get up close with some very rare animals.

The following are a few details about BG:

Busch Gardens has an annual Food and Wine Festival that allows guests the opportunity to explore food and beverages from around the globe! Guests can participate in the festival every weekend, now until June 30th.
At 71 mph, Busch Gardens is the home of the second fastest dive coaster ever built, the Griffon.
Busch Gardens has consistently been named the “Most Beautiful Park” since 1990.
Busch Gardens has a total of 54 rides. Eight of them are rollercoaster and three water rides.

More information about BG Williamsburg can be found here.

Six Flags America

Drive Time: 30 mins

Keeping in line with geographically themed parks, Six Flags America is one of the 10 Six Flags parks themed after the geographic areas of the United States. SFA is located in Upper Marlboro, MD, 18 miles east of DC. With this park’s close proximity to the nation’s capital, spending a day here during your Washington DC trip is a must.

The following are a few details about SFA:

Six Flags America’s, Hurricane Bay, is the largest wave pool in the region. The one-million-gallon wave pool is one of the largest in the country and the biggest in the DMV region.
Six Flags American is the only theme park that has a ride that will grant you the opportunity to see the Washington Monument from the ride. While riding the Superman: Ride of Steel, on a clear day, catch a glimpse of the iconic Washington Monument from the ride.
Six Flags America just recently debuted it’s first floorless coaster, Firebird.
Six Flags America has a total of 67 rides. Ten of them are rollercoaster and fifteen of them are water park attractions at Hurricane Harbor.

More information about SFA can be found here.

Six Flags Great Adventure

Drive Time: 3 hrs

Here’s another Six Flags Amusement Park for your enjoyment. Six Flags Great Adventure is an Amusement Park and Wild Safari located in Jackson, NJ, 184 miles northeast of Washington DC. The 475-acre park is the second-largest amusement park in the world behind Disney’s Animal Kingdom. SF Great Adventure is the home of the most thrilling rides in the country to include Kingda Ka, Nitro, and their newest ride Wonder Woman

The following are a few details about Six Flags Great Adventure:

Six Flags Great Adventure’s newest ride, Wonder Woman, stands 17 stories high, making it the world’s tallest pendulum ride.
Coming in at over 450 ft, Six Flags Great Adventure is home to the tallest roller coaster in the world, Kingda Ka.
Six Flags Great Adventure is one of the worlds first solar-powered amusement park. The park boast of 11 MW solar carports over three sprawling parking lots and 12.5 MW on 40 acres of ground-mounted solar panels.

More information about Six Flags Great Adventure can be found here.

Hershey Park

Drive Time: 2 hrs

Hershey Park is a private-owned amusement park located in Hershey, PA just 130 miles north of Washington DC. It’s not a coincidence that the part has the same name as the Hershey candy because the park is run by the Hershey Company.

The following are a few details about HP:

When you purchase a ticket to Hershey Park, you are free to visit the park 2 1/2 hours before the park is scheduled to close the day before your scheduled visit. That same ticket also gives you access to ZooAmerica and a Hershey’s Chocolate Tour.
Need a place to stay while you are visiting the park? Hershey has accommodations, Hershey Lodge, which is the official resort of Hershey Park.

More information about HP can be found here.

And there you have it! Now all you have to do is decide which one is going to be your next visit. Have you visited any of these parks? Which one is your favorite? Leave your comments below.

Thanks for reading. And as always, pray fervently and travel often!

A Weekend In Memphis, TN- 5 Things To Do

23 Apr

When you think of Memphis, Tennessee one of the following probably comes to mind: the repetitive chanting of “whoop that trick” from the 2005 movie Hustle and Flow starring Terrence Howard, early seasons of The First 48, the highly debated question of, “Is Elvis Presley still alive?” Or, simply the word “Mane”

While all of these are definitely synonymous to Memphis, TN there’s so much more to the bluff city. According to Frommer’s Travel Guide, Memphis, Tennessee was recently voted one of the best places to go in 2019. In this post I’ll be sharing from a native Memphian’s perspective, 5 things to do while spending the weekend in Memphis.

1. Grab some Real Memphis BBQ

Ask any Memphian “what to do in Memphis this weekend”, and they will tell you, eat! Food is important to us. But not just any food, good food! For decades, Memphis has been known for their Bar-B-Q and people travel from all around the world to experience it. The following are some excellent, no-frills, Bar-B-Q joints to check out. P.S. In addition to barbecue, you gotta try a Fried Bologna Sandwich or a Circle B Smoke Sausage. P.P.S. Get the coleslaw too, trust me!

*These restaurants aren’t listed in any particular order.

Cozy Corner BBQ

2. Hang out on Beale Street

Beale Street

“Walking in Memphis, walking with my feet ten feet off of Beale.” If I could describe Beale Street in one word it would be: Entertainment. From the Beale St Flippers to the live music, No matter the time or day, Beale Street exudes entertainment for all!

3. Walk across the Mississippi River

Obviously, you can’t walk on water because you aren’t Jesus! However, you can walk across the Mississippi River via, Big River Crossing, the longest active rail/ bicycle/ pedestrian bridge in the country. Big River Crossing is a 10-mile multi-modal corridor that connects Main Street in Memphis, TN to Main Street in West Memphis, AR. The view of the city’s skyline from this point is amazing and provides a great opportunity to get a photo of The Pyramid aka Bass Pro and The Hernando de Soto Bridge.

If time permits, I would strongly recommend going at sundown to catch the sun as it sets on the Mississippi River. There’s also a light show that occurs every hour from sundown until 10 pm. Click here for more information about Mighty Lights.

Big River Crossing

Oh, and did I mention it’s all absolutely FREE! You’re welcome!

4. Visit the National Civil Right Museum

I’ve visited a number of Civil Rights/ African American Museums and I have to say, this one, by far, is the best! And I’m not saying this because it’s Memphis, it really is great.

The museum was once The Lorraine Motel, the place of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s Assassination. During your visit, take a glimpse back in time and experience life in the ’50s and ’60s for a person of color. You’ll need at least a day to get through all of the reading and interactive exhibits. Take a seat at a White’s Only lunch counter. Briefly experience what life was like for Rosa Parks who only wanted relief for her aching, tired feet. And visit the motel room of Dr. King to take a peek into the last few moments of his life.

If you are looking for a great history lesson or even things to do in Memphis with kids, this the National Civil Rights Museum should definitely go on your list.

National Civil Rights Museum

Click here for more information regarding planning your visit.

5. Take a Self Guided Street Art Tour

If you are like me and love to save a coin, this should probably move to the top of the list with a note beside it, free things to do in Memphis.

There’s more to Memphis than just good food and music. Memphis is filled with art of all forms. Consider taking a self-guided tour of some of the local murals and art sculptures in downtown Memphis by artists from around the world!

I could go further, but with the time constraints of a weekend, I’ll stop here.

So, have you ever been to Memphis? What are some of the things you have done or desire to do during your next visit? Leave your responses below.

Thanks for reading. As always, pray fervently and travel often!

Top 5 Fragrances For Traveling

28 Mar

Daylight savings time has come which officially means ~~you tired boss~~ the days are getting longer and the temperatures are getting warmer. Which further means we gotta be mindful of what we’re smelling like while we’re traipsing through these airports and getting on and off these aircraft. Y’all know how I feel about scents and don’t nobody want to sit next to you smelling like you helped Jesus carry the cross up to Calvary *Cues Calvary by Richard Smallwood and Victory*

In this post, I will be sharing the best fragrances to wear while traveling. These results are based on two factors, freshness and staying power. When you’re on a long haul flight, smelling clean for an extended period of time is essential.

Fellas, I didn’t forget about ya’ll. I like fragrances, PERIODT! If it smells good, I’m wearing it no matter who it’s intended for and I’ll tell you about it. too! #allfragrancesmatter

Colonia Pura by Acqua Di Parma

This is one of my favorite colognes to travel in at the moment. I purchased it in a duty-free shop in Italy while looking for something fresh and new!

Colonia Pura opens with intense fresh notes of sunny bergamot, juicy orange, and delicate petit grain. It seduces with a heart sublimated by a harmonious combination of spicy notes of coriander, combined with the sensual floral accent of jasmine sambac absolute and narcissus absolute. Finally, it embraces with a refined duo of woody notes: cedarwood and patchouli, while white musk notes close the composition.

Colonia Pura is a luminous, fresh and transparent fragrance. It embodies the contemporary side of Italian lifestyle.

Chloe by Chloe

#classic

This one you’re probably familiar with if you’ve spent any amount of time exploring fragrances. It’s definitely an oldie but goodie!

Recently, while I was wearing this, someone told me, “You smell like you just took a bath!”

Bathing is essential.

Chloe begins with a combination of floral powdery notes, hints of peony, lychee and springtime freesia. The airy, flirtatious head notes drift away to reveal the richer and more sensational side of the rose. The distinctive character of this unique rose is accompanied by magnolia and lily of the valley, as well as subtle intimations of warm amber and elegant cedarwood.

Well, come on Lily of the valley, Joy!

Amazing Grace by Philosophy

Oh, how sweet the sound!

Amazing Grace is Philosophy’s best selling fragrance. It’s amazingly clean and beautifully feminine. The fragrance features notes of welcoming bergamot to greet the senses, irresistibly soft, clean muguet blossoms, and lasting musk with its classic beauty.

Love In White by Creed

This one gives all types of FLOUS vibes. (And by FLOUS, I mean Michelle Obama. Who else would I be referring to?) It has been reported that Michelle Obama’s signature fragrance is Love in White by Creed.

Whenever I’m walking through the airport wearing Love In White, I’m complimented on how “pretty” I smell.

Love in White is a floral oriental scent that features top notes of orange zest then blends into rice iris white jasmine magnolia daffodils and rose. The scent finishes off with sandalwood vanilla and ambergris.

I know, that sounds like a lot. But seriously, it’s Michelle approved.

Virgin Island Water by Creed

This is another favorite. It’s currently on my ~~sugadaddy~~ wish list because, well, $395. But please believe, every time I got to Nordstrom I get a $free sample. #fakeittilyoumakeit

Virgin Island Water opens with a citrusy cocktail of white bergamot, Jamaican lime, and Sicilian mandarin. The citruses are accompanied by a note of copra, the white inner flesh of a coconut. The heart includes intensive Indian jasmine, sweet hibiscus, exotic ylang-ylang, and cold, spicy ginger. The base of the composition includes sugar cane, musk, and white rum.

Talk about walking around smelling like the beach!

Alright, guys and gals, that’s all for now. But I’m interested to know, what are some of your favorite fragrances to travel in? Drop your recommendations below.

Thanks for reading, and as always, pray fervently and travel often!

Doing It For The Graham: The Best Hotel In Georgetown

14 Jan

The Graham Hotel that is.

2019 was swiftly approaching and I couldn’t make a decision on how I wanted to bring in the new year. Obviously, I would start the celebration at church, because, #blessed. But I wasn’t sure what to follow it with. I wasn’t feeling the game night, ~~overpriced~~ NYE dinner “specials”, or any other celebrations I had been accustomed to in the past.

After running through a list of ideas, I settled on a mini Staycation! I called up one of my friends, we packed our bags and headed to The Graham Hotel, a boutique hotel in the Georgetown area of Washington DC.

Now, before I get into it, let me preface this by saying, since I travel so frequently, I’m usually not overly eager to voluntarily spend the night at a hotel. I’d much rather relax in my own home where the germs are common. However, after reading the reviews for The Graham Hotel, I decided to give it a try.

Here’s a few reasons why I’m glad I did!

The hotel is beautiful, it’s in a great location (walking distance from Baked and Wired, my favorite bakery and coffee shop) and the staff is ah-mazing!

Since we went to the 7 pm Watch Night Service at First Baptist Church of Glenarden we didn’t get a chance to really enjoy the hotel to the fullest, that night, due to our late arrival.

Everybody Eats, B!

The next morning we were able to enjoy a cook to order breakfast at The Alex, located on the lower level of the hotel. I was overjoyed to find out that as a Hilton Diamond member, breakfast was complimentary for myself and my guest.

Late Checkout

One of my favorite things about this hotel, outside of the free Breakfast, is that the standard checkout time is at 12 pm. Combine this with a late checkout and you can get a late, late checkout. We ended up checking out at 2:00 pm! Which gave us more time to enjoy the room!

The Staff

As I mentioned earlier, the staff was amazing! Angel and Islam were extremely accommodating made sure we had everything we needed during our stay. Angel assisted us during check-in and I was surprised to see him the next morning, alert and very attentive to our needs when we went down for breakfast. Gordon, one of our waiters at breakfast, made certain we had everything we requested. My friend ordered chicken sausage with her omelet for breakfast. Once the food arrived and she reviewed her order, she realized they had left off her sausage. As soon as we informed Gordon, he wasted no time questioning or inquiring about the order. Instead, he went straight to the kitchen to request her sausage. That’s the kind of customer service that makes people want to return! I know I will!

If you are ever visiting the DC area and looking for the perfect place to lay your head for a few days, I would totally encourage you to consider The Graham.

Guess what?!? It looks like Hilton is offering a promotion to help you do just that. If you’re a Hilton Honors member, Hilton is currently running their Points Unlimited Promotion until May 5th. Get 2,000 Bonus Points per stay, plus 10,000 bonus points every 5 stays or 10 nights (whichever comes first). If you’re not a Hilton Honor’s member, sounds to me like you need to become one. Sign up here.

As you can see, I had an amazing time bringing in the new year at The Graham Hotel. Now tell me, how did you spend your New Year? Share in the comments below.

Until next time, Pray fervently and travel often!

Budget Airlines Travel Guide: 5 Tips To Survive Your Next Flight

17 Nov

So you’re planning a trip and you’re considering budget airline travel to get you there? I’ll be the first to say, I’m with ya! Listen, I’m all for luxury. But I’m also for saving a coin in the name of travel.

In this budget airlines travel guide, I will share with you 5 tips to survive your next flight in an effort to help you decide if budget airlines are really worth it.

Budget Airline Travel Guide

Let’s start by defining what a budget airline is and understanding why budget airlines are so cheap. Budget Airlines or Low-cost airlines are airlines that offer low fares in exchange for eliminating many traditional passenger services. In exchange for this, in order for the airline to make up for lost revenue from reduced ticket prices, they will charge extra fees for things that are typically standard on traditional airlines.

How to find the best cheap flight

My Tennessee Titans were playing in London and that was something I wanted to experience, but how? Because as much as love luxury, I am not giving these people all my coins. Bring on all the budget travel tips!

Let the search begin! *cues VaShawn Mitchell, Nobody Greater* I searched all over… looked high and low… for a ticket that I was willing to pay to see the Titans ~~play~~ attempt to beat their opponent in a game of football. (Yes, that was shade. All non-titans fans, keep your comments to yourself. )

After checking the prices on nearly every airline in the world, I came across WOW Air. I had heard about WOW before, but I was a bit nervous. WOW has since gone out of business, but the tips in the travel guide apply to flying with any budget airline. I’ve heard horror stories about budget airlines and I didn’t particularly want to be the subject of said “horror”. But, after doing TONS of research on the airline, I took the chance and purchased the tickets.

When selecting the best budget airlines, it is imperative that you take the time to prepare and do your research before your flight to ensure you have an enjoyable experience.

Budget Airlines hidden fee

Reading is fundamental. PERIODT! And it’s essential when preparing to travel on a budget airline. Budget airlines make their money on additional fees that are typically standards on traditional airlines. For example, international flights on a traditional airline, your meals and beverages are included. However, this is not the case with budget airlines. If you didn’t bring your own shacks, the airline is charging you, shawty.

Fees for snacks

Everything has a fee! So it was important that I had enough snacks for my flight when leaving the US, so I could keep my coin. Also, I chose an overnight flight so there wasn’t much snacking going on. On my way back to the states, I did purchase food but surprisingly, it wasn’t as expensive as I thought it would be. On average, it was about $15 USD for a personal cheese pizza, a mini can of Pringles, and a soda.

Carry-on luggage

Next is luggage. On most traditional airlines, you are allowed at least one personal item and a carry on for free. Again, this is not the case with budget airlines. Typically, you are allowed one personal item that fits under the seat. Anything that goes in an overhead bin you will have to pay a carry-on bag fee. It’s best to pay that fee at the time you purchase your airline ticket. If not, the price of the fee usually increases if you wait to pay it at the airport. You can end up paying $100+ USD one way for a carry-on bag if you’re not careful. And ain’t nobody got time for that! In addition to the general carry-on requirements, there is a weight requirement for your carry-on. So once again, do your research in advance.

Selecting your seat

Now, let’s talk about seats. If you have a preference for where you sit while flying, then you might want to pay to choose your seat. There is a wide range of seat options depending on the size of your seat and the amount of legroom provided. However, If you just want to get there and don’t care about where you sit, then go for the free option and allow the airline to choose your seat for you.

Because I was traveling with someone and we wanted to sit together, I paid $12 USD one way to select my seat.

Initially, I ended up paying $100 RT for my carry on luggage. I said “initially” because… well, we’ll talk about that next.

Checking in and boarding

Let’s get to why I kept saying “initially”. Learn from my mistake, ALWAYS check-in online. Especially when dealing with smaller airlines. When they tell you to check-in at least an hour before the flight is scheduled to leave, usually it’s because the people checking you in are also the people who are at the gate assisting you with boarding. If you arrive at the check-in counter too late, you run the risk of the counter being closed. What does that mean? You miss your flight! How do I know this? Because that’s exactly what happened to me. I missed my flight! Had I checked in online, even if the counter was closed, I still would have had my boarding pass to go through security. I would have had to sprint to the gate, but my chances of making my flight would have been much greater than not having my boarding pass at all.

Because I missed the flight, if I wanted to get back home to America, I had to purchase another airline ticket. When traveling internationally, a missed flight isn’t as forgiving as it is when traveling domestically. There’s no re-booking on the next available flight, Boo. You have to purchase an entirely new ticket. Moral of the story: don’t miss an international flight!

Is budget airline travel worth it?

For this trip, WOW air just made sense. For my ticket, bags, seat, taxes, and fees, I initially spent $472.35 USD for my round trip ticket from Washington DC to London which was purchased a little over 30 days in advance. That’s an awesome price considering we had a stopover in Iceland that allowed us to spend time exploring Iceland without having to pay for a round trip ticket there. I’ll take it!

Even with all the preplanning and additional money spent, I would still choose to fly a budget airline again!

Have you ever flown a budget airline before? Share your experience below.

Until next time, pray fervently and travel often!

Traveling to Europe:

29 Oct

4 Things To Know Before You Go

So you’re traveling to Europe.

It’s your first time.

You’re excited but you don’t know what to expect.

Here are 4 things to be mindful of as take in the European culture.

We Dine Different

In general, things don’t move as quickly as they do in the states. European culture, actually, most cultures outside of America, consider dining an event or social experience. In most European restaurants, London restaurants can be an exception, it is considered rude for the waiter or waitress to bring you the “bill” (not the “check”) without you requesting it. So be mindful of this and careful not to get an attitude when the service isn’t as quick as you would like for it to be. Give yourself ample time to enjoy the dining experience.

Additionally, tipping is not necessary. Unless you are dining at an establishment that is frequented by tourist, most places will have already included the tip in the price of your meal. So you can BMF (blow money fast) in other ways. And Lawd knows money gets blown fast in Europe.

Now, if you are you experiencing exceptional service, run them folks their coin!

Bathing Be Like

Most European hotels and lodging facilities do not offer what we consider, washcloths, in the states. So if you are partial to having a washcloth for bathing, you will need to take your own. Whenever I travel to Europe, I always take with me an exfoliating bath glove. It doesn’t take up a lot of space in your luggage and it has your skin feeling nice… and supple… like a lady!

All Toiletries Matter

Speaking of luggage, as you know when traveling in America, we are free to carry, in our carry on, as many toiletries with us, as long as they 3.4 fl. oz. or less. Well, that’s not the case in Europe. When leaving a European country, you will be instructed to put all of your toiletries in a quart size clear plastic bag. Those bags will be provided at the airport if you don’t have one. All of your liquids, gels, and aerosols must fit in that bag. Everything that doesn’t fit, you will either have to toss or check.

You’re Not In Kansas Anymore

Recognize that things are going to be different. Accept it and be open to exploring those new things. Please don’t be that rude American expecting things to be the way they are at home. Remember, you didn’t travel to Europe to experience America.

Bonus:

Chips are crisps. Fries are chips. And oatmeal is porridge.

Now, you’re ready. Enjoy your trip!

Best Staycation Spot In DC- Holiday Edition

8 Dec

Well, it is officially the Holiday season. *cue the Christmas music and lights*, cause I’m here for it all. Nothing puts me in the mood to spend time with the ones I love quite like Christmas.

Earlier this year, I was blessed with the opportunity to celebrate my Birthday at this cute little Boutique Hotel, at their media rate, in Dupont Circle in Washington DC, Hotel Palomar. I didn’t get a chance to travel like I would have liked to because I wasn’t giving them people all my money! But, while I was there I thought, ” yo, this would be a DOPE spot to have a Staycation with some friends for the Holidays.”

I am slowly recognizing my infatuation with boutique hotels for their style and grace. *Inserts Big Poppa by Notorious B.I.G.* “To all my ladies in the place with style and grace…”

Hotel Palomar is just so CUTE!

While I was waiting for my frans to come and play, I hung out by at the pool in the cabana! Of course, this probably won’t be an option during the winter time, but then again the way this weather has been bipolar, you may just have the chance to look cute in one of their cabanas.

The whole staff is simply amazing and I love their attention to detail. I was greeted with one of my favorites, KRISPY KREME! Shout out to Paris for looking out and being so sensational!

They even have a free bike share program for their guest. Imagine riding around Dupont Circle and Georgetown on a cute December evening with all the Christmas lights and decorations!

I simply love the artwork throughout the entire property. Thanks so much Palomar for showing me such an amazing time. I can’t wait to stay with you all again!

Let me hear it, where is your favorite place to have a Staycation in your area?

Budget Travel Tips- Airfare Edition

17 Jun

Listen, I love nice things, like really nice things! Seriously though, if we’re being honest with ourselves, who doesn’t?!! A nice handbag, yes ma’am! Exclusive fragrance, yes, please! Luxurious travel, absolutely! I can’t begin to tell you how I’ve developed such an exquisite taste for luxury. And honestly, that doesn’t matter because as much as I love luxury, I can also appreciate good budget travel tips! #TEAMSAVEACOIN I mean who doesn’t want to learn how to start traveling more?

The Ultimate Budget Travel Tips

If you’re like me and you’re consistently trying to figure out how to make your Thousandaire reality line up with your Trillionaire desires, you’ve come to the right place. In this post, I’m going to share how you can dabble in the Trillionaire travel lifestyle while still living your Thousandaire travel reality. Below are 7 doable budget travel tips that will help you travel the world on a budget via inexpensive airfare.

1. Be flexible

Whenever I get the best rates on plane tickets, it’s because I leave my travel dates open and search the entire month for ticket prices. In my experience, the least expensive days to travel are Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays, so these are typically the days I travel when my dates are flexible. That’s not to say that you can’t find good prices on other days, but these are the days that I have observed to consistently have good prices.

Google Flights is a great place to start your search. The Date Grid and Price Graph functions allow you to search for dates over a longer period of time in order to see when flights are the cheapest.

2. Know when to buy

There has been a lot of mixed opinions on this topic. Some people believe there’s a best time to buy airline tickets and there’s a lot of budget travel tips out there pertaining to when to buy airline tickets. What I have seen during my many searches is that most flights tend to increase closer towards the end of the week. Here’s a couple of reasons I believe this to be true: 1) this is when most people tend to travel; 2) this is when most people get paid. So quite naturally, when the demand is high, so are the prices. If you can, try to purchase your airfare earlier in the week to avoid price increases. Disclaimer: In no way am I an Economist, just a Common Sense-ist.

3. Work, Work, Work, Work, Work, Work!

Seychelles beach — Image: http://photo.elsoar.com/

Nothing in life is free, and for a good price on travel, you’ve gotta be willing to do like Rihana said and do some work! As previously mentioned, when searching for flights, I typically start off at Google Flights or one of the other flight search engine sites, like Expedia or Orbitz. Remember, Southwest and some other discount airlines, don’t advertise on these flight search engine sites, so you have to go directly to their site to check prices.

Extra Nugget: When traveling on a budget, don’t be opposed to purchasing two one way tickets or even tickets from two different carriers. There’s no best way to book flights. We’re simply trying to keep our coint; and that may mean doing some unconventional things so we can get to Seychelles.

4. Strike when the iron is hot!

God has truly blessed me to be able to take advantage of some pretty SWEET deals. But that was because I was prepared to get tickets as soon as the deal was available.

My #1 travel destination has always been to visit UAE, specifically Dubai, and in 2015, I was blessed with the opportunity to go, for a whopping $214 RT. Etihad Airways had an error fare on Christmas Day 2014, and I was already thinking about buying myself a ticket to Dubai for Christmas. Because my God can do exceedingly abundantly above all I could ever ask or think, I have family and friends that live in the UAE so I was able to lodge for the $free.99. If that’s not traveling on a budget, I don’t know what is!

Two of my most frequently stalked travel deal sites are The Flight Deal and Secret Flying. You have to be ready to purchase when you see the deal because they typically don’t last past a few days.

Extra Nugget

The majority of my international travel is to places that I have friends and family, so I can stay with them and not have to worry about lodging expenses. Plus, you get to experience the area as the locals do!

5. Create An Account

If you don’t already, I would suggest creating a traveling account to help you with budgeting for traveling. I started out seriously traveling when I was in my 20s. Because I ~~was traveling while broke~~ didn’t have that much money, it was very important for me to be smart about traveling. From personal experience, this budget travel tip can help you successfully pinpoint how to travel on a budget in your 20s. Deposit a few dollars in there every week or so until you have at least $500. You would be surprised where you could go for $500 on a sweet travel deal!

I understand that everyone that’s reading this may not be single. If you are looking to save on travel with a family, $500 might not be enough for you all to start with. If this is the case, I would recommend saving anywhere from $750-$1000 in your account depending on your family size. Some banks will even start you off by giving you anywhere from $100-$500 for opening an account with them. Use that to your advantage.

Once you have your minimum travel amount saved, you can start searching for airline tickets using the tips above. Please note: Once you start to build your account, it will be tempting to start looking at flights. Don’t, until you have at least your minimum travel amount and can purchase the tickets right then.

I smile because I get to keep my coins!

6. Get to the points

DISCLAIMER: I do not recommend this tip if you are not responsible with managing consumer credit! Breakfast with Tiffani does not condone creating debt in the name of traveling on a budget!

If you are responsible with managing consumer credit, this tip is for you. Being responsible with managing consumer credit means you do not carry a balance on a credit card. A lot of credit cards, specifically travel cards, will offer a sign-up bonus in exchange for charging a minimum amount within a specified amount of time. Once you have hit that minimum within the specified time frame, they will give you a sign-up bonus. For travelcards, the bonus is typically in the form of airline points.

Simple Example

For example, Card A has a sign up bonus of 60,000 points. The Card A company will be more than happy to give you those 60,000 points as long as you charge $4,000 within the first 3 month of opening the credit card account. Once you hit $4,000, the Card A company will post 60,000 points to your account to use as you wish.

And it’s just that simple! Depending on who you fly, when, and where you are going, 60,000 points can go a LONG way!

An additional thing to consider is if an airline branded credit card or a regular bank travel credit card would be best for you. What’s the difference you ask?

An airline-branded credit card is a card that you are only allowed to redeem points at that airline only. You can use the card anywhere, but you tend to get more points when you use it at that airline vs somewhere else.

A regular bank travel credit card is a card that you are allowed to redeem points at multiple airlines that are partnered with the bank. As with airline-branded credit cards, you can use the card anywhere, but you tend to get more points on travel related purchases.

When choosing between an airline-branded credit card vs. a regular bank travel card, it’s like considering, would you rather a Visa or American Express Gift Card that you can use anywhere or a store-specific card that you can only use at that store.

7. Travel Rewards Programs

Kindrick Lamar said it best, “Loyalty, loyalty, loyalty.” So, this tip might contradict one of the previously shared budget travel tips in point #3. Before you cancel me, hear me out.

Now, more than ever, brands want to know that you are loyal to them. So much so, that they are willing to reward you for that loyalty as shared in the tip above.

When you are loyal to one airline and accumulate status and points with them, you can then use those points in exchange for free travel. Depending on your status, they will show their appreciation for your loyalty by providing you with perks. Those perks include free upgrades, admission to their pre-flight lounge, free wifi, etc.

Now, I would be doing you a disservice if I didn’t state that travel rewards programs are really only beneficial if you travel frequently enough to accumulate points for free travel. If you’re the occasional traveler, this traveling on a budget tip may not be one for you to focus on.

Extra Nugget

Are you a frequent flyer, flying multiple times a month? If you aren’t committed to flying one particular airline, take advantage of airline’s status match programs. Just like most businesses that will price match a competitor’s price, so will airlines. Airline companies will match your status in an effort to ensure you continue flying with them. Learn more about Airline Status Matching in the Instagram post below.

Budget Travel Tips- Landing

Well, there you have it, 7 doable budget travel tips to get you started on your journey of traveling the world on a budget. So, let me hear from you. Do you currently practice some of the budget travel tips mentioned above? What are some ways that you have been able to start traveling on a budget?

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Hey y’all! Happy Tuesday! Long post, but it will be worth it, I promise! ⠀ ⠀ So, I know the majority of us aren’t taking any flights right now, I hear these airports are DRY! But for those are are, y’all please be safe ♥️ I’ve noticed a lot of people are antsy and ready to go somewhere, 🙋🏾‍♀️ me included. But before we all dip, let me put you on game that can improve your travel experience when it is time to GO 👇🏾👇🏾⠀ ⠀ The name of the game is loyalty. Stay loyal to one brand, earn points with them and they will treat you right. BUT, did you know that your loyalty to one company can help you establish status in another? ⠀ ⠀ Yup, airlines, like most businesses have a Frequent Flyer Status Match Program. So the status you’ve built on Airline A, can be matched to Airline B’s equivalent 🤯 Yup! ⠀ ⠀ Each airline has a specific way to apply for a Status Match with their brand, but it’s usually a simple application or email request. Just google, “How to status match with *insert airline here*.” Also make certain your specific method of gaining status is eligible for a Status Match. ⠀ ⠀ Alright so you’ve got some homework. I know, I know, I just want y’all to be ready when it’s time to go. ⠀ ⠀ (a.) if you currently have status on an airline, get to applying for status matches with the other airlines. ⠀ ⠀ (b.) if you do not currently have status on an airline, apply for all frequent flyer programs. Once you’ve done that, you’ll need to decide which one you will do majority of your traveling on. Why apply for them all if you will frequent one? Because all points matter. And we don’t need you missing out on any points. But that’s a post for another day. ⠀ ⠀ Alright, I’ve taken up enough of your day. Let us know which airline you rock with. Drop them in the comments below. 👇🏾 Happy Status Matching! 😉 #bwt #tiffanitravels 📷: @nudimension85 ⠀

A post shared by Christian Travel & Lifestyle (@breakfast_with_tiffani) on Apr 28, 2020 at 5:49am PDT