Category: Travel

Dog Airline Travel Review and 10 Questions for Pet Safe Cargo Travel

My family consists of Him, Her, and Dog.  I would never consider a move even to a new place in town, without my dog.  Moving 3,000 miles away and over an ocean would not be possible without transporting my dog to be with me.  Our dog is 50 pounds and not a service dog (I would never lie about that or try to scam the system), so travel in cabin was not an option.

Here are the 10 questions you need to ask when booking Cargo travel for your Pet, and my recent experience (good and bad).

Scenario 1: Complete Failure!  Weeks before our travel date airfare was purchased over the phone, with a real live person, for our dog’s flight and our people airfare.  Then 4 days before the flight, as per airline recommendation, I called to confirm flight and ask a few questions.  That is when everything fell apart.  One customer service rep said it was not possible to fly my dog to Puerto Rico and I was offered a full refund, or leave the dog in Phoenix.  Several more phone calls and completely different representations with conflicting options each time, just left me with that queasy felling that I am going to go to jail for assault the night of our flight unless I make other arrangements.

Scenario 2: That evening (four days before our big move), I called United to discuss the PetSafe travel options for my dog.  Less than 30 minutes later, I had my dog’s travel booked, all questions answered, assurance that he would be in climate controlled environments the entire time, and let out of his kennel between flights for potty breaks and exercise.  His flight cost more than mine, in FIRST class, but he is my baby.  United confirmed that he would need a Health certificate within 10 days of flight, and no quarantine at our destination (or any part of our travel).  I was provided a tracking number, and I was able to view his travel progress on-line the entire time he was in United’s care.  He arrived safely in San Juan, he and the kennel were undamaged, and he was very happy to see me. SUCCESS!

PetSafe Tracking screen
PetSafe Tracking screen

If I ever need to Cargo ship another pet, it will be with United PetSafe program!

Here are 10 questions to ask when booking Pet travel in cargo:

Continue reading “Dog Airline Travel Review and 10 Questions for Pet Safe Cargo Travel”

Arizona Renaissance Festival | Beginners Guide and Frugal Tips

Step back in time and into a world of fantasy at the Arizona Renaissance Festival, full of Knights, Royalty, Mermaids, Pirates, Gypsies, and more.  

Romance, adventure, and entertainment set in a Renaissance period fantasy world full of fun in the beautiful desert of Arizona.Let your imagination run wild in this family friendly excursion back in time!

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The festival operates every weekend in February and March, President’s day and a few select school days.  The base ticket price includes entrance to the festival grounds, ample parking, petting zoo, and all shows, including the joust.

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Why We Decided to Move to Puerto Rico

We are moving to Puerto Rico!  Here is the story of how and why we decided to pack up and move.

While on a Caribbean Cruise three years ago, we had a half day stop in old San Juan, Puerto Rico.  I immediately loved the brief glimpse of the island, the people, and the food.  Spending so few hours in a city, is quite frankly, enough for one decent meal and walking around the restaurant neighborhood.  And one meal can change your life, at least for me.

2015 summer visit in Isla Verde
2015 summer visit in Isla Verde, Puerto Rico

Knowing we needed more time, a 2 week vacation was planned a break-neck 2 years later along the North and East Coasts to see more of the island.  It was still not enough!

After some number crunching and serious talk about options, we decided our best course of action was to move to the Caribbean.  We have secured a year lease on a beach community house in Puerto Rico that will serve as home base so that we can slow down and explore the Caribbean!  For the next year (at least) we are going to practice Slow Travel and explore as much of the Caribbean as we can.

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Our beach in Puerto Rico

Why the Caribbean?  Why not?  Have you seen this place?  It is GORGEOUS!!!!

The locals are hardworking, friendly, happy people that have welcomed us with open arms, and bent over backward to help us at every turn.  There are tax incentives to move our IT consulting business to PR, while at the same time we will be helping the local economy (that is the real win-win situation).

The Caribbean is a great value and has so much to offer.  Puerto Rico, while a territory not a State, is still part of the USA.  Complete with same currency, same electrical plug, no visa or travel restrictions for Americans, no quarantine for my dog, same phone plan and I am keeping the same phone number.  Puerto Rico is the Caribbean’s version of Hawaii’s less expensive Latin cousin, with a far more culturally diverse neighborhood. There are many “foreign” islands nearby with cool stuff to do, places to visit, and new food to eat.2016_SunriseJanuary

So stay tuned for Caribbean cuisine, adventure, history, culture, scuba diving, hiking the rain forest, travel tips, beaches, and more beaches!

Benefits of Slow Travel

As I mature (which is a nice way to say, get older), my approach to travelling is changing.  In my early 20’s, I had a checklist of places to visit.  Before the term bucket list was coined and the creation of Pinterest, I literally had a world map on my wall that I would stick a push-pin into after visiting each city.

Weekend in Stirling, Scotland Spring 2001
Weekend in Stirling, Scotland Spring 2001

I had a magnificent job that sent me to work in the United Kingdom for almost a year, twice!  Travel was forever changed for me.  Sure, I used London as my home base to travel Europe on the weekends, but the push-pin strategy never satisfied my wanderlust.  I collected many pins, but it was not enough.

Even a few days in a city is only long enough for me to decide what I need to do and see on my next visit, and discover the hidden gems from locals. My first visit to Paris was a mere 3 days, barely enough time to see the top 5 tourist attractions (Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, the Louve, Notre Dame, and Champs Elysees) and very little else (and there is so much more to see).  I felt rushed.  I felt like a tacky American tourist – maybe, because I was.

Mardi Gras week long celebrations with my Sister 1999
Mardi Gras week with my Sister 1999

After a few more hurried trips, I realized that break-neck speed of travel is exhausting.  I do not want to spend more time in transit than exploring.  In the last decade, I started to slow down, put down the guide book, and talk to the locals.   Simple curiosity and a good attitude have resulted in invitations to private country estates, weekends in sleepy little villages, multiple wedding receptions around the world, cheering with the fans for local amateur sports teams, and so much more off the beaten path activities.  I am simply not satisfied by sheer number of cities visited, I want to connect and savor the destination.

Horse ride in Banff, Canada
Horse ride in Banff, Canada

Granted, slow travel is a luxury.  Not everyone can spend weeks at a vacation destination.  10 days in Cancun enabled me to complete my Scuba certification start to finish, with a couple extra dives at the end.  Weekend trips are focused on a few activities at a destination, and almost always followed up with a longer visit to see more. Continue reading “Benefits of Slow Travel”

Over view of Fajardo, Puerto Rico | Beaches, Bio Bay, and More

Overview of Fajardo, Puerto Rico for Seven Seas beach, Bio Bay kayaking tours, scuba, dining, and the El Conquistador hotel.

Our first experience with Puerto Rico was Old San Juan, and I was hooked!  When planning our next visit, we knew we needed more time, and we wanted to explore several areas of the island.  We started in beautiful Isla Verde, just outside of San Juan, then rented a car and headed out to Fajardo for a few days.  Six months later, I find myself back in Fajardo.

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Fajardo is an hour East of San Juan, at the meeting point for the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea on the Northeast tip of the island.  Fajardo boasts one of the world’s rare bioluminescent bays, a must-see at night during the new moon, when it is darkest.

Continue reading “Over view of Fajardo, Puerto Rico | Beaches, Bio Bay, and More”