Hey there! I’m a Clemson grad that travels quite a lot for work, and am the help of my lady working on traveling more for pleasure both solo as well as with my lady. This is a place for me to jot my thoughts… adventures… misadventures… fun products and the such.
Before we get started, just a brief disclaimer: all thoughts and opinions expressed in this blog are my own and not those of my employer. I will clearly identify all affiliate links as well. You don't have to use them, of course, but I certainly won't object if you do! :)
If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to me by email at... hari [at] traveling-tiger.com
Thanks for visiting!
Knowing that the San Diego Zoo is an experience, my girlfriend and I devoted many hours to exploring what the zoo had to offer. We were lucky enough to visit while they were running a discount on their Beer Map. Instead of paying $10 for each pint, I got four 12 oz “tastings” for $20! Not bad, right?
Beer! Yay, beer!Normally $10/16oz, I got 48 oz for $20!
No visit to the zoo is complete without finding koalas… nope! We caught these divas while they were being fed. They had zero interest in the public… Just their lunch!
Drop bear!This guy was a goof“Ugh. More tourists…”Best friends!Sneaky!Reindeer!“Can I eat, now?”
Balboa Park… wow, where to start! Well, in addition to being a park, it is a collection of museums as well as the home of the San Diego Zoo! Across a walkway, are two gardens: cacti and roses. Further to the north, adjacent to the zoo is the Spanish Village – a collection of stalls for many artists to display their wares as well as show how they go about creating their works!
The architecture really blew me away – I love the return to the original Spanish influence to the area. Because of how late we slept in (being awake for 24 hours really takes it out of you), we weren’t able to explore too much our first day, but we picked up tickets to see the zoo as well as museums.
Thankfully, the rose and cacti gardens have no closing times, so we were able to take our time exploring them.
Turf Supper Club
For dinner, we discovered the Turf Supper Club thanks to Google Maps (seriously, Google… thank you). Unlike traditional steakhouses, the Turf Supper Club is a “cook your own steak” experience. You select your cuts and you cook it just how you would like it. If I lived in the area, I know I would be a regular here.
To rack up some segments and miles to make sure I hit status, I planned a nice round-about route to explore San Diego! By planning for a nice long layover in Dallas-Fort Worth, I managed to take advantage of the Centurion Lounge there. Thanks to Delta’s recent upgrade rule changes, we flew first class on all four flights!
The icing on the cake? We got to experience the new blankets provided by Westin. Though they aren’t as heavenly as the bedding at Westin properties, it is many levels above the red blankets we know and… …love? Keep climbing, Delta!
Westin in-flight!
Centurion Lounge, DFW
The Centurion Lounge is an airport oasis for American Express Platinum and Centurion cardholders. Though it is located in Terminal D, you can access it from any terminal thanks to the Skylink that joins all Terminals.
From AmEx’s Centurion Lounge Page
In addition to gourmet food, there is a complimentary 15-minute spa massage available, which is heavenly between long flights! There are also shower suites and a lot of seating. Though Delta operates out of Terminal E, the SkyLink lets you get to Terminal D quickly.
SkyLink MapThe Centurion!No trip is complete without second breakfasts…A nice cup of tea after a massage!6 hour layover? Put your legs up!
I opted to use one of my Hyatt Suite certificates from my Diamond status to upgrade from a standard room to a king-size suite. This hotel features water slides, waterfront dining, a full spa, and spectacular views. Also offered are kayak and jet ski rentals as well as sport fishing and whale tour excursions – ideal for those who need to be on the water!
Map of the buildingsEntering the living room…Extremely comfortable couch!Closet and dresserRoomy bathroomBedroom!Wonderful waterfront view!
Back in 2012, Delta celebrated veterans with custom art on one of their Boeing 757-200s. This week I had the opportunity to see her in the flesh upon landing in San Diego!
Thanks to work, I recently had the opportunity to visit San Diego, CA for the first time. I took this as an opportunity to get a few more nights with Hyatt to work on their current Stay More, Play More promotion. I opted for the Hyatt House in Sorrento Mesa: in addition to free parking (which is rare in California), it is located a couple of miles away from a few big name breweries:
San Diego is known for being a haven for beer lovers, having such names as Mission Brewery, Ballast Point, Coronado Brewing, and others.
Amenities
The hotel boasts a free continental breakfast with a rotating protein (sausage, bacon, turkey links, and so on), cage free scrambled eggs, breakfast potatoes, various breakfast breads, and a compliment of juices. To add icing on the breakfast cake… there is a complimentary omelette bar! After breakfast, there is a full restaurant and bar in the dining area. The central patio has a perpetually burning gas firepit and plenty of outdoor seating.
Perpetually Lit Firepit
I don’t hide the fact that I try to adhere to a workout routine when I travel, and I was thrilled to discover that this property had not only the usual battery of cardio equipment, but also a full set of free weights and a cable machine!
Workout RoomWorkout RoomWorkout Room
The Room
I was put in a room on the third floor that overlooked the central patio with the firepit, so it was a little noisy at night, but not too bad overall. The restroom was huge. Possibly the largest non-suite, non-handicapped restroom I have had in a hotel to date.
Roomy RestroomRoomy Restroom
Entering the room, I was greeted with a thoughtful snack and welcome note, which I found to be a nice touch. This was found on the counter with the microwave. Underneath the counter I was able to find the micro-fridge as well as two wine glasses and two drinking glasses.
Welcome Note and Snack!Welcome Note
The rest of the room was well put together. In addition to a spacious King-sized bed, there was a very comfortable couch.
Entering the RoomKing-size Bed and a nice couch!
Across from the bed was the chest of drawers and television next to the workspace. There were outlets scattered throughout the room, which is a nice change – no more hunting for power!
TV and Workspace
The workplace is next to the closet with a full-sized iron and ironing board, which is another nice touch. No more having to iron on a bed!
Closet with Full-Size Ironing Board
Overall I had an excellent stay and I’m looking forward to coming back (particularly to explore the refreshments in the area)! Keep up the good work, guys!
I received an email today that the Senior VP of Hyatt Loyalty, as well as his coworkers, will be hosting an AskMeAnything (AMA) on Reddit. The AMA will take place on November 16th at 12 PM Central Time. Have your questions ready and remember to be civil!
Some really exciting news this morning – Delta has announced that they will be introducing a true Premium Economy hard product with the introduction of their A350 services late next year (Fall 2017). They will begin refitting their B777 fleet with this the year after (2018), as well.
Details of the premium product, from the Delta news site, are as follows:
More space with up to 38 inches of pitch, up to 19 inches of width and up to seven inches of recline. Delta Premium seats will also offer adjustable leg rests and head rests;
Westin Heavenly® In-Flight Blanket with pillow and a TUMI amenity kit featuring Malin+Goetz Travel Essentials, allowing customers to settle in and arrive well-rested;
Pre-departure beverage service followed by fresh, seasonal menu selections presented with Alessi serviceware designed exclusively for Delta;
A 13.3-inch, high resolution in-flight entertainment screen that is among the largest in its class, allowing customers to stay entertained with Delta Studio’s industry-leading library of complimentary movies, shows and games, and noise-cancelling headphones;
In-seat power ports for large and small devices and convenient storage to keep them within reach;
Sky Priority service, which includes faster check-in, accelerated security, priority boarding and expedited baggage service.
Image Courtesy of Delta
Be sure to check out the news site to see the panoramic view available!
Image Courtesy of DeltaImage Courtesy of Delta
The A350 will also feature the brand new Delta One suites (32 of them), which is doubly exciting! The AvGeek within is thrilled at the chance of flying on on an A350 in the near future, and the opportunity of enjoying this new hard product is icing on the cake.
