Tag Archives: travel

How to Snag a Pricing Airline/Vacation Glitch

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I’m very fortunate to have friends whom are also avid travelers, and I’m even more fortunate that they provide loopholes and tricks of the trade for ways to find more travel steals. I’ve had friends that have been able to go to Hawaii for just over $300 (3 nights, round trip airfare, and hotel included) and other friends that have found deals from NY to South Africa (round trip) for just $395. I’ve been able to find similar deals such as my trip to Jamaica in 2012 which was only $700 for 7 days and included the round trip airfare and was also all inclusive (it was a steal.. and I was broke). Granted, it’s not as big as a discount some of the other deals that I’ve heard from others, but these sort of deals are actually more common than you probably think.

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The city that never sleeps

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If I haven’t told you already, I am the ultimate tourist.. regardless of the city. Yes that even includes LA. I’m about a month late with this post but better late than never, correct?! I visited New York earlier this month (the first week of this month to be precise) and I couldn’t have asked for better weather. When I visited New York earlier this year in February, it was 19 degrees with a constant wind.. during the day. At night, well let’s just say as a Los Angelian, I didn’t adjust as well as I thought I would. I believe it was 60-65 degrees the ENTIRE time I was there and I heard that just before I arrived it was raining so God was definitely wanted me to enjoy my trip and I did. DSC_0071

I’d like to shout out my amazing co- workers at the NY Adconion office for making me feel at home and involving me in lunches and happy hours after work. When visiting a city that you know absolutely nothing of, I would definitely encourage you to bring a friend or hopefully you’re just as fortunate to know people that are currently residing in that city. Sidebar: Now I’m upset that I wasn’t able to snag a picture of all of us. Womp. If I wasn’t there for business, I can guarantee that my memory would have been filled. On Friday, we went to Hummus and Pita in Chelsea which is sort of like a Chipotle but with all the fixings in a Pita sandwich (is that what they call it)? The point is, we absolutely need something like this in LA and if there already is please direct me in the right direction so that I can stuff my face. We then got drinks at Brio which is in the Flatiron District which has an amazing assortment of alcoholic beverages. Of course I ordered a whiskey sour because that’s the only hard liquor I order (aside from a Sidecar or Old Fashioned, so maybe not the only drink), and I was very pleased that they made it the correct way. If you don’t know much about Whiskey Sours, you need to make it with egg. Yes egg.

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On Saturday, as soon as I took the 4 train from the Bronx into the city, I walked everywhere. I started in Time Square where I actually bought an iPhone 5 because I was due for an upgrade and I thought no better place to buy my new phone than NY. From there, I walked all the way up to Central Park and then walked all the way back down to the Flat Iron District. I have absolutely no clue why I chose to do that, but it kinda just happened by chance. I suppose that when the weather is beautiful, you have your headphones on, you’re in an amazing city, and you have no worries then you walk as if you’re a traveling man. What can I say? I was vibin’ with the city. I concluded my journey at Blue Water Grill where I had this amazing.. I actually don’t remember what I have but it was hella good! See below:

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I refuse to go to NY during the summer when it’s humid and such but I will be making my back east at least 2x before the year ends. If you’re looking for a travel partner and don’t mind being spontaneous, please join me! 🙂

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Keep Austin weird

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**Homeslice restaurant located on South Congress pictured above. Oh, and hi Cameran (that would be cousin with her colgate smile).

I’m definitely 2 weeks overdue on this post but I’ve been occupied with life’s other beautiful events that have kept me occupied. I visited Austin approximately 2 weeks ago to visit family and to meet some partners out there and I couldn’t have asked for better weather. Last time I was out there (2 summers ago), it was about 105 degrees and more humid than a sauna.. I really wish I exaggerating. This time around it was between 65-75 degrees my whole time there, so I was finally able to finally focus on what Austin has to offer.

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*Hopdoddy located in So. Congress

I’m blessed to be related to have success and ambition run in the family and it shows through their work. My cousin Larry Perdido is the co- owner for Hopdoddy and Moonshine in Austin (and now Dallas) and has made his way to the top of Austin’s best restaurants over the past decade. Hopdoddy’s layout reminds me of a hybrid between Chipotle and a uhm, a bar? It’s difficult to describe but as soon as you walk into their So. Congress location you’re greeted by the bar (which is never a bad thing) and you make your way to the line which usually extends until outside of the restaurant during peak hours. Their menu is located here and has some of the most amazing creations I’ve had, although there might be some bias behind that opinion. They have another location in North Austin located on Anderson, and they’re quickly expanding west. They should be opening 3 additional locations in the LA County (Hopdoddy) in the next year or two so make sure you try their burgers. Oh and by the way their shakes.. Dear God. Millions of Milkshakes in WeHo has NOTHING on these shakes. You can check out their shake menu on their main menu page as well.

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Their house is something out of a magazine which is probably why their house has been featured in numerous Home & Garden magazines within the Texas area. I’d like to consider it a cross between contemporary, vintage, urban, and industrial styles which compliments each other extremely well. As you an tell from the pictures above, there’s a plethora of things going on but in my mind there’s nothing better than organized clutter. Right? One of their kids bedrooms has a Keith Haring theme which I actually tried having a personal photo shoot in.. but that didn’t work out so well.

In terms of my overall trip, I was able to go to Dirty Sixth which can be considered an ideal scene for college students while they also have West Sixth which is more targeted towards adults in their late 20’s and early 30’s. They have another popular location near Moonshine called Rainey Street where they’ve converted numerous houses into these bars so you’re surrounded by homes in these suburbs which actually has a nice vibe to it- definitely recommend! Some other big events throughout the year are SXSW (South by Southwest), ACL, and Blues on the Grass which are a combination of tech, art, and music festivals that they host in Austin.

…. and their BBQ. I die.

Most beautiful places in the world

Gran Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia

**Grand Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia pictured above

Seeing that as I love to travel (or should I say the thought of traveling), I’m always scouring the internet for unique places that most people might not have heard of. I’ll go to sites like  Buzzfeed, Huffington Post, Examiner, etc. where they sometimes feature articles of some enchanting places. After compiling my top 10 places, which was more difficult than selecting my favorite cafes, I’ve listed them for you below. If you’ve been to any of these places, I’d love to hear your feedback as to how your experience was. This reminds me that I need a travel buddy to hopefully visit half of these places. They’re just magical. Almost Disney magical.

  1. “Tunnel of Love” Kleven Ukraine

    %22Tunnel of Love%22 Kleven, Ukraine

  2. Antelope Canyon, Arizona

    Antelope Canyon, Arizona

  3. Blue Lagoon Galapagos Islands, Ecuador

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  4. Havasu Falls Grand Canyon National Park

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  5. Hitachi Seaside Park, Ibaraki

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  6. Wisteria Tunnel Kawachi Fuji Gardens, Japan

    Wisteria Tunnel- Kawachi Fuji Gardens in Kitakyushu, Japan

  7. Sea Cliffs Varadero, Cuba

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  8. Maldives

    Maldives

  9. Ice Canyons, Greenland

    Ice Canyons, Greenland10. Plitvice Lakes, CroatiaPlitvice Lakes, Croatia