Thursday's picture perfect deal...

The picture...

This time of year I start to think about getting away from the winter blahs.  I took this picture a few years ago of FMNH PR 2081, most folks just know her as Sue, the T Rex at the Field Museum in Chicago.  Sue was 28 years old when she died, making her the oldest T Rex to date.  I love visiting Sue when I feel like I am getting old, she is a great reminder of what determination looks like.  Her bones have reviled that she lived though an injury to her right shoulder, a torn tendon in her right arm and three broken ribs.  These injuries appear to have happened at the same and during her life to be injured even slightly usually meant certain death. She also survived infection in her right leg and either infection or infestation of parasites in her skull.  She had arthritis in her tail and a case of gout as well as extra bone built up and stress fractures due to her massive weight.  Most people don't see her as an inspiration, but I sure do.

The deal...

Red Lobster has been running their 30 shrimp for $11.99, but this Friday that gets even better!  Just print the coupon and bring it in for their one day only anniversary deal of 45 shrimp for $11.95.  The price is a little higher in Hawaii and Time Square, but still a great deal.

Hope you are all having a wonderful week!

C.Q.

Saturday's Sojourn...

It has been a while since I have done a Sojourn post, but since I am actually in Chicago I thought I would share a bit of where we have been, I think I will save the rest of the vacation for next Saturday.  It will also give me an opportunity to share some of the ways to get great deals on travel.

I guess its easiest to go in order, I received an email from my local airport (we are on a smaller terminal) saying they were offering deals out of here direct to Chicago for $99.00 each way, usually they are $130 or more so that cinched that we were flying.  If you like to travel its worth while to be friends with your airport on Facebook or subscribe to their emails, you can get advance notice on air fare deals that way.  I paid for the tickets using a card that earns mile on that air line as well, and booking it right through them got me double miles towards my next flight somewhere.

Next up was trying to figure out where to stay in the city for under the usual $300 a night.  Being out at the airport may save up front, but it costs a fortune in cab rides, and actually
can wind up costing more than spending the extra to stay in the
heart of the city where you can walk to everything.  I am a member of Snique Away, a great site that offers hotel deals, kind of like Groupon but for lodging.  They have great offers each week, so its always something new.  The deal that came up was for the Hotel Burnham, just a few blocks away from Millennium Park, and we got to save a third of the hotel price. Like all the Kimpton Hotels, it is a smaller boutique property that offers outstanding service, they allow pets but if you can't travel with your family friend they have a program called Guppy Love, you get a gold fish in your room that the staff takes care of for you, no need to do a thing, other than name him/her and enjoy the company.

We arrived early so we had plenty of time to unpack, meet up with another friend of ours who flew in separately and unwind before our night of wining and dining on board the Odyssey dinner cruise.  I purchased a $50 certificate from Restaurant.com during their sale for only $10, so we saved $40 and got to enjoy a great 3 course dinner while listening to live music and watching the Chicago night skyline go by.

Thursday we went on a Chicago Film bus tour, we purchased the tickets on Groupon so we paid 1/2 price for the two hour tour.  These are fun ways to see the city in a new way, and Groupon often has different types of tours and activities on sale if you watch for them.  It was fun to see the spot where they filmed one of my all time favorite movies,  Ferris Bueller's Day Off, of course I had to hum a little Twist and Shout for the rest of the day! As an added bonus we got to see the police cars and they are using for the new Superman move being filmed here, they all said Metropolis and were parked in front of Union Station, how cool is that?!?!  That left the rest of the day for shopping.  Ahhhh shopping, I do a lot of reward sites that pay you to read mail, click links and/or shop through them so I had and still have a lot of gift cards for Macy's, Bloomingdale's, Old Navy, Sephora, Williams Senoma, etc. so it was a fun day!

Friday was our princess pamper day, we all had a lemon cream Mani/pedi at Eshe Spa, a wonderful oasis in the city and a place I would put at the very top of my to do list again, what a wonderful group of gals we had help us!  They are a Spa Finder Spa and I was able to cash out from reward sites and my Discover cards points for Spa Finder gift certificates, the visit was totally paid for using hobby money or Discover rebates.  You can also get good deals on Spa Finder certificates at eBay. After that we went to have High Tea at the Peninsula Hotel, I was able to get a $50.00 Peninsula Dining certificate by cashing some of my points out of my American Express rewards account, so that was a great treat on a budget.  Ahhh what a day!

Today is double discount day at the Art Institute of Chicago, so today will be a day of culture and beauty.  If you have a museum near you that you enjoy check into becoming a member, many museums are reciprocal so you get discounts in many places.  I am a member of the Art Institute as well as the Field Museum and have used those memberships to get into and get discounts in Duluth, Minneapolis and St. Paul so far, I will have to see where I can visit when we go to Virgina for Christmas.  If you don't want to join check the museum's web site, they often have free days; usually once a month, and they will have it posted on their events calender.

It seems there is never a shortage of things to do in Chicago, this morning they were filming another scene from the new Superman move in Daley Plaza, right next to the hotel so I was able to get some fun pictures of that before we even left for the museum.  Next week the dining, the ball game, the chauffeured ride to the airport and so much more.

Have a wonderful weekend!

C.Q.

Saturday Sojourn...

Astoria, Oregon

So this may reviel my true age, but one of my all time favorite movies is The Goonies.  Its the story about a group of young boys that save their town from being bought out by a developer while at the same time capturing a notorious gang of thieves.  Its a great feel good movie of the 80s and always made me wonder about the town they saved.  Well it is in fact a thriving place in Oregon, the house and neighbor hood (the Goondocks) is still there and people still come to visit.  You can even print a Google Map of where The Goonies was filmed, as well as Kindergarten Cop, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III, Short Circuit, Come See The Paradise and Free Willy which were also shot on location in and around the area. So besides the movie Goonies what else is there in Astoria?  Lots!

Finding a great place to unpack your bags is pretty easy, the number one Tripadvisor rated hotel in Astoria is the historic Cannery Pier Hotel.  The hotel amenities include an on premise spa facility, complimentary Continental breakfast (featuring Finnish delicacies, fruit and beverages), complimentary wine and Lox evening reception, a complimentary Chauffeured 1939 Buick, 1938 Packard or 1945 Cadillac, free wifi, use of the hotel library and free bicycle use during the day.  They also allow pets, a huge plus in my book. Got a special Goonies story from your past?  Enter the Cannery Pier's Goonies contest and you could win two nights at the hotel, dinner for two, desert, drinks and a travel voucher.  You need to enter before May 31st, contest winner will be named June 7th.  Even with the goodies included in the room it is a little pricey at between $159 to $299 per night.  If you want a really great bang for your buck try one of the many beautiful Bed and Breakfast Inns, Tripadvisor lists the Astoria Inn at #1 and the Benjamin Young Inn at #2.  The Astoria Inn is a lovely Victorian home with rooms ranging from $80 - $95 per night and every room has a queen-sized bed with private bath.  They do not allow children or pets on the property.  The Benjamin Young Inn is also a Victorian home and overlooks the Columbia River in Astoria.  This Inn has three resident cats but does not allow guest pets.  Room prices range from $75 - $135 per night.

All unpacked, time to head out and see some sites.  Other than the movie tours you can visit Fort Stevens State Park.  The Fort was built towards the end of the Civil war at the mouth of the Columbia River to guard against an attack from the British.    Fort Stevens is preserved within Fort Stevens State Park, part of Lewis and Clark National and State Historical Parks.  The 3,700 acres park includes camping, beach access, swimming at Coffenbury Lake, trails, and a military history museum.   Also be sure to visit the Columbia River Maritime Museum, home to the Lightship Columbia.  "Lightships not only provided a beacon where a traditional lighthouse could not stand, but they could also be stationed offshore, where a beam from a coastal lighthouse would not reach."  It is also home to the "ultimate heavy weather vessel, the Pilot Boat Peacock crossed the most dangerous river bar on the planet, the Columbia River Bar, more than 35,000 times during her 30-plus year career."  You can stop in and visit the research library while you are there and find out some historic information on the cannery or discover ship wrecks at the mouth of the Columbia River.  Open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m, except for Thanksgiving and Christmas, admission is $10 for adults, $8 for seniors, $5 for children ages 6 to 17, kids under 6 are free.  Had your fill of history for now?  Stop over at the Shallon Winery and indulge in the decadent with a little chocolate wine.  Yes, you read that right, they make a chocolate and orange wine, much like a liqueur, while your there you may see some other unique wines to try and buy like Wild Evergreen Blackberry, Peach, Lemon Meringue Pie or Cranberry Whey.  If this is something on your must see list I would recommend calling to make sure they are open at the time you want to see it, per the web site "The TASTING and SALES room in the winery is open most every afternoon in the year, even Christmas and New Years. The sign says "1 to 6 p.m.," but as the winemaker gets older, the one o'clock opening gets pushed a little later."  They can be reached at (503) 325-5978. 

 
 

For a memorable and unique dining experience check out the fish and chips at Bowpicker Fish & Chips.  The restaurant is an old re-purposed fishing boat, open Wednesday thru Sunday From 11ish - 6ish, Weather permitting, high winds being the worst offender.  All they serve is lightly beer battered Albacore tuna with steak fries, this falls into my category of a place that does one thing and that usually means they do it to perfection. 
 
Hope you are all having a great weekend!
 
C.Q.