Category Archives: Distant Travels

Phoenix Rock and Roll Half Marathon

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When I originally booked this MLK weekend escape, I figured it would be a low-key couple of days to tour around and visit some museums and what not. However, last weekend when I was researching things to do and places to see, out popped up the event for the Phoenix Rock and Roll Marathon and Half Marathon.  Groupon just happened to have a discounted entry, and since it would be on the Sunday, it just seemed like a natural fit.  And that’s how I decided to do this run, a test of my birthday age with minimal training… can I do this and live to tell the tale?

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Map of the route

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At the start line. Because I missed the free Hotel shuttle, I had to walk and Jog 3 miles to the start line

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Ready to run!

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My first goal was to finish the race. My secondary goal was to finish in under two hours, which I thought was an easy 9:11 pace...

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Selfie around mile 8.. I was actually a full minute behind the pace, so I had to run the last 6 miles at a faster clip

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Rock and Roll! I felt fine until mile 10, that's when my leg muscles started protesting

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I ramped up my pace, and by mile 12 I knew I would be fine, despite my sore and tired legs

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Towards the finish

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And DONE! Official chip time of 1:57:31, which is slower than my marathon pace from ten years ago, but I'll take it!

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Post race goodies

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And the post race suffering begins

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Down and out of commission

Doughnut World Tour Stop: Phoenix, AZ

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We were just walking along Roosevelt Row, a downtown arts district, when we came across this doughnut joint, Rollover Doughnuts.  And our travel creed is fated by doughnuts – if they appear, we try out one doughnut.  And so it is…

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The little display shares space with Short Leash Hot Dogs

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Lisa wanted to get the Spicy Thai Chili Coconut, but they were sold out

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Instead, she opted for the Orange Pistachio

Verdict?
A definite winner! 
We compare all donuts to Blue Star, and this single sample held its own, and at half the price!

Hyatt Place Los Cabos Review

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We stayed at the Hyatt Place Los Cabos for the first two nights of our vacation in Los Cabos.  Our quick review…

Points used:  5000 per night.  This is a Category 1 Hyatt property, and therefore the lowest cost in points.  The regular rate is around $90 per night.  There are no resort fees.

The property is practically brand new, opening its doors in late 2013.  However, a hurricane swooped in October 2014, which resulted in a lot of damage, so much in fact that the hotel had to close and undergo extensive renovation work.  So it is a brand new hotel twice-over!

The hotel has a prime location with bus transportation, ATMs, shopping and restaurants all within a five-minute walk.  It is also in a safe area with lots of activity and lights.  The staff are friendly and bilingual and the hotel has pretty much all that we could want — outdoor swimming pool, well-appointed 24-hour access gym, room service, bar service, computers and comfy sitting areas indoors and outdoors.  Our favorite part was the extensive breakfast buffet that featured fresh fruits, a granola bar, different juices and a wide variety of hot foods.  Seriously, since breakfast goes until late morning, you can pretty much fill up and not need to eat again until the late afternoon/early dinner.  Wifi in the hotel was pretty strong and fast.  Our room was spacious and well-appointed with plenty of plugs to recharge.  

About the only thing we didn’t like was one of the elevators was out for almost an entire day, so there was just one to service all five floors and all the guests.  Normally this wouldn’t be a big deal because we could just take the stairs, but the stairs up are not accessible through the public spaces.  So we were forced to use the elevator going up, but we could use the stairs going down because they would empty out into the employee-only area but we could find our way out to the main lobby.  Not a huge deal, but the waits for the elevator could be tiresome.

All in all this was a fantastic place to stay, offering a great value for all that you get.  We were very satisfied with our experience and we would most definitely stay here again!

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Our room featured a separate sitting area

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View from our fourth floor window

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Breakfast spread

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Variety of juices

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Flying Home: the Perks of the Ritz-Carlton Credit Card

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We savored our last hours at the Hyatt Ziva and then took our scheduled shuttle van to the airport.  We arrived two hours before our scheduled flight, so we used the perks offered by our Ritz Carlton credit card to gain entry into the VIP Lounge Club, which was just steps away from our boarding gate.

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The lounge offers a menu of mixed cocktail drinks

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Plus sandwiches

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Hand salads

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The lounge features two levels. This upper level also has our service and food plus more rooms

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This room is for families or Recreation, with a pool table and a video game console to play on a TV

For our return flight, we still had $100 left over from the annual $300 travel credit that the Ritz Carlton credit card provides for baggage fees, lounge membership, upgrades and more.  We used $62 to upgrade our seats to the exit row for more leg room, then we spent about $30 to enjoy food from the menu and Lisa also purchased a glass of wine.  

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All told, our upgrades to first class on the flight down and to the exit row for our return flight were practically free using our credit card.  Plus having the VIP lounge to stretch out and have drinks and more food is such a great way to travel with less stress, we are certainly glad that we signed up for this credit card that offers so much.