Bulk Shoppers

I work at Michael Kors, a luxury handbag, apparel and accessories store. I always find it interesting how tourists walk into the store and spend thousands of dollars on handbags. Typically, they buy a couple of purses and walk out with smiles on their faces. However, there are those special customers, who become our clients, who will walk into the store and buy in bulk. For the most part, these are tourists who live in South America (Brazil, Panama, etc.) who will buy these handbags at a reduced price and sell them in their country for much more. These are smart shoppers and travelers. They spend their money wisely, never buying a full-priced item. They also know that the United States exchange rate is much cheaper than their countries, so they visit the land of the free to make their purchases that help their businesses grow.

Travel and pets

I found this awesome article on traveling and pets. It gives tips on what would be the best way to travel with your pets. We have two small dogs. Whenever we travel, it is an issue because we do not like to leave them in kennels. They are family dogs so we feel bad abandoning them. Recently, we've started taking them on vacation with us. It's not too difficult when we drive. When we fly, however, it becomes more expensive. The cost of a dog to fly is basically the same price as another ticket. It's rediculous to pay that money for a pet that will be stowed under the seat. Another hinderance on the vacation is having to worry about taking the dogs out or waking up early to walk them. When we went to Chicago over winter break, we had to wake up early to walk them in the snowy weather. On the plus side, when you take your pet with you, you do not have to worry about them being safe and your family is able to share their wonderful memories with the smallest members of the family.

Chi-town

It's that time of the year! I will be going to Chicago in a few weeks. I recently read this site on Things to do in Chicago and absolutely love it. There were some awesome ideas for summer traveling to the Windy City. The article suggessted going to festivals - the Chicago Blues Festival, the Annual Chicago Music Festival and the Latin Music Festival (my favorite!). These festivals are fun for the whole family. Other must-sees in the downtown Chicago area are Navy Pier, a spectacular place of shopping and entertainment on Lake Michigan. The Taste of Chicago is also very exciting, especially for food fanatics. You must eat at The Fish Keg before you leave! It's a very small, family owned, pick-up only diner where you can get fresh fish from Lake Michigan...so great! I can't wait to arrive and spend a few weeks there! It's a beautiful city with lots to offer tourists and the local population.

Travel phone!

Good morning everyone :)

My friend just got back from Spain. We sat down and had a long chat this past week. She absolutely loved it. The sights were beautiful, the people were divine and the food was great. She said she was able to talk to her mom at least once every other day. I wanted to get tips from her since I'm planning my EuroTrip next summer. The first thing she told me was that I need to go with an idea of where I want to visit, but not itinerary. She recommended we look into youth hostels. When traveling on your own, it is best to go without concrete plans so that you can come and go as you please without any hurry. She also told me about getting a prepaid cell phone. She got a TracFone cell phone before she left which she said was very easy to use and she was able to talk to her family back home for the cost of a local call. Another suggestion she made was to pack for one week and do laundry. When you're traveling to Europe, you should not take too many suitcases because chances are you will be moving around and you will be going home with more than you left. Anyone else have any good tips for my EuroTrip?

What's up, 305?!

Hey all!

My cousin just arrived! She traveled 1,188 miles to visit me from Chicago. While she's down here, I want to show her the real Miami, not the tourist spots. Our first stop is going to be The Big Cheese, a local hot spot for pizza and subs. They have been open 25 years and have amazing pizzas. I know she has amazing pizza back home, but nothing is better than the homey feel of the Big Cheese. Our next stop will be Key Biscayne. I figured I would take her there so she can enjoy a quiet, relaxing location before venturing into the well-known South Beach. Before she leaves, I have to take her to a Cuban restaurant. I thought about taking her to Versailles Restaurant, but might end up going to La Carreta. That restaurant is a little taste of heaven with a hint of latin spice. I think I'm taking her to Coconut Grove and Miracle Mile. Hopefully, I'll be able to show her how people really live in Miami instead of the stereotypical Miami seen in movies. Any other places I should take her? The beauty of this trip is she will be able to enjoy great food, awesome shopping, cool bars, and a fun time in the sun. Can't wait to see her reaction!!