Quality Accommodations on a Budget

Liz and I decided to take a last minute trip into Boston this weekend for a special “Weekend in Boston” project that I’m currently working on. We knew that we would need to find somewhere to rest our heads for the night but we weren’t ready to face the prices of a hotel in Downtown Boston.

After some quick research, I stumbled upon 40 Berkeley, a hip hostel in the South End of Downtown Boston. From what I could see, it looked as if 40 Berkeley’s location would integrate perfectly with the plans that we had lined up for the weekend.

40 Berkeley Lobby/Check-in

Upon arriving at 40 Berkeley, we were greeted by a friendly staff member who handed us our key, along with a small brochure which listed all the important information about the hostel as well as the amenities that were included in our stay. Yes, I said it. Amenities!

Room

40 Berkeley Hostel - Boston, Massachusetts

As soon as we stepped foot in our room we knew we felt right at home. Sure, the rooms are a bit on the small side. Although, we have stayed in hostels and guesthouses all over the world and I can’t think of many rooms that we’ve stayed in that were as clean and bright as the rooms at 40 Berkeley.

The room was equipped with a queen bed, desk, lamp, small bureau, hanging wall mirror, full closet/wardrobe, fresh towels. No TV here, but who needs one?

I should also mention that there are no en-suite bathrooms. There is a large shared bathroom located on each floor of 40 Berkeley. One for males and one for females, of course!

The Rooms at 40 Berkeley

Location

Location of 40 Berkeley

40 Berkeley is located in Boston’s South End. Nearby, you can find all of the nightlife, restaurants and shopping you could ever ask for. You’re within 10 minutes walking distance to Boston’s Public Gardens as well as the Boston Commons. 5-10 minutes to Copley Square and another few minutes to Newbury Street, Boston’s most expensive and glitzy shopping avenue.

Amenities:

• Complimentary Breakfast - Menu includes full buffet and eggs made-to-order.
• Free Wi-Fi everywhere in the building
• Dinner is available daily, eat-in or take-out. Menu includes specials.
• 24-hour reception services include telephone answering and tourist information
• 24-hour security
• Laundry facilities
• Light house-keeping
• Irons available upon request

As someone who works on the internet, having FREE Wi-Fi was incredibly helpful.

I also found the complimentary breakfast yet another amenity that’s hard to find in most hostels/hotels. This wasn’t one of those “continental breakfasts”. 40 Berkeley provides a buffet style breakfast that includes: Omelets, bacon, homefries, pancakes, toast, fresh fruit, belgian waffles, an assortment of juices, coffee, tea, and more!

This amenity alone will save you a lot of money due to the fact that you won’t have to spend money on breakfast each morning!

Complimentary Buffet Style Breakfast

Extras:

Free Pass Program:

Book a room at 40 Berkeley and they’ll throw in a FREE pass to one of Boston’s top attractions*:

• New England Aquarium - $22.95 value
• Museum of Science - $22 value
• Harvard Museum of Natural History - $9 value
• Prudential Skywalk - $13 value
• Loew’s Boston Common Theatre - $12 value

Additional passes are available at substantial discounts. Be sure to pick up your free pass at check-in.

*Offered with standard rate rooms only. 1 pass per room. Offer subject to change. 

Don’t miss these 40 Berkeley Specials.

Rooms/Rates:

• Standard Full Room (Full or Queen Bed) : $55 USD/night weekdays. $59/night on Weekends
• 40 Berkeley has various room options and prices. View your options at 40Berkeley.com.

Contact Information:

• Telephone : 617.375.2524
• Address: 40 Berkeley Street Boston, MA 02116
• Website: 40 Berkeley
• Facebook:  40 Berkeley on Facebook
• Twitter: @40Berkeley

I woke up and peered out the window in hopes that I would see the sun shining down on DC. Instead it looked as if it was about to pour. Ugh! It has been gloomy, overcast and just about to rain this whole trip so far! The good part is that the rain has held up so I really can’t complain.

My luck had finally come to an end…

Once I arrived at City Segway Tours the sky opened up and it started to pour buckets! I thought to myself that there was no way we would be jumping on these Segways for the first time in attempts to not only learn to ride them but to also take in the sights of Washington DC.

City Segway Tours DC

But NO, City Segway Tours had no thoughts of holding us back due to the lashing rain outside. If anything, the guides seemed as if they were even more excited to get us out there and show us the city!

Segway Orientation

There were two groups assigned to two different Segway guides. My guide was Louis/Lewis (not sure which way it’s spelled). Louis lead our group outside to a small alley next to the City Segway Tours building and gave us the run down. You could tell he had perfected his instructions and that he had worked there for a while because he really knew what he was talking about when it came down to mounting/dismounting, turning, preventing accidents and operating the Segways in a safe manner.

What I liked most about Louis was that he always put a humorous spin on his instructions. Although he was serious about all the rules and regulations that City Segway Tours has (for a good reason) he always seemed to have a funny short story to tell or a joke associated with his instructions.

Now it was time for us to get on our Segways one by one in order to do a few practice runs. Louis asked our group of 7 which one of us would like to go first. Nobody raised their hands. I think most people are gung ho about riding a Segway when they’re on the way to the shop and then once they see the thing they’re instantly intimidated by it. This is totally understandable because I felt the same way at first.

Louis asked us again and still nobody raised their hands so I bit the bullet and said, “I’ll do it!” Louis had mentioned that when we mount our Segways for the first time we will probably end up doing the Segway dance. This is when you move forward and back, forward and back, forward and back. When I stepped on the Segway for the first time I had this in mind and I was determined not to do it!

Needless to say once I stepped on and got both feet up I ended up doing the Segway dance while everyone looked on and laughed.

Practicing our Segway skills in the alleyway

Learning to Ride a Segway

Once I steadied myself I started to press into my toes and all of a sudden the Segway started to accelerate forward. Whoa! Just a few feet later I leaned into my heels and the Segway started to slow down. Eventually after a few minutes of figuring it out I realized that riding a Segway is all about the pressure you put into your toes and heels. You want to move forward? Lean into your toes. Backwards? Lean into your heels. It’s as easy as that!

Turning is simple as well because your handlebars only move in two directions (left/right), and they move in a motion I can only describe as the movement a windshield wiper makes. You’ll notice quickly that your Segway has a zero degree turning radius. All you have to do is push your handlebars in the direction you want to go and it turns on a dime.

You’ll find that through out the tour you’ll learn a lot about riding a Segway. At one point in the tour I almost forgot I was on one. It was as if I was controlling the Segway with my brain. I just thought about where I wanted to go, and I went.

3 Hour National Mall Segway Tour

On the 3 hour National Mall Segway Tour you can expect to see some if not all of the following sights in DC…

• FBI Building
• US Navy Memorial
• National Archives Building
• National Gallery of Art (West & East Bldgs.)
• Canadian Embassy
• Newseum
• US Capitol Building
• Lincoln Memorial
• National Museum of the American Indian
• National Air and Space Museum
• Hirshorn Museum
• Smithsonian Castle
• Washington Monument
• National Museum of Natural History
• National Museum of American History
• Federal Triangle
• White House
• Old Executive Office Building
• Lafayette Park
• Blair House
• Treasury Building
• World War II Memorial

On my tour, we visited many of the above but the sights that stood out most to me were the US Navy Memorial, Canadian Embassy, Newseum, US Capitol Building, Lincoln Memorial, Vietnam War Memorial, Smithsonian Castle, and of course, the White House!

Segway'n in front of the US Captiol Building!

Even though I had already visited some of the sights the previous day when I did some sightseeing in DC, it was cool to have a professional guide with me this time who could explain the history behind the buildings and memorials that I was looking at.

Conclusion

Overall I would highly recommend City Segway Tours DC. My guide was friendly, personable, knowledgeable and best of all hilarious! Again, I can’t stress enough how important humor is when it comes to tours. If I’m on a tour with a guide who is straight laced, dull and just full of boring information, I totally tune right out. Louis kept our groups attention the entire time while providing us with some really interesting facts and information about each of the memorials, monuments, and buildings that we visited along the way.

Whether it’s your first or tenth time in Washington, DC I recommend you give these Segways a shot. They are certainly intimidating at first but once you get on one you won’t want to get off. They’re fun, easy to operate and a great way to see the city.

*If you decide to go with City Segway Tours DC, do me a favor and tell them you heard about them through Ryan @ Pause The Moment! 

Contact Information:

• Address: 624 9th Street, NW Washington, DC 20001
• Telephone: 1-877-SEG-TOUR (1-877-734-8687)
• Email: DC@CitySegwayTours.com
• Website: City Segway Tours – Washington, DC
• Facebook:  City Segway Tours DC on Facebook
• Twitter: @CSTWashDC

On Sunday morning we woke up and headed downstairs for our complimentary buffet style breakfast at our hotel (The Hampton Inn East Windsor). There’s nothing like free breakfast, that’s for sure! This isn’t your typical bagel, apple and a tea. It’s a small buffet style breakfast that included eggs, bacon, home fries, fruit, pastries, toast, and more. It filled us up and it certainly saved us a boat load of money on breakfast each morning!

Considering we were overly productive when it came to riding nearly every roller coaster at Six Flags Great Adventure the day before, we decided that we would check out the Six Flags Wild Safari early Sunday morning.

Six Flags Wild Safari is a 350-acre wildlife preserve which is home to more than 1,200 exotic animals! There are many ways that you can experience the Wild Safari (see options) including hopping on an air conditioned bus but we decided to drive my car through instead to get more of a personal and up close feel for the Safari.

After passing through the main gates we approached the entrance of the 4.5 mile drive through safari. I pulled over and quickly mounted my GoPro HD Camera on the roof of my car in order to attempt to capture the whole experience in HD video. When I pulled up to the attendant at the gate she took one quick look at the camera and said “As much as I think that camera is a great idea, I’m not sure you’re going to want to keep it up there. The giraffes might eat it…” I looked over at Billy and said “Whoa, I didn’t know these animals would be getting this close to the car!”

While I decided to bring the camera inside the car and mount it on the inside of the windshield I wasn’t sure how the footage would come out. I basically hit the record button and forgot about it through out the hour and fifteen minute drive through the safari. The video quality was good, but lacked views to the left and right which is where most of the animals were unless they were crossing the street. One of these days I’ll post pieces of the video, for now you’ll have to check out some of the incredible photos I captured on the safari.

My priority now was to try to capture some of the wildlife with my Canon T2i DSLR. Luckily I brought along my 55-250mm lens because I wouldn’t have been able to get some of the closeups that I did.

Here’s some of my favorite photos from the Six Flags Wild Safari…

Roosevelt Elk

Is the one in the front smiling for the photo!?

Group of Roosevelt Elk

Look at the antlers on this Roosevelt Elk below! I certainly wouldn’t want to come across him in the wilderness.

Roosevelt Elk taking a nap...

Bison

I guess I never realized how giant Bison actually are until I saw a few of them up close. I also found it sort of odd that they only grow long hair in certain places on their bodies. Bison have afros, beards, hairy legs and a hairy stomachs. Sort of sounds like me when I’m on the road and haven’t showered/shaved for a few days.

Big Bison!

Rheas

Ahh, the Rheas. How could I forget about these creepy looking birds that remind me of Ostriches. These odd looking flightless birds were popping up all over the place through out the 4.5 mile safari. We felt as if we were being followed by them or something.

These wacky birds made Billy a little creeped out so to make things worse I would pull up real close to a Rhea on Billy’s side of the vehicle just to freak him out a little every now and then. Needless to say, Billy kept his finger on the electric window button every time he spotted a Rhea because I was threatening to drive up and roll down the window on him. Just thinking about this is cracking me up as I write this…

Rheas at Six Flags Wild Safari

Tell me the Rhea isn’t a creepy looking bird!? FYI: these things have three giant claws on each foot, what ever you do DO NOT GET OUT OF YOUR VEHICLE!

Say Cheese!

African Elephants

This photo below is one of my favorite shots from the safari. I’m actually thinking of printing this on canvas at some point in the near future. As you all know, I’ve been a huge elephant fan ever since I volunteered with elephants in Thailand last year.

Two Elephants Face to Face

White Rhinos

Rhinos are gigantic animals, in case you didn’t already know. One of them crossed the road in front of us, it was pretty amazing to see a rhino up close and personal

Rhinoceros!

Rhinoceros

Grant’s Zebras

No, Grant’s Zebras are not owned by a guy named Grant. I actually have no clue why they are called Grant’s Zebras but that aside I’ve been waiting a long time to get the chance to see a Zebra up close. I’m absolutely fascinated with the black and white stripes on these animals. Unfortunately, I couldn’t choose one or two of my favorite Zebra photos from the safari so I’m going to post more than a fair share of them below.

Isn’t it amazing how much this zebra stands out in a black and white photo? It’s as if he’s popping right out of the photo!

Grant's Zebra

Did you ever realize that some zebra’s have brown in them? I didn’t until this past weekend…

Grant's Zebra

Here’s a shot of two zebra’s grazing…

Two Grazing Zebras

and last but not least for the zebra photos, another one of my favorite shots of the day…

Zebras

Giraffe

The giraffes had to be the best part of the entire Wild Safari experience. These giants were holding up traffic! They would approach each car and lick the windows and roofs with their big tongues. The giraffes teeth were clinking off of the glass as they searched the car looking for who knows what. Billy was in the passenger seat so he got about as close as you can get! Neither of us had ever seen anything like it…

Giraffes

Check out the giraffic jam behind us…

It's a Giraffic Jam!

Eastern Crowned Crane

Look at the colors of this bird… and the quality of it’s feathers!?

Eastern Crowned Crane

Emu

Once again, yet another creepy relative of the Ostrich… the EMU! I would imagine this thing would have pecked my face of it had the chance…

Creepy Emu!

We also witnessed a few other animals (Bears, Monkeys, Kangaroos, etc) along the way but I’ll spare you the those as I’ve already shown you a million photos as it is.

Overall I would highly recommend visiting Six Flags Wild Safari to anyone and everyone! Both myself and Billy truly enjoyed driving through the safari in our car and wouldn’t have done it any other way.

Support an Amateur Photographer!

If interested in purchasing prints of any of the photos shown above, feel free to contact me directly. Prints will be cheap, I promise!

Next up… our journey to Seaside Heights aka the Jersey Shore! Stay tuned…

2 Queen Bed Nonsmoking Room at Hampton Inn East Windsor

Hampton Inn

When I first started to plan our road trip to New Jersey, I searched high and low for a modern yet comfortable hotel at a price that would suit my budget travel needs. A few hotels popped up but I was unable to find anything that really caught my eye. That was until I stumbled up on the Hampton Inn in East Windsor, New Jersey.

Hotel Room

After Billy and I spent the entire day riding roller coasters at Six Flags Great Adventure, all that we were looking for at that point was a comfortable place to crash. We checked in at around 11:30PM and headed straight to our room on the 3rd floor (Room #306).

To our surprise, we found ourselves walking into a very spacious room with two queen beds, a 32″ flat panel TV, alarm clock, large computer desk/work area with rolling chair, small lap desk, microwave, mini refrigerator, coffee maker, full sized wall mirror/large closet space, a large bathroom and so much more!

Hampton Inn East Windsor - Two Queen Room

Hampton Inn East Windsor - 25" Flat Panel TV & Mini Refrigerator

Hampton Inn East Windsor - Microwave, Phone and Full Sized Work Desk

The bathroom in the room was larger than most bathrooms that I’ve experienced in other hotels. It was immaculate and the shower was spacious for once! I feel like most hotels lack shower space, but the Hampton Inn East Windsor boasts a shower that you can actually move around in compared to others where you feel like you’re stuck in a small box.

Hampton Inn East Windsor - Bathroom

The bathroom was stocked with more than enough towels to go around along with complimentary soap, shampoo, and conditioners for those who forget theirs at home!

Location

The Hampton Inn East Windsor is located only 20 minutes away from Six Flags Great Adventure. As far as location and value goes, this is definitely the PLACE TO BE if you’re looking for a clean, quality hotel with top notch amenities as well as a short driving distance from Six Flags Great Adventure. I witnessed quite a few families at the hotel during my stay and I overheard a few of the kids talking about how much they couldn’t wait to go back to Six Flags the next morning. It seemed as if many families chose this hotel as their preferred accommodation for a trip to Six Flags and you can’t blame them considering how close the park is to this hotel.

Pool & Fitness Center

Hampton Inn East Windsor - Pool & Fitness Center

The Hampton Inn East Windsor has a really nice indoor pool on-site as well which is not only great for the for the kids but also for the parents who wants to sit back, relax and let the kids wind down. It doesn’t seem like there’s much going on in the immediate area of this hotel so the pool is definitely a great feature. If you’re headed to Six Flags for the day, then a late evening dip in the pool would be the perfect end to your day.

There is also a small fitness center on-site if you’re looking to get a workout in.

Amenities:

Automated Teller (ATM), Baggage Storage, Beverage Area, Breakfast Area, Complimentary Coin Laundry, Elevators, Laundry/Valet Service, Local Area Transportation, Luggage Hold, Multi-Lingual Staff, Room Service, In room Microwave and Refrigerator, Safety Deposit Box, Fitness Center, Indoor Pool, Complimentary Buffet Style Brekfast, friendly and helpful staff,  and FREE Wi-Fi!

As someone who works on the internet, having FREE Wi-Fi available to me is incredibly helpful. As a matter of fact, it’s very rare to find FREE Wi-Fi in most hotels across the nation. Huge points go to the Hampton Inn for this complimentary amenity!

I also found the complimentary breakfast yet another amenity that’s hard to find in most hotels. This wasn’t your typical continental breakfast. The Hampton Inn provides a buffet style breakfast that changes daily. Expect to find eggs, bacon, homefries, toast, fresh fruit, pastries, belgian waffles, muffins, an assortment of juices, coffee, tea, and more! This feature alone will save families a lot of money due to the fact that they won’t have to stop for breakfast on the way to the theme park!

Rooms/Rates:

• 1 King/ 2 Queen Rooms w/ AC and En-suite Bathroom : $109 USD/night – Standard Weekend Rate
• 1 King/ 2 Queen Rooms w/ AC and En-suite Bathroom : $103 USD/night w/ AAA Discount
  
• 1 King/ 2 Queen Rooms w/ AC and En-suite Bathroom : $92 USD/night Advanced Payment
• Free Buffet Style Breakfast INCLUDED with all rooms!

Contact Information:

• Telephone : 1-609-426-1600
• Address: 384 Monmouth St East Windsor, New Jersey 08520
• Website: Hampton Inn East Windsor
• Facebook:  Hampton Inn East Windsor on Facebook

Rollercoasters? Yes, please!

Due to several flood related detours, we finally arrived at Six Flags Great Adventure. Billy was like a kid at Christmas, he could not wait to jump out of the car and rush the park and I was right there behind him!

Six Flags Great Adventure

We walked sprinted through the main gates and headed straight for our number one priority; Kingda Ka!

Six Flags Great Adventure Entrance

We maneuvered our way through some light crowds and on our last turn and straight away to the entrance of Kingda Ka, we see a sign that says Kingda Ka – CLOSED. NO!!!

Kingda Ka... CLOSED!?

Later on we found out that Kingda Ka has been closed since Hurricane Irene came through the area. Some sort of wires were damaged during the storm and the park does not have an E.T.A. of when it will be back up and running. Bummer!

Although we were a little disappointed, we decided we would make the best of our trip so we headed towards our number two must ride roller coaster in Six Flags Great Adventure; El Toro!

El Toro - Six Flags Great Adventure

El Toro

El Toro is a beast of a roller coaster. It has the second steepest drop of any wooden roller coaster in the world at 76 degrees! It’s also the third tallest (188 ft), and the third fastest(70mph) wooden roller coaster in the world.

Although there was an hour wait ahead of us due to some technical difficulties with the ride, we decided to wait it out and grab front row seats on El Toro. Neither myself or Billy had any idea what El Toro had in store for us. When the ride was over we looked over at each other like “Wow, there’s no way we’re leaving the park today without riding this one again”.

Green Lantern - Six Flags Great Adventure

Green Lantern

Next we made our way over to Six Flags newest roller coaster called Green Lantern. This coaster would be myself and Billy’s first time riding a 15 story high steel coaster all while STANDING UP! Yes, you actually stand up during the entire duration of the ride! I loved Green Lantern while Billy preferred our next coaster called Superman Ultimate Flight which was located right next to Green Lantern.

Superman Ultimate Flight - Six Flags Great Adventure

Superman Ultimate Flight

Superman Ultimate Flight was the third of many coasters that we conquered that day. It was also myself and Billy’s first time on a coaster that you lie down on. Upon boarding the Ultimate flight you sit down in a sit as you normally would. Next, your car moves in a 45 degree angle in order to bring your feet from the ground to behind you as if you were flying like superman. For the rest of the ride you’re flying around face first at 51mph through loops, twists and 115 ft drops. The one thing I didn’t like about this ride was that it felt too slow. I like fast coasters, ones that tear you around the track full speed versus speeding up, and then slowing down, then speeding up, etc. The whole experience of lying down was the best part about Superman Ultimate Flight.

Picking up a Friend!

After Superman we headed back to the park entrance where we met my friend Aubrey who would be joining us on the coasters for the rest of the day. At first I thought she might be intimidated of myself and Billy’s obsession with roller coasters because when we hit the parks we go for front row on every coaster. Today we were on a streak, every single roller coaster we rode, we had a front row seat! This wasn’t going to change anytime soon either.

When we told Aubrey which roller coasters we would hit next she quickly understood that we were on a mission to take out every roller coaster in the park and she was just about as excited about it as we were! What a trooper…

Dark Knight, Skull Mountain, Nitro and Batman!

With Aubrey in tow, we hit up the following coasters:

• Skull Mountain
• The Dark Knight
• Batman The Ride
• Nitro
• Runaway Mine Train
• Bizarro
• …and last but not least we finished off our night with El Toro in the pitch dark!

Conclusion:

We were initially disappointed that we had made the trip down to Six Flags Great Adventure only to find out that Kingda Ka was closed but that quickly changed after riding El Toro for the first time. We will certainly be back to New Jersey, even if it’s only to ride Kingda Ka!

The park itself wasn’t super busy and we liked that because we were able to take on pretty much every roller coaster in the park within an 8 or 9 hour span. There’s nothing like a busy park when you’re waiting in a two hour line to ride a 60 second coaster. Yuck! We did that a few weeks ago at Six Flags New England. Yes, we waited two hours to ride Bizarro at night. Sure, the wait sucked but that 60 seconds of insanity sent us home on a good note.

Food was outrageously expensive as usual. A small plate of chicken tenders and french fries will set you back $11. Add a Vitamin Water to that for another $4. Asinine? Yep…

Overall, Billy and I concluded that Six Flags Great Adventure blows Six Flags New England away in so many ways. The sheer amount of great roller coasters at Six Flags Great Adventure trumps mostly everything about Six Flags New England (besides Bizarro).

My Favorite Ride(s):  El Toro, Bizarro

Billy’s Favorite Ride: El Toro & Nitro (it’s a toss up!)

Time to EAT!

After 9 hour day filled with incredible coasters and way too many laughs, we were ready to chew our own arms off.

Aubrey did some research on Yelp and found a place called La Piazza Ristorante which was only a short 15 minute drive from Six Flags Great Adventure. We headed there in hopes of finding a really good wood fire pizza that would fill us up, and everything went exactly to plan.

Yummy!

I started off with a really tasty Roasted Red Pepper & Chicken soup. For our dinner we thought it would be smartest to order two regular sized pizzas and share them. Billy ordered a traditional cheese pizza while Aubrey and I ordered a pizza called the Primavera (Broccoli, fresh tomatoes, ricotta, prosciutto, fresh mozzarella, garlic and oil).

The food and service at La Piazza was top notch and I’d definitely head there again the next time I get down to Six Flags New Jersey. I highly recommend you check them out if you’re in the area.

Time to Check In…

Once we filled ourselves to the brim, we arrived at our final destination of the night; The Hampton Inn East Windsor.

This is where we would spend the next two nights thanks to the friendly staff at the Hampton Inn. We scored a room with two comfy queen sized beds, FREE buffet breakfast, FREE complimentary Wi-FI, indoor pool, fitness center and so much more.

If you’re planning on visiting Six Flags Great Adventure and you’re looking for a excellent place to stay, be sure to check out the Hampton Inn East Windsor, it’s everything you could ever want and more. Especially for the price!

Tomorrow we’re headed to Six Flags Wild Safari, the largest drive-thru safari outside of Africa! After the Wild Safari we head east to the coast to check out the infamous house from MTV’s Jersey Shore followed by a pit stop at one of the nations top universities (Princeton). Stay tuned!

After heading to Starbucks we made our way down the strip to Vegas Indoor Skydiving just in time for our 11 o’ clock reservation.

Ready to Fly!

Once we arrived we were greeted by the really friendly staff and instructed on what we were about to experience, where we should leave our valuables, and more.

The staff of Vegas Indoor Skydiving

I had the opportunity to do a short interview with Brad Hess, the manager of Vegas Indoor Skydiving. You can catch the short interview in the video below which covers what you should expect to experience, facts about the establishment and current rates for flying with Vegas Indoor Skydiving.

Rules & Rates

After securing our valuables in a free locker in the lobby, we headed upstairs for a short briefing and before we knew it we were all suited up in these wacky looking outfits!

Just finished suiting up!

Next, it was time to grab our safety goggles and helmets…

Liz & I all geeked up

Once everyone was ready we made our way down the hall into the tunnel. Liz was so excited to get flying after watching another group through the windows…

Liz is ready to fly!

Our instructor (Rob) called us into the tunnel and instructed us on how to curl up in a ball and land correctly when he tosses us out of the flying area.

FYI: The outer edge of the skydiving wind tunnel is made of plush padding so that when you’re finished flying your guide tosses you off to the edge. This is when you use the curl up technique which allows you to land safely.

I volunteered to go first! I started by lying on the floor in the middle of the tunnel. Within seconds the giant fan underneath me was turned up and all of a sudden I was flying. It’s definitely a cool feeling to be able to fly around. My first flight was just about 70 seconds.

Next up was Liz and she flew like a pro! Rob was spinning her around and tossing her around in the air like pizza dough. I was watching and laughing the entire time. Liz’s first flight lasted about 80 seconds.

Both Liz and I flew two more times before finishing up our session. Our second flights lasted about the same amount of time as the first (70, 80 seconds) and the last flight was just a quick spin you around flight of maybe 10 seconds.

Our total flight time per person was a little under 3 minutes which made the experience a lot shorter than I imagined it would be.

Overall I would recommend this activity for people who are afraid to do the real thing. If you’re afraid of heights and/or jumping out of planes but you really want to feel what it’s like to fly, then Vegas Indoor Skydiving is the place for you!

If you’re an extreme sports lover/adrenaline junkie then Vegas Indoor Skydiving might not live up to your expectations.

We had an excellent time and again, we highly recommend it as an alternative activity on the strip that most people pass by and never even realize it’s there.

Video:

Contact Information:

• Telephone: Toll Free at 877-545-8093
• Email: Info@VegasIndoorSkydiving.com
• Website: Vegas Indoor Skydiving
• Facebook:  Vegas Indoor Skydiving on Facebook
• Twitter: @VegasWindTunnel

Sun Buggy Shuttle Bus!

When our Sunbuggy shuttle arrived we were taken to the Sunbuggy headquarters which were about 15 minutes off the Las Vegas Strip. The Nellis Airforce base and Las Vegas Motor Speedway were right around the corner.

Sun Buggy Headquarters

Gearing up for the insanity!

Once we geared up we headed back to the shuttle which took us about 5 minutes down the road to the desert where the dune buggies were awaiting us.

I was so pumped about taking one of these things for a ride. I had been looking forward to this off road dune buggy adventure for a while now. I was even more excited when I saw the size of these off road beasts!

The dune buggies!

Getting ready to rock n' roll!

Liz and I ready to hit the desert with Sun Buggy!

The staff assumed Liz was going to drive her own buggy but she wasn’t too confident in her dune buggy driving skills with no prior practice or training so I asked the staff if we could take out a two-seater instead. The helpful crew at Sunbuggy quickly provided us with a two-seater dune buggy with no questions asked.

Here's our Dune Buggy - The Purple People Eater!

Within a minute or so of strapping into our buggy I flipped the switch and started the engine…

Strapped in and ready to rock!

It was only 9:45AM at this point and the temperature out in the desert was nearing 100 degrees so both Liz and I were eager to hit the gas and get going!

The Mini Baja Chase Extended

Our guide Eric was fantastic, he lead us on a hell of a ride through the desert at breakneck speeds. There were some times that I fell a little behind because I wasn’t incredibly familiar with the terrain but I managed to keep up for the most part through out the ride. There were times that Eric would get a little ways ahead of me but I was always able to see his flag that was attached to the top of his buggy so I pretty much always knew where he was headed.

We ripped through the desert at speeds of somewhere between 35-45mph. Doesn’t sound too fast but when you’re tackling some really rough and rocky terrain, that’s about as fast as you’re going to want to go. Trust me!

The desert terrain was mixed for the most part. I would say 40% was really tough rocky terrain, and the other 60% was your typical soft sand and giant sand dunes.

We climbed the dunes at full speed sometimes catching some air as we flew over the crests. Then we would cut the wheel and drift a little bit before literally launching off the top of a dune with a sheer 20-30ft drop. These buggies were absolutely indestructable!

After 90 minutes of cruising around and having a ball in the 100 + degree weather, we were ready to pack things up and get back to our hotel. We were both roughed up, sweaty and covered in sand!

Just finished up the Mini Baja Chase Extended!

Video:

Final Thoughts:

Our experience with Sun Buggy was exhilarating to say the least. We had an excellent time and we felt very safe and comfortable through out our desert adventure thanks to our guide Eric.

As I stated above, our ride was 90 minutes long (Mini Baja Chase Extended) with about a 15-20 minute water break in between each of the 45 minute sessions. If you’re interested in something shorter, Sun Buggy offers the standard Mini Baja Chase which is a 30 minute heart pounding desert adventure.

If you’re looking for something different, something adventurous, or an exhilarating experience off the strip, Sun Buggy is the place to go without a doubt!

Note: These buggies are custom built for this rough terrain so as you can imagine they are not made to be super comfortable in any way. You’ll be sitting in a hard plastic racing type seats and harnesses for a minimum of 30 minutes if you do the Mini Baja Chase. Although you will be safely bucked in, you will still get tossed around from left to right, and sometimes you even come out of your seats a little bit when you hit the dunes at high speeds. If you are pregnant, have back/neck issues, or simply cringe at the thought of activities that are somewhat risky in any way shape or form, Sun Buggy is NOT for you!

Contact Information:

• Telephone: Toll Free at 866-728-4443 or (702)644-2855
• Email: info@sunbuggy.net
• Website: Sun Buggy
• Facebook:  Sun Buggy on Facebook
• Twitter: @SunBuggy

What is a Walkin’ Bag?

The Walkin’ Bag is a multi-purpose carry on bag that has some pretty unique features including a built in seat! Yes, a SEAT that can also be used as a small table for your food, netbook, etc.

Take a look at the video below to see how I packed my Walkin’ Bag for my upcoming trip to Las Vegas along with a full fledged demonstration of how the seat works on the Walkin’ Bag.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G3A1NzpjqGk

Sold? Get your hands on a Walkin’ Bag now!

Who it’s made for…

The Walkin’ Bag is for ALL travelers. Seriously! From first class business travelers all the way down to backpackers. Yes, I said it,backpackers!

I know most of you budget travelers tend to lug backpacks around with you when you travel and that’s fine for an around the world trip or a long term trip of any sort. If you’re getting ready to head out on an around the world trip, I wouldn’t recommend you trade in your trusty backpack for this thing but then again…

Those who have completed an around the world trip realize how much stuff you really “need” after your first big backpacking trip. More often than not, travelers return from their trips swearing up and down that they will never pack as much on their next trip after they find that they only use half of what’s packed and they struggle to hop on and off buses, trains, planes and more.

If you’re a budget traveler and you strive to be a minimalist, you’ll absolutely love this bag!

Where you shouldn’t travel with the Walkin’ Bag…

Okay, so the thought of traveling with this bag in parts of India, Southeast Asia, South America, and Africa makes me cringe. The Walkin’ Bag just isn’t built for these types of places. Let’s face it, there’s no way your Walkin’ Bag is going to be doing any Walkin’ as your dragging it down a dirt road in Laos. Not happening!

Where the Walkin’ Bag would Shine…

The Walkin’ Bag would shine anywhere in the United States, Canada, and Europe for sure. To be honest, it would rock the socks off of any major city. It’s perfect for short trips, road trips, weekend getaways, and even trips lasting less than 4 weeks (assuming you can do some serious laundry along the way).

Walkin’ Bag Ballistic JetCart Features:

• Curved “lean-on-it” handle supports up to 250 pounds
• Straps for Easy Lifting
• Flip-Down Seat that is rated for up to 300 lbs
• (4) Swivel-Glide 360 degree spinning wheels
• Ultra lightweight structure
• Carry-on compliant – 22” x 12” x 8″ -  (fits underneath most airline seats)
• Built in sleeve that supports a 15.4’’ laptop computer
• Material: Ballistic Nylon

Conclusion:

If you’re interested in purchasing a Walkin’ Bag you can do so by checking out the following link…

If you click the following link and buy your Walkin’ Bag through Amazon, I will receive a small commission on the sale ;) – Walkin’ Bag’s on Amazon.

If you do end up purchasing your bag through my link (i’ll love you forever), please be sure to come back and leave a comment with your thoughts on the luggage. I would love to hear what you think!

I followed the simple instructions after logging on to Easy Canvas Prints, uploaded my photo and within 10 minutes time my canvas was ordered and on it’s way! It’s really that simple!

Well, just a few days later my canvas arrived on my doorstep in a carefully packaged box to prevent any damage. I was surprised at how carefully packaged it was, it took me longer to take it out of the box than to create the canvas itself! I guess it’s better safe than sorry!

Once I managed to pull the photo canvas out of the box I had one of those WHOA moments. You know when you sort of expect something to be great  but when you get it, it’s even more than you expected? Yeah, well I was pretty much speechless when it came to the quality of the photo on canvas.

I immediately hung it up on the wall in my living room to see how it looked…

Sky is on Fire - Photo Canvas - 18"x24"

Here’s a closer look at the quality of the photo canvas…

Sky is on Fire - Photo Canvas - 18"x24"

And here’s a nice side view of the 1.5″ gallery wrap which gives the canvas a dramatic three dimensional effect.

Sky is on Fire - Photo Canvas - 18"x24" with 1.5" Gallery Wrap

The photo I used for my canvas photo print was an image I captured on the island of Ko Lanta, Thailand titled “The Sky is on Fire”. If you’re an avid reader of Pause The Moment, you might remember our amazing two-week stay at Ancient Realm Resort and Spa.

P.S. – I have desktop wallpapers available of this image as well. If interested in the desktop wallpaper version, please click here: Ko Lanta Desktop Wallpaper.

Conclusion:

What I liked best about Easy Canvas Prints is that they allow you to choose canvas sizes from 8″x8″ all the way up to 30″x40″! You can also choose your desired canvas wrap thickness (.75″ or 1.5″). I, personally, went with the 18″x24″ with a 1.5″ gallery wrap.

Overall I think the quality of the photo canvas surpassed my expectations. I would definitely work with Easy Canvas Prints again in the future when I decide to print another one of my thousands of photos from around the world. Just choosing one photo to print is the toughest part!

If you’re interested in printing a photo canvas with Easy Canvas Prints, the time is now because they are currently offering 25% OFF of all canvases with FREE standard shipping. Act quick before this offer expires!

Below, we look at 5 of the quirkiest Manchester hotels:

Abode Manchester

Abode Manchester Hotel

Built in 1898, Abode Manchester is a grade two listed building that was previously a warehouse for a Victorian cotton merchant.

Book into one of the hotel’s 61 bedrooms and suites today and you’ll be able to see clear evidence of its previous life through its red-brick exterior and extravagant walnut staircase that features wrought ironwork and intricate tiling.

However, you needn’t worry that your room is rooted in the 19th century. With ratings ranging from ‘comfortable’ through to ‘fabulous’, you’ll find your every need is catered for. Among the facilities on offer are monsoon showers and personal DVD players, while the restaurant is run by award-winning chef Michael Caines.

Website: Abode Manchester Hotel

Midland Hotel

Midland Hotel Manchester

Second among some of the city’s most quirky hotels is the Midland. Situated on Peter Street, this is also a grade two listed property with each of its 312 rooms and suites uniquely designed. In fact, the owners claim that each bedroom is a work of art in itself!

However it isn’t just the bedrooms that make the Midland stand out, you’ll also get the chance to use its squash court and dine in the on-site restaurant called The French which has two AA rosettes.

The hotel has been providing luxurious, comfortable accommodation to celebrities and members of the public alike for more than 100 years. With Tom Jones, David Cameron, Tony Blair and David Beckham among the stars to have previously stayed at the Midland, you never know who you might run into!

Website: Midland Hotel Manchester

Great John Street Hotel

Great John Street Hotel Manchester

A third quirky hotel option is the Great John Street Hotel where you’ll be staying in what was once a Victorian schoolhouse. Of course, it has undergone significant redevelopment to transform it into the modern hotel you see today but the building’s roots are made reference to in the names of the three conference suites – the Headmaster’s Office, the Boys’ Classroom and the Girls’ Classroom.

All of the hotel’s 30 duplex bedrooms and suites has been individually designed – with each reported to have its own personality – and many contain period features such as wooden flooring, steel beams and exposed brickwork.

The five grades of accommodation start from the Baby Grand Bedroom to the luxurious Opus Grand Suite, while heading to the rooftop garden will give you the chance to make use of a hot-tub.

Website: Great John Street Hotel Manchester

Velvet Hotel

Velvet Hotel Manchester

If you’re looking to stay somewhere different, you may also want to book a room at Velvet. This hotel is situated on Canal Street and offers bespoke tea and coffee-making facilities and complimentary Wi-Fi.

Velvet really stands out from the crowd in that it provides a special deal for party animals. People visiting Manchester in order to make the most of its great nightlife on either Friday or Saturday night may want to book its clubbing package, where you can benefit from reduced rates, a complimentary bottle of bubbly and late checkout.

You can also request in-room canapes and cocktail packages, before heading to the bar and restaurant downstairs to kick-off your night out!

However, if you want to relax and pamper yourself during your stay than make sure you take advantage of the comfortable bathrobes and mist-free mirrors.

Website: Velvet Hotel Manchester

Macdonald Townhouse Hotel

Macdonald Townhouse Hotel Manchester

Last but by no means least, the Macdonald Townhouse Hotel is another hotel that was formerly a cotton warehouse.

In more recent times, the Grade two listed building has undergone a £3.5million makeover, transforming it into a luxurious hotel that is perfectly located in the heart of Manchester city centre.

With 85 stylish boutique rooms, the hotel is the perfect place to stay for those looking for modern accommodation with a historic quirky twist.

Website: Macdonald Townhouse Hotel Manchester