One of our Savvy friends, JP, had a terrible surprise last week when he tried to go through airport security to catch a flight. Unbeknownst to him, his Trusted Traveler membership had expired after the 5-year term and DHS had neglected to inform him. Here’s his story in his own words, and PLEASE don’t let this happen to you….
“It started in Minneapolis.
After years of whisking through TSA’s Pre-Check line, whether I was flying Delta, American or anyone else, I hit a bump one night and missed a flight to Boston because my boarding pass was missing the crucial Pre-Check marking.
Two weeks later, I was jetting to LAX with my husband, who flies so seldom his mileage has just crossed into the five-digit range on AA. This time HE got Pre-Check, and I had to doff my loafers and walk barefoot through the X-ray machine.
Thinking there could be no further indignation, I was subsequently denied Pre-Check on the way home from LAX – a fate I would wish on no person. Unmarked lanes lead to nowhere; airport employees randomly direct travelers while moving stanchions and creating lines to nowhere. It was exasperating.
After a long series of Facebook rants and indignant text messages to my friends, it occurred to me: TSA Pre-Check advertises its program as five years for $85.
I had expired.
No advance notice, no renewal form, no nothing. I just stopped getting access. Mildly incensed, I visited the TSA web site thinking there would be an easy-peasy renewal process.
Nothing.
As it turns out, whether you qualified previously or not, once your Pre-Check status expires, you go back to square one. Fill out a form, stand in line, go through an interview … and wait.”
Our good friend Doug from Seattle recently did a brain dump about a road trip he took down the Florida Keys. In his own words, here are his ideas.
A quick geography lesson for you.
1) In terms of travel time from Miami, my rule-of-thumb is this. In one hour of driving from Miami, you get to Key Largo (very commercially developed; most would consider it the “start of the keys.”)
2) Another hour further (you’re now two hours or more from Miami), you get to Marathon (nothing super-noteworthy there, but it is a notorious speed trap; watch the signs carefully).
3) Another hour further, you get to Key West (which has history (Hemingway house, Audubon Museum, maritime museum, Truman winter White House), charming sections — think Charleston or New Orleans old houses), some very good restaurants (my favorite is “Seven Fish”), some nice resort options, and unfortunately quite a bit of schlock (which with considerable planning can be largely avoided).
So, let me take it from the top — i.e. Key Largo — and work our way down the keys.
Key Largo
See earlier notes (and know that the world-famous John Pennekamp Park is here), plus they have the boat used in African Queen (just sitting at a dock), which has camp value. Lots of boat excursions and scuba excursions, but a bit over-commercialized. Might be worth a stop for an excursion, but I wouldn’t base myself here. If Allison is focused purely on SCUBA, then there are lots of options (including the famous John Pennekamp Underwater Park) at Key Largo, which offers lots of scuba / snorkel / boating options
Key Largo – Marathon
I’m a big fan of the town of Islamorada, which is thirty minutes or so beyond Key Largo. There are a cluster of fairly tasteful restaurants and hotels in this area, and it attracts a more upscale clientele than Key Largo (IMHO). If you want the feel of the Keys without going all the way to Key West, this is a pretty good bet. Hotel options include the venerable Cheeca Lodge, the newer and supposedly fabulous Moorings Village and Spa, and several others. Good restaurant options, too, including Morada Bay and sister restaurant Pierre’s. The resorts could point you to on-site or nearby options for SCUBA and snorkeling. Can you tell I like Islamorada?
Marathon
An endless string of strip malls, a small airport (American Eagle once served it, but gave up after a year or two), and, oh yeah — lots of speed traps. Very few redeeming qualities. Can you tell I don’t like Marathon? (I was a victim of one of those speed traps and got an expensive ticket!)
Marathon – Key West
This is a very cool stretch, and it’s what you think of having seen the movies, which often feature scenes of the famous Seven Mile Bridge. It’s just south of Marathon, where hopefully you’ll have transited quickly enough to not be appalled by Marathon’s ugliness, but slowly enough to have not gotten a speeding ticket in one of their bogus and punitive speed traps.
The Seven Mile Bridge is the reward for getting past Marathon. Further down the Overseas Highway, you’ll come to Bahia Honda State Park, which features one of the limited number of good beaches in the keys. It’s a very pretty spot for a few hours on the beach, and they also have lots of snorkeling options (maybe SCUBA, too). And at this point, you’re getting very close to Key West. Someone down here, there’s a very exclusive and expensive hotel on an offshore island. We have not been, but it looks kind of cool, so check out Little Palm Island.
Key West
Key West as a fascinating mix of people and things. There’s great history and architecture (sadly, only a few beaches), but you can get on myriad boat excursions that take you to stunning reefs. Focus on “Old Key West”, which I’d consider Flemings Street and Simonton Street as its epicenter. Limit your time on Duval Street (very commercial, but worth at least one look). Hotel and restaurant options abound (the options are so numerous that I’d send you to Google or TripAdvisor for the latest and greatest). Stay someplace with a good pool, rent a bike, find a good snorkel / boat trip, find a bar (they’re everywhere!), and just enjoy. The one thing that I recommend to more adventurous friends is the day trip to Fort Jefferson National Park, a remote spot 70 miles or so by boat from Key West. I’m a huge fan of Fort Jefferson; there are lovely spots for snorkeling and it’s a very impressive fort steeped in history.
You can also fly right into Key West, but there are tradeoffs involved (flights are often expensive, you miss a few things worth seeing along the way. On the flip side, the traffic can be horrendous, especially on a weekend, so check it out as an option. You can always drive north from Key West to Bahia Honda Park and to see the Seven Mile Bridge.
So that’s Doug’s road-trip primer in a nutshell. If you’d like more information, or would like to chat with Doug, let us know!
I have an admission… I don’t love Valentine’s Day. I see folks being held hostage by partners with expectations of demonstrable affection. Shouldn’t we just be doing this every day of our lives, as opposed to just once a year? OK, I’ll stop now.
But I am a huge fan of romantic getaways, and I’ve just come across an amazing resort just a couple of hours north of NYC (also a similar distance from Boston): Winvian, a Relais and Chateaux property. There are 18 individualized cottages situated on 113 acres with onsite amenities that include a 5000 square foot spa, amazing food and wine offerings, and pet-friendly hospitality.
As soon as the weather warms up, I’m headed to Winvian for the weekend with Savvy Spouse and #CarlNYC (find him on Instagram). And maybe I just might make this getaway be a little gift inside the spousal Valentine tomorrow.
Since I’m traveling this week (still in Munich), today’s Daily Escape is a stalwart favorite right in my own backyard — Katz’s Deli. Yes, it’s full of tourists, and yes, it’s not cheap, but it still has one of the best Pastrami sandwiches in the city. The food is consistent and delicious, and the staff can be snarky (but it’s all part of the charm). The Savvy Insider Tip is to go to Katz’s for breakfast to avoid the crowds, but you’ll still have access to the complete menu.
As our friends over at the Gothamist recently said, “Don’t go on the weekend, and don’t tell the man behind the counter, ‘I’ll have what she’s having,’ for the love of God.”
Look where I woke up yesterday morning! This was my view from the 10th floor of the Modern Hotel as I groggily tried to figure out which time zone I was in (the 2 MaiTais the night before on an empty stomach didn’t help things).
I made a quick trip to Honolulu in order to accrue enough airline miles to be a Grand Poobah (aka Executive Platinum) next year in the AAdvantage program. And while I was in Honolulu I checked out the top hotels from TripAdvisor, so be on the lookout for an upcoming comparison in another post.
Now Hawaii is not super easy to get to from the East Coast, but if you’re a west coast resident, it makes a lot of sense (East-Coasters tend to prefer the Caribbean).
We’re presently on the lookout for a good travel agent in Hawaii to help our subscribers plan the perfect Hawaiian getaway. Or is it just better to plan it all on your own?
This weekend I escaped in New York City, my home. It was great. I wandered down to the new World Trade Center and got a private tour of the new Condé Nast corporate offices on the 40th floor. After we were done, we popped up to the open space of the 60th floor and had these amazing views of the entire island of Manhattan, the new Oculus transportation hub, and a VIP office of our favorite magazine editor (scroll down to see if you can figure it out).
The learning for me here is that sometimes an escape is right in our own backyard. And I ❤️ NY.
When I got married in 2004, a group of friends gave us newlyweds a weekend getaway at The Greenbrier Resort, located in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia. At first, we were curious about the destination, but after spending a mini-honeymoon here, we were were charmed by its quality, charm, and anachronistic flare.
Located on 6500 acres in the Allegheny Mountains, this resort is arguably the finest in the Southern USA. It’s a great place to relax (in the amazing spa), play golf, sip afternoon tea, or undertake numerous other activities. The highlight for us was the tour of The Bunker, the secret Cold War remote location for the US Congress (in the event of nuclear holocaust). The other highlight was exploring the wildly-coloful interiors, designed by New Yorker Dorothy Draper starting in the 1940While a little bit off the beaten path, any Savvy Navigator must add The Greenbrier to the 2015 getaway list.
