Vacation Destination: Saint John, NB

Those of you who have read this blog before know I tend to focus on travel.  I decided to keep in that theme this week, although my destination is more of a "staycation" destination for me because it is my hometown of Saint John, NB.  

Uptown Saint John

My work schedule, and the fact that we're continuing to do some work on my house, have made it pretty likely I won't get out for much in the way of travel this summer, so I've decided to "play tourist" in my own city.  There's lots to see and do here, so I will be doing this through a series of posts.

Given that I have readers from different regions/countries that may not be familiar with Saint John, I thought I would give some basic information about the city.

Saint John is located in the South of New Brunswick, a Canadian province on the East Coast - our borders connect to the provinces of Quebec and Nova Scotia, and we're connected by a bridge to Prince Edward Island.  We also border the State of Maine (US).  So you can drive here with relative ease from many areas, but we also have our own Saint John Airport (YSJ), and have some other international airports within driving distance such as Moncton (YQM) and Halifax (YHZ).

Today I'm going to highlight Harbour Passage, a waterfront walking trail in Saint John.  There is no cost to access Harbour Passage.

Harbour Passage follows the waterfront of Saint John Harbour

Harbour Passage can be as easy or challenging of a walk as you would like to make it.  Currently it stretches from our two cruise ship terminals all the way over to the world famous Reversing Falls.   There are several "natural breaks" along the way if you don't quite want to walk the entire distance.  Please note that this is the length at the time of publication, there are some talks of expanding the path, so the path may be longer, but it's well marked, so you will know if it expands beyond the areas I mention.  

One of the many information panels along Harbour Passage.

There are a few hotels located close to Harbour Passage, and there is parking area for those travelling there by car (if you care using Google Maps - if you search HMCS Brunswicker, Chesley Drive, Saint John, the parking is located in behind that building).  

The path is not hard to find as the pavement is red.  There are signs near most of the entrances, and there are many information panels along the path to tell you about the area.

The red concrete is the "signature" of Harbour Passage.

Not only is there a lot of history along Harbour Passage, but the panoramic views of the harbour are breathtaking.  Not to mention you can experience the highest tides in the world!  I will mention that to get the full effect of the tides, it's best to go once during high tide, and once during low tide.  As a general reference, the tide changes about every 12 hours, but it's gradual, not instantaneous, so you can visit and then return later to experience the difference.

Saint John Harbour

View of Uptown Saint John from Harbour Passage.

The path is fairly flat, except for a hill if you are heading to Reversing Falls.  You will often see people walking, running, roller blading, skateboarding and riding their bikes along Harbour Passage, any of those methods of transportation are welcome!   It's also "dog friendly" provided your pooch is on a leash, and please pick up after your furry friend!  

My daughter enjoying a bike ride on Harbour Passage.

There is lots of green space along the way, as well as benches to sit, so there are lots of places to have a picnic if you so wish.

There's also several sculptures along the route, each has a small plaque or description near them, so be sure to check those out!

Can you spot my little girl in this sculpture? 

There are also a few areas that kids will find interesting, including my daugther's favourite section.  Under the Harbour Bridge, that passes directly over a section of Harbour Passage, there is a small part of the path that takes you out to the water.  It's a prime spot for looking for seals.  We spot them frequently out in the water (they don't come on shore, but they do sometimes swim close).  There is a small play area for kids here with information panels about some of the marine life.

Be prepared for a day of activity, nature and history along Harbour Passage in Saint John, NB.

Have you been to Harbour Passage before?  What did you think?  Any tips you would like to share?  Feel free to share in the comments below, or join me on social media!

Stay tuned for more on my featured vacation destination (or "staycation") Saint John, NB!

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Let's Connect!

When this blog began, it stemmed from a previous "private" blog I had created for friends and family that don't live near by so they could see my daughter after she was born and learn about how she was progressing.  

I decided I wanted to reach out to a wider audience and connect with new people in addition to my small network of family and friends.

I started this blog on January 14, 2011, and I haven't looked back.  As cheesy and cliché as it may sound, I have found blogging incredibly therapeutic.  It has seen me through job changes, frustrations, happy times and my most significant event, the loss of my dad in 2013.

I try to stay authentic and real to my true self, and I hope my voice comes through in these posts.  

Blog posts take a little more work than, say, a Tweet or Facebook post, so my blog posts are not as regular here as they would be on social media platforms, where I tend to post several times a day.

If you like what you've seen here, please connect with me on social media.  Whether you're a lurker or want to reach out and say hi, I welcome all of those interactions.  

Below are links to my social media accounts.  Feel free to connect with me on as many of them as you like.  And as an added BONUS, I'm having a bit of a contest right now where you can win $20 CAN in PayPal Cash, so have a look and you could end up with a little extra pocket money for your summer adventures.  Keep your eye out for this picture on my social media channels:

Follow me on:

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YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUfSBYVJfyLpZWn0ihYuoZg 

I sincerely thank all of you who have been reading my blog, and to those of you who are new to my blog, welcome!

How Do You Use Your Travel Points?

I'm going to make an admission.  I love earning points - any kind of points - on purchases I would make anyway, like groceries.  I belong to different grocery store points clubs, and I have more punch cards than you can imagine in my wallet, but my favourite are travel points.

I won't get in to each individual travel rewards program and their pros and cons, but I thought I would do a general overview of how I make the most out of my points.

Many travel rewards programs that are available right now offer both travel benefits like airfare, rental cars and hotels, but also offer little bonuses like the ability to trade your points for merchandise.   So with so many options, how do you choose the best value?

The best way to ensure you're getting the most bang for your buck (or, in this case, most bang for your points), is with a little research.  I know, I can already hear the collective "boo" and "hiss", but, hear me out.  I'm going to outline a little example for you below:

Please note the points outlined in this example are not representative of any program, simply arbitrary numbers to give a visual example.

Say you are trying to decide between using your points for a flight from Toronto to New York, or, whether to use the points for a new laptop.

A couple of initial tips:

1.  If the rewards site lists a "retail value", it is sometimes higher than what you would pay in a local store, so have a look at your local store prices first.

2.  When considering your flights, many travel points programs still require that you pay taxes and fees.  It's best to check your rewards programs policies on these fees, because sometimes those costs can be significant.

Now, on to the redemption towards a reward.

In this example, we will assume that you are looking to redeem for a pretty basic laptop that is selling in your local department store for $349.99 + tax.  And the flight you are looking at from Toronto to Orlando is $335, taxes included, round trip.  (Note - I did find a laptop and a flight for each of those prices, respectively, but they were found on the date of publication, I can't guarantee the prices will be available in your city/town or at the time you look it up).

Your rewards program wants 4500 points for the laptop, and 4100 points for the flight.  No additional cost for the laptop (shipping is included), and the flight has a charge of $185 for taxes and fees that you have to pay at the time of booking.  Pretty close in benefit, right?  So this one may come down to a personal preference.

However, consider, instead of a flight to Orlando, it was a flight to Vancouver.  Cost is $610, taxes included.  Same taxes and fees on the flight as the Orlando flight and this time only 3900 points.  In my eyes, this is the clear winner for points redemption.  Let's have a look at the math:

I live in New Brunswick, so I will use our 15% HST rate for the tax on the laptop.  :

Laptop = $349.99 + tax = $402.49 OR 4500 points
Flight - Toronto to Orlando = $335 OR 4100 points
Flight - Toronto to Vancouver - $610 OR 3900 points

To determine the value per point for each redemption, I'm going to take the price of the item, and divide by the points required.  Note that I am subtracting the taxes/fees from the flight cost because you will still be paying that.

Laptop = $402.49 / 4500 points = approximately 9 cents per point
Flight - Toronto to Orlando = $335 - $185 (taxes/fees) = 150 / 4100 points = approximately 4 cents per point
Flight - Toronto to Vancouver = $610 - $185 = $425 / 3900 points = approximately 11 cents per point

So in my view, the best value is the redemption for the flight to Vancouver.

The math and research seems complicated, but I like to make sure I'm getting the best deal!

And as an additional tip - in general terms - if you are redeeming for a flight, and your originating point is within Canada, your best bet is to redeem for a flight to another Canadian destination, OR, somewhere close to the border.  This is not a tip that will suit everyone - it depends how good a deal you want to get, and what "comfort" you're willing to give up.  The option I will outline below requires more research and planning, and often more airport transfers.

I have redeemed for flights to Chicago from New Brunswick.  Usually takes one transfer to get there (no direct flights to Chicago from New Brunswick), once in Chicago, I was able to snag a direct flight to LAX for $40 (Canadian!!) taxes included.  Why didn't I redeem for the whole way to LAX?  Well, for one, I didn't have enough points to redeem even for one of us to fly the entire way to LAX, but by redeeming to Chicago, I got us both there on points.  Also, even if I had the points, it was going to be more than double the points to get me to LAX than it was to get me to Chicago.  Again, to make this decision, I had to do some analysis of the prices (how much would I be paying in taxes/fees for each destination, what are the overall costs of the flights versus what is required for points, etc).  Again - generally speaking - with a few exceptions, the Canadian route of your flight path is likely the most expensive.

Those are some of my tips on travel points redemption.  Have questions or your own tips to share?  Share in the comment section or join me on Facebook (click here) or Twitter (click here) to chat with me!

Puerto Vallarta Video Review

In April 2017, I was fortunate to make my first ever visit to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.

Check out my video review below, and you can read more on my blog in my previous review posts.  You can read part 1 here and part 2 here.

Have your own experiences in Mexico you would like to share?  Please share in the comments below or on the Youtube Video!

Puerto Vallarta Travel Review - Part 2

If you missed part 1, be sure to go back and read it to get the full experience of our first trip to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.  You can find Part 1 here.

After check-in and a tour of the hotel, we unpacked some items and took in the sites around the property and grabbed a cocktail. 

This is the panoramic view from the Pool Bar.

Each day the hotel provided us with a little information sheet that outlined the expected weather for the following day, some activities at the hotel, and a daily Spa special.  It was so very handy and provided opportunity to enjoy the spa at a reduced price.  Unfortunately, we were not able to take advantage of the spa while we were there, due to our abbreviated trip, but they offered many services such as facials, massage, manicures and pedicures at very reasonable prices.  And the ambiance of the spa was very relaxing.

Not only did the Villa Premiere offer great services, but we were invited to take advantage of the services of the sister hotel the Buenaventura Grand, which was located next door.  We decided to head over and have a look around and try out the buffet.

Sampling some of the food offerings of the Buenaventura Grand.

We arrived at the buffet for their "international cuisine" night.  There were so many food offerings, and everything we tried was delicious.  There were no shortage of tables, and we had a great view of the water and pool.  

Breakfast view.

A post shared by Katie (@katie_nb) on Apr 22, 2017 at 12:48pm PDT

 We ate at the buffet several times during the course of our trip.  It was convenient if we were heading out somewhere to stop in and grab a bite.

We did have the opportunity to walk down to the Malecon as well.  This Boardwalk area is only about a 15 minute walk from the hotel, and the area has plenty of shopping and restaurants.

We were able to find a restaurant that was showing the NHL hockey playoffs.  We're big hockey fans, so that was a great find!

The area was full of people.  It was such a lively and fun area.  No shortage of clubs and things to see.

Once back at the hotel, we were able to make reservations at la Corona for an evening meal.  I have to say, this was one of the best meals I have had in a long time.   We were greeted with a "welcome cocktail" and presented with the menu. 

 I ordered a stuffed chicken, and was given some twisted bread to enjoy while I waited.  Delicious!

When the food arrived, the presentation was wonderful - so good I couldn't resist taking a bite before I snapped my picture.

It tasted as amazing as it looks.  

We followed the meal with a little dessert, which was equally as delicious, but admittedly, I couldn't finish the whole thing as the meal left me feeling completely satisfied.

If you don't feel up to sitting in a restaurant to eat, no problem, because the Villa Premiere offers a pool side menu with lots of delectable treats.  We often ordered from this menu for lunch.  And the staff come to see you at your chair, so you don't even have to get up to order!  What service!

Another great bonus?  Room service is included in your "all inclusive", so you can get food 24 hours a day.  We took advantage on our last day so we could pack our bags and enjoy lunch on our balcony.  

Our stay at Villa Premiere was second to none.  Every staff person we encountered was courteous, polite and simply a pleasure to deal with.  We certainly recommend this hotel highly for anyone considering a trip to Puerto Vallarta!

Well, in the words of talk show hosts: that's all we have time for today.  Stay tuned for the next post in this series where I will cover a little more about activities offered in the area.   

Have your own experiences in Mexico?  Feel free to join the discussion on my Facebook page, or on Twitter.  

Puerto Vallarta Travel Review - Part 1 - Arrival

I was fortunate enough to win a trip to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico (I still can't believe it).  This is a review of our trip.  Although I received the trip free of charge, the opinions in this review are my own.  There is so much to cover, my review will comprise a series of posts.

I'm from the East coast, and most of the people I know around here tend to vacation in other areas of Mexico, particularly the Eastern side of Mexico.  So I thought this was a unique opportunity to experience an area that not many people I know have been to and share my experience with them.

We flew out of the Saint John Airport (New Brunswick, Canada) in the early morning and had a quick turnaround time in Montreal.  Next thing we knew we were on a nearly 6 hour flight (!) to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.  This would be our first trip to Mexico.

As we approached Puerto Vallarta, we started to see some mountains in the terrain below.

Our view from the plane as we approached Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.

When we landed, one thing we experienced that was unlike other airports was that, once through immigration, we were bombarded by people offering us drives to our resort.  I was looking for a particular shuttle, that I had arranged a drive with before arriving.  A gentleman approached us and said he was from that company.  After a few minutes, it was easy to see that he was not, in fact, from the shuttle company.  Everyone in this area was trying to sign people up for a tour of a new property close by that was selling condos.    So be aware, if you aren't interested in seeing the property, you can sail right through.

We finally found our driver and made our way to the hotel.  Due to a little misunderstanding, we tried to check-in to a hotel only to discover we were at the property next door.  Tired and hot, we arrived at the Villa Premiere Boutique Hotel & Romantic Getaway.  

Lobby of the Villa Premiere.

From the moment we arrived in the open and beautifully decorated lobby, we felt instant relaxation.  The staff at the front desk was so welcoming.  They offered us a champagne while we checked in.  We were informed that our suite was not ready yet, but there was plenty to keep us occupied until our room was ready.  

We were presented with a menu of scents and pillow types for our room.  The variety of scents featured everything from invigorating scents to relaxation. And the pillow menu featured extra plush pillows to ergonomic pillows.  After selecting our scent and pillows, we made our way over to have a welcome head-neck-shoulder massage.  

Massage Area.

After our massage, we stepped out to the pool area to have a quick look around.  The concierge gave us a run down on the property:

- 1 large pool, and a smaller pool connected to the pool bar.  The pool bar has a deck attached that looks out over the beach.

- There are 3 restaurants - La Ceiba, La Corona and Murales.  You can also get food poolside.  More on the food later.

Next to the pool, as well as on the beach, there are some comfortable beds for lounging, complete with pillows.  And surrounding the pool there is no lack of lounge chairs with towels, so no need to lug towels down from your room.

Once our room was ready, the bellman took us up and showed us all of the amenities.  The luxury and amenities in this room were amazing.  Check out the video below for the tour of our room.

Our Suite at the Villa Premiere.

Our linens, mini bar and hotel room scent were refreshed daily.

As demonstrated in the video, there was a double jacuzzi tub and stand alone shower in the bathroom.  Shampoo, conditioner, shower gel and lotion were provided and refreshed daily.

As you can see, the view from our balcony was amazing, and we could hear the waves from the beach at any given time of the day or night.

View from our balcony.

The room featured a privacy screen as well as a black out screen to block sunlight if you needed a little extra time in bed in the morning.  Both screens were controlled by a remote control (so cool, right?!).

The hotel is located not far from the Malecon, the famous Puerto Vallarta boardwalk.  My husband and I walked down a few nights, but if you have any difficulties with your mobility, or if it is a particularly hot day, you may want to take a cab down.  The staff in the lobby will be happy to arrange for a cab for you.

Although our trip was only 5 days, there is so much to tell!  So stay tuned for "Part 2" of my Puerto Vallarta Review series.  

PS - Keep an eye out for my video review coming soon to the Overtired Mama YouTube page!

Have you been to Puerto Vallarta?  Tell us about your experience in the comments below, or join in on the conversation on the Overtired Mama's Facebook Page or on Twitter.

7 Cost Saving Travel Tips from an Overtired Mama

For anyone who has followed the blog for any length of time, you know that it's clear that travel is a passion of mine.  I love it because it's an opportunity to make memories away from the things that sometimes interrupt memory making at home.  No work, no school... just you and your family.

Like many, I'm also very budget conscious.  I often hear snickers when I say that because we make a yearly trip to Orlando.   How could that be budget conscious?  Because I pride myself on being a travel bargain hunter.  I wanted to share some of my tips and tricks.  Keep in mind, not all of these tips are ideal for everyone so you have to keep in mind what are your "must haves" when it comes to vacation planning.

Tip #1 - Gifting "experiences" instead of "things".

My husband and I decided a long time ago that we would stop giving each other "stuff".  Now don't get me wrong, on occasion, we will purchase some small gifts, but we stopped saving up and buying multiple gifts at Christmas.  We have carried on this tradition with our daughter.  Although, full disclosure, we still buy her some gifts... more than we buy each other... but they are relatively small, and we usually try to stick to things she needs, like clothes or books, and a few small toys.

Instead of gifts, we use money that would have been spent on those things to set aside for our yearly vacation.  

Tip #2 - We do sacrifice other "small vacations" for the sake of our one "big one".

Think of any time during the year you travel for the weekend, a few days, or even just a night.  Think about how much you would spend on hotel and activities for those getaways.  By us giving up a couple weekends away, we save hundreds of dollars!  

Again, this is one of those tips that is not for everyone.  It's not easy waiting all year for that one getaway,  so it takes discipline.  We make up for it by planning little "staycations".  There are lots of things to do around your own city/town that you may not have thought of before.  It's a great way to learn more about where you live.

Tip # 3 - We share accommodations.

We've traveled with family on each of our vacations to Florida.  We rent a property through sites like AirBnB or VRBO and split the cost.   One of the property's we've gone back to consistently has 4 bedrooms, a games room, 3D TV, video games, private pool, hot tub, and more, and we spend less than what we would have for a hotel room.  

Just as an example, we traveled during March Break this year.  Hotel rooms with with 2 Queen Size beds in a 3 to 4 star hotel were going for roughly $150/night. The 4 bedroom house we rented was $110 a night.

The other advantage to renting a property is having your own kitchen.  I don't know about you, but as much as I like not being the one constantly cooking, I also get kind of tired of restaurants.  It's nice to be able to prepare our own meals.  Bonus - it's not frowned upon to eat in your bathing suit!

Tip #4 - We have a dedicated "vacation bank account".

I have a regular Canada Savings Bond withdrawal each paycheck that we use for our holiday.  You could also set up a savings account for this purpose and have automatic withdrawals from your checking account that coincide with your pay days.  If you haven't done this before, it's an adjustment.  I recommend starting with a small withdrawal each paycheck and gradually increasing it.  It's not as noticeable that way.

If that would be too disruptive to your current budget, there's another money saving option.  A change jar.   This requires discipline, also only works if you use cash  - I rarely carry cash these days, so it likely wouldn't work for me.  But, at the end of each day, you empty your change from your wallet/purse in to a change jar.  Everything.  Toonies, loonies, etc.  If you pay for your coffee with a 5 each day, all that change can add up.

You can also try other cost cutting measures like making coffee at home instead of buying it and setting aside the money you would have spent on coffee.

It all adds up!

Tip #5 - Research, research, research.

For many people I have talked to, this can often be the least enjoyable tip I share.  I search airline websites, Expedia, VRBO, Priceline and many other websites frequently.  Several times a week.  I keep an eye on trends, and I'm ready if a flash sale comes up, I'm ready to pounce.  Prices can change daily, so it may sound like overkill, but sometimes it pays off.

For our most recent trip, I searched on a Monday morning at flights from our home airport in Saint John, New Brunswick to Orlando, and the flights were hovering around $600 round trip.  Tuesday evening at 11 PM, I found flights for $369 round trip, taxes included.  Amazing.  You never know what you may find!

Some general tips - I have found the best dates to fly are Tuesdays and Wednesdays.  The best prices I have found, I have found when searching on a Tuesday, Thursday or Saturday.  It goes without saying that if you can travel outside of holidays, you will get a better deal.  If you can leave a few days before and come back a few days after a holiday, that's one way to cut down on the price of a trip over the holidays (Christmas/March Break).

- For rental cars - if you are not travelling at a popular time (Christmas, Thanksgiving, March Break), I have found the best prices 2 to 4 weeks before your trip.  As someone who plans in advance, this is a difficult wait, but it has paid off many times for me.  Also, search out discount coupon codes.  A simple google search will bring them up, but beware of the fine print.  If you're using a code that requires you use a Visa, they can charge you a higher price at check-in if you decide to pay with a different card.  Also make sure that the coupon is not for particular employers, unless you work there.

Tip #6 - Be as flexible as possible.

When I plan a trip, I have a general idea of when we want to plan, but I always make sure I'm flexible within a day or two for either side of my travel dates.  That way, if we find a great deal that are different than our intended dates, we can make changes.

Even better, if you are flexible on a destination, you can sometimes get amazing last minute travel deals.

Tip #7 - Use your travel rewards wisely.

If you're like me and use travel rewards towards your trips, be sure to compare how many rewards points/miles you need to use for your "reward" versus how much you would pay cash.  As an example, When we were considering whether to use our AIR MILES® towards a rental car or flights, it ended up that it would cost us 3 times as many miles to redeem for a rental car (we were travelling during a time of high demand) than one of our airline tickets, and if we were paying cash, they were roughly the same price.

Another tip - Flights leaving from Canada are expensive.  You can get some amazing deals in the US.  So we used our AIR MILES® to fly from our home airport to a US hub airport (Chicago O'Hare), and were able to get a flight from O'Hare to LAX for $49 Canadian, taxes included with United!  

I also keep an eye on "bonus offers" to earn more AIR MILES®.  I answer surveys, I go through airmilesshops.ca^™ to purchase from websites I generally would shop from anyway, and I pay with my AIR MILES® card and pay it right off to earn miles on my regular purchases.  Bonus offers exist for other travel rewards programs too, so be sure you're familiar with your program!

Those are some of my general tips and tricks.  I would love to hear any you have!  Feel free to share in the comments below, or come chat with me on social media!  Follow me on Twitter at @overtired_katie or on Facebook at The Ramblings of an Overtired Mama.