En route back to NJ and after driving 15 hours straight with minimal stops from Houston, we finally arrived in Knoxville, TN at around 8:00 PM. We were utterly exhausted from driving, cranky, and felt like we were still moving even after getting out of the car. Ever feel like that? Anyway, you can bet that it felt incredible to finally arrive at the hotel.

As you see from the planning in progress page, we were originally set to stay at the Country Inn & Suites By Carlson, Knoxville Airport, TN, a category 1 Club Carlson hotel. However, Club Carlson generously upgraded us and comped us into their brand-new Country Inn & Suites Knoxville Cedar Bluff property – very generous of them to do so, and we were excited to check it out (most importantly, sleep!).

Up on arrival, we were impressed with how new the hotel was, and it actually still smelled new. We later found out that it was only built a couple of years ago – no wonder why everything looked pristine in the lobby/common areas.

Check in was a breeze and Michael and Rachel at the front desk were courteous and entertaining to talk to. Rachel suggested a bunch of near-by restaurants for us to get a quick bite to eat (we were starving), and even offered to print out directions for us, which was very sweet of her.

Here’s a shot of the hotel’s lobby – very cozy and welcoming!

Another shot of the lobby/fireplace.

Michael and Rachel at the front desk were helpful and very fun to speak with (believe it or not, we talked about Jersey Shore, LOL please don’t unsubscribe now!).

The hotel had a great heated indoor pool and jacuzzi, and I would have loved to relax in either one of these… too bad we had to hit the road again in less than 8 hours after check in :(

The fitness center was loaded with brand new equipment and weights – tempting, and such a tease… I was too tired to do anything but sleep!

After exploring the hotel a bit and grabbing a bite to eat at nearby Puelo’s, it was time to go to our room and get settled in for the night. When we opened the door to our room on the 2nd floor, we were happy to see that we were upgraded into a gorgeous suite. It was so refreshing that the suite smelled like entering a brand new home, and the hardwood floors looked untouched and gorgeous.

On the counter I noticed a nice little goodie-bag welcome gift and card from the hotel’s GM, Renie Carroll, that was a nice touch because it was filled with snacks that we could munch on during our drive back home to NJ the next day.

A peak inside the welcome gift that was left for us on the counter of our suite.

Inside the welcome goodie bag was a nice hand-written card from the hotel’s GM.

Here’s a portion of the living room area of the suite.

I loved the hardwood floors, new furniture, and brand new flat screen TV.

The corner nook had a coffee machine, a fridge, and a microwave.

The bathroom was beautiful, clean, and I loved the brand-new granite countertops. Amenities included Pantene shampoo and conditioner, Jergens bar soap, and Vaseline body lotion.

The shower was fantastic (partially due to the fact that I may or may not have been in dire need of one), clean, and refreshing.

Our bedroom area had a separate door for added privacy within the suite. We had two queen beds, and they were without a doubt, the most comfortable beds we’ve slept in out of all of the hotels so far on the trip. It was extremely hard for me to get out of bed the next morning.

Tiffany watched her non-sense reality TV shows on this TV (I believe we were “graced” with Teen Mom… ugh).

In conclusion, Tiffany and I can both agree that this was one of our favorite stays during our trip because it was brand new, felt homey, and the beds were heavenly. Too bad we only used Knoxville as a short layover as we made our way back home. I’d love to come back one day and explore the city a bit. Until next time. :)

After saying farewell to Austin, the next stop on our Texas Road Trip was Houston. Upon arriving downtown, we spent some time at the Houston Aquarium and then grabbed a quick lunch at Bayou Place, Houston’s entertainment hub located in the heart of downtown’s theater district.

The Houston Aquarium

Tiffany and I

After lunch, we thought it would be best to call it a day, hang low, and head straight to the hotel because we would be driving 15 hours the next day to Knoxville, TN. The Park Inn Houston North Hotel is conveniently located about 15 miles from downtown Houston (via I-45) and only a few miles away from Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH).

When we arrived at the hotel, I was impressed with the fresh, welcoming scent that filled the lobby, and we were instantaneously greeted by Derek at the front desk who had already checked us in and had our room keys ready. The Park Inn Houston North Hotel is a Category 1 Club Carlson property (reward nights are 9,000 points), and I booked it during Club Carlson’s “Redeem Points. Earn Points” promotion, making this stay completely free for us.

The lobby was spacious with high ceilings and a cozy fireplace.

Derek and Shana at the front desk were two super helpful, warm, and welcoming individuals!

Having elite status with Club Carlson, I was happy to know that we were upgraded to a HUGE townhouse suite. While walking to our room, I had a moment to chat with the hotel’s GM, Victor, who gave us a warm welcome and informed us of some of the exciting upcoming renovations that are in store for the property.

When we opened our door to our room, we were incredibly impressed with the size of our suite. No wonder why they call this the townhouse suite – it was definitely designed to be a nice home away from home, with separate rooms and lots of living space. Our suite included a huge king sized bed, 2 desks (one equip with a desktop computer), a dining room, a full-sized living room with a flat screen TV, a bar/kitchen area, two full bathrooms and plenty of closet space.

Below is a photo tour of our room:

The spacious bedroom area of the suite (king bed, desk, flat screen TV, and sliding doors leading to the hotel’s courtyard).

Bathroom #1:located in bedroom and stocked with plenty of towels, toiletries, cotton balls/swabs, and Park Inn’s signature rubber ducky!

A close up of the toiletries – Vaseline body lotion, Pantene shampoo and conditioner, Jergens bar soaps, make-up remover wipes, a shower cap, and small sewing kit.

The very large and spacious bedroom work desk

There were plenty of snacks for us scattered throughout the room.

In the next room over, we had a huge full-sized living room furnished with leather couches.

Adjacent to the living room was another work area with a ready-to-use desktop computer.

The next room featured a complete dining area with a full-sized dining room table.

The kitchenette/bar area was pretty basic, but a nice touch to the dining area. Too bad it wasn’t a fully-loaded bar LOL.

Bathroom #2 was nicely decorated and also fully stocked with toiletries. I really loved the colorful flower accents!

While exploring our room, we received a phone call from Shana at the front desk and Elizabeth of management asking how we liked our room; the customer service we’ve experienced so far has been outstanding.

Shortly after, there was a knock on the door, and to our surprise, we were handed a gorgeous platter compliments of the executive chef along with a hand-written card from the management team. This was incredibly generous of the staff!

Executive chef, Richard Roane, prepared a beautiful welcome platter for us complete with a cheese assortment, crackers, fruit, chocolate-covered strawberries and Voss water.

A beautiful hand-written card from Victor and Elizabeth of the hotel’s management!

After settling in a bit, we decided to explore the hotel a bit and squeeze in our very first workout of the trip. I was relieved to be able to get some fitness in knowing that we’d be driving for 15 hours starting promptly at 4 am the next day.

The fitness room was larger than other hotel fitness centers of its class, featuring plenty of cardio equipment, exercise machines, free weights and fitness mats.

After a brief workout, we set to explore some of the hotel amenities including the outdoor pool, the bar, and very large restaurant (Sam Houston’s) before showering and getting ready to have dinner and drinks on site at the hotel.

The interior of the hotel’s restaurant, Sam Houston’s.

Another shot of Sam Houston’s restaurant.

A snap shot of Sam Houston’s hotel bar (photo was taken during non-operational hours).

This outside courtyard was accessible from our suite via our in-room sliding doors.

Here’s a shot of the outdoor pool. If Mr. Sunshine was out, I’d be tempted to tan poolside – it was a nice warm day!

We started off our evening by visiting the Sam Houston’s bar to grab a drink. Alma, our bartender, made Tiffany and I amaretto sours (we’re such girls, I know). We then went to visit our new friend, chef Richard, by grabbing dinner at Sam Houston’s. The service was great and the food was very good!

Here’s Tiffany pretending not to pose while looking at the menu.

Tiffany ordered the pecan-encrusted grouper filet with home-style mashed potatoes and string beans. Yummy!

I opted for the Sam Houston’s salad which included pecans, cranberries, and goat cheese. From the bottom of my heart, I’d like to thank the entire staff of Park Inn Houston North for their tremendous hospitality. Never in my life have I received such over-the-top treatment during a single hotel stay. My stay here certainly puts the icing on the cake for customer service. I look forward to sending a personalized note to Park Inn and Club Carlson letting them know of my wonderful experience here. In this day and age, excellent customer service should never go unnoticed. Thanks again for a great stay!

I’ll admit that I originally booked the Texas Road Trip specifically to take advantage of Club Carlson’s “Redeem Points. Earn Points” promotion, so I was strategic in only choosing Category 1 Club Carlson properties along the way from NJ to Texas. There were only a handful of Category 1 properties in Texas, primiarily in the metropolitan Dallas and Houston areas, so immediately I limited our stays to Dallas and Houston.

However, after sharing my trip planning with close friends and family, they all said something along the lines of, “you can’t possibly drive all the way to Texas and not visit Austin”. It didn’t really take much twisting of my arm to add another day to itinerary; after all, it was a vacation.

Being the points/miles fanatic I am, you can bet I was looking for the “best points scenario”. At first, I figured that since I’ve already completed one stay for the Wyndham Rewards Gift Me Promotion, then I might as well bite the bullet and go for stay number 2, getting me my 6,500 free bonus points (enough for a free night).

However the points Gods must have been on my side somehow, and during communication with Club Carlson about my trip (they were aware of my redemption strategy/planning in progress), I was ecstatic to find out that they offered to comp us in their Category 5 Radisson Hotel & Suites in Downtown Austin! Again, very generous of them, and I’m very grateful!

Now lets get to the review already, shall we? We left Dallas around 8 am and arrived in Austin right on time around 11:30. Being starved for lunch at that point, we were excited that there was a full size TGI Friday’s restaurant right inside the lobby of the hotel (and a Starbucks too!). Do know that there is an onsite parking garage that costs $16 a day for hotel guests.

Upon arrival, we were impressed with the decor and comfort of the lobby. There are plenty of sitting areas, mesmerizing aquariums, and a warm fireplace to relax by. Megan at the front desk told us that our standard room was not ready yet (we arrived early), and I casually told her that I had elite status and asked for an upgrade if it was available. She told us that a lakeside view suite with one king bed would be ready in about 30 minutes, which was fine because we were going to have lunch at Friday’s before going to the room anyway.

During lunch, Megan called my cell phone and told us that the room was ready when we were. We headed up to our suite (room 1039), and within minutes Megan called us and asked us if everything was OK with the room, which was a nice touch of good customer service. As far as location, the hotel was nested right in the center of town, walking distance to Austin’s famous 6th Street and many restaurants (too bad it wasn’t bat season in Austin, it would be been cool to see the famous bat colonies). Take a look at some of the pictures we took of our suite and the hotel below.

We were excited that there was a full size (bar included) TGI Friday’s in the hotel. It was nice to grab lunch before checking into the room.

The lobby was spacious and inviting with plenty of couches, a warm fire place, and the elk chandeliers were a cool touch.

The living room area of our suite – a bit dated, but clean and spacious.

The desk was situated in the living room of the suite, and was big enough to work comfortably.

The coffee machine was located on a separate nook between the bedroom and living room area.

We were given two complimentary bottles of Dasani water.

The shower was pretty basic, but clean, and had good water pressure and plenty of hot water.

The bathroom sink area was stocked with Radisson’s signature Asira product line (Shampoo, Conditioner, Body Lotion & Body Soap Bar).

We shared a very large king size bed, and the bedroom had a door to separate it from the rest of the suite for added privacy.

All Radisson rooms are equip with Sleep Number beds (not my favorite, but my sleep number is 30 if anyone cares).

After a short nap for us in the room, we decided to hit the town and walk to check out 6th Street; believe it or not, Austin seemed to be dead all around (I’m blaming it being Sunday and the Super Bowl playoffs), so we had some dinner and drinks at Manuel’s (Upscale Tex-Mex, which ended up being excellent) ultimately because we got a coupon for a free loaded nachos appetizer from the front desk. After dinner, we decided to head back to the room and watch the game (not that we are football fans or anything, but we did feel a sense of obligation to support our Giants…).

For our 2nd night in Dallas, we stayed at the Park Inn DFW Airport South instead of the Radisson Hotel Dallas East (as originally planned) because the next morning we were set to hit Austin, and we wanted to be as close to the highway as possible. Both the Radisson Dallas East and the Park Inn DFW Airport South are Category 1 properties with Club Carlson, meaning that they both redeem for 9,000 points per night (with the “Redeem Points. Earn Points.” promotion, I’ll be getting the points back).

We arrived at the hotel around 9 pm after a long and fun-filled day of exploring Fort Worth and Uptown Dallas. When we pulled up to the hotel, I was happy that the hotel was situated right off of route 183 (Airport Freeway, near route 35), making it convenient to continue our travels.

Being very tired from a long day, we were pleased that the check-in process was quick and easy. We were not given an upgrade or mention of elite status, but we were so tired that it did not even matter – all we wanted was a nice bed to rest in! :)

My first impression upon entering the hotel was that I was in love with the open floor plan of the lobby and common areas. As you can see from the pictures below,  almost every room on every floor had a view of the lobby bar and pool, and the floor-to-ceiling windows provided some gorgeous natural light.

We were given room 235 which was a standard room with 2 queen size beds. The room itself was a bit dated, but extremely spacious, open, and clean (cleanliness is top on my list to ensure utmost comfort during a hotel stay). I personally liked that the sink/vanity was located outside of the bathroom, ideal for those early morning shower/getting ready situations when rooming with someone.

All in all, I will say that I was pleased with my very first stay at a Park Inn. My favorite thing about the brand is that they believe in “adding color to life” and do so by incorporating small bursts of color throughout the room (a bright orange flower near the sink, the rubber ducky, the colorful package of gummy bears…). Hey, maybe it’s just me, but I really do appreciate the little colorful touches in life! Good job, Park Inn!

The exterior of the Park Inn DFW Airport South in Irving, TX

The hotel lobby, bar area, and front desk were all part of one open floor plan which I loved.

The indoor pool certainly had an “outdoor feel” with floor-to-ceiling windows allowing for abundant sunshine.

The beds were comfortable and the package of gummy bears on the pillow was a nice, colorful treat!

The sink area was located outside of the bathroom, which is ideal when there are two girls scrambling to get ready in the AM, LOL.

The bathroom was basic, but very clean and stocked with a nice supply of towels.

The shower looked a bit older and basic, but it was immaculately clean and had great water pressure.

The little kid in me really appreciated this rubber ducky, a small touch, but enough to make me smile!

The toiletries included Vaseline body lotion, Pantene Shampoo and Conditioner, and Jergens soap.

The in-room coffee machine was located on the vanity nook directly outside of the bathroom.

With all the driving so far, I’m so happy that we actually had a full day to explore Dallas and nearby Fort Worth. A friend of mine who recently moved from NJ to Dallas for work, Ken, served as an excellent tour guide and planned a really great time for us. Speaking of friends, Tiffany makes some really cute knits and jewelry (just sayin’… LOL). Anyway, back on track here…

Our day started off by heading to Fort Worth (an easy and straight 35 minute drive from Dallas) to experience some real Texas BBQ at Angelo’s BBQ. No fancy pants attire here, just a good ‘ole local BBQ hot spot for some mouthwatering recipes. Prices were reasonable and the beef brisket was to-die-for.

Tiffany and I excited to try Angelo’s BBQ in Fort Worth.

Beef brisket is my weakness, and boy it was so incredibly tender. I did have a few bites of the sides (potato salad, baked beans, and cole slaw), but since they aren’t staples in my diet, I can’t honestly tell you if it was good, bad, or so-so.

After we grabbed some lunch we headed over to the Fort Worth Livestock Show and Rodeo for a few hours – it was packed! There were hundreds of locals and families showcasing their livestock and I enjoyed the sense of community, spirit, and Texas pride. The rodeo was a one-of-a-kind experience for me since I have never seen anything like this before (except on TV, but that doesn’t count).

We saw everything from bull riding, chuck-wagon races, tie-down roping, steer wrestling, etc. Not to mention, I certainly did not mind the cowboy eye candy… 

The indoor rodeo is about to begin (I was too focused on the action to take more pictures during the event, sorry!)

Next up, Ken took us to Stockyards Station in Fort Worth, which totally had an authentic “Wild, Wild, West” atmosphere (this is what I think of when I think of Texas!). Streets are lined with authentic BBQ restaurants, Saloons, Western Shops, etc.

I enjoyed visiting Stockyards Station so much and totally am guilty of indulging in every tourist attraction there (feeding the billy goats, taking a picture on a real longhorn, trying on cowgirl hats, you name it) I even gutted the courage to try riding the mechanic bull (major fail BTW, but at least I can cross that off my bucket list). You live once, right?

Insert “typical-try-on-cowgirl-hat-and-take-picture” picture here.

We enjoyed our first Saloon experience.

Yee-Haw! (Yes, he’s real and so are those awesome horns).

Cheesy I know, but hey, we had to do it!

After wrapping up the fun at Stockyard Stations, we headed back to Dallas for dinner. Since we spent time in downtown Dallas the first night, Ken took us for a ride uptown where there were many outdoor, lounge restaurants with a young crowd. We dined at Urban Taco and relaxed with some mango mojitos and tacos, a perfect way to end a great day!

After a long 12 hours of driving and a sore butt from sitting that long (FYI: if anyone else drives a Mazda3, or is looking into getting one, I’m not going to lie, the seats are super uncomfortable), we finally arrived in Dallas! As you can see from our original itinerary, we originally had plans to stay at a Category 1 hotel – Radisson Hotel Dallas East.

However, due to the power of social media, Club Carlson became aware of our road trip and generously comped us into the Radisson Hotel Dallas Central-University Park, an upgraded Category 3 property! So awesome!

Being only 4 miles away from downtown Dallas (right off of route 75), The Radisson Hotel Dallas Central-University Park was situated in a much better location than our original hotel was, so getting to and from the city was a breeze.

After parking at the hotel (which is free by the way) and entering, we loved the marble and spacious lobby of the hotel. There is a also a very large hotel lobby bar/restaurant area with plenty of tables and comfy lounge chairs.

At check-in, the lady at front desk saw that I had elite status with Club Carlson and told us she had upgraded our room. After entering the room, it did not seem like it was upgraded; I was thinking we’d be upgraded to a suite, but it was still a standard room on a high floor with two queen size beds that we’d originally booked (maybe a high floor is an upgrade? She didn’t exactly specify).

Either way, I was very impressed with the room. As you can see from the pictures below, the decor is more exquisite than a standard hotel room, garnished with a warm, rich, color palette and topped with some elegant touches (I loved the desk chairs).

After spending a few hours exploring downtown Dallas with a good friend of mine that recently moved from NJ to Dallas for work, we decided to call it an early night because we were exhausted from all of the driving. We had a good night’s sleep and were happy that the our room was very quiet and comfortable.

Thanks again, Radisson and Club Carlson!

We had two queen sized Sleep Number beds with super fluffy pillows and a soft duvet.

The bathroom and sink area were very spacious. I loved that they had a magnifying mirror, which was perfect for applying makeup!

The shower was basic, but clean, with plenty of hot water.

The bath toiletries in the room were Radisson’s signature Asira line of products.

The coffee machine was located on a separate nook (with a refrigerator underneath).

I really liked the pizazz decor of the room. This corner desk was big enough to comfortably work (although I’m guilty of blogging in bed).

Typical “girls-take-a-picture-before-going-out” picture in the hotel lobby.

The spacious hotel lobby bar area.

Tiffany and I dining at Stephan Pyles restaurant in downtown Dallas, adjacent to the Dallas Museum of Art.

So we finally arrived at our pit-stop in Cookeville, TN en route to Dallas for our Texas Road Trip as part of my 2012 New Year’s Resolution for more fearless, spontaneous travel. Call me crazy, but after working a 12 hour day on the set of Blue Bloods yesterday, I decided that a quick 3 hour nap was sufficient enough to be called “a good night’s sleep” before our 14 hour journey from NJ to Tennessee.

We hit the road around 1:15 am after several mini-arguments about our meeting location (girls..), and arrived here in Cookeville around 3 pm. Believe it or not, the ride was painless and flew by quickly, partially due to the fact that I am easily-amused by seeing hundreds of cattle grazing freely on the farms along I-81 and making the “honking gesture” as trucks passed us (100% response rate, by the way).

I saved my appetite for the Tennessee smoke-house BBQ pulled pork that I started craving weeks ago, and lunch at nearby Bobby Q’s hit the spot. However, after a combination of pigging out and limited sleep, I was delighted that getting to the hotel was a breeze, as it is located only a few hundred feet from 40-W, making it ideal location for us to continue our travels tomorrow.

Our lunch spot, Bobby Q’s, located only 3.4 miles away from Country Inn & Suites Cookeville, TN

The pulled pork was absolutely mouth-watering and delicious, but I wasn’t too crazy about the two sides. I originally booked this hotel because I wanted to fully take advantage of Club Carlson’s awesome “Redeem Points. Earn Points” promotion that is ongoing until January 31. My registration with this promotion will make our stay tonight entirely a free once the 9,000 points are redeposited into my account – it doesn’t get better than that!

Or does it? Not only has Club Carlson graced us with several amazing promotions in the past several months (Radisson’s Big Night Getaway & Redeem Points, Earn Points), but there have been some surprising changes to my itinerary that totally put the icing on the cake, winning my loyalty to Club Carlson.

It is very rare that a hotel loyalty program presents its members with so many opportunities to easily earn and redeem points for free nights. In my eyes, Club Carlson certainly takes the lead for the best loyalty promotions in 2012 so far. After all, if it weren’t for the “Redeem Points. Earn Points” promotion, who knows if this fun road trip would have even come to life. Thanks again, Club Carlson! :)

The exterior of the Country Inn & Suites in Cookeville, TN (Category 1 Club Carlson Hotel). I got a kick out of the assigned parking spots that read “For Gold Points Elite” (Now Club Carlson); makes you feel a tad more special in a weird way, LOL. Upon pulling in to the Country Inn & Suites, Cookeville, TN, I did notice that the sign read “Soon to be La Quinta Inn”. I wonder when that will happen?  Check-in was quick, and the lady at the front desk was extremely friendly. Having elite status with Club Carlson, I was hopeful for an upgraded room or suite, but I was happy with the room I was given. The lobby was cozy and definitely had a “country” feel, complete with a fire place, couches, and wooden decor. The breakfast room looked spacious, clean, and well-furnished.

The room was simplistically decorated, clean, and cozy. The beds were made with a standard comforter (not my favorite, down), but the sheets and pillows were fresh and soft – perfect for relaxing after a 14 hour drive!

The desk was spacious with a nice leather chair and many outlets to plug in all of your gadgets.

The dresser featured a mini-fridge and microwave inside the pull-out doors as well as a mini flat-screen TV.

The bathroom was stocked with many towels, a hair dryer, and coffee machine (personally, I believe the coffee machine should have been somewhere in the room, not the bathroom, but I’m not a coffee person anyway so I never use the in-room coffee machines).

The shower was clean with plenty of hot water.

This cute towel animal was a nice touch!

Bath toiletries included Pantene Shampoo and Conditioner & Vaseline Body Lotion

Well, that sums up Day 1 for now. It’s time to settle in bed, get cozy and rest up for another 12 hour drive to Dallas tomorrow. Oh, and if you’re wondering where the fun, touristy pictures of us together are, you’ll have to wait until tomorrow – we’re camera shy when looking groggy without make-up LOL. Cheers for now. Goodnight!

With only days away from my big Texas Road Trip, you can already bet that I’m scrambling to get everything in order between squeezing in those last few days of work and packing before hitting the road. Since I’ll be trekking in my little 2010 Mazda3 Sedan from NJ to Texas and back, I definitely needed to take my car in for an oil change prior to the trip.

It’s bad enough being a woman and taking your car to get serviced, so I usually present myself in a knowledgeable and firm way to avoid getting ripped off. I’ve been maintaining my own cars since I was 17, so don’t assume I am too much of a bargainista leading me to neglect the maintenance and upkeep of my car. In fact, I still have my car from high school – a 2002 Pontiac Sunfire with over 130K miles on it, and it runs like a charm.

My experience I had on Saturday at my car dealership’s service center was utterly ridiculous. Before I get into details, allow me provide you with a back story. In August 2010, I treated myself and purchased a brand new car. Fast-forward 18 months, my little Mazda3 has roughly 25,000 miles on it, and I make it a point to take it in to get serviced every 5,000 miles or so since I do a lot of highway driving. My servicing has never cost me more than $50 for a basic oil change/tune-up/tire rotation. However, things were a little different this time around.

On Saturday, I pulled into Mazda’s service center and told them that I’d like a routine oil change. All is good so far. I then start chit-chatting with the service manager while my car is on the lift, and somehow I slipped that I’ll be driving round trip to Texas this week (mistake). After the conversation dies, I help myself to some tea and a magazine to pass time while waiting.

Fifteen minutes pass and the mechanic comes out to talk to me. He presents me with a list totaling over $650 worth of services I need!! I honestly though it was a joke until he actually starts going over each charge with me. He told me I’d be needing a transmission flush for $200, power-steering fluid, new coolant, new wipers, radiator flush of some sort, and a bunch of other random replacements. There was no way I’d be giving in to this non-sense.

Granted I’m no mechanic, but heck, I’m not an idiot either! Our conversation went something like this:

Me: Listen, my car is a little over a year old with only 25,000 miles on it; I’m shocked that there are all of these things “wrong” with it. I’m happy with just the oil change and air filter for the time being since I have been regularly maintaining it without a problem.
Mechanic: Well, it’s extremely necessary that you go ahead and go with the mechanic’s recommendations. After all, you are going to Texas. You want to be safe, right?
Me: My car has been running fine, and I’ve been following the manual as far as scheduled maintenance.
Mechanic: Well your transmission fluid is brown, a flush will remove all of the burnt sediment.
Me: Well you and I already know that my car is new, I find it hard to believe that I’ll be needing all of those recommended services at this time, but like I said before, I’ll stick to an oil change and new air filter.

What really irked me about this experience is that it happens all the time to [most] women. I can’t even count the number of times I’ve taken my car in for service and have been pressured to spend hundreds of dollars more. However, when I go in with a male friend, somehow “my car is running like new”. Hmmm…


To sum up my rant, I’ll leave you off with something my friend Sheldon posted on my Facebook status thread regarding this situation: “I have told you and every woman this for years. If you’re not related to or sleeping with a mechanic, they will continue to take advantage of you throughout your life.”


Thoughts?


P.S. On a much happier note, I want to welcome all of my new readers from my recent interview with Million Mile Secrets! Do note that I don’t always rant LOL. I look forward to sharing stories of how I have earned points and miles. Stay tuned! :)

As I mentioned in my last post of 2011, my New Year’s Resolution is that I simply want 2012 to be filled with as much spontaneous (and free) travel as possible. With that said, I will be off to Texas at the end of January with a good friend of mine. We will be using Tennessee as our half-way point/rest area, and I will be visiting a close friend who recently moved to Dallas.

Here’s a glance of the route we will be taking from NY:

This is what our return route will look like:

Now on to the planning….

Day 1: NYC – Nashville, TN:

• Time Elapsed to Destination: About 13.5 hours
• Hotel: Country Inn & Suites by Carlson, Cookeville, TN
• Points Redemption Strategy: Kevin and I received a total of over 100,000 free bonus points after completing 2 stays (one for each of our Club Carlson accounts) during the Radisson Big Night Giveway promotion. You can read more about our experiences with that promotion by going here or here. Then, I signed us both up for Radisson’s current “Redeem Points. Earn Points” promotion (until January 31) where you will receive 9,000 bonus points after making an award booking with points. The Country Inn & Suites by Carlson in Cookeville, TN is a “Category 1″ hotel that you could book for 9,000 points per night. Essentially, I used 9,000 points to book the hotel, but since I am registered for the promotion and staying before January 31, I will be getting those 9,000 points back. We all know simple math, 9,000-9,000 = 0, and that’s how many points it will cost me in the end, making this a completely free night. Score!

Day 2: Nashville, TN – Dallas, TX:

• Time Elapsed to Destination: About 12 hours
• Hotel: Radisson Hotel Dallas East
• Points Redemption Strategy: Same as above. Radisson Hotel Dallas East is also a Category 1 hotel.

Day 3: Dallas:

• Hotel: Radisson Hotel Dallas East
• Points Redemption Strategy: Same tactic as discussed above, but here’s where it gets tricky, since we will be spending two nights at this hotel in Dallas, I had to make sure I booked the rooms separately: one under my Club Carlson account and one under Kevin’s account on behalf of me so it will count as two separate stays, allowing us both to receive our 9,000 points back.

Day 4: Dallas-Austin, TX

• Time Elapsed to Destination: About 3.5 hours
• Hotel: Not yet decided, but I think I’m leaning towards a Wyndham Rewards property so I could get my 2nd stay in for their “Gift Me” promotion. I did price out a few hotels in Austin and they were relatively inexpensive in the $50 range.
• Points Redemption Strategy: If all goes well and I book a Wyndham Rewards property, I will have completed my 2 stays (here are the details of my first stay for this promotion), and I will be able to receive 6,500 bonus points, which is enough to redeem for a free night at their lower-level properties.

Day 5: Austin to Houston, TX:

• Time Elapsed to Destination: About 3 hours
• Hotel: Park Inn Houston North Hotel & Conference Center, TX
• Points Redemption Strategy: Same as discussed above. The Park Inn Houston North Hotel is also a Category 1 hotel.

Day 6: Houston to Knoxville, TN:

• Time Elapsed to Destination: About 15 hours
• Hotel: Country Inn & Suites By Carlson, Knoxville Airport, TN
• Points Redemption Strategy: Same as already discussed, but here it is again: Kevin and I received a total of over 100,000 free bonus points after completing 2 stays (one for each of our Club Carlson accounts) during the Radisson Big Night Giveway promotion. You can read more about our experiences with that promotion by going here or here. Then, I signed us both up for Radisson’s current “Redeem Points. Earn Points” promotion (until January 31) where you will receive 9,000 bonus points after making an award booking with points. The Country Inn & Suites By Carlson, Knoxville Airport, TN is a “Category 1″ hotel that you could book for 9,000 points per night. Essentially, I used 9,000 points to book the hotel, but since I am registered for the promotion, I will be getting those 9,000 points back. We all know simple math, 9,000-9,000 = 0, and that’s how many points it will cost me in the end, making this a completely free night. Score!

Day 7: Knoxville to NYC:

• Time Elapsed to Destination: About 12 hours (Home Sweet Home!)

There it is! A spontaneous trip filled with loads of free hotel rooms along the way. Our only real costs will be vehicle related (gas, tolls, miles, etc.) and food (did I mention how excited I am for some good southern BBQ?). Let’s just hope it doesn’t snow badly here or in any area along our way when the time for our trip comes, otherwise we probably will have to postpone our travels for our safety; but with a positive outlook, I look forward to sharing our experiences [as planned] with you!

Has anyone taken a trip like this before? If so, please do share!