Web Resources

Printable Version of Full Newsletter.

Page 1 | 2 | 3

VISITING MY FAMILY
Before traveling to Miami to catch an early-morning international flight, I spent some quality time with my niece and nephew. I love hanging out with them -- they are so funny! Especially with their animals — going to their house is like boarding Noah’s ark. They have a dog, two doves, two hamsters and newt. Their latest animal rescue is a baby duck. It is so funny to see "Quacker Jack" swim around in the sink. I never imagined I would be a show-and-tell at any school, but the kids’ teachers invited me to speak to all the first, second and the third graders on traveling around the world. I was so relieved that they loved my pictures and videos from around the world. They also got a kick out of the foreign coins I handed out (I knew those would come in handy one day).

DELRAY TO MIAMI ON TRI-RAIL
I had to be at Miami International Airport for a 9 a.m. flight. Instead of getting up very early, I went down the afternoon before. I took Tri-Rail. It costs just $5 (be sure to buy a ticket from the vending machine before getting on, or you'll pay a fine – tickets can’t be purchased on board), is fast and environmentally friendly. The train runs almost every hour. Mine was packed with a rush hour crowd. There were a few tourists, but mostly blue-collar workers commuting to or from work. The conductor/security guard packs a gun, but he was very friendly. Travel time between Delray and Miami was just 1 hour and 30minutes. The furthest north the train goes is Mangonia Park (just north of Palm Beach); the furthest south is Miami.

USING HOTWIRE
Fortunately I was the first person off the train. I boogied to the taxi stand, where just one cab was waiting. There’s a free 5-minute shuttle to the airport, but I took a $20 taxi ride to Coconut Grove. I had booked a 3.5-star hotel there a few days earlier on Hotwire.com, for $105. It’s a little nerve-racking using an opaque website like Hotwire or Priceline, because you never really know what you’ll get. However, there are websites like BetterBidding.com and BiddingForTravel.com that have message boards showing what other users have paid, the dates they traveled, and most importantly the hotels they received.

WYNDHAM GRAND BAY HOTEL – COCONUT GROVE
I ended up getting the Wyndham Grand Bay Hotel-Coconut Grove. Parts of the 12-story hotel were really nice. I liked the exterior design, the fact that it was within walking distance to shops and restaurants, the swanky Bice restaurant located in the hotel, and that my large room had Aveda toiletries, Starbucks coffee, two balconies and a great view. What I did not like was that the bed and bathroom needed serious fixing up. I should also note that I am a Wyndham ByRequest member (free to join), which entitles members to perks like free internet -- but because I booked through a third party website I could not get either free internet or miles. I thought that was totally bogus -- but at least they only charge $9.95 a day for high-speed. The Wyndham Grand Bay Hotel-Coconut Grove, 2669 South Bayshore Dr., Miami, Florida; tel.: 305-858-9600.

LOCAL COCONUT GROVE RESTAURANT
I met some friends who live nearby for dinner. We went to Scotty's Landing (tel.: 305-854-2626), just a short walk away through a lonely marina. The open-air restaurant filled with locals was on the water, dark, and inexpensive ($6.95 for a cheeseburger).

VIDEO
Here’s a 2-minute Johnny Jet Video of my trip to Delray Beach. It's also on YouTube, so it takes only a few seconds to load (though the quality is not as crisp). We also have all the JohnnyJet Videos ever made on their servers.

NEXT WEEK
Next week we go to the Number One international destination for Americans. Arriba! Arriba!

Happy Travels,
Johnny Jet

*PLEASE tell us what you think of this week's newsletter!

1 | << PREVIOUS PAGE | 3



Copyright 2007 JohnnyJet, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.