Seattle

 So, my latest hobby is traveling for free, via miles and points you collect from credit card sign-up bonuses. My last Vegas blog post has lots of links to my favorite miles and points websites and such, so I won't go into that again here. But every six months or so a few of the miles and points bloggers get together and host travel conferences. One in April just happened to be in Seattle, a quick and cheap flight from Salt Lake City. I knew I had enough points to fly for free, and stay in a hotel for free, but the registration fee for the two-day conference was $100/person. I was still feeling too cheap to fork that over.

 

Well, you know those bazillion of contests bloggers and facebookers post..."share this picture and be entered to win a kitchen aid!" or "comment and be entered to win a $100 gift certificate to Home Depot!?" or "share our picture and win a Disney Cruise for four!" Well, if it's as easy as a share or a comment, I'll usually enter those annoying contests...but I never won. 

 

Well, one of the blogs I frequent regularly, MillionMileSecrets.com,  does a contest every Saturday, and anyone who makes a comment on their blog post that day is entered to win. And one Saturday, I actually won!? A $200 visa gift card!? Wahoo!! And since it came from a miles/points site, and I had been wanting to go to the Seattle travel conference anyway, I figured it was fate, and that I should use that windfall to invest in more travel knowledge, and to bring my mom along as well.  I'd cover registration for both of us if she'd cover the hotel rooms (which she happily did with points). And I am SO glad we went! We only wish Heather could have come with us as well...unfortunately she had Army obligations and couldn't make it...I'm still not sure if she's forgiven us for going without her!? 

 

The conference was April 26-27, 2014. We flew in the morning of Friday, the 25, checked into our hotel room and dropped off our luggage, and were off to see the city by one-ish. We rode the train 45 minutes from the Airport to Downtown Seattle and explored the afternoon away. We hit up Pike's Market and loved all the fresh flowers and fish and produce! And then we ate a seafood feast for lunch...a bib, a mallot, and more seafood than we could handle...it was heaven! Then we made our way to the City Center where we explored the Chihuly Garden and Glass Exhibit, which was amazing! And then we couldn't resist going to the top of the Space Needle for the amazing views. We found some delicious clam chowder in bread bowls for dinner, and then called it a day. We loved Seattle and I guess we got really lucky with the weather...it was dry and sunny and the perfect day for sightseeing.

 

 

  

  

 

Then we spent Saturday and Sunday at the conference, learning all the tips and tricks and ins and outs about traveling with miles and points. It was fabulous, and was, indeed, a great investment to go. Thanks for going with me mom! Can't wait to go to another one! :)