I am constantly being asked how to get the best deal on airfare.  And while I wish there was just a simple algorithm ,such as buy your ticket at 2 am on the first Tuesday of the month, two months ahead of time, the answer is not quite that easy and straightforward. My main advice is you need time on your side and you need to do your research if you truly want to get the best price possible for your tickets.

First off to understand how to get the best deal on airfare, you need to understand how airlines structure their fares. Airlines are so savvy when it comes to structuring their ticket prices, it’s almost mind-boggling. It is all based off of supply and demand and the metrics they use are complex. Airlines set aside a certain number of discount seats on each plane. Once they are gone, they are gone. Usually once a plane’s seat for a certain flight is set up they start with a basic fare somewhere in a middle rate. Most people think it’s based off of a first come first serve basis, but it’s usually not the case (it is for some airlines though). If people don’t start buying seats right away then the price starts to lower, but as more and more seats fill up the price goes up. So you really don’t know when those discount seats are going to be available. Sometimes they will be saved for the last minute for an airlines last-ditch effort to fill up seats (this is rarely the case now, since there have been so many cuts recently in loads).

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Here are some highlights of our recent trip to Tokyo, Japan. It is mostly in pictures because lets be honest, who wants to read about someone’s trip to Japan? It’s such a visually stimulating place anyways.

Meiji Jingu (Meiji Shrine)

Meiji Jingu is an old Shinto Shrine that was built for Emperor Meiji and his wife Empress Shoken. The original building was destroyed in the Tokyo air raids in World War II but was rebuilt in 1958.

Ema plaques at Meiji Jingu

At Meiji Jingu you can purchase wooden plaques called Ema and write your wishes and prayers on them. They are then hung around a large Cypress tree in the inner courtyard of the shrine. These plaques are written in various languages, you will see Japenese, German, English, Italian and etc.

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Viva Las Vegas

It used to be Las Vegas was about 25 cent shrimp cocktails and going there with a pocket full of quarters in hopes that you would double or even triple your investment. Those days are long gone and now are the days of luxury, high rollers, lush, and anything else sinful by nature. However, this is not always true either. Las Vegas has done a rather good job at marketing themselves as a family city. Casinos offer roller coasters, movie theaters, food courts, and arcades to keep the kids at bay so the parents can gamble. Las Vegas is truly a city where anyone can find something to do and be happy.

Even the penny pinchers (i.e. me) can find solace as there is a load of free stuff offered on and off the strip in Las Vegas. Some of my favorites are:

On the Strip:

The Bellagio Atrium: I love the atrium and it changes for each season and holiday, so it is something you can visit every time you go and it will always be different. It’s a family favorite.

MGM Grand Lions Habitat: In the middle of the casino there is a special habitat made and maintained just for lions! Usually during the day there are about two adult lions. They also have a lion expert there to talk to you about the lions, their likes and dislikes, and some educational facts. It’s really actually cool. And in the morning you can go and they have baby cubs you can get your picture taken with (not free).

M&M World: I have been there a lot and while walking around the shop is fun and they have some cool products, not very many people know they also offer a free 3-D show! It’s on the top floor and you have to be there at the right time to experience it (ask someone about it).

CBS Television City at MGM: a place where you can watch and rate upcoming shows on CBS. It’s a little time consuming (about an hour) but it’s a different and can be fun- depending on the show.

The Volcano at the Mirage is kind of fun as well as the pirate show, Sirens at Treasure Island (although not to sure if the pirate show is for kids), or you could check out the Fremont Street Experience (a great place to find the deep fried twinkie). If you do go down to Fremont don’t forget to look up and see the cool LCD screen shows.

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A long time ago…before I started training for a marathon, before thebabytravels learned how to projectile vomit and before the Alaskan cruise, I was in Minneapolis for a few days. I was just in town for work and it wasn’t the typical vacation, but I did manage to experience a few things unique to MSP even though time and transportation was limited. Here are a few things to check out when you’re in town.

Twins Game:

I used to live in MN, in fact I grew up there. Claiming that you are a Minnesotan means something. It means you’re able to survive falling through the ice on frozen ponds, you can treat 7 kinds of poison ivy and you’re a Twins fan. I grew up watching the Twins on TV with my grandpa and we frequently went to games at the Metrodome. When I found out that work was taking me to the Twin Cities the first thing I did was arrange to see a Twins game with my pal Chris. The brand new Target Field is a spectacular place to see a game and I was grateful to be able to catch a game in its inaugural season.

Target Field, Minneapolis, Minnesota

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Reid counting sheep on an airplane

I am not the world’s best sleeper regardless of the circumstances. I have had trouble sleeping at night as far back as I can remember. I’m very sensitive to noise, light and other disturbances (mainly all of the thoughts racing through my mind). Because of that I often suffer from insomnia and tend to be grouchier then the average person in the morning. On the other side there is Reid, who falls asleep at the drop of a hat and can sleep through a space alien attack. Yup- suffice it to say it can be pretty frustrating to be married to such a good sleeper when you are a crummy one! Read the rest of this entry »