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” All that raw land that rolls in one unbelievable huge bulge over to the West Coast, and all that road going…” -Jack Kerouac

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“He who would travel happily must travel light.– Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

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Hotel Intel

“I knew it. I knew it. Born in a hotel room – and God damn it – died in a hotel room.” -Eugene O’Neill

Recent Posts

  • Review of the Boca Suites Deerfield Beach: Hotel Intel

    Review of the Boca Suites Deerfield Beach: Hotel Intel

    If you’re searching for a hotel around Boca Raton you’ve got plenty of choices. But if you’re coming in peak season and not made of money those choices get narrow pretty quickly. In that case you might find yourself looking at the Boca Suites Deerfield Beach as I did recently. Can this Best Western property

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  • Review of the RTIC Everyday Cooler: Gear Guide

    Review of the RTIC Everyday Cooler: Gear Guide

    Personal day-use coolers have always been a staple of road trip travel. Driving around the Florida coasts as much as I do, mine was getting daily use. Eventually an upgrade was in order and I wanted something with some size and substance. But I was still a bit hesitant to shell out Yeti money for

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  • Review of the La Quinta Ft Lauderdale Airport: Hotel Intel

    Review of the La Quinta Ft Lauderdale Airport: Hotel Intel

    If you’re searching for a hotel near FLL or Port Everglades the La Quinta Ft Lauderdale Airport may not be the most obvious choice. I’ve been staying in hotels in this area for two years and still haven’t booked it until now despite being very budget conscious. Was it worth the wait? Let’s find out.

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  • Florida’s Best Free Attraction? Manatee Lagoon in West Palm Beach

    Florida’s Best Free Attraction? Manatee Lagoon in West Palm Beach

    I’d been aware of West Palm’s Manatee Lagoon for a while and had it on a list of attractions to check out. Manatees are found throughout Florida but Manatee Lagoon is known as the best place to observe wild manatees in Florida. When a post popped up in my Instagram feed recently I clicked through

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  • The Cost of Living In Hotels: Update #4 July-December 2025

    The Cost of Living In Hotels: Update #4 July-December 2025

    There’s not a lot of content on the Internet about the cost of living in hotels full time. Most people who adopt a nomadic lifestyle opt for some combination of AirBnb, monthly leases, or extended stays in hostels. The purpose of these updates is to provide a picture of what it actually costs to live

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  • How to Fly With Overweight Bags for Free

    How to Fly With Overweight Bags for Free

    After nearly 20 years of going to sea I’ve learned how to pack exactly 49 pounds of gear to avoid being charged for overweight bags. But that was before I threw in the towel on carrying a military type sea bag and capitulated to the practicality of a bag with wheels. I settled on a

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  • How to to Maximize Hotel Points Promotions

    If you Google ‘How to Maximize Hotel Promotions’ virtually every result is focused on explaining how to increase bookings for hotel owners. But if you’re a frequent traveler maximizing promotions is a subject of crucial importance. Even if you’re only making 3-4 short trips a year you could be leaving some free nights on the

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  • Review of the Holiday Inn Boca Raton North: Hotel Intel

    If you’re coming to Boca to golf, visit family or just hit the beach you’re going to need to find a place to stay. And if you’re like me you probably don’t want to pay Brickell prices for Boca. Today I’m at the Holiday Inn Boca Raton- North. How is it? Let’s have a look.

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  • Review of the Cambria Hotel Dania Beach: Hotel Intel

    Whether you’re shopping around for a hotel in connection with your cruise/flight or just curious about the Cambria brand after so many stays at Hiltons and Marriotts the Cambria Hotel Dania Beach is an interesting proposition when it turns up in online searches. It was interesting enough to check out on a recent two night

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  • Review of the La Quinta Cypress Creek (Fort Lauderdale): Hotel Intel

    You want a hotel in South Florida. You don’t want to pay a lot of money. You aren’t particularly picky about location. So you’re curious about the La Quinta Cypress Creek in Fort Lauderdale. Let’s take a look… I booked this room direct for a Sunday and Monday to take advantage of a Wyndham points

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  • Spending a Day at Ao Nang’s Monkey Trail in Thailand

    Ao Nang Beach is the most popular destination for visitors to southern Thailand’s Krabi Province. Hotels are very affordable at the beach like the Aonang Villa Resort where I stayed for $90 a night recently (review) or one of many options available on Expedia. If you’re looking at Aonang Villa Resort on the map it’s

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  • Review of the Baymont Inn & Suites Norcross GA: Hotel Intel

    Freeze frame. Record scratch. Yes that’s me. You’re probably wondering how I ended up at the Baymont Inn & Suites Norcross GA. While evacuating Florida during Hurricane Milton I stayed about three hours in the Choice Hotels Bedbug Room of Doom! After decamping that room for a Holiday Inn Express I decided to give Choice

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