Nomadic Living
” All that raw land that rolls in one unbelievable huge bulge over to the West Coast, and all that road going…” -Jack Kerouac
A Site About Being at home in hotels around the world
Let’s Connect
Know where the Ice Machine is in real time by following on BlueSky and Instagram.
Subscribe to The Ice Machine
Sign up here for email updates and reader exclusives.
Featured Content
Travel Gear
“He who would travel happily must travel light.” – Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
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 Comfort Suites Baltimore Inner Harbor
If you’re searching for a hotel in Downtown Baltimore these days you often have two choices: pay exorbitantly high rates or settle for substandard quality… at rates that are slightly lower but also exorbitant! Let’s take a look at why you shouldn’t stay at the Comfort Suites Baltimore Inner Harbor. I booked this hotel for…
-
Review of the Days Inn Sarasota, FL: Hotel Intel
If you’re searching for a hotel in Sarasota you’ve got choices all up and down the scale of quality. But if you’re coming for Spring Training and trying to keep the costs even a little within reason you’ll unfortunately be near the bottom of that scale, which is where we find ourselves at the Days…
-
Hotel Hacks: Save More Money When Hotel Rates are Highest
The best travel deals are usually found outside a destination’s peak season. But what if you’re attending an event that draws hundreds of thousands? Or your schedule is limited to peak times by work and school? How do you save more money if you want to celebrate Christmas at home on Christmas morning? It is…
-
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…
-
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…
-
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.…
-
Pattaya Exceeds Its Sleazy Reputation
Most visitors to Thailand are going to be arriving at one of Bangkok’s two large international airports. After spending a few days in the capital you’ll probably want to see some of the country’s famous beaches. Pattaya is pretty famous indeed, but not because its beaches are luxurious or alluring. It’s the whores. The town…
-
Review of Phnom Penh’s Tuol Sleng Site
I’m not sure there is anyone in the US who thinks about Cambodia without thinking of the Khmer Rouge first. For people who are over 40 we think of the revolution in Cambodia as being a part of recent events. Much like Apartheid or Rwanda. Pol Pot lived until 1998. Duch and Brother Number 2…
-
Bangkok Basics: Know before You Go
If you’re shopping flights to Thailand specifically or are exploring throughout Southeast Asia the chances are good a visitor to this part of the world will spend at least a little time in Bangkok. If you haven’t visited the region before it can be a little intimidating, and you might not know exactly what to…
-
Chase Sapphire Preferred: How To Earn a Bigger Bonus
This isn’t a site that is focused on points and loyalty programs. I’m not one of those dorks. However, a selection of cards and the perks that come with them are essential to frequent travelers whether they love the Points Hobby or not. The Chase Sapphire Preferred is one of the most popular cards in…
-
Review of the Citrus Hotel Patong: Hotel Intel
The Citrus Hotel Patong is part of the Compass Hospitality group, which controls three hotel brands over four countries with a major presence throughout the UK. If you’re shopping around Thailand for budget hotel rooms you are likely to come across some of their properties in Bangkok and Pattaya or Phuket. But does the weight…
-
Flying Frontier Airlines: How Bad is It Really?
When I received a surprise upgrade to Caesars Diamond Status I wanted to make the most of it with a quick trip to Vegas to stay without resort fees. Because it was something of a last minute trip, and because I wanted to hold the price down as low as possible. I girded my loins…
Search
