Year: 2012

Our First Sea Turtle Experience at Kahalu’u Beach Park (Big Island, Hawaii)

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On our first full day on the Big Island of Hawaii, we set out to explore the western side of the island, south of where we were staying in Kona. Our first order of business was to find a good beach, and we were recommended to drive south to Kahalu’u Beach Park.

120618 Kahaluu Beach Park Panoramic

We were fortunate to get the park early in the day as the parking lot was small. I have to admit I had low expectations upon first look of Kahalu’u Beach Park. The sand was course, with an abundance of lava rocks protruding from ground (perfect for little ones to get hurt), and overcast skies. However, there were lots of people in the water, with the majority of them snorkeling.

120618 Kahaluu Beach Park (3) 120618 Kahaluu Beach Park (2) 120618 Kahaluu Beach Park (1)

So just like our ritual at Hananama Bay, my father-in-law and I dawned our snorkel gear and headed out into the unknown. I had no idea what I was about to behold.

I had seen some pretty impressive snorkeling during my visit alone in 2006, but what I saw at Kahalu’u Beach Park ranked up there among my favorites. There were amazing fish, coral, and rock formations.

120618 Kahaluu Beach Park Sea Turtle 1

Once we headed in to swap in my wife, we learned how Bug (3) discovered our first viewing of a sea turtle, basking on the rocks. It was quite an experience to get to be within arms length of a turtle. It was also nice to see everyone respecting the turtles space and keeping at bay, since it is illegal to get near them.

The one thing I found quite amazing is just how well the turtles blend into the surroundings. We were probably a couple hundred feet away when my wife was pointing it out to me, and it really was a struggle to pick out the turtle against the dark lava, at least from a distance.

120618 Kahaluu Beach Park Sea Turtle 2

Once my wife and I headed back into the water, we went out a little deeper and the sites got even more impressive. Losing your sense of location and reality can easily be accomplished with your head down to the ground. The deeper we went, the more beautiful everything became. In addition, your sense of nerves also can be tested. It is one thing to see an eel in an aquarium, but it is quite another to see one up close in the ocean.

120618 Kahaluu Beach Park Lava Moss

By the time we landed back on the beach, my opinion of Kahalu’u Beach Park had forever been changed. The snorkeling was absolutely fantastic! In addition, the boys were really starting to become aware of their environment and enjoy the ocean experience. The whole trip was worth it just to see them develop the way they did.

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750 Southwest Rapid Reward Points and 60 My Coke Reward Points

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Update 11/1/12: New link and details updated below.

Back in June 2011 I wrote about a partnership between MyCokeRewards (MCR) and Southwest Airlines to earn points in both programs for new members. The offer originally was for 250 Southwest Rapid Reward points and 60 MyCokeReward points. Now the deal is sweetened slightly by offering 750 Southwest points and 60 MCR points.

A direct link to the registration page is available on this Coke page. However, by directly using this page, I do not see a way for them to know and credit the appropriate MyCokeRewards (MCR) account. The terms state after registering, they will email you a code for your 60 MCR points. However, I still recommend one sign into their MCR account, then mouseover the Offers & Promotions tab at the top, and click on “Southwest Bonus Points” under the Get Extra Points category. The MCR site will then redirect you to the registration page linked above, and then you should get your MCR credits. Overall, fairly simple, and the only issue is you need to be a new Rapid Rewards member.

Southwest MCR 2012 Offer

Whether you are a fan on Coke products or not, I have found their MyCokeRewards program to be of great benefit as it has allowed us to get gift cards and other rewards that we might not have otherwise. Last year we were able to take advantage of their Wednesday only deals and score several gift cards that were used as Christmas gifts. Last year the 2,000 Priority Club offer through MCR was brought back too for a limited time. I am hoping MCR starts to clearance out their supply of Hilton HHonors points by the end of the year, so be on the lookout. Collecting MCR points have some value for our family and are easy to collect. The kicker, while I do enjoy a nice cold regular Coke, we barely ever drink pop/soda. We are fortunate to score points through family, friends, and co-workers.

Looking through the official terms, here are some things you should note.

1) The promotion takes place from now until December 31, 2012.
2) The My Coke Rewards codes must be redeemed by June 30, 2013.
3) New Rapid Reward members will receive 250 bonus points upon enrollment, and an additional 500 points for subscribing to emails for at least 3 months.

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11/1/12- Updated with new offer.
Updated 4/1/12 with new offer details.
Updated 3/28/12 to remove links.
Originally posted 11/22/11.

The Potential Behind Save $25 on $100 Costco.com Purchase via American Express

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Update 11/7/12: As can be seen in the below screenshot, I received my $25 statement credit relatively quick after my $100 purchase. Note I made a single transaction of $105 ($55 membership renewal + $50 gift card), but AMEX split them up into separate line items charged on different days. I still received my $25 statement credit regardless.

AMEX Costco $25 Credit

Back in September I got excited about the American Express Link, Like, Love promotion, where they post deals on Facebook Sync that can be added to your card for additional savings. So in other words, it is a rebate system for using your AMEX card at select merchants. What is even better is the rebate is in addition to any perks from using the card.

AMEX Sync with Facebook

This week the AMEX Sync application added an intriguing offer of $25 off the purchase of a $100 purchase at Costco.com by 12/31/12. If you have followed us for any period of time, you may recall we have a love/hate relationship when it comes to shopping at Costco. However, we still end up frequenting Costco at least once every other month, and that is why I am excited about this latest offering.

Signing up is easy.

1) You must have an American Express credit card. You can register any version of American Expresss card, as it does not need to be a Costco AMEX.

2) Visit the AMEX Link, Like, Love Facebook app.

3) After registering your card, select from the available offers to add to your card. You may or may not see the Costco offer, as every promotion is targeted.

4) Proceed to Costco.com to start shopping. No need to go through a special link.

So why is the AMEX save $25 on $100 at Costco.com so lucrative?

Well for starters, we just so happen to be coming up on our annual renewal in November. So right off the start, we already have to spend $55 for our Gold Star membership, and after adding an additional $45 to our cart, we will get a nice $25 rebate, making our membership costs greatly reduced.

The exciting part of the equation is what else one can buy to get their total to $100 and then get a $25 rebate. For instance, there are a bunch of great deals on restaurant gift cards. For $79.99, one can get:

– McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood Restaurant Two $50 Gift Cards
– Elephant Bar® Restaurant Two $50 Gift Cards
– Peet’s Coffee & Tea Five $20 Gift Cards
– California Pizza Kitchen Two $50 Gift Cards
– Ghirardelli® Four $25 Gift Cards
– Wolfgang Puck Two $50 Gift Cards
– The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf® Four $25 Gift Cards

So factoring in the already savings on the above gift cards ($100 value – $79.99 cost = $20.01 savings), and paired with the $25 rebate, one would be getting $100 in gift cards for $55, plus the cost of the additional items to get you over $100 spend.

Although not as glamorous, once can always just purchase a Costco Cash Card for $100, thus qualifying for the $25 rebate if purchased online.

Besides adding to your cart a couple bottles of shampoo to get you over the $100 threshold, I also like the various travel and attraction options available courtesy of Costco.com like:

– Air Maui Helicopter Tour Gift Certificate for $199
– 3-Day Go Cards to various city attractions including San Diego, Oahu, Orlando, Los Angeles, Chicago, Boston, or San Fransisco from $79.99 to $154.99
– 3-Day Power Pass vouchers to various attractions in Niagara Falls, Las Vegas, Washington D.C., Honolulu, and New Orleans from $69.99 to $110.99.
– Napa Valley Wine Train Gourmet Express Lunch or Dinner for $84.99
– San Diego 3-for-1 Pass for $84.99-$99.99
– LEGOLAND California Two-day Resort Ticket for $79.99
– LEGOLAND® California Resort 3-Month Pass for $79.99

Or if Golf is your thing, there is a huge list of discounted round packages.

As you can see, there is a great potential with this offer from American Express when you pair the already terrific discounts available through Costco with the AMEX $25 rebate.

It is unclear at this point on whether purchases made via Costco Travel will count towards this promotion.

What will you purchase to take advantage of this offer?

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