Top Travel on Points

Sharing tips, tricks and strategies for maximizing your travel using points!

Trips

Dan Panorama Tel Aviv

By Leave a Comment

On our recent family trip to Israel, we stayed at Dan Panorama hotels in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Haifa and Eilat. We began and ended our time in Israel at the Dan Panorama Tel Aviv, staying a total of four nights. As with any hotel there are pros and cons. On the positive side, the hotel is in a terrific location, has a nice pool area and a fantastic breakfast buffet. However, on the negative side, only some rooms have been recently renovated, and those that haven’t, are really dated.

In This Post

Dan Hotels

Dan Hotels is a chain of Israeli luxury hotels established in 1947. The chain owns and manages 18 hotels covering all of Israel’s most desirable locations. In fact, the most famous hotel in Jerusalem, the King David, is owned by Dan Hotels.

There are a few boutique hotels in the Dan portfolio, but for the most part there are Dan hotels and Dan Panorama hotels. The Dan hotels are the 5-star and 4-star luxury brand, while the Dan Panoramas are part of their more affordable, middle-tier brand.

Overall, there are some common themes I found with all the Dan Panoramas at which we stayed. Generally the hotels have nice rooms, great breakfast buffets, good facilities and fantastic locations. The bathroom showers, however, only have half-walls so water would spray everywhere and quite literally flood the bathrooms. In addition to flooding, they don’t have fans to combat humidity, so expect heavily fogged mirrors.

Location

The hotel is conveniently located across the street from the Mediterranean Sea and its beautiful beaches.

The view of the Mediterranean from our hotel room.

It’s also a short walk to the bustling Carmel Market, one of the largest open markets in Israel. There you can find a wide variety of affordable produce, spices, nuts, snacks, clothes and souvenirs. Also within walking distance is the Neve Tzedek neighborhood, which is a vibrant and trendy area filled with small alleyways, restaurants and art galleries. The ancient port city of Jaffa is also close by and features old restored buildings, art galleries, restaurants, sidewalk cafes and promenades.

Lobby

Built in 1986, the hotel underwent renovations in 2014. The first floor check-in area was part of that renovation and has a modern, trendy look to it now. Check-in was quite easy and we had keys to our room in just a few minutes.

The check-in area has been recently refreshed with a trendy look.

Behind the check-in area and up one flight of stairs is the hotel’s sprawling lobby and bar.

The Room

Our room was located on the 10th floor. As we walked down the hallway, we could see that the modern renovation had continued here with fresh carpet and wallpaper.

The room we stayed in at the beginning of the trip was one of the renovated rooms. It was clean, comfortable and modern. All rooms have balconies and many, including ours, have sea views.

For our one night stay at the end of our trip, however, we were put in a non-renovated room. You can clearly see the difference between them. Besides the dated look of the second room, it was also fairly dirty. There were stains in the carpet and nicks in the walls. Luckily we were only in this room one night and actually checked out at 2 a.m. to head to the airport. If we were staying any length of time, we would’ve asked to be moved to an updated room.

The Bathroom

The bathroom is a decent size with the typical amount of counter space you’d expect. It’s stocked with a hair dryer, complimentary toiletries and robes. One oddity was that there are no outlets in the bathroom, so if you need to use the hair dryer, you have to do so in the room itself.

The shower, however, just doesn’t make sense. Instead of a full glass door or curtain, the shower only has a half-wall. There was literally no way to shower without water spraying everywhere.

I’d prefer a full glass panel with door or at least a curtain to avoid flooding the bathroom.

Dining

The hotel restaurant has a huge dining room.

Our room rate included a daily breakfast buffet, which we really looked forward to each morning. It was a great way to start each day and give our bodies some energy before touring the city.

There were seemingly endless options to choose from, including an omelet station. The selection included western favorites like eggs, pancakes and waffles as well as middle eastern specialties like hummus and local fruits and cheeses.

My favorite Israeli breakfast item was the cheese boureka, a scratch made puff pastry. I think I had one every single morning!

The Dan Panorama Tel Aviv introduced me to cheese bourekas!

Miscellaneous

Since we were out touring every day, we didn’t spend a lot of time at the hotel using their facilities. It does have a spa which offers a full range of treatments in a newly designed space just off of the hotel lobby.

One afternoon we did go down to the pool to relax for an hour. The pool area is enormous and has plenty of deck chairs for lounging.

There’s also a small gym with cardio equipment that’s free for all hotel guests.

Bottom Line

The Dan Panorama Tel Aviv is worth putting on your list if you plan to travel to Tel Aviv. While not a 5-star hotel, it’s an above average middle-tier offering that is a good home base to explore the city from. The main reason to stay here is its terrific location within steps of the Mediterranean Sea, Carmel Market, Jaffa and the Neve Tzedek neighborhood. On the downside, there’s a chance of getting a non-renovated room which can be quite dated.

Trip Report Index

  1. Introduction and Planning
  2. The 7 Must Do Activities in Israel
  3. Dan Panorama Tel Aviv
  4. Dan Panorama Haifa
  5. Eight Lesser Known Activities Worth Doing in Israel
  6. Dan Panorama Jerusalem
  7. Masada
  8. My Dead Sea Experience and 6 Interesting Facts That May Surprise You
  9. Dan Panorama Eilat
  10. What and Where to Eat in Israel

Using Points and Miles to get to Tucson

By Leave a Comment

It’s not everyday that Annie’s Wildcats and my Fighting Illini play each other in college basketball. So when we learned that the University of Illinois is traveling to play the University of Arizona this November, there was no question we had to be there.

Using Points and Miles to get to Tucson
The University of Arizona was the first university in the Arizona Territory.

For this trip, we’ll be spending two nights in Tucson and then driving to Phoenix. After one night in Phoenix (which we extended to two nights afterwards) visiting family, we’ll head back to Chicago. Of course, this was another opportunity to see how much money I could save by booking the trip using points and miles. This post explains how we booked and what we saved.

In This Post

Airfare

Annie and I have flown American Airlines to Tucson in the past and they have several flight options that work with our schedule. Checking on flights from Chicago to Tucson and Phoenix to Chicago, I found that two tickets in the main cabin would set us back $870.

As I mentioned in my Tucson planning post, the two non-cash options were to use American Airlines miles or use Chase Ultimate Rewards points and transfer them into British Airways Avios miles. As a reminder, these options would cost me either:

  • 50,000 American Airlines miles, or
  • 40,000 British Airways miles

So Which Option is the Better Deal?

Figuring out which option is the better deal can be a difficult one, but there are few points you should be aware of while you compare the options.

  1. How much are miles or points worth in the programs you’re comparing?
  2. What is the equivalent spend of the miles redemption?
  3. Do you need to save a particular program’s miles for a different trip?

How much are miles or points worth in the programs you’re comparing?

The industry standard value of American Airlines and British Airways miles is around 1.5 cents per mile. With option two, I’d be using Chase Ultimate Rewards points to transfer to British Airways, so I also need to consider the value of Chase points. Based on most valuations, Chase points are worth around 2 cents per mile.

What is the equivalent spend of the miles redemption?

If I spend 50,000 American miles on this trip and those miles are worth 1.5 cents each, that’s the equivalent to spending $750 (50,000 x 0.015).

If I spend 40,000 British Airways miles on this trip and those miles are also worth 1.5 cents each, then the equivalent spend is $600 (40,000 x 0.015).

Would you rather spend the equivalent of $600 or $750? Obviously the lessor amount is better, so that means redeeming British Airways miles is the better deal in this comparison.

Now because the source of my British Airways miles are actually Chase Ultimate Rewards points, I need to compare the American Airlines miles spending equivalent to that of Chase Ultimate Rewards points.

Chase had a 30% bonus special running on transfers to British Airways when I transferred my points. So instead of the normal 1:1 transfer ratio, I received 1.3 British Airways miles per each Chase point.

Prior to May 30, 2019, flights between Chicago and Tucson cost 10,000 British Airways miles. Beginning May 30, 2019, those same flights went up to 11,000 miles. Due to not thinking about time zones, I actually booked the outbound flight prior to May 30 but the flight home after. It was technically May 29 in Chicago, but already May 30 in London. So instead of needing 20,000 British Airways miles per person, I ended up needing 21,000 miles or 42,000 in total.

To have enough miles to use for this redemption, I transferred 33,000 Chase points to British Airways. With the 30% transfer bonus, that translated into 42,900 Avios.

The equivalent spend of the 33,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points is $660 (33,000 x 0.02). Again this is better than the American Airlines spending equivalent of $750.

Do you need to save a particular program’s miles for a different trip?

Since I have a ton of Chase points, transferring them for this trip would not negatively impact any future trips.

My Redemption Summary

In total, our flights cost 33,000 Chase points (equal to 42,000 British Airways Avios) plus $22 in taxes. That’s a savings of $848! 

We saved ~$848 using miles!

Hotel

I have a free night from my Hotels.com rewards account that I decided to apply to this trip. We want to stay close to campus and I found a room at the Tucson Marriott University Park, which is literally steps from the university.

Tuscon Marriott University Park (Photo courtesy Marriott Hotels)

The free night is worth $157 which almost pays for one whole night. In total, the hotel will cost us $252, with a total savings of $157!

In Phoenix we were originally planning to stay with family but those plans changed. So now we’re going to stay two nights at the Hilton Garden Inn Scottsdale North/Perimeter Center, which is only a short drive away.

Hilton Garden Inn Scottsdale North/Perimeter Center (Photo courtesy Hilton Hotels)

Rental Car

Getting a cheap rental for this trip was a must and I performed an exhaustive search. I started with the car rental companies themselves, checking Hertz, Avis, Budget and Enterprise. I also looked at Costco and on the Chase and American Express travel portals. In the end, for a full-size vehicle, Enterprise had the cheapest price at $253.

Although it was more than I wanted to pay, I knew I had explored all avenues so I was confident I had found the best deal. Then I remembered about AutoSlash. AutoSlash is a website that tracks car rental reservations you’ve made elsewhere and notifies you if it finds a better deal.

To enable AutoSlash to track your reservation, you need to fill out a form on the website. It take no more than a minute or two, and requires information about the booking, including name, rental company, confirmation number, pick-up date and the price reserved. It also uses information about which memberships you hold and which credit cards you carry to help get you the best deal.

AutoSlash found a lower rate!

About 15 minutes later, I received an email saying that AutoSlash had found a lower rate for my upcoming rental. They had found me a rental through Hertz for $118, a savings of $135!

Click here for my guide to saving money on car rentals with AutoSlash.

Tucson Redemption Table

Retail CostOur CostMiles and Points UsedPoints Source
2 one way tickets from Chicago (ORD) to Tucson (TUS)$240 per person ($480 total)$5.60 taxes and fees ($11 total)15,385 Chase UR points -> 20,000 BA miles- Chase credit cards
2 one way tickets from Phoenix (PHX) to Chicago (ORD)$195 per person ($390 total)$5.60 taxes and fees ($11 total)16,924 Chase UR points -> 22,000 BA miles- Chase credit cards
2 nights at the Tucson Marriott University Park$205 per night ($410 total)$2531 free night from Hotels.com Rewards (worth $157)- Hotels.com Rewards
2 nights at the Hilton Garden Inn Scottsdale North/Perimeter Center$227 per night ($454 total)$454N/AN/A
3 day car rental with Hertz$253$118N/A- Autoslash
Total$1,987$847- 32,309 UR points
- 1 Hotels.com Rewards night		- $1,140 in total savings
- 57% off retail cost

Bottom Line

Using miles and rewards allowed us to book a weekend trip for $1,140 less than if we paid for everything out of pocket. In total that’s 74% off the retail cost of the trip! This is going to be a really fun weekend. We’ll get to hang out in a cool college town which Annie loves, see our two schools play each other in basketball and see family in Phoenix. Sounds like a pretty great trip to me!

Trip Report Index

  1. Introduction and Planning
  2. Using Points and Miles to get to Tucson
  3. Tucson Marriott University Park
  4. Illinois vs Arizona Basketball Game

My Dead Sea Experience and 6 Interesting Facts That May Surprise You

By Leave a Comment

The Dead Sea is unlike any other body of water in the world. With a salinity of 34%, it’s around 10 times more salty than the oceans. This salinity makes for a harsh environment in which plants and animals cannot flourish—thus the name “Dead”. The salinity makes the water so dense that you can easily float due to natural buoyancy. I couldn’t wait to experience the Dead Sea for myself.

In This Post

My Dead Sea Experience

After visiting Masada, our tour guide drove us to En Gedi Spa by which we would visit the Dead Sea. Our guide said this was a better spot to visit from since some Dead Sea beaches are closed or not people-friendly. Note that this facility isn’t a really a spa at all, so you should only consider it as a point of entry to the Dead Sea.

En Gedi Spa

Here’s my quick review of the facility itself. On the positive side, the “spa” has several sulphur pools (real black mud available), a freshwater pool, massage treatments and a tractor to take you to the Dead Sea and back. On the negative side, it’s old and a little run down, there’s an entrance fee, the cafeteria is grubby and the employees were pretty rude.

After arriving at the “spa” and witnessing a small shouting match between the front desk employees and our guide, we paid our entrance fee and went to the locker rooms to change. The locker rooms are not luxury by any stretch, but they serve the basic purpose as a place to change and wash off.

Originally the spa was built beside the Dead Sea, but because it’s receding, they now take visitors down by tractor. After about a five minute ride, we were at the Dead Sea. Halfway through the ride, you can get out and apply mud, but due to time restrictions we skipped it. It looked like fun though!

Arriving at the Dead Sea

As we walked down to the shore, we noticed the salt encrusted, harsh terrain where the lake’s water once was.

Walking into the lake, the water temperature was surprisingly hot. The water also felt slightly slippery or oily, thanks to the high mineral content. With the water about waist high, it was time to lay back and float!

When you don’t have to work at all to float, you can just take in your surroundings. It was very peaceful to just look around at the blue sky and beautiful mountains surrounding the lake. It was an unforgettable experience!

The Dead Sea
Floating in the Dead Sea is effortless!

After we were done floating around and taking pictures, we headed back to the spa on the tractor. Even after just a few minutes you can feel the salt residue on your skin as the water evaporated and dried. Back in the locker rooms, we rinsed off to get as much salt off our bodies and swimsuits as possible.

Here are a few tips to remember when visiting the Dead Sea:

  1. Keep your face and hands dry in order to avoid burning your eyes
  2. Don’t shave for a few days leading up to your visit; even open cuts or sores will burn
  3. Wear water shoes because the sea bed is comprised of very sharp salt crystals.
  4. Rinse off as soon as possible to avoid irritating your skin or ruining your swimsuit or other clothing that got wet.

6 Interesting Dead Sea Facts That May Surprise You

While still somewhat mysterious, we do know quite a bit about the Dead Sea, and some of what we know may surprise you.

1. The Dead Sea isn’t a Sea

The Dead Sea is actually a lake. One reason it’s known as a sea is that early scholars mistranslated the Hebrew word for lake as sea. In Hebrew, the word for sea is ‘yam’, compared to the word for lake, which is ‘yamah’. This translation mistake has stuck with us in English and other languages right up to the present day.

It also may have been mistaken for a sea due to its unique features. It’s salty and since most lakes are freshwater, a large salty body of water could appear to be part of an ocean. Another reason why it appears to be a sea is that there are no outflows. The Jordan River flows into it, but similar to a sea, no water flows out.

2. The Dead Sea’s Shore is the Lowest Elevation on Land

The shores of the Dead Sea sit about 1,400 feet below sea level, making it Earth’s lowest elevation on land. The lake itself drops another 1,000 feet beneath the water’s surface, making it the deepest hypersaline lake in the world.

The Dead Sea is the lowest point on Earth that people can travel to and still be in open air.

The world’s lowest road, Israel’s Highway 90, runs along the shores of the Dead Sea.

3. It Spans Two Countries

The Dead Sea is bordered by both Israel and Jordan. The official border between the two countries directly bisects the middle of the lake. We floated on the Israeli side, but the lake is small enough that we could see the Jordanian mountains on the other side. It’s kind of wild to think you could float your way from Israel to Jordan.

4. The Dead Sea has Healing Properties

The Dead Sea area has become a haven for health research and potential treatments for several reasons. The water has very high mineral content, containing elements like magnesium, bromide and sodium, which are all great for the skin. The area also has higher atmospheric pressure, low levels of pollen and other allergens, and slightly higher oxygen content which can benefit people with respiratory conditions.

People rub mud from the Dead Sea on their skin as a treatment to make the skin healthier.

Finally even though its sunny year-round, many people believe the low elevation reduces the ultraviolet component of solar radiation, meaning it takes longer for the skin to burn here.

5. The Dead Sea is Receding

The Dead Sea is receding at a swift rate, with water levels dropping by three feet per year. For thousands of years, the lake has been losing its water content, with minerals becoming more and more concentrated. But in recent decades, the Dead Sea has been rapidly shrinking because of a diversion of incoming water from the Jordan River to the north. As the water level decreases, the characteristics of the lake and surrounding region may substantially change.

One affect this has had is the recent appearance of large sinkholes along the western shore—incoming freshwater dissolves the salt layers, rapidly creating subsurface cavities that subsequently collapse to form these sinkholes.

Salt crystallizes along the receding shores of the Dead Sea.

Israel and Jordan are currently working on a project to stabilize the falling levels of the Dead Sea by laying a water pipeline connecting it to the Red Sea.

6. The Area Around the Dead Sea Was Home to Ancient Religious Documents

In the late 1940s and early 1950s, hundreds of religious documents dated between 150 B.C. and 70 A.D. were found in caves near the northwestern shore of the Dead Sea. They became known as the Dead Sea Scrolls.

They include manuscripts or fragments of almost every book in the Hebrew Bible, all of them created nearly one thousand years earlier than any previously known biblical manuscripts.

Thanks to these remarkable finds, knowledge of Jewish society in Israel during the Hellenistic and Roman periods, has been greatly enriched.

Bottom Line

The Dead Sea is such a unique and interesting place. I’m so glad I was able to experience this mysterious natural wonder.

Trip Report Index

  1. Introduction and Planning
  2. The 7 Must Do Activities in Israel
  3. Dan Panorama Tel Aviv
  4. Dan Panorama Haifa
  5. Eight Lesser Known Activities Worth Doing in Israel
  6. Dan Panorama Jerusalem
  7. Masada
  8. My Dead Sea Experience and 6 Interesting Facts That May Surprise You
  9. Dan Panorama Eilat
  10. What and Where to Eat in Israel

The 7 Must Do Activities in Israel

By Leave a Comment

Israel is an amazing place to visit with so much to see and do. It’s religious and historical significance is very well known, but it also features an incredibly diverse climate, from deserts to beaches. I thoroughly enjoyed the two weeks I spent in Israel and experienced so many amazing things. If you’re planning a visit to Israel, these are the seven “must do” activities to add to your itinerary.

In This Post

Experience the Kotel (Western Wall)

Located in the Old City of Jerusalem, The Kotel, or Western Wall, is the most religious site in the world for the Jewish people. It also holds significant religious importance for other religions like Islam and Christianity. It’s the only surviving support wall from the second Jewish Temple.

Western Wall with Dome of the Rock Behind
The Western Wall with the Dome of the Rock showing in the background.

In the first century B.C., King Herod built the Temple Mount, which consisted of four support walls needed for the expansion of the Second Temple. The walls were built around the summit of Mount Moriah, where according to the bible, Abraham offered his son, Isaac, as a sacrifice. This location was the center of spiritual life for the Jewish people.

When the Romans destroyed the temple in 70 A.D., only the western support wall survived. After the temple was destroyed, Jewish people started praying at the Western Wall since this was the closest spot to the site of the original temple.

The Temple Mount is also a holy site for Muslims. In Muslim tradition, this is where the Prophet Mohammed made his “Night Journey” to the throne of God. In the seventh century, when the Muslims conquered Jerusalem, they built the Dome of the Rock, the gold-topped Islamic shrine seen in many iconic photographs of the Old City.

Even though I don’t consider myself a very religious person, visiting the Western Wall was powerful. If you’re in Jerusalem, it’s a must-see. It’s free to visit and open 24/7, but remember to dress modestly. That means men should cover their heads and women should cover their knees and shoulders.

Visit Yad Vashem

Yad Vashem is Israel’s official memorial to the victims of the Holocaust. The cornerstone of the memorial is the museum which is shaped like a triangular concrete prism cutting through the landscape like a knife.

The museum’s nondescript design was done with symbolic intention.

Architect Moshe Safdie designed this building with purposeful symbolism. The entrance is dark, reminding visitors of the darkness of the Holocaust. Once inside you notice that the museum is illuminated at its apex by a 656 foot-long skylight. Visitors will also notice the bright light coming from the exit and that the exit doesn’t seem very far away at all.

The museum is not very long but the path from beginning to end is not straightforward.

The light is a symbol of the hope Jews had during this terrible time. It’s also a symbol of the hope that Israelis have today for the future of the State of Israel. But the path to the light is not straightforward. Visitors must follow a preset route that weaves in and out of various rooms and galleries that branch off from the main hall. This again was done with purpose. It’s a reminder that reaching the light (the end of the Holocaust) wasn’t easy and had plenty of twists and turns.

Walking through the museum is powerful and although the topic is horrifying and difficult, it’s something every visitor to Israel should experience. What I particularly liked about Yad Vashem, is that they placed a lot of focus on families and the heroes of WWII, and not solely on the tragic events.

Some of the artifacts they have on display, however, are truly chilling. The one that sticks most in my mind is a German board game called “Jews Out!” In it, each player had figurines with large pointed hats meant to represent Jews, and the winner was the first person to remove all the figurines from the board. This was a disturbing example of the propaganda that taught young children about the Jewish people.

Yad Vashem is the second-most-visited Israeli tourist site, after the Western Wall, with approximately one million visitors each year. It does not charge a fee for admission and I would budget at least two hours to spend here.

Ascend Masada

Masada is an ancient stone fortress in Israel, located high above the Dead Sea on a tall, rocky mesa.

King Herod originally built Masada as a fortress and haven from enemies, complete with castle, storerooms, cisterns and a foreboding wall.

When the Great Revolt of the Jews against the Romans broke out in 66 A.D., a group of Jewish rebels took over the Masada complex. There, they held out for three years, raiding and harassing the Romans.

Although the rebels would not leave with their lives, Masada symbolizes the determination of the Jewish people to be free in its own land.

Visitors have two options to ascend Masada. If you like hiking, you have the option to climb more than 700 steps up the so-called Snake Path to reach the summit. If you opt for this method, you really need to start early in the morning—like when it’s still dark—in order to beat the oppressive summer heat.

The other option is by cable-car. This gets visitors to the top in a matter of minutes. In the summer, it’s often the only option as officials will close the hiking path for safety reasons.

Float in the Dead Sea

The activity I was most looking forward to in Israel was definitely floating in the Dead Sea. It’s such a unique and amazing body of water. Over the years, I’d heard many funny and interesting stories of people floating effortlessly—to the point where they could read a newspaper in the water. I couldn’t wait to experience it for myself.

Floating in the Dead Sea is easy and a bucket-list experience!

Since Masada overlooks the Dead Sea, people typically visit both on the same day. The Dead Sea is unlike any other body of water in the world. It is 34% salt, which is the reason why you can float without even trying. The Earth’s oceans contain around 3% salt, making the Dead Sea over 10 times more salty!

Read more about my experience at the Dead Sea and learn six interesting facts that may surprise you.

Shop at Outdoor Markets

Israel is home to many wonderful outdoor markets, called shuks. The best and most famous is Carmel Market in Tel Aviv. Here you’ll find vendor after vendor selling affordable produce, spices, nuts, snacks, clothes and souvenirs.

These gummies were made for Instagram!

Jerusalem also has a large shuk called Mahane Yehuda Market. This one is similar to the one in Tel Aviv, selling produce, spices, nuts, etc. However, it differs from Carmel Market, in that Mahane Yehuda has vendors that serve full meals like falafel and shawarma. There were also several vendors where you could stop for a cold beer.

Originally an open-air market, it’s now partially covered.
A beautiful assortment of dried fruits.

Hit the Beach

Israel has coastline bordering the Mediterranean, the Dead Sea, the Red Sea, and the Sea of Galilee. Some of the country’s best beaches are found in Tel Aviv, which has miles of coastline along the Mediterranean Sea. On most days, you’ll find people relaxing, sunbathing, swimming, picnicking and just enjoying the sun and surf.

Red Sea
Mediterranean
People enjoying a beach in Tel Aviv.

Get Active

If it’s an active vacation you want, Israel’s also got you covered. You can do any kind of water activity you can think of here. In the Mediterranean we took surf lessons and spent an hour trying to catch a wave. And in Eilat, some of our group enjoyed snorkeling in the Red Sea. You can also go scuba diving, waterskiing, paddleboarding, kayaking, whitewater rafting and lots more.

On land, you can go hiking in the mountains, ride camels through the desert or repel down a rock wall. The thrill seeker in your group won’t have any problems finding something to do!

Bottom Line

If you’re planning a trip to Israel, I highly recommend making time in your itinerary for these seven “must do” activities. Together, it’s a great mix of site seeing, history, religion, shopping, nature, relaxation and unforgettable experiences.

Trip Report Index

  1. Introduction and Planning
  2. The 7 Must Do Activities in Israel
  3. Dan Panorama Tel Aviv
  4. Dan Panorama Haifa
  5. Eight Lesser Known Activities Worth Doing in Israel
  6. Dan Panorama Jerusalem
  7. Masada
  8. My Dead Sea Experience and 6 Interesting Facts That May Surprise You
  9. Dan Panorama Eilat
  10. What and Where to Eat in Israel

Tucson: Illinois at Arizona Basketball Planning

By 1 Comment

My wife, Annie is a die-hard fan of her University of Arizona men’s basketball team. And I’m equally as big a fan of my University of Illinois team. So we were really excited to learn that our schools had agreed to play each other in basketball in 2019 and 2020. Our schools do not play each other often, so we knew we had to take this opportunity to see it in person. This year’s game is in Tucson on November 10.

Tucson Illinois at Arizona Basketball 2019 Planning

Arizona vs Illinois College Basketball History

These two schools have a storied history in college basketball. The University of Arizona owns the 14th most victories all-time, while the University of Illinois ranks 18th.

The two teams have been playing basketball since the early 1900s and yet have only played each other 14 times. Arizona currently owns bragging rights, winning 8 out of the 14 matchups. Arizona has won the last two meetings—a 2007 game in Chicago and a 2006 game in Phoenix.

But back in 2005, Illinois pulled off one of the most memorable comebacks in NCAA tournament history with a 90-89 overtime win to advance to the Final Four. The Illini came back from a 15-point deficit with only four minutes to go to force overtime and the eventual victory.

Illinois fans can re-live the comeback below (Arizona fans, please skip ahead):

During the 2000-2001 season, the teams squared off three times with Arizona taking the first game in Maui and the Illini returning the favor a few weeks later in Chicago. But the Wildcats got the last laugh, as they took down the one-seeded Illini 87-81 to advance to the Final Four.

For the first time in 12 years, our two schools are playing each other! We’re excited to visit Tucson, walk around campus, eat and drink at some of Annie’s favorite places and of course, attend this highly anticipated non-conference game.

For this quick trip, we’ll be spending two nights in Tucson and then driving to Phoenix. We’ll spend one night with family before heading back to Chicago.

Airfare

Annie and I have flown American Airlines to Tucson in the past and they have several flight options that work well with our schedule. Two tickets from Chicago to Tucson and Phoenix to Chicago in the main cabin are going for $870 total.

So I started reviewing our options to use points and/or miles instead of paying for airfare. We had two options involving American Airlines:

  1. Redeem American AAdvantage miles
  2. Redeem Chase Ultimate Rewards points and transferring to British Airways

American AAdvantage

The first, and most straightforward, option would be to redeem some of our American AAdvantage miles. If we use this option, American Airlines would charge us 12,500 miles per one-way ticket, or 50,000 miles in total for four one-way tickets.

Chase Ultimate Rewards

However, there was another interesting, and slightly more complex option—use Chase Ultimate Rewards points. British Airways is a Chase transfer partner and so we could transfer some of our Chase points to British Airways Avios program. But how would that help us fly American Airlines from Chicago to Tucson and from Phoenix to Chicago?

British Airways and American Airlines are partners via the OneWorld alliance. That means you can redeem British Airways Avios miles for flights on American Airlines. What’s great about this option is that British Airways uses a distance-based rewards chart to determine how many miles you need to redeem for a given flight. This creates some sweet spots where the same flight can cost less miles when booking through British Airways then through American Airlines.

Chicago to Tucson is 1,437 miles and Phoenix to Chicago is 1,440 miles. Flights in that distance range fall into Band 3 on the British Airways rewards chart. Prior to May 30, 2019, Band 3 flights cost 10,000 British Airways miles. Beginning May 30, 2019, redemptions for Band 3 flights went up to 11,000 miles. So a round-trip flight booked on or after May 30 would cost you 22,000 miles—which is better than using 25,000 American AAdvantage miles.

When it’s time to book the flights, I’ll do some calculations to determine whether it’s a better deal to book the flights using American AAdvantage miles or British Airways Avios miles via Chase Ultimate Rewards.

Hotel

For hotels in Tucson, there’s only two we’re looking at. We want to be as close to campus as possible so that we can walk to restaurants, bars, and the basketball game. There’s also a vibe you get when you stay close to campus that you don’t get when you stay a few miles away. The options are the Aloft Tucson University and the Tucson Marriott University Park.

We stayed at the Aloft once before. It’s a newer hotel, built in 2013 and we had a pleasant stay there several years ago. It’s located on the northwestern edge of campus and is close to the basketball stadium. The Marriott is on the east side of campus, but more in the heart of everything then the Aloft is. Not only is it on campus, it’s very close to several popular bars and restaurants.

Even though we’ve read that the Marriott is old and in need of a renovation, I think it’s likely we’re going to give it a try on this visit. We like the idea of being on campus and since we’re only staying two nights, if the rooms are in terrible condition, at least it’s only two nights.

Car Rental

Finding a cheap rental has been difficult. It could be due to high demand during this time of year. It’s also partly because we’re picking up the car in Tucson and returning in Phoenix. Many car rental companies will assess a one-time drop charge or mileage charge in addition to the rental rate on one-way rentals. Whenever I search for rental cars, I always start with the car rental companies themselves. I also always check Costco Travel and the Chase Ultimate Rewards and American Express travel portals.

The next post will detail which airfare, hotel and car rentals I booked and how we saved over one thousand dollars!

Trip Report Index

  1. Introduction and Planning
  2. Using Points and Miles to get to Tucson
  3. Tucson Marriott University Park
  4. Illinois vs Arizona Basketball Game