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Extortion
Here's just a list of fees NW will charge if you're not careful:
- curbside check-in: $2 plus tip (for what?!?!)
- in-plane meal: snack for a $1, sandwich for $5. They bring them around BEFORE...
Here's just a list of fees NW will charge if you're not careful:
- curbside check-in: $2 plus tip (for what?!?!)
- in-plane meal: snack for a $1, sandwich for $5. They bring them around BEFORE they bring the drinks out. Our flight was 7 hours long, and they still didn't feed the passengers, although they pushed the $5 soggy sandwiches very arduously.
- $3 earphones (to avoid this, bring along your iPod earphones).
I understand that they are undergoing bancruptcy. What I don't understand is why they treat people like cattle.
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Best airport I'd been to
Oh, my, I'd never raved about an airport before! Well, here I go :)
After you go through security, you can go in to the inner gardens: Chinese and Japanese. They are honest-to-goodness open-air...
Oh, my, I'd never raved about an airport before! Well, here I go :)
After you go through security, you can go in to the inner gardens: Chinese and Japanese. They are honest-to-goodness open-air botanical gardens, complete with plant info, waterfalls, pools with koi fish, pagodas, little bridges, gazebos, and benches.
We had 4 hours to wait before the flight. We sat in the Japanese garden, gazing at the waterfall and fielding calls from home. Best pre-flight time ever!
Ah, also, you can't bring any plant life through security - but if you hoped to grow any Hawaiian orchids at home, you can buy them, cleared for the plane, after the security checkpoint. So neat!
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Architecture tour and speed boat ride
We took the combined tour of the river and the lakefront. You get a little splashed on the speed boat ride, and the view is what you'd expect the view of Chicago from lakefront to be. Getting into...
We took the combined tour of the river and the lakefront. You get a little splashed on the speed boat ride, and the view is what you'd expect the view of Chicago from lakefront to be. Getting into the river takes a few minutes, since there are locks to get into (I never knew!) The tour itself is quite informative, and the staff are very friendly, and can even steer the boat toward something if you are expecially interested in a close-up picture, which they will also gladly take. On a hot summer day they also gave out water to everyone on the boat! I learnt quite a bit on the tour, and for new visitors it is a great way see the city!
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Lotsa pineapple
A nice place to stop during the drive from North Shore. The plateau otherwise is really boring - all you see is growing pineapple!
They have some decent pineapple soft-serve ice-cream, you can get...
A nice place to stop during the drive from North Shore. The plateau otherwise is really boring - all you see is growing pineapple!
They have some decent pineapple soft-serve ice-cream, you can get coconut shavings or pineapple chunks on top. Everything else is pineapple too: including popcorn. They have some jewelry stands as well, by local artists, I guess.
The Maze is 8 feet tall, and you can ask for a map (we didn't try - we didn't have the coupon for free entrance at the time).
Oh, and they have tons of info on pineapples. None of it useful (i.e. there's no way to choose a ripe pineapple judging from outside), but if you just like to be educated...
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Good riding
We went horseback riding here (1-hour ride). Very calm horses, guides spoke Japanese, and the trail was pretty, with the view of Chinaman's Hat and ocean.
Otherwise - totally nose-to-tail walking....
We went horseback riding here (1-hour ride). Very calm horses, guides spoke Japanese, and the trail was pretty, with the view of Chinaman's Hat and ocean.
Otherwise - totally nose-to-tail walking.
We couldn't get a reservation for anything but 8am, but when we got there at 10, we found out one can get a ride that day, if they just wait for a spot - those seem easily available, given that it's so far from Waikiki.
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Definitely worth the money!
Yes, it's expensive. Especially with the dolphin experience. We cut that part out, and that made the entire thing affordable - I'm so glad we went even like that! As you come in in the morning, they...
Yes, it's expensive. Especially with the dolphin experience. We cut that part out, and that made the entire thing affordable - I'm so glad we went even like that! As you come in in the morning, they have complimentary coffee and juices sitting out at the entrance; while you are walking in, there's a photographer to take your complimentary picture (and a good one). They offer as much SFP lotion and towels as anyone might want, you get masks for snorkeling and wetsuits, the showers are equipped with everything (and you WILL want to use those after swimming in salty water). Food at lunch is plentiful and pretty good, considering it's a zoo.
Regarding animals experience - do try to get in on the feedings: they feed rays randomly through the day (with raw fish, which the fishes in the same pool also try to get - I got bitten slightly), and birds in the aviary - almost constantly. The reef snorkeling is gorgeous, you'll want an underwater camera. They do sell them for $20 in the shop, but if you can get a postcard referral (they give 2 per person as you are exiting the park, so if you don't have friends who went, just ask anyone leaving a day before you go), this will be free!
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Spacious, but the management and fees...
First of all, every change in managment conveniently "forgets" what the deals offered by the previous shift were. Everything has to be in writing, and every check has to be tracked down. Their...
First of all, every change in managment conveniently "forgets" what the deals offered by the previous shift were. Everything has to be in writing, and every check has to be tracked down. Their advertising is also not very true - on top of the "1 month free rent" if you sing up early, there's a $275 "remodeling fee" PER PERSON (that's $825 for a 3-bedroom apartment!). Remodeling consists of re-painting the wall, which they should do on their own anyhow. Otherwise, a bus to and from campus, swans on the lake, fountain as well, spacious kitchens... Nice place.
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Greedy and stupid
Make no mistake about it - this is the place that makes NO repairs to anything. None whatsoever, unless you actually draw up the legal claim and promise to take it to court. The airheads in the...
Make no mistake about it - this is the place that makes NO repairs to anything. None whatsoever, unless you actually draw up the legal claim and promise to take it to court. The airheads in the office know nothing of anything at all, the company that owns the washers and dryers in this place is totally a separate entity (and a pain to get your card deposit back from - I never did, and I sent 3 cards back!) Once, I had a heating unit, that was taken out of one aparment, sitting outside of my door for a month. I finally emailed the head office of AIMCO, and someone kicked the administrator of Williamsburg by the Wabash, but Goodness was it a pain! After they raised their rent, I wan't sorry to say farewell...
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OK apartments close to campus
Crestview owns buildings at different sites, but they are all quite close to campus. One problematic part is that the below-the-ground aparments are quite scary, especially the studios. My...
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