Photography – Page 2 – TORsAdventures

Consumer Electronics Show – CES – 2025

January 23, 2025February 23, 2025

The Consumer Electronics Show – CES in Las Vegas with Delta Air Lines!

I got up super early and flew in just for the day, I was invited by Delta Air Lines and they also gave me a ticket for the CES 2025 show. Ed Bastian, the CEO for Delta Air Lines, was scheduled to deliver a keynote speech and I was one of the lucky people invited to the event. But more on that later, when I got to MDW I was pleasantly greeted with the sight of the new lounge and boy I am excited! This is a part of the Priority Pass family and I was able to get access thanks to my Platinum American Express card. That card also got me into many Delta Air Line lounges last year too! That is now limited to 10 days per year.

There was a very cool integration with Delta Air Lines and CES, I was able to pick up my conference credentials at the airport and get a Delta Air Lines goodie bag! I then quickly jumped into an Uber and arrived at the show and was able to explore until 3pm when I was told to arrive at the Sphere. It was fun to meet up with 2 Delta Air Lines employees who were also in town for the keynote. They were a part of the 1000 employees that were invited to attend. I got my ticket from the Skymiles Life Facebook Group. I highly recommend everyone sign up for the FREE group and all the amazing travel advice that comes from the travel community.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/skymileslife

As an Delta Air Lines Reserve American Express cardholder I was granted access to a private lounge where they had heavy appetizers and drinks with a flight theme! The signature drink featured clouds and a metal airplane stirrer. The highlight was the engraved luggage tags made out of a Delta Air Lines Boeing 747 airplane! All of us were waiting in line so long that the employees recognized the problem and found a solution so we could all enjoy the beginning of the keynote. They gave us the option to pick them up at a specific merchandise booth after the keynote was complete. Thank you to who ever thought of that!

During the keynote at CES, Delta Air Lines unveiled so many things aimed at enhancing the travel experience. Here are the top five highlights: 4K HDR In-Flight Entertainment, AI-Powered Concierge Service, Enhanced In-Flight Connectivity, Exclusive SkyMiles Member Benefits and Sustainable Aviation Initiatives.

Christmas in New York City!

January 3, 2025February 7, 2025

This year was extra special because I bought myself my own set of skates for the first time in 20 years! A couple of years ago, I woke up Christmas morning in NYC and went skating at the Rockefeller rink under the iconic tree! Well that was fun for about 5 minutes until my feet hurt in the rentals. I didn’t feel steady, and couldn’t do anything I wanted to do. So fast forward a few years later, and I am presented with the opportunity to go to NYC again for another Christmas trip. I got the idea to go skating again, but didn’t have my own skates. This is where the ultimate Christmas gift I always wanted under the tree, a brand new pair of figure skates, that were actually big enough for my big feet. A 10 wide … yes … not exactly common. I know I was forced to shove my feet into skates that were too small just because that’s the only thing my parents would buy for me.

When it came to finding my skates, I chose a brand that was around when I was a kid and is still thriving today. Riedell was a sure bet to me and it paid off. I LOVE my skates, they were an awesome price at around $200, and came with some professional parts, like the flex notch for added comfort in bending my knees. Mine are not available anymore but here are ones that are comparable in price.

The Sky Club and flight there were great as usual with my favorite airline Delta. I have totally become a Delta girl since 2013 when I started flying them almost exclusively. I have the American Express Delta Reserve card and it comes in handy when I want to visit any Sky Club. I know the rules are changing in 2025, but I still find a lot of value from the card. With the $650 annual fee, its not for everyone, but for someone who travels alone a lot it has been nice. Also, it was Christmas Eve when I flew in and I wanted to spread a little joy while I traveled to meet my friend who was flying in on a different flight that was also booked with Delta Skymiles.

We were staying at the Hilton Midtown booked with points …. Obviously! 87,900 to be exact, to some this might be a lot of points, but for me its a great way to spend some points and quality time in New York City. We used the $35.00 per person credit for a few drinks at the bar, then took a bottle on champagne to go see the Rockefeller tree at midnight. Did you know that people gather and count down just like New Years Eve?

But before any of that, I had 1 thing on my to do list … Visit the new Louis Vuitton store that was built while they complete construction on the permanent location across the street! I was super excited to see all the displays and the previous designs along side their modern day counterparts.

Photography

Los Angeles – Points Meet Up

December 10, 2024March 8, 2025

Ashley and I are off on another weekend adventure thanks to all those points and miles! This time we are going to Los Angeles by way of Atlanta for a points and miles meet up, then an amazing studio tour of the Warner Brothers lot on Sunday. We took a super early flight from Chicago but the plan was that it gave us more time in the California sun!

After we landed in LAX we took the shuttle over to the Hilton at the LAX airport, dropped off our bags and then took a Uber – Lyft to the Santa Monica Pier. Thats where we were meeting another friend that also flew in from Chicago for the meet up. She had a car and we all headed over to the Kung Pao Bistro in West Hollywood. Frank the owner was so nice to let us have a meet up there. I found out all of this from a podcast I love called “Let’s Get to the Points”. If you want to check out either the restaurant other podcast the links are below.

https://www.letsgettothepoints.com

https://www.kungpaobistro.com

At the meet up, I was able to see people that I had met via Instagram in real life. That is my favorite part, to put a face to the usernames and their tiny profiles photos. Some people I met in real life back in 2021 and I feel privileged to have friends that are all over the world and travel as much as possible. While I was at the meet up with all of my points and miles friends, Ashley went and walked around the Hollywood walk of fame. She had never had the opportunity to see the famous Hollywood Walk of Fame!

Ashley and I met back up and caught a ride back to the hotel with my friend Kurnal. Who in true points fashion flew in for the day, rented a car, and went to explore LA before the meet up. This is the best way to maximize your points and not pay for a hotel room. We did that with our flight home that did not leave until 12:15am Monday morning. Mind you we flew in at 9am on Saturday.

We were up bright and early on Sunday and decided to hit the hot tub before a very long day ahead. We were talking about how crazy it was going to be to spend almost $50.00 each way to and from the Warner Brothers Studios. I was thinking and Kurnal who had rented the car the day before. Next thing you know I am looking on the Hertz app and yelling out prices. We started at around $92 and ended up paying $77 for the booking. The key is put in for 24 hours even if you don’t need it. With my Presidents Circle status we were able to have our pick of them all! Shelby GT500, BMW, convertible Mustang and a convertible Camaro that we ultimately chose. Man, talk about regretting my choice and cars I will never buy. I should have turned around and went back for the Shelby but next time I know better. I was just all excited about driving a car type that I had never driven before. Oh well, there is always next time.

Warner Brothers Studio and the tour of the active sets was amazing! The show All American, set! WOW I was in their house like in the living room…. I still can’t get over how much fun that really was. There is so much to talk about that is going to get its own post so you can read about all the activity options.

Warner Brothers Studio Lot Tour

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