Wednesday, February 28, 2018

Get Ready for Spring with a Windfall of Cash

Who isn’t looking for extra cash? Bills come in everyday, but how often does money?

Here’s one way to fatten your bank account, and it doesn’t involve weight-loss fads, clothing and jewelry pyramid schemes, or convincing your friends their eyelashes aren’t long enough.

In the months up until now, I’ve been talking about earning some cash back by using the Dosh application.

Once you sign up, enter your credit card, and make a purchase in a store or restaurant, you can get a few dollars back with Dosh.

Last month, I even discussed how I had not only earned $30 (with the $25 bonus you get for your first hotel booking), but I was able to get a great last minute deal on a hotel while I waited for the American Airlines agent to get my boarding ticket for the next day printed.

Since that time, I’ve been hearing a lot of something else people are doing with Dosh – making big bucks through their referral program. This isn’t $30 or $40 a month, this can be thousands of dollars.

Nothing comes totally for free, so you’ll have to put in a little more effort for this, but it doesn’t require any special training and doesn’t cost you a penny to do. There’s nothing at all to purchase.

Here’s how it works…

1. Click here on your smartphone to download the free Dosh application. It is available in IOS (Apple) and Google Play stores.

2. On the left side of the app, click on the little figure next to DOSH. Then, press “Credit & Debit Cards.”

3. Add in at least one credit card or debit card. This will give you your $5 welcome bonus. It will also make sure you’ll get your automatic cash back if you use any of those cards in a Dosh restaurant or store. (Papa John’s at 5% back, and Chilis at 7% back are two of the latest additions.)

4. Finally, Look for the 📣 at the bottom of the main page of the app. Click on it to get your own unique referral code. Copy the code.


That code is the key to earning unlimited funds. Take that code, exactly like it is, and pass it along. Message it to your friends, put it on Facebook, Tweet it out, email it to everyone you know. It doesn’t matter how you do it, just that you do.

Once your friends download the Dosh application and add in a debit or credit card, they get $5 and you get $5. During special promotions (usually a week a month), Dosh will even give you an additional $5 per referral.

There is no limit to how many people you can refer to Dosh. Before you know it, you may be joining Maya in the $20,000+ club.


This is a sponsored post

Thursday, February 22, 2018

Discovering Green Bay, Wisconsin

I am not a big football fan, so it seemed odd to many that I would be so anxious to explore the Packers’ Titletown, but when I had the opportunity to spend the weekend checking out this new section of Green Bay, Wisconsin, and stay at a new Kohler hotel, I was ready, willing, and able.

Titletown just opened last summer and will continue to add venues, all directly across the street from Lambeau Field. The idea is to give visitors something beyond the game to enjoy when coming to this area of town.

I took an early morning flight to Green Bay and arrived just three hours later, even with my plane change in Chicago.

My first stop was my home for the weekend and the anchor of Titletown: AAA Four Diamond Lodge Kohler.

I’ve stayed at The American Club at Kohler, Wisconsin, so I knew how luxurious this brand was, but I wasn’t quite sure until I arrived how they fit that in the football phenomenon of the Green Bay Packers.

Since my friend, Rich, wasn’t joining me wasn’t arriving until evening, I had plenty of time to find out.

I checked into my Lambeau Suite.
It was everything I expected from Kohler – spacious, well-appointed, and with a spectacular shower system.

It was also directly overlooking the famous stadium.

After freshening up, I went downstairs for a tour of the property.

I saw how they incorporated the team across the street, through color combinations, official photographs, and even memorabilia from the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame in the lobby.

From the lobby you can also access a patio, where tailgating for hotel guests is encouraged on game day.

This is true throughout the hotel, including at the bar of Taverne in the Sky Restaurant, and in the larger suites, which have impressive patios overlooking Lambeau Field, which even include barbecues.

I also had a quick look at the spa I would be going to later in the day, as well as the fitness center, indoor pool, and restaurant spaces.

After the tour, I walked right next door to Hinterland Brewery, also part of Titletown.

While this brewery is not new to the area, this Titletown location includes both an expanded brewery and a farm-to-table restaurant.

The menu was tough to choose from, but I made the right decision in the Luna Stout BBQ Pork, which was flavorful and tender.

It came with a tasty kale-apple slaw and house made potato chips.

I didn’t finish the large portion because I had glanced and the dessert menu and knew I had to try something there.

I was again faced with a tough decision, I took the waitress’s recommendation and ordered the Luna Stout Peanut Butter Brownie, served with sea salt caramel ice cream.

It too was a big portion and I put half the brownie aside to take back to the hotel.

Before I left Hinterland, I took a tour of their impressive brewery. It’s quite a setup, with computerized equipment and a state-of-the-art tap system.

I saw where the beer is kegged, canned, and bottled, and some of it even barreled. (Tours are available to the public on Saturdays.)

When I arrived back to the hotel it was time for my spa treatment.

I had chosen Lavender Rain, one of the signature treatments of Lodge Kohler Spa.

It started with a lavender scrub, followed by a Vichy shower, then a scalp and facial massage, and, finally, a body oil rub.

After the treatment, I was also treated to a pedicure, before I went into the Deep Relaxation Room to rest while my toes dried.

I felt heavenly when I got back to the room and it was good that I had some time to rest before dinner.

Lodge Kohler provides complimentary local transportation, so we had them take us to the other side of Lambeau Field, where we were having dinner at 1919 Kitchen & Tap on this blustery evening.

This oversized sports bar has an impressive menu and I again asked for the server’s advice, although we knew we wanted to start with the Parmesan-Breaded Cheese Curds, which came with a buttermilk parsley dressing.

Those were fantastic, as was my Hickory Smoked Ribs, which came with beans, cornbread, coleslaw, and mac and cheese, none of which I could finish.

Rich loved the 1919 Steak Plate, choosing the center cut sirloin, with potatoes, beans, and a Chevre cheese butter.

Of course, we couldn’t leave without dessert, and decided to share two: Brandy Cheesecake and Apple Crisp. The cheesecake was good, but very sweet.

The Apple Crisp was just fantastic, with a cheese streusel and pumpkin ice cream, covered in a pumpkin caramel sauce.

After dinner we headed back to Lodge Kohler. We had much more ahead in our Titletown weekend.


Continue the story with Day Two in Green Bay

Friday, February 16, 2018

Underground Trams and Ziplines in Louisville

It had been a busy and fun-filled three days in Louisville. The first annual Bourbon and Beyond Festival had been a blast, and we really enjoyed the downtown attractions when we first arrived.

We had another great breakfast in the Executive Lounge of the Louisville Marriott East and packed up to go.

Before we left Kentucky we had one more unique place to go, Mega Caverns, where you can take a tram ride and go ziplining underground.

Mega Cavern claims to be the only place in the world with underground ziplines and I have yet to see any place argue that point.

It’s certainly a unique attraction that shouldn’t be missed.

Brittany and Jamie went ahead to complete the Mega Quest rope course and do the ziplines underground. I started a bit later for the tram ride, which took me through the caves.

It was a unique experience since these caverns are about more than scenery of the caves and undersea fossils. They have been used for practical purposes, such as s
torage and bomb shelters.

The two other things offered here we did not do, although we got a little preview.

The Fat Tire Bicycle trails looked like a lot of fun.

Also, during the holidays, you can drive your car through these caverns and see all the Christmas lights and decorations.

I would like to thank Go To Louisville tourism for helping to arrange this trip.

We are hoping to be back in September 2018 to once again cover Bourbon and Beyond, and to see much more of this wonderful city.


Thursday, February 8, 2018

More Stars Come Out at Bourbon and Beyond

We enjoyed a nice spread in the executive lounge at the Marriott East Louisville before loading up on sunblock and thin clothing.

Day two of the Bourbon & Beyond Festival in Louisville, Kentucky, played out quite different than the first. I was able to catch up on the food and bourbon aspects of the event, as well as hear some more incredible music.

I met up with Dan Cohen of Jim Beam first thing in the morning. Although bourbon is in the title of the festival, I hadn’t had any to try yet. He brought Brittany, Jamie, and me over to the Beam setup behind the stage for a tasting.

They were showing off Jim Beam and Jim Beam Black (I had hoped to try the Vanilla, but it wasn’t available yet). Black is a bit smoother and more taste-filled than the original. It’s aged longer, but in white oak, so it’s flavors of vanilla and caramel are more blended.

Beam was also mixing to cocktails backstage for the VIPs and performers, the Jim Beam Black Smash (Jim Beam Black, Mint, lemon, simple syrup) and the Jim Beam Arnold Palmer (Jim Beam Black, lemonade, iced tea). They were both quite refreshing in what was already becoming another hot one.

The first act of the day was one I was really looking forward to when I saw his name on the performer list. I knew and enjoyed Kiefer Sutherland as an actor in shows such as 24 and Designated Survivor, but I didn’t know he was also a singer songwriter.

In fact, Sutherland surprised us all with his rockabilly country. He was also a very gracious performer, constantly thanking the audience for coming to see him.

I really was hoping to interview him, but he was in a hurry to get back to Los Angeles to film for Designated Survivor and only did one interview, a video for The Daily Beast.

I caught some of the Johnny Lang performance before focusing more on the drink. There had been bourbon seminars taking place all weekend for free. I went over to see “The New Age of Bourbon.”

It was quite interesting, whether or not you had a lot of knowledge on the spirit, to listen to Corky Taylor (Kentucky Peerless), Kaveh Zamanian (Rabbit Hole), and Fred Minnick, author, Whiskey Women, Bourbon Curious and Bourbon: The Rise, Fall and Rebirth of An American Whiskey).

I enjoyed listening to these men discuss the changed in Kentucky bourbon over the years and the comradery of the competitors in the field.

I then made my way into the VIP Tent to escape the sun. There was a large screen in there showing the main stage and Chicago Blues performer Buddy Guy was playing.

I decided it was a great time to sit and watch a few songs. Guy was spot on as usual.

While I was doing all this walking around, Brittany and Jamie were on their on quest on the grounds for their ideal lunch. With so much food offered it was hard to choose. They came back to the press area with some lunch from the trucks, including two types of chicken wings, and boiled shrimp from Big Easy Boil.

The Bourbon Glazed Wings, from Boss Hog's BBQ, were the winner. It was unfortunate that we couldn’t get to sample more of the food during the festival.

We walked around and saw some of the tents we didn’t catch the day before, such as the chance to record a song, smokeless tobacco offerings, and more handmade goods.
We also witness quite a line at the cooling stations, but we decided to take off for a bit and find some real cooling, as in air conditioning.

An Uber driver suggested Comfy Cow a few miles away. The ice cream was delicious and the chance to sit in ac for a while was priceless.

The three of us returned to see the final cooking demonstration of the festival, “Love and Fried Chicken” with Carla Hall

The author and star of The Chew turned the demonstration into a lot of fun for those in the crowd, and especially for those who were able to go up and taste.

The grounds were filling up quickly for Stevie Nicks. I had never seen her before and was pretty excited myself. We were thankful for the bleachers in the VIP area as it was tight standing room on the grass.

She sang all her hits, including “Gypsy” one of my favorites, “Landslide”. She also did a heartfelt rendition of the song she created with Tom Petty, “Stop Draggin My Heart Around.” He shockingly died about a week later.

Before we left Bourbon & Beyond we bought a few baked goods from Sugar Daddy’s.

 Despite a few first-year glitches, the Bourbon & Beyond Festival ranks among the best I’ve been to. The gathering of talent, food, and drink was a brilliant idea. Chances are pretty good I’ll be back for more in 2018. It's something every music and food lover should put on their schedule. 

Although the festival was over, we still had one more day to enjoy Louisville before heading home.

On stage photos by Brittany Lambright. 

Check out my videos from Bourbon & Beyond on my YouTube Channel