The Boynton Canyon Trail and Subway Cave in Sedona Arizona

 

Boynton Canyon Trail in Sedona Arizona

If you're visiting Sedona, Arizona, one of the best hikes in the area is Boynton Canyon Trail. It's located about 10–15 minutes outside downtown Sedona and roughly an hour from Flagstaff. The hike is approximately 6–7 miles round trip, depending on where you turn around, and takes about 3–4 hours to complete. It's considered a moderate hike, although most of the trail isn't particularly difficult. The scenery is fantastic, with massive red sandstone cliffs, beautiful desert landscapes, and some pretty incredible views of the surrounding mountains.

Getting to the trailhead is easy. Boynton Canyon Road is paved all the way to the parking lot, so you won't need a truck or SUV. Any regular car can make the drive. There's a decent amount of parking at the trailhead, along with additional roadside parking nearby, although it can fill up quickly on weekends. You'll generally need a Red Rock Pass or an accepted federal recreation pass to park. You can park a bit further down to avoid paying for parking, but that may have changed. The trail is also close to the Thunder Mountain trail system, so there are several other hiking options in the area if you want to explore more of Sedona.

There are also a couple of interesting caves in this area worth checking out. The most famous is Subway Cave, which is accessible from an unmarked side trail off Boynton Canyon Trail. It's an impressive rock formation that looks a little like a subway tunnel carved into the sandstone. This was our turn around point. Getting up into the cave requires some scrambling over steep rock, so it's not something everyone will want to attempt. Another popular destination nearby is Birthing Cave, a large cave with a spectacular view of the surrounding red rocks. Birthing Cave is actually off the neighboring Long Canyon Trail, rather than the main Boynton Canyon Trail, but it's close enough to visit while exploring the area. Both caves involve some steep, rocky sections, so be careful, especially near the exposed ledges.

Boynton Canyon is dog-friendly, which is another reason I recommend it. Dogs are allowed on the main trail as long as they're kept on a leash. Most of the hike is manageable for active dogs, although I wouldn't recommend taking them up the more difficult rock scrambles into the caves. The trail itself can be a little crumbly in spots, with loose rocks, uneven surfaces, and some narrow sections. I wouldn't recommend it for really small kids, people who have trouble walking on uneven ground, or older hikers with mobility issues. It's definitely not stroller-friendly. With that said, if you're reasonably active and have decent hiking shoes, most of the main trail shouldn't give you too much trouble.

One thing to keep in mind is the weather. Sedona can get really hot during the summer, and the exposed first half of this trail doesn't provide much protection from the sun. Bring plenty of water, sunscreen, and a hat. This is a great winter hike. Sedona generally has fairly mild winter weather compared to Flagstaff, and daytime temperatures can be perfect for hiking. You'll still want to check the forecast because it occasionally snows, and shaded sections can get icy. Spring and fall are also excellent times to visit, although you'll probably encounter more hikers.

After finishing the hike, I recommend stopping at The Hudson restaurant in Sedona. It's a little pricey, but the food and drinks are excellent, and they have a fantastic outdoor deck overlooking Sedona's red rock scenery. It's a great place to relax with a drink and something to eat after spending a few hours hiking. If you're making a full day out of your visit, another place worth checking out is nearby Slide Rock State Park in Oak Creek Canyon. It's one of the most popular attractions around Sedona, with beautiful canyon scenery, natural rock waterslides, and swimming areas. The water can be freezing during the winter, but it's still a beautiful place to walk around and take photos.

Boynton Canyon Trail Map 

Boynton Canyon Trail 

Subway Cave at Boynton Canyon 

Boynton Canyon Trail, Sedona Arizona

Boynton Canyon Trail 

The Subway Cave 

Boynton Canyon Trail, Sedona Arizona

Subway Cave in Sedona Arizona

The Subway Cave Sedona

Boynton Canyon Trail 

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Visiting Spain: An Easy and Affordable European Vacation

 

Plaza de Espana, Seville Spain

One of the great things about living in Southern California is that you can find inexpensive round-trip flights to Europe from LAX in Los Angeles. I've booked round-trip flights to Madrid, Barcelona, Prague, Geneva, Rome, Venice, Paris, and Amsterdam for around $500. It's pretty common to find discounted flights if you book about six months in advance. I'll typically start checking in February for flights in September. I've flown several different airlines and never had any major issues. Iberia, Swiss, Lufthansa, and British Airways have all proven to be reliable.

So where should you go? It depends on what you want to do. If you've never been to Europe, I would probably recommend avoiding Paris for your first trip. I really enjoyed Paris, but it was more of a hassle than most European cities, and you're more likely to run into problems. You need to pre-purchase tickets for many attractions, there are lines for everything, there are scams to look out for, and it's crowded and huge. Alternatively, I found Madrid to be much less stressful. We never waited more than 15 minutes for anything in Madrid. We walked right into most churches and museums without a line. It was always easy to find a spot outside to sit down and eat. The weather is generally sunnier and more predictable in Spain, and people seemed to be friendlier and more helpful. Madrid is also connected to Spain's excellent high-speed train network. You can catch a train and visit a ton of other awesome cities like Toledo, Córdoba, Seville, Málaga, Segovia, and Barcelona. Salamanca is another great option, although the train connections aren't quite as convenient.

If you had 10 days to travel, I would recommend going in late September. The weather is usually still warm, but you're avoiding some of the extreme summer heat. You can fly in and out of Madrid, spending three nights in Madrid, two nights in Córdoba, and three nights in Seville before taking the train back to Madrid for your final night. You won't need to rent a car for any of this trip. All three cities have walkable historic centers, and the high-speed trains make getting between them really easy.

Madrid is a great place to start because there's so much to see within walking distance. The Royal Palace is enormous and one of the most impressive buildings in Spain. Right next to it is the Almudena Cathedral, which is worth visiting. You can walk through Plaza Mayor, explore the old streets around Puerta del Sol, or spend a few hours at Retiro Park, which has beautiful gardens, fountains, and a large lake. You can even rent bicycles near the park and ride around its paved paths, which is a great way to see everything. Madrid also has some of the best museums in Europe, including the Prado Museum, with famous paintings by Goya, Velázquez, and El Greco. Another museum worth visiting is the Reina Sofía, which houses Picasso's enormous painting Guernica. The painting depicts the horrors of war following the bombing of a Spanish town by German and Italian aircraft during the Spanish Civil War in 1937. It's one of the most famous war paintings in the world. Make sure to stop at Mercado de San Miguel, a beautiful historic market that operates like an upscale food court with dozens of vendors selling Spanish food, seafood, pastries, and drinks. My favorite spot in Madrid is the Chocolatería San Ginés, which has been serving its famous churros with thick hot chocolate since 1894. Madrid stays busy late into the evening, and there's always something going on.

Córdoba is only about two hours from Madrid by high-speed train, and it's one of the most beautiful cities in Spain. The biggest attraction is the Mosque-Cathedral, an enormous building that was originally a mosque and later converted into a Catholic cathedral. The interior is incredible, with hundreds of arches and columns. You can also explore the Alcázar de los Reyes Cristianos, walk across the ancient Roman Bridge, and wander through the narrow streets of the old Jewish Quarter. Much of the historic center feels like you've stepped back hundreds of years. Córdoba is also famous for its huge stone walls, beautiful flower-filled patios, traditional Andalusian restaurants, and small plazas. It's a smaller city than Madrid or Seville, which makes it really easy to explore on foot. Two nights gives you plenty of time to see the main attractions without rushing.

Seville is about 45 minutes from Córdoba by high-speed train and is easily one of the most beautiful cities in Spain, and one of my top 5 favorite cties in the world. The historic center is packed with incredible architecture, enormous churches, narrow streets, and outdoor restaurants. The Seville Cathedral is one of the largest churches in the world, and you can climb the Giralda tower for fantastic views of the city. The cathedral is also filled with incredible artwork, including paintings by famous Spanish artists like Murillo, Goya, and Zurbarán. There are hundreds of historic paintings inside, making it almost like visiting an art museum inside an enormous cathedral. You can also see the tomb of Christopher Columbus. Right next door is the Royal Alcázar, a beautiful palace complex with gardens, fountains, and detailed Moorish architecture. Plaza de España is another place you shouldn't miss. It's a massive semicircular plaza surrounded by beautiful buildings, bridges, and a canal. You can also walk along the Guadalquivir River, explore the old Santa Cruz neighborhood, or head across the river to Triana for restaurants, bars, and flamenco shows. Seville has excellent nightlife, and the streets and outdoor restaurants stay busy well into the night. Three nights is a good amount of time to explore the city and enjoy it without feeling rushed.

The best part about this route is that you're visiting three very different cities without spending a lot of time traveling between them. Madrid gives you the big-city experience with incredible museums, nightlife, and restaurants. Córdoba has a smaller, medieval atmosphere with some amazing historic buildings. Seville has a little of everything, with beautiful architecture, lively neighborhoods, and plenty to do at night. You can easily do the entire trip by train, and you won't have to worry about driving, parking, or renting a car. All 3 cities have affordable options for hostels, hotels and Airbnbs. I’ve had great luck using Airbnb in Spain and have stayed in some amazing places. For someone visiting Europe for the first time, I think this is one of the easiest and most enjoyable trips you can take.

 

10 Day Spain Route by Train

Guernica 

Cordoba Spain

The Mosque-Cathedral of Cordoba

Plaza Mayor, Madrid

Cordoba Spain

Seville Spain

The Royal Palace of Madrid

The Royal Palace of Madrid

Real Basilica de San Francisco el Grande, Madrid

Royal Palace of Madrid

Madrid Spain

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Irvine's Hidden Network of Paved Bike Trails: One of Orange County's Best-Kept Secrets

San Diego Creek Trail, Irvine California

One of the most underrated things about living in Irvine California is the incredible network of paved bike trails that connects neighborhoods, parks, shopping centers and even the beach. Most people visiting Orange County probably have no idea these trails exist, but they're some of the best I've ridden anywhere in Southern California. You can ride for miles without dealing with traffic, stop at restaurants along the way and connect several trails together to make some pretty long loops. The best part is that almost everything is on dedicated paved paths completely separated from cars. Unlike a lot of bike trails in Southern California, Irvine's trail system isn't just a painted bike lane on the side of a busy road. These are actual paved trails with bridges, tunnels and underpasses that allow you to travel across much of the city without stopping at intersections. The trails are uncrowded and surrounded by some of the safest and nicest neighborhoods in Orange County. Many sections follow creeks or run through landscaped greenbelts with plenty of shade, making them much more comfortable during the warmer months.

 Jeffrey Open Space Trail

The Jeffrey Open Space Trail is one of my favorite sections of the entire network. The trail winds through beautiful landscaped parks, tree-lined pathways and residential neighborhoods, with several bridges and tunnels along the way. One of the biggest improvements is the newly completed pedestrian and bicycle bridge over Interstate 5, which makes it much easier to connect the northern and southern sections of the trail without having to navigate freeway entrances or busy streets. The JOST bridge over I5 is an awesome ride. The trail is wide, smooth and is entirely separated from vehicle traffic. It's also a great starting point for longer rides because it connects with other paved routes throughout Irvine, including the Hicks Canyon and San Diego Creek trail systems.

San Diego Creek Trail and Newport Back Bay

 The San Diego Creek Trail is probably the most useful trail in the network if you want to cover some serious distance. It follows the creek through Irvine, passing parks, residential neighborhoods, shopping centers and restaurants before eventually connecting with the Upper Newport Bay trail system. Much of the ride is surprisingly peaceful considering you're traveling through the middle of Orange County. There are long stretches where you barely notice the surrounding city, and the creek corridor has some shaded sections that help keep things cooler. The route eventually opens up around Newport Back Bay, where the scenery changes from landscaped neighborhoods to coastal wetlands, water views and open hillsides. The Back Bay trail is technically a road, but you’ll only see 2 or 3 cars at the most and the traffic generally moves slower than the bikes. The Back Bay Trail is the most scenic spot on the whole trail system.

Hicks Canyon  

The Hicks Canyon Trail is another great option, especially if you're looking for something quieter and more shaded. The trail runs through a greenbelt with mature trees, parks and residential areas. It connects with the Jeffrey Open Space Trail near Portola Parkway, making it easy to combine the two into a longer ride without having to spend much time on streets. There are typically a lot of people walking in Hick’s canyon, so you’ll have to slow down if you’re on an eBike. 

Shady Canyon
 If you're looking for more of a workout, the Shady Canyon Trail is worth checking out. This is one of the more scenic paved routes in Irvine, with some steep climbing through the hills near Shady Canyon. The climb can be challenging on a regular bike, but it's a lot of fun on an e-bike, and the views from the higher sections are fantastic. It's a completely different experience from the flatter creek trails and a good way to add some elevation to your ride. You can connect Shady Canyon to the Back Bay Trail by taking Bonita Canyon Road all the way around. Bonita Canyon Road has a nice sidewalk the entire way around until you reach Eastbluff road where it eventually links with the Mountain to Sea Trail. The Mountain to Sea trail gets descends from the sidewalk and becomes a real trail again. I'd look at the map before trying to link the Shady Canyon Trail to the Back Bay loop. 

Riding an E-Bike on Irvine's Trails

Another reason I like these trails so much is that you can enjoy them on an e-bike. The paved routes are great for electric bikes, especially if you want to cover 20 or 30 miles without getting completely exhausted. Most of the creek trails are relatively flat, while Shady Canyon gives you a chance to put the motor to work on some pretty serious hills. Irvine also has a 20 mph limit on sidewalks.  Generally, I ride 20mph on most of the paved trails and I slow down for pedestrians. I've never had an issue.

Riding from Irvine to Newport Beach and Huntington Beach 

One of the coolest things about this trail network is that you can actually ride all the way from Irvine to the beach. The easiest route I've found is to follow the San Diego Creek Trail toward Newport Back Bay, where you can continue around the bay on the Mountains to Sea Trail and eventually make your way onto Balboa Island. It's a beautiful ride, and you go from suburban neighborhoods and shaded creek paths to coastal wetlands and ocean views without having to spend much time riding alongside traffic. Getting from Back Bay to the actual beach is a little tricky because you do eventually have to deal with some regular streets and intersections. My favorite way is to cross Jamboree Road and Route 1 toward Balboa Island, ride through the island and take the Balboa Island Ferry across to the Balboa Peninsula. You can bring your bike right onto the ferry, and the short crossing is a fun part of the trip. The fare is $1.50 for a rider a bike each way. It takes about 5 minutes to cross. Once you're on the Balboa Peninsula, you're right in Newport Beach, with restaurants, shops and the ocean. You can continue north through Newport Beach toward Huntington Beach, where the coastal bike paths offer miles of riding with ocean views. From Huntington Beach, you can also connect to the Santa Ana River Trail, opening up another long route inland. It's pretty amazing how far you can travel on a bike through Orange County when you start connecting these different trail systems.

 Plenty of Options for Loops, Food and Longer Rides

What makes Irvine's trails so much fun is that you're not limited to riding one path out and back. There are several ways to combine Jeffrey Open Space, Hicks Canyon, Walnut Trail, Peters Canyon, Shady Canyon and San Diego Creek into longer rides. You can put together a shorter neighborhood loop, spend a couple of hours exploring Irvine or make a full day out of riding to Newport Beach and back. Some connections still require street crossings or short on-road sections, but much of the network is made up of dedicated paths. Another great thing is how easy it is to find somewhere to eat. You're riding through a city with hundreds of restaurants, coffee shops and shopping centers, and many are just a short detour off the trail. You can stop for lunch, grab a coffee or take a break without having to drive anywhere. That combination of paved trails, safe neighborhoods, beautiful parks and convenient food stops is pretty hard to find in most cities.

Why I Think These Are Some of Orange County's Best Bike Trails

I've ridden a lot of paved bike trails, and Irvine's network is one of my favorites because of how everything connects. You can ride through shaded parks, quiet neighborhoods, scenic canyons and coastal wetlands, all on the same trip. The trails are well maintained, generally not too crowded and offer plenty of options whether you want an easy afternoon ride or something much longer. Irvine has more than 113 miles of off-street bikeways, which is pretty impressive for a single city.

Newport Back Bay Trail

Irvine California Paved Bike Trail Map

Bosque Trail, Irvine California

Mike Ward Park, Irvine California

San Diego Creek Trail in Irvine

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8 Affordable Ski Resorts within 7 hours of Orange County California

Living in Southern California, there are actually quite a few places you can get to for a ski weekend without spending Mammoth prices. Two that I really like for completely different reasons are Arizona Snowbowl and Mountain High.

Arizona Snowbowl — Flagstaff, Arizona

Snowbowl Ski Resort Arizona

One of my favorite things about skiing Arizona Snowbowl is that the trip is about more than just the skiing. Flagstaff is a really fun town to stay in, with a lot of mom and pop restaurants, local breweries, and some fun dive bars. Everything in the downtown area of Flagstaff is walkable. You're also close enough to Sedona and the Grand Canyon that you can turn a ski weekend into a much bigger trip. You can ski one day, explore Flagstaff at night and spend a day hiking in Sedona. It’s pretty typical to see daytime temps between 50-60 degrees in the winter in Sedona. It’s a great place to hike with your dog as most of the trails around Sedona are dog friendly.

The drive is a big part of what makes the trip so cool. You're driving through the desert and then suddenly climbing into pine forests and snow-covered mountains. There aren't many ski trips where you get that combination of desert scenery and good winter powder skiing, and the views from Snowbowl are pretty unique. On a clear day, you're standing on a snowy mountain looking out over the high desert of northern Arizona. It doesn't really look like skiing in California, Colorado or Utah. They also get more snow than just about any ski resort in the US, typically over 250 inches of snow per year.

Another huge advantage is the price. If you ski during the week and plan ahead, lift tickets can sometimes be as low as $10. That's almost unheard of anymore for a real ski resort. We paid $17 a day for lift tickets for a 3 day trip in February 2026, and they credited back $10/day per ticket that was good in the resort for any purchase, effectively making the lift tickets $7.

For me, Snowbowl is one of the best affordable ski road trips from Southern California because you get a lot more than just a day on the mountain. You get skiing, a fun town, great scenery, a beautiful drive and some amazing places like Sedona and the Grand Canyon nearby. We usually break the trip up and stay a day in Vegas along the way.

Mountain High — Wrightwood, California

Mountain High is my favorite local ski resort. The biggest advantage is how close it is. From Orange County, you can be at the mountain in roughly 90 minutes when traffic cooperates. You don't need to book a hotel. You can wake up, drive up, snowboard all day and still sleep in your own bed that night. I’ve actually snowboarded at Mountain High and gone to the beach on the same day.

Mountain High also has more of a snowboard vibe than a lot of ski resorts. There are features and jumps all over the mountain. You’ll find all kinds of crazy stuff on the mountain. My favorite spot is the school bus they buried and turned into a jump. It's the kind of place where a lot of people go to ski a couple runs and then spend the rest of the day outside drinking beer watching people hit the jumps.

The weather is another thing I really like about Mountain High. Southern California ski weather can be amazing. I’ve snowboarded at Mountain High in March when the weather hit 60 degrees on the mountain. It’s a vibe to see people in shorts on the mountain.

Mountain High isn't the biggest ski resort you're going to visit, but that's really not the point. What makes it great is the convenience and the atmosphere. You can leave Orange County in the morning, be snowboarding a couple of hours later, have a beer while watching people hit the terrain park and still be home that night without spending hundreds of dollars on hotels and travel.

Snowbowl is the one I'd choose when I want a real weekend road trip with skiing and other things to explore. Mountain High is the one I choose when I just want to snowboard. They're completely different mountains, but both show that you don't have to drive all the way to Mammoth or spend a fortune to have a really fun ski trip from Southern California.



8 Affordable Ski resorts near Orange County






Snowbowl Arizona

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How I Got Scammed in Amsterdam by Storestay Damsquare and Booking.com

 Booking.com has a reputation for terrible customer service. I knew that going in. But I took the risk anyway, and I got scammed.

While planning a trip to Amsterdam, I found a listing on Booking.com for a place called Storestay Damsquare. It was a lot cheaper than similar options which were still available, so I booked it without reading the reviews or double-checking the fine print. That was my first mistake.

A few months went by, and it was finally time for the trip. Three days before our flight, I get an email from Storestay Damsquare requesting a $600 wire transfer as a security deposit. They made it clear in the email that they would only accept a direct bank wire transfer. If the money wasn’t received before check-in, they said it would be considered a no-show, and we would lose the $1,200 we had already paid. 

An international wire transfer is a massive, obvious red flag. I’ve stayed in dozens of hotels and rentals and never once been asked to wire money directly from my bank for a security deposit. But with our flight 3 days away and no alternative lined up, we felt trapped and reluctantly sent the money. I told my wife as we wired the money, "we're probably not getting this deposit back."

When we arrived in Amsterdam, the apartment was pretty disappointing. It was tiny, didn’t include the advertised balcony, and had almost no insulation. It was loud and drafty, and the smoke from the tattoo shop downstairs would drift right through the walls. We didn’t complain because we weren’t spending much time there and just wanted to enjoy the trip and explore the city. 

The real problems started after we checked out.

We left the apartment spotless, as we always do. But Storestay Damsquare withheld our $600 deposit and refused to explain why. I asked multiple times for an itemized breakdown of any supposed damages or fees and they would always dodge the question or pretend that they didn't understand the request. They never accused us of any damage.

When I left a negative review on Booking.com detailing our experience and the missing refund, things escalated. The “manager,” Carol, sent me a hostile and ominous email.  She threatened legal action and hinted that they would find additional damages to charge us for, clearly as a way to pressure us into taking down the review. But I refused to take it down. Other potential renters should be warned. 

Unfortunately, since we booked the rental with a credit card and were past the 120-day dispute window, there was nothing we could do through the card company. However, we were able to initiate a dispute on the wire transfer through PNC bank. I know the chances of recovering the money are slim, but PNC might come through. I  also filed a complaint with the FTC and I posted reviews of Storestay Damsquare to Yelp, Google and Tripadvisor. 

Storestay Damsquare is running a neat little operation scamming people. Learn from my experience. Always read the fine print, never wire money upfront, don't book non-refundable rooms and read the reviews. And remember, Booking.com wont lift a finger to help you. 

Storestay Damsquare 

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Is PayPal Safe? 5 Reasons you shouldn’t use PayPal when you Travel.

Is PayPal Safe to Use For Travel?

 

After a fraudulent charge of over $900 was charged to my PayPal Account, I spent 2 weeks and several hours on the phone with PayPal trying to get my money back. I learned a lot about how PayPal operates and I thought I would share some of what I learned to help protect others from Fraud. Here are 5 reasons you shouldn’t use PayPal in 2022 when you travel.

 

PayPal handles disputes using Foreign Call Centers. The call center employees at PayPal don’t have the authority to resolve fraud. If you ask for a manager on the phone, they often just hang up. In several instances, they offered me a callback from a manager that never came. When deciding whether or not to reimburse you, PayPal uses an automated fraud detection system which is extremely limited and inaccurate. In my case, the $900 charge originated from an obviously fake website with broken links. The fraudulent website had the founders name listed as Jane Doe, a fake phone, and an email address that they did not answer. They didn’t even put a tracking number or product description on the order.

PayPal resolution time for a fraudulent charge can take a month. When I would dispute the charge as “fraudulent” on PayPal’s website, PayPal would immediately dismiss the claim and close it. After many phone calls and at least 8 hours of work, I was able to get a manager on the phone from PayPal who changed my initial claim from a “fraudulent” charge to a claim of “item not received”. The problem is that listing the claim as item not received can take a month to resolve. PayPal gives the seller 2 weeks to respond, then another business week for them to review the seller’s info, and then they tacked on another few days just for good measure. For a claim filed on August 13^th, PayPal gave me an estimated resolution date of September 2^nd.  Notice they said “estimated”. This is not a guarantee of a date. In many cases, it may take longer. Imagine that you’re on vacation waiting for 2 weeks for a reimbursement for a fraudulent charge. This would ruin your vacation and might leave you stranded.

 

PayPal can take money directly from your checking account. If you link a debit card or a checking account routing number to your PayPal account, you want to make absolutely sure that your checking account offers “Zero Liability Fraud Protection”. In the event of a fraudulent charge, you should make a claim as soon as possible with your bank so that they can issue a Chargeback. PNC offered me a chargeback which posted back to my account within 48 hours.

After my chargeback through PNC, I removed my bank information from PayPal as a payment option.  And here was where the real trouble started. After my chargeback, PayPal charged my account a second time for the full amount. PNC was powerless to offer a second chargeback until the second payment cleared. In my case the payment didn’t post for 2 days and it took an additional 2 days to get to the second chargeback. That’s 4 days where my account was sitting with a negative balance. I was ok, but what if this was your rent money or your food money.  A negative balance could leave you stranded in a foreign country or in an airport. This is where having a PayPal could be very dangerous.

Using  the “friends and family” payment option waives your buyer protection. Never pay anyone using friends and family for any type of good or service. If you pay for something by selecting the option for “friend and family”, you are waiving most of the fraud protection offered by PayPal and you have little to no recourse for recouping your money through PayPal.  PayPal acts like a bank, but they aren’t regulated like a bank. The friends and family option is a real recipe for disaster.

 

In conclusion, I firmly believe that the illusion of convenience that PayPal offers is not worth the risk of fraud. After dealing with PayPal these last 2 weeks, I’ve decided to close my PayPal account. There are far more legal protections offered with a standard credit card. In the past, when dealing with an instance of credit card fraud, I was able to clear up the issue with a single 15-minute phone call. With PayPal, I’ve spent at least 8 hours in a 2-week period and I was never able to get PayPal to refund my money. I spent a lot of time and research fighting back against a fraudulent charge and I still got screwed by PayPal, twice.

 In the end, I had to go through my bank at PNC for a second Charge back, but I was lucky, not all banks offer Zero Liability Fraud Protection. And this type of chargeback has a very limited time frame. If you don’t catch it immediately, you will be on the hook for the fraudulent charge.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Don’t bring large amounts of cash on your California Vacation

 

This is one of the most important aspects of planning a trip that I never hear anyone mention: You should NEVER bring large amounts of cash on a road trip in the US. 

Federal Agents can seize your cash without a warrant even if you haven't committed a crime.

It's called a civil forfeiture. US Border patrol, US Customs, state or local police, the DEA, and the FBI can take your cash at any time. It's up to you to go to court and prove that the money is yours and that you obtained it legally. It's a difficult process. And it's time sensitive. In many cases, you have less than a month to prove it. If you don't follow procedure, the government takes the cash and you never get it back. 

Don't Use a Debit Card unless you are at a Bank

Never use a debit card unless you are at a bank.  It can take month to obtain a refund when someone uses your card without your permission. I can't tell you how countless many times Ive heard of cashiers, clerks and waiters stealing debit card numbers. A debit card is very different from credit.  Debit fraud requires a significant amount of proof. The burden is on you. Many debit disputes are unsuccessful. The money is gone. The only safe place to use your debit card is a bank.

Nearly Every Single Business in the US accepts Credit

It's nearly impossible to find a business in the US who won't accept a credit card. I can't remember the last time someone said "cash only" to me. It's been at least 20 years. The only exception I can think of would be for very small purchase amounts less than $5 in a place like a gas station for gum. 

Use a Credit Card

You are far more protected in cases where someone makes an unauthorized charge on your credit card. You can often get a refund to your account within a week of reporting an unauthorized charge. 

I understand that not everyone can get a credit card, but it is quite simply the safest form of payment you can use on a vacation in the US.

You are more protected when you rent a car using your credit card in cases where you decline the coverage offered by the renter. Nearly all US credit card companies offer some form of insurance when renting a car. The insurance won't kick in unless you decline the coverage offered by the rental company. The deposit required for renting a car with credit card is typically lower as well.

Before my first trip to Europe, I read a giant article about avoiding foreign transaction fees. The rate can vary, but most credit card companies charge a foreign transaction fee ranging from 1-5 percent.  $5,000 in expenses on your trip would cost you $50 in fees at a 1 percent rate. In my opinion, the $50 in fees is absolutely worth the peace of mind. With a credit card, you  don't have to worry about losing your cash or having someone steal the information on your debit card and drain your account. Many credit card companies offer cards that waive foreign transaction fees. I used my card for 2 weeks in Europe and I got hit with less than $20 in foreign transaction fees.

 Another reason to use a credit card is to avoid taking cash out the ATM all the time. Those fees can add up. When you make a withdraw from an ATM, you often get hit with multiple hidden fees. At a place like a Las Vegas casino, you might pay as much as $20 for a single ATM withdraw.

Another reason I like using a credit card on my vacation is the promotions. Most companies offer points back for every dollar you spend. My current card had a promotion that offered $200 in credits if you spent $500 in the first 3 months.

Downside of a Credit Card.......

YOU HAVE TO PAY IT OFF WHEN YOU GET BACK. Don't spend more than you can pay off quickly.  Credit card companies offer the promotions so you rack up a bunch of debt and then kill yourself trying to pay it back. If you put $2,000 on a credit card with a 20 percent interest rate and make the minimum payment of $50 a month, you'll be paying off that debt for 6 years and spend an additional $1200 in fees.

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