This post is sponsored by American Express, but all opinions are my own.
Mark and Todd’s great adventure with American Express and HiltonHHonors. “What we decided to do was something neither of us had any experience with. Nada. Zero. Zip.”
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My friend Todd and I are going on an adventure. I haven’t seen Todd in over ten years, not since our Austin, Texas days. He ended up in Boulder and I in New York City, but recently, thanks to a partnership with American Express and Hilton Honors we got the opportunity to plan an adventure together.
Behind every adventure is a great plan. Central to getting our plan done is the Hilton HHonors™ Surpass® Card from American Express. I signed up online in just minutes.
For those who don’t know my work, I write extensively about men and men’s friendships. More specifically, the lack of it in many men’s lives. If we are lucky as men, we find great connections, great friendships—but then the pressures of life in the 21st century take over. After all, we need to attend to our jobs, marriage, kids, life—that’s what men do, right?… and suddenly we’re on opposite sides of the country, barely keeping in touch.
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When I got the assignment to tap an old friend and go on a trip, Todd immediately came to mind. He’s one of those guys who’s always taking pleasure in life’s little moments. He’s had his share of ups and downs, but he’s so resilient you forget that he’s carrying the weight we all carry, like the uncertainly of what we’re doing and where we’re headed. Todd is one of those guys that you talk to after a few years and it’s like no time at all has passed. He’s right there with you. I love him for that.
So now we get to spend four days choosing an adventure that will change us both. It’s an amazing opportunity; a gift in the purest sense. I feel like a kid again. What’s interesting to me, is what we chose to do. We decided to go fishing. Todd is an ex-professional bike racer. Yes, he rode with Lance Armstrong at one time early in Lance’s career, but what we decided to do was something neither of us had any experience with. None. Zero. Zilch.
Instead of a biking trip along the California coast or hiking the Grand Canyon, we decided to go after a big game fish. We’re flying to Miami and going out after a sailfish or marlin. The marlin is the same fish Hemingway writes about in The Old Man and the Sea. Both sailfish and marlins are members of the billfish family—and have the distinctive long pointed snout. The sailfish has the much more pronounced pectoral fin but either fish would be a huge adventure to catch. It’s a battle that can take hours under the Miami sun. It’s something neither of us have ever done.
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So, I got to work on booking the trip. We arranged airline tickets. Then, using my my Hilton HHonors™ Surpass® Card from American Express, I booked us a room at the Vintro Hotel South Beach, Curio Collection by Hilton. This historic art deco hotel is right in the heart of Miami and it’s decked out with every convenience a traveler could hope for.
Once we got the hotel and airfare booked all that was left was to settle on a boat to take us out. Way out there into the deep blue.
We picked the L&H Sportfishing boat, one of the most successful tournament fishing charter boats in South Florida history. Captain Jimmy offers a variety of fishing trips out of Key Biscayne, Florida—just minutes from downtown Miami, South Beach, and Coconut Grove.
It’s a little spooky going out that deep, but with my buddy Todd, I’ve got no worries. The man is unstoppable.
So there you have it. An amazing trip and a few nights in beautiful Miami, thanks to Vintro Hotel South Beach, Curio Collection by Hilton and the Hilton HHonors™ Surpass® Card from American Express
We’ll let you know how it goes…
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Meanwhile, check out the benefits I got for signing up for the Hilton HHonors™ Surpass® Card from American Express :
•By booking our charter boat and travel on my card, I was able to meet the spend requirement and earn the bonus HHonors Points towards my trip.
Maximize your HHonors Points:
•Earn 12X Hilton HHonors Bonus Points for each dollar of eligible purchases charged on your card directly with a participating hotel or resort within the Hilton Portfolio.
•Earn 6X Hilton HHonors Bonus Points for each dollar of eligible purchases on your card: at U.S. restaurants, U.S. supermarkets and U.S. gas stations.
•Earn 3X Hilton HHonors Bonus Points for all other eligible purchases on your Card.
With more than 52 million members, HHonors offers hundreds of ways to earn and redeem Points. Members can redeem their Points for free nights, premium merchandise, charitable contributions, or unique events through the HHonors auction platform (hhonors.com/auctions). And with more than 4,660 hotels and resorts worldwide from 13 unique brands, you now have more options than ever.
Hilton HHonors members who book directly with Hilton save time and money and gain instant access to the benefits they care about most like a guaranteed discount, free Wi-Fi and the ability to earn HHonors Points, which I can maximize by charging all my expenses on my Hilton Amex.
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Photos: [Main] L&HSportfishing, [book] Amazon, [hotel] Hilton, [sailfish] Boston Public Library