Reviews by keliz

keliz says "Great safe car that's fun to drive - but bad brake dust." about Volvo S40 - 2003

keliz — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 05:32:10 GMT

I bought this car used in 2004 and love the look and feel of it. It drives well and has all the safety features you need, plus it gets great gas mileage. But one thing drives me nuts -- the first is the brake dust. Within a month of washing the car, the rims are black from brake dust. It's a pain to keep that washed off all the time. The look of it bothers me more than the fact that I've had to replace the front brake pads. This hasn't put me off Volvo's - just that I'll look to more reviews before I buy another one.

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keliz says "WOW - Unbelievable amount of furniture to choose from" about Designers Warehouse - Everett, WA

keliz — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 04:52:35 GMT

This is the most unbelievable furniture store in the area. It looks like a tiny store from the outside, but you go in and there are at least 3 levels to it - with tons of furniture packed in there. All the furniture is different, so it was really easy to find the type of style that I was looking for. And the prices seemed really reasonable. Definitely worth checking out.

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keliz says "Tacky, tacky, tacky" about Wallmart

keliz — Sun, 02 Dec 2007 04:11:22 GMT

I am on a tight budget and was thrilled to try WalMart when they opened a store in my area. I had heard about them forever, and was well aware of their reputation for low prices. When I arrived I was sorely disappointed. The stores are junky with merchandise cramming the aisles and a store layout that is difficult to navigate. God forbid if you have young children. If a child gets lost in those aisles, you'll never find them!!

The biggest disappointment was that while the merchandise was inexpensive the quality was very poor. this is specifically true for items that are made specifically for WalMart, such as their clothing, and other WalMart branded items. Luggage purchased there, fell apart after three uses, and the clothing did not hold up as well.

I should note here that I have been a Target shopper for years and that was the comparison that I was making. Prices are not at all that much better than Target, and the quality of Target items is far and away better than WalMart.

Finally...

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keliz says "Get a sound view room - it is well worth the small extra price" about Red Lion Hotel Port Angeles - Port Angeles, WA

keliz — Sun, 02 Dec 2007 03:59:03 GMT

Just a fantastic choice for a trip to Port Angeles. Located downtown, right next to the ferry terminal, this is the spot if you want to take a day trip during your vacation to Victoria, BC. If you don't head to Victoria, you can easily spend a couple days exploring the Olympic National Park, which is located nearby.

The best part about the hotel is that it is pet friendly. Lot's of places for the dogs to walk, with a great trail right in front of the hotel. If you go, pay to stay on the ocean/sound side, looking out into Port Angeles Bay. You can sit on your balcony and see the ships and ferries come and go, and see beautiful sunsets. It really is a great experience.

There are alot of nice restaurants nearby. One located a couple blocks away was open for breakfast and lunch and it was packed each time we went there --- but they had wonderful food! Especially the cinnamon rolls.

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keliz says "Two very different hotels" about The Dana On Mission Bay - San Diego, CA

keliz — Sun, 02 Dec 2007 03:50:24 GMT

We've been going to this hotel for years. They now have two very different hotels -- the new portion and the older area. In my opinion, the older area is a better place for families. If you can get a room poolside, it is great because the older kdis can be right outside the room, playing in the pool or at the shuffleboard courts, and you can easily keep an eye on them

The rooms are small and do get musty from all the moisture in the area. But the staff is always nice and friendly.

As a budget traveler, my one big problem with them is that since they have added the new portion of the hotel, they price everything as if it were a 5 star hotel. And, they really can't justify those rates whether they are in the newer part or the older part of the hotel. San Diego has alot of options, and although we have stayed there many times over the past 10 years, we will probably go to another hotel on the bay next time.

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keliz says "Best Memory - Dinner with Shamu" about SeaWorld Adventure Park, San Diego

keliz — Sun, 02 Dec 2007 03:40:23 GMT

SeaWorld is a great adventure for any family with children between 5 - 15! It is educational, entertaining and fun! When entering the park, make sure you schedule Dinner with Shamu. Surprisingly good food, along with the ability to see the orcas up close and interact one on one with the trainers. Another must is to purchase some food to feed the dolphins. A little pricey - but a great experience for the kids.

Overall, the restaurants and food carts are a bit pricey. Try to bring snacks into the park so that you don't have to buy everything. One more tip - the price for an annual pass is not that much more than a one day pass. If you have the time to go over two days, do that and use the early morning and late night times to ride the most popular rides.

The big downside to the park is that you realize how awful it is to have these great animals enclosed in the aquarium pools. They really should be out in the wild and this practice never should have started.

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keliz says "A city within the city." about Paris Las Vegas - Las Vegas, NV

keliz — Sun, 18 Nov 2007 00:11:08 GMT

The Paris is one of the best places to stay in Las Vegas if you are looking for a moderately priced, high quality hotel. There are a lot of options within the hotel, and it is conveniently located on the strip. The rooms were clean and well maintained, with all the ammenities expected. As an added bonus, they were quiet, blocking out the hall noise. The one drawback was that I felt that the hotel could have had more communal ammenities, such as more gym locations, etc. Check in was slow, and the concierge service wasn't much help in finding tickets to local shows.

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