Travel Tech: Defective Garmin Vivoactive - Welcome To The Wall Of Shame

If you travel as much as I do and are active (walking, hiking, golfing, swimming, etc.), a good activity monitor or smart watch is indispensable. I bought one from Amazon.com a little over a year ago and am I sorry I did.

The Garmin Vivoactive ($179) worked fine for about six months, monitoring sleep and the golf function worked OK. When walking (golf) or during travel (we walk a lot), it kept track of steps and was quite useful, but I use an elliptical trainer for much of my cardio and the Vivoactive was/is totally useless unless your arms are swinging.

After 5-6 months, it quit syncing sleep on a regular basis and a month or two later the golf function stopped working altogether. For golf, it give you basic yardages (front/center/back of green) and keeps score, but that's it. It has difficulty recognizing the golf course you have just arrived at, even with GPS, so you have to remember to sync it via Bluetooth with the Garmin Connect app on your phone, a real pain in the butt.

For the past several months the golf function, one of the primary reasons I bought it, quit working altogether. It can find the course, but when you click on the course you want to play, it starts "downloading data" and "transferring data", but then goes back to the main menu. Once on the course, it sometimes would start working, but FOR THE WRONG COURSE. The course I play has a short Par 4 2nd hole, but the Vivoactive lists the 2nd hole as a Par 5 and the yardage does not work at all.

This "smart" watch is a piece of junk. I wasted $179 for a digital watch when I could have paid $30 and gotten a better Casio with more functions than this thing has now. Garmin came out with the Vivoactive HR just weeks after I bought this garbage, but did not bother telling me that I could have bought an upgraded watch with a heart rate monitor for a little more if I waited a few days. I do not know if the Vivoactive HR is any better than the Vivoactive, but it could not be any worse.

The watch stopped working altogether in July 2017, dead as a doorknob. I will never buy a Garmin product again because of their lack of customer service and the junk they sell. DO NOT BUY A GARMIN VIVOACTIVE!

CombatCritic Gives Garmin and Their Vivoactive 1 Bomb Out Of 10 And A Spot On My "WALL OF SHAME" ... More Bombs Are Better!

One Bomb Equates To:

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Yelp - Elite '14/'15/'16/'17 - 650,000+ Views A Year

Tabelog - Official Judge (Silver)

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Title: Travel Tech: Defective Garmin Vivoactive - Welcome To The Wall Of Shame

Key Words: Garmin, Vivoactive, watch, GPS, smart watch, golf, steps, activity, monitor, active, Portland, Oregon, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, product, business, review, Yelp

Translation for Civilians: FUBAR = "Fucked Up Beyond Any/All Repair"

Copyright 2018 - 3rd Wave Media Group, LLC and CombatCritic - All Rights Reserved

Portland Golf Courses: Not Cheap, This Is A Great Layout In Less Than Ideal Condition

Heron Lakes Golf Club 

3500 N. Victory Blvd

Portland, OR 97217

Phone number (503) 289-1818

Website: heronlakesgolf.com

Prices: $$$$

For a Robert Trent Jones, Jr. design the "Great Blue" is obviously a great layout with loads of bunkers, water, and big, undulating greens. Unfortunately, the conditions do not do justice to Mr. Jones creation.

The fairways remain rough (pun intended), very tightly mowed and dead in many areas. With all of the water (Heron "Lakes") we have been getting, you would think that they would have filled out, but it appears they do not overseed and the fairways remain a problem (many dead spots - Great Blue). The greens were aerated recently and are obviously less than perfect, but the animals that play here obviously do not understand golf etiquette and refuse to repair divots (fairway) and ball marks (greens), contributing to the problems. Thanks a**holes!

Unlike many golf courses, the staff in the pro shop are friendly and helpful, but the snack bar is a different story. The staff are indifferent, rude, and/or lazy. They act like they are doing you a favor by taking your money and do not even bother greeting you much less returning a friendly "hello". Their beer prices are higher than they should be ($5.50/pint) and there is no such thing as Happy Hour. Maybe those are a few of the reasons why the place is normally empty.

We finished our round at 6:30 PM last night, at least 30 minutes before dark, and wanted a post-round beer to kill some time and let the I-5 log jam disperse before hitting the road. We stood at the bar for five minutes until, finally, the guy cleaning the grill in the back yelled at us through the serving window "we're closed". Closed, really? There are still people on the course, you have living, breathing customers waiting to spend money and only want a beer, but you cannot take the time to serve them? I get the impression that these self-reported "contractors" do just the minimum and get the hell out of there ASAP. Could be part of the reason that you cannot find any sign of the food concession on their website. BOOAH!

My original rating was based on the $30 green fee special, but their "standard"prices are out of line for a city course not in great shape. Ranging from $33 (shoulder season/walking/weekday) to $56 (riding/weekend, it is not exactly a bargain, especially in its current condition. Unfortunately, they reportedly are not extending their "Centennial Card" program and do not offer an annual membership, but their MultiPlay Rewards Card ($949/48 rounds) brings the price down to just under $20 (not including cart) if you can play that much. For comparison, I paid $1100 for 100 rounds ($11/round for the mathematically challenged) at my previous home course (Eagle Bend) in Lawrence, Kansas, a much better course and in immaculate condition. Heron Lakes has rare "Hot Deals" through GolfNow ($17/Greenback and $19/Great Blue), but do not expect any discounts unless the temperature is forecasted to exceed 100 degrees or rain is expected.

CombatCritic Downgrades Heron Lakes From 7 Bombs Out Of 10 To 5 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

Five Bombs Equates To:

Read Reviews By CombatCritic:

Yelp - Elite '14/'15/'16/'17 - 650,000+ Views A Year

Tabelog - Official Judge (Silver)

Zomato - #1 Ranked "Verified" Foodie - Over  1,890,733 Review And Photo Views

... And Don't Forget To Subscribe To TravelValue TV on YouTube
Read Chris S.'s review of Heron Lakes Golf Club on Yelp

Title: Portland Golf Courses: Not Cheap, This Is A Great Layout In Less Than Ideal Condition

Key Words: Heron Lakes Golf Club, Heron lakes, Heron, lakes, golf, club, course, public, POrtland, OR, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, restaurant, menu, business, review, Yelp, Zomato

Translation for Civilians: Charlie-Mike = "Continue Mission"

Copyright 2018 - 3rd Wave Media Group, LLC and CombatCritic - All Rights Reserved

TravelTech: Garmin Vivoactive (Vivo = "I Live") Is MortoInactive (Morto = "Dead") ... BOTTOM LINE: DON'T BOTHER!

Garmin Vivoactive "Smart" Watch

If you travel as much as I do and are active (walking, hiking, golfing, swimming, etc.), a good activity monitor or smart watch is indispensable. I bought one from Amazon.com a little over a year ago and am I sorry I did.

The Garmin Vivoactive ($179) worked fine for about six months, monitoring sleep and the golf function worked OK. When walking (golf) or during travel (we walk a lot), it kept track of steps and was quite useful, but I use an elliptical trainer for much of my cardio and the Vivoactive was/is totally useless unless your arms are swinging.

After 5-6 months, it quit syncing sleep on a regular basis and a month or two later the golf function stopped working altogether. For golf, it give you basic yardages (front/center/back of green) and keeps score, but that's it. It has difficulty recognizing the golf course you have just arrived at, even with GPS, so you have to remember to sync it via Bluetooth with the Garmin Connect app on your phone, a real pain in the butt. 

For the past several months the golf function, one of the primary reasons I bought it, quit working altogether. It can find the course, but when you click on the course you want to play, it starts "downloading data" and "transferring data", but then goes back to the main menu. Once on the course, it sometimes would start working, but FOR THE WRONG COURSE. The course I play has a short Par 4 2nd hole, but the Vivoactive lists the 2nd hole as a Par 5 and the yardage does not work at all.

This "smart" watch is a piece of junk. I wasted $179 for a digital watch when I could have paid $30 and gotten a better Casio with more functions than this thing has. Garmin came out with the Vivoactive HR just weeks after I bought this garbage, but did not bother telling me that I could have bought an upgraded watch with a heart rate monitor for a little more if I waited a few days. I do not know if the Vivoactive HR is any better than the Vivoactive, but it could not be any worse.

CombatCritic Gives Garmin and Their Vivoactive 2 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

Two Bombs Equates To


Read Reviews By CombatCritic:

Yelp - Elite '14/'15/'16/'17 - 650,000+ Views A Year

Tabelog - Official Judge (Silver)

Zomato - #1 Ranked "Verified" Foodie - Over  1,890,733 Review And Photo Views

... And Don't Forget To Subscribe To TravelValue TV on YouTube

Title: TravelTech: Garmin Vivoactive (Vivo = "I Live") Is MortoInactive (Morto = "Dead") ... BOTTOM LINE: DON'T BOTHER!

Key Words: Garmin, Vivoactive, vivo, active, smart, watch, activity, monitor, golf, swim, water, resistant, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, product, review, Amazon, Amazon.com

Translation for Civilians: Tango Uniform = "Tits Up" (Dead)

"TravelValue: Lawrence, Kansas"

Welcome To Lawrence, Kansas 

aka "LFK"

Lawrence is a medium size city of around 90,000, not including 28,000+ students attending the University of Kansas (KU), in East Central Kansas about 40 miles from the Missouri border and the city of Kansas City, Missouri.

Lawrence is the sixth largest city in Kansas, was founded by the New England Emigrant Aid Company, and was named after Amos Adams Lawrence (bust and photo below) who provided finances to establish the settlement. Lawrence was a Union town during the Civil War and site of a massacre of nearly 200 men and boys on August 21st, 1863, also known as Quantrill's raid. Many of the town's wooden structures succumbed to the raider's torches, burning to the ground and leaving a select few that still stand today.

Most well known for KU's infamous basketball powerhouse program with 10 out of the last 12 Big 12 Conference titles and 5 national championships, KU is a charming college town and a liberal enclave in a VERY conservative state. Allen Fieldhouse, named after famed KU and Olympic basketball coach Phog Allen, is home to KU's basketball team. Beside the team's incredible home record, Allen Fieldhouse is one of the most intimidating venues for visiting teams in the NCAA.

A new addition has been built on the east side, ground level, of historic Allen Fieldhouse, making room for thousands of photos, National Championship Trophies, game balls, uniforms and many other displays highlighting the history of KU sports and the University of Kansas Hall of Fame, not just for basketball. Many of the displays are chronologically arranged, making a trip back through KU sports history a breeze. 

Lawrence is also loved for its historic downtown, "Mass Street", so named after Massachusetts Street on which the majority of shops and restaurants can be found between 6th Street to the north and 12th Street to the south. Many of the buildings date back to the mid to late-1800s with a few modern monstrosities mingled in for good measure. You can even find an old fashioned department store, Weaver's, that has been in the same spot since 1857 and is still going strong today.

The Granada Theatre, also on Mass Street, was built in the 1930′s and started as a silent movie theater, continuing to show movies until the 1980s. The Granada has been a well known venue for live acts, mostly music groups, since the late '90s, hosting famous performers such as Marilyn Manson, Smashing Pumpkins, and John Mayer just to name a few.

The KU campus is most charming and the hub of activity and employment in Lawrence with older, classic buildings going back many decades - Wescoe Hall being one of the exceptions - and sitting atop Rock Chalk hill (actually, "Rock Chalk" is the name for a limestone outcropping found on Mount Oread on which the KU campus is perched).

There are several notable museums in Lawrence, among them KU's Spencer Museum of Art with its eclectic and impressive collection, including works by Andy Warhol, Angelo Bronzino, Albert Bierstadt, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, Édouard Manet, and John Singer Sargent just to name a few.

Having been to some of the world's greatest museums, including the Louvre, Musée d'Orsay and l'Orangerie (Paris), the British Museum and Tate Modern (London), the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Guggenheim (NYC), the Vatican Museums, Galleria dell'Accademia and Galleria degli Uffizi (Italy), Museo del Prado and Museo Picasso Málaga (Spain), and the Philadelphia Museum of Art to name just a few, I must compare the Spencer to them. Although not on the same level as any museum listed above, the Spencer  is impressive on several levels, an excellent value, and entertaining way to spend two to three hours.

Lawrence also has plenty of outdoor activities to enjoy, including Clinton Lake State Park to the southwest, three top-rated golf courses (Eagle Bend, Lawrence Country Club, and Alvamar), several miles of walking and biking trails, the Kansas River and several city parks, the largest being South Park (established 1854) with its gazebo-style bandstand (built in 1906) where you can enjoy free concerts on summer evenings and numerous fairs and events throughout the year.

There are numerous restaurants in Lawrence, from chains like On the Border, Chili's, Burger King and Applebee's to fine dining as is the case with Cafe Beautiful. I have not been overly impressed with the quality or choice of restaurants in Lawrence, but some of the better ones are Zen Zero (Thai/Asian fusion), Limestone (pizza), Dempsey's Burger Pub and Burger Stand at The Casbah (hamburgers), Mi Ranchito (Mexican), Thai Diner (Thai), and Korean Cafe (Korean). Lawrence does not have a decent Italian restaurant (an Olive Garden would be the best Italian in town if there was one) and if you want French or German, you have to travel 30+ miles to Topeka or Kansas City. 

MORE ABOUT LAWRENCE, KANSAS

COMING SOON

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Yelp - Elite '14/'15/'16

Tabelog - Official Judge (Silver)

Zomato - #1 Ranked "Verified" Foodie





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Title: Welcome To "TravelValue: Lawrence, Kansas"

Key Words: Lawrence, Kansas, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, restaurants, parks, museums, golf, course, Mass, Massachusetts, street, raid, Quantrill, KU, University of Kansas, university, Jayhawks

TravelTech: Renewed My GolfLogix Subscription, THEN They Implemented A New, Substandard Version ... I'm Outta Here!

GolfLogix Application For iPhone

Suite 100A

15685 N. Greenway-Hayden Loop

Scottsdale, Arizona 85260

Phone: 877-977-0162

Fax: 480-287-8749
Email: info@golflogix.com
Price: $$$$

I used to love my GolfLogix app, then they charged my credit card $20, shortly thereafter implementing a new version that absolutely sucks!

I am canceling my “Champion Membership” after they ruined the app with their “new” version. I wrote to them, telling them about my disappointment: 

"Your new interface sucks. The font is so small I can barely see it and I can't seem to bypass the club (yardage) tracking option, making me scroll through the numbers (instead of simply entering yardage) on the old version. Who in their infinite wisdom implemented this piece of #%$@? Bring back the old interface or I'm out of here!

To which they replied: 

"Dear Valued Member, Thank you for your inquiry. Unfortunately that feature was not included in the new streamlined GolfLogix App. We working to return that feature. Again we apologize for any inconvenience and hope you enjoy the New GolfLogix App."

They did not address my concerns, sending me a "boilerplate" response with misspelled words. They don't care, implementing a new version before it was fully functional, so I'm moving on and canceling my subscription.

CombatCritic Gives GolfLogix 2 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

Two Bombs Equates To

Read Reviews By CombatCritic:

Yelp - Elite '14/'15/'16

Tabelog - Official Judge (Bronze)

Zomato - #1 Ranked Foodie





... And Don't Forget To Subscribe To TravelValue TV on YouTube

Title: TravelTech: Renewed My GolfLogix Subscription, THEN They Implemented A New, Substandard Version ... I'm Outta Here!

Key Words: GolfLogix, golf, logix, logic, logics, app, application, iPhone, iStore, iTunes, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, product, service, review, Yelp, Zomato

Translation for Civilians: Tango-Uniform =  "Tits Up"