Planning, planning, planning....

As the holidaze bear down on us, today's New York Times brings us a nice article on coping with travel issues when you fly at this time of year. Read it, especially if you're going to be heading out to an airport. And safe travels!

Gifts for Travelers

I've been finding lots of good gift ideas for those travelers in your life. Check 'em out, courtesy of the many splendid travel sites out there. And I'm sure there's always room for one more gift for me under the tree ;-)



1. Goodtugo.com's list for travelers
2. Tim Leffel's Cheapest Destinations list
3. Magellan's Holiday Gift Guide
4. REI's Gift Guide
5. Myitchytravelfeet's Gift Guide
6. Go Green Travel Green's gift ideas
7. CNN's Holiday Gifts for the Traveler
8. The Statestman.com's Gift List
9. Seattle News' Nifty Gifts for Travelers
10. Independent Traveler's Gift Guide

So there you have it. A starting place for gift ideas for the travelers in your life.

Happy Holidays!

Club Membership

Just bought a new t-shirt. Consider it a badge of honor. You see, I am a Laviator. A what you say? A Laviator. Check it out. You either get it or you don't. And if you don't, I'd say that's your loss. C'mon, you know you want to be a member.....

At What Point is Big Too Big?

When it leads to this.

How to Handle Digital Photography on the Road

Lately, I find myself shooting more and more photographs on each trip I take. While this may be a good thing as far as providing me a way to remember the trip, it can be daunting to try and protect and organize my images. During the trip, I am often confronted with the issue of what to do with all my digital images. The folks over at Gadling have a great post today about that, so go check it out.

Great Advice!

I just read this bit of advice over at The Flying Pinto:

"Be prepared for the worst, and hopefully you'll get the best. Write your name, email, home country & destination on a sheet of paper. Photograph it with your digicam & copy it to every memory card you're taking. That way, if your camera or cards are lost or stolen, hopefully at least some of your travel memories will find their way back to you. Offering a reward probably helps."

Duh. Makes me wish I'd thought of it!

More iPhone Travel Apps

The folks over at SeatGuru have put together another list of great iPhone travel apps, some of which I wasn't yet aware. Go check 'em out!

Countdown to Diving!

This morning I awoke to the realization that today I must pack my dive gear. There are many times, as I am performing this chore, that I wish I had a less gear-intensive hobby, and I didn't have to go through this process. Today was not one of them. After over 20 years of diving, I can now pack everything in just about 30 minutes. It's easy - I now visualize myself prepping for a dive, and as I see myself reaching for a piece of gear in my head, I retrieve that gear and put it in a pile. Once I am through that exercise, I begin to pack. What helps is that on this trip, we will be on a live-aboard. What this means is no lugging the wet gear back onto the docks to rinse and hang each night, no dripping stuff in the hotel room, no mesh bags need to carry it all. Once we set foot on the boat, we set up once, and that's it. Eat, sleep, and dive for seven days. Heaven.

BELIZE on MSNBC: Discovering the Blue Hole, Belize Barrier Reef

Heading here next week; can't wait! The packing list writing has already begun, and I hope to trim it down from last fall's trip to Palau and Yap.

Why can't all flights start this way?

I know this has been around the web a while, but I just wanted to share it:

My 10 Favorite iPhone Apps for Travel

Suffice it to say, I never, ever, leave the house without my iPhone, so it comes as no surprise that I rely on it heavily throughout my day. This also holds true when I travel. With over 25,000 apps available so far, it can be a daunting task to choose just a few. But for travel, I think the 10 most useful apps, at least for me, would have to be the following:

1. Tripit - This one is relatively new. The Tripit website has been one of my favorite sites this year. The site, which requires a free registration, allows you to collect all your trip information in one place. Now, with the Tripit for iPhone app, you can carry all of your valuable trip info on your iPhone.

2. The Weather Channel - This one speaks for itself. Knowing in advance what the weather forecast is allows you to pack the right stuff. Free version, as well as a $3.99 ad-free version with some enhancements.

3. Google Earth - All the power of Google Earth for your desktop, now in the palm of your hand. And did I mention it's free?

4. Around Me - Another free App, this one allows you to find out what is in your vicinity. Very handy when you're looking for a gas station!

5. AirMe - Snap a few pics with your iPhone, then upload to sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Flickr, all for free.

6. Packing Pro - A great App that allows you to create custom packing lists and export them (via email). Available for $3.99.

7. Flight Status - Check any flight status by route number, flight number or airport. Also check the weather, and terminal, gate and baggage claim info for any flight. Available for $4.99.

8. Currency - Another great free App, Currency provides up-to-date exchange rate information for over 90 currencies.

9. WYWH Postcards - Send real postcards from this free App. For a low cost (~$1.30) you can snap a picture with your iPhone and send a real postcard to anyone in the US!

10. Wi-Fi Finder - A free App that uses your GPS function to determine the closest free and paid wifi hotspots. It also gives you the ability to sort by provider or paid vs. free.

So there you have it. Some of the most important Apps I travel with. There are many more that I find of use (especially games for killing all that airport wait time!), but these have a permanent spot on my iPhone.

Make a List and Check it Twice!

Ah, packing lists. Some people swear by them, others just wing it. Me? A list is a must, but then again, I make a list for just about everything I need to do. If you're not sure where to start, I suggest this article on Wikitravel.org. I've tried in the past to create a generic list to modify for each trip, but that hasn't worked out. For example, about a third of the time, my travel plans revolve around scuba diving. Since this is really a specialized form of travel, I have created a list for just this type of trip. I also have created a business travel list, Florida travel list (frequent trips to visit family and Disney World), and a weekend travel list. The key is to determine what list works for you, then stick to it!

New Travel Gear!

I finally purchased an Amazon Kindle, and I am not disappointed. I've mentioned before that one of my biggest packing anxieties is what I call the "I can't decide what to bring to read!" anxiety. No more! I've only had my Kindle a few days, and it's already helped me trim my daily carry bag down significantly. I've switched my newspaper (the NY Times) to Kindle, as well as a few magazine subscriptions. I've also loaded several public domain (i.e. free) books.

What I think will be most useful is the ability to purchase and download travel guides - no more lugging around those sometimes giant volumes. And if you can't decide which one to bring, get a couple different ones; they'll fit!

I've already had some friends question whether I really want to take an electronic book reader on a dive trip, thinking it might get wet. The simple solution? A one-gallon Ziploc bag. Of course I won't be heading underwater with it, but if I'm sitting by a pool someplace and worried it might get splashed, the bag will do the trick nicely.

As I use the Kindle more, I'll post some of the e-books I've found that might be good for travelers.

In Lieu Of....

So, the economy has tanked, and that trip to Europe probably isn't going to happen this year. What to do. Well, you could always read about travel while you're saving some cash for that next trip. Here are some suggestions, found while browsing the internet:

1. The Milepost 2009 - I went to Alaska in 1997, and this book was fantastic. I read the entire thing before I left. It gave such a good flavor of what the state is about, not necessarily directly, but you can get a good idea about a place by it's advertisements, which are plentiful in this book.

2. Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives: An All-American Road Trip...with Recipes! - When Guy Fieri was filming the show in NJ, he went to the Skylark Diner in Edison, just a few miles from my house. If you can't even get out to visit a diner, ride along with Guy and try out some of the recipes.

3. The 100 Best Worldwide Vacations to Enrich Your Life - Dream about, or plan, your next vacation as you browse the pages of this book, thinking about all the exotic and interesting options on its pages.

4. 101 Baseball Places to See Before You Strike Out - Like baseball? Really like baseball? Then this book will take you on a journey to some of the country's most interesting ballparks and baseball related places. Batter up!

5. SAS Survival Guidebook:How to Survive in the Wild, In Any Climate, on Land or at Sea - If you're at all like me and take vacations to the more remote parts of our planet, then this is the read for you.

Those should get you started, and might even motivate you to sell all that junk in your basement so you can make reservations for your next trip. Enjoy!

How to Handle a Change in Plans

Robin and I flew to Ft. Lauderdale in January. We did everything the way you're supposed to. We checked in 20 hours before the flight, online. We printed out boarding passes. Our passports were well within the 6-month expiration. We arrived at the airport an hour and 45 minutes before the flight. 

Robin checked her bag with the Continental agent, and when they reprinted her ticket, we noticed that it was a different seat than the original one. "No problem," I thought, thinking we could move her seat at the gate. So we went through security and headed directly to the gate (I didn't even stop at Starbucks first!). We were told that sometime overnight, the plane had to be replaced with one which seated 40 fewer peopler. 40. I no longer had a seat. For us, it wasn't terribly critical, merely aggravating. For others, it meant that their families were split up, or that they would be missing a cruise ship departure. 

We stepped away from the agent to think through our options. I was told that they could put me on a flight to Miami 7 hours later (I'd still need to get to Ft. Lauderdale), or I could fly the next day (I was only going for 3 days, so this didn't really make much sense). An announcement was made that they would give anyone who chose to be bumped a $500 voucher. We huddled together and came up with a plan. Going back to the gate, we said that Robin would volunteer to be bumped, which left both of us off this flight. We asked to be put on the Miami flight later in the day, which they did. We were also provided with free transportation to the Ft. Lauderdale airport (so Robin could get her bag, which was now airborne), and vouchers for breakfast and lunch at the airport. We each also received a $500 voucher for flights. 

Ok, so now we had flights, but what to do for 7 more hours in Newark Airport? We had parked the car at an off-airport lot, so if we decided to drive home for a few hours (we're only 15-20 minutes away), we would have to pay to get the car, pay the Turnpike tolls (twice) and then pay for another day when we brought the car back. The better option was to stay put. At least we were in Terminal C, which is the biggest and newest terminal at EWR. I went upstairs to the Continental President's Club, and pleaded my case. I didn't fly quite enough last year to get Elite status, which would give me Club access. They were nice enough to give me two one-day passes for the price of one ($45). Not THAT great a deal, but at least we had a much quieter and far more comfortable place to hang out. This gave us WiFi access, drinks (alcoholic or not), snacks, big comfy chairs, free newspapers and magazines, TV, and kept us away from the masses.

The bottom line is that we managed to make an unplanned change in plans something more bearable. How? After the initial annoyance, we took a collective deep breath, talked through our options and priorities, then put on our smiles and talked. In an interesting aside, there was a very irate gentleman in line ahead of us who ended up with a deal that was no where near as good as ours. It pays to remember that it is not the gate agent's fault when you are bumped, and most importantly, they are a human being, just like you and I. Patience and a smile will get you farther (usually) than screaming and carrying on like a two year old. 

We did eventually make it to our final destination, and now have free tickets for our next trip. Oh, I did get that coffee at Starbucks eventually :-)

The Drunken Baggage??

Ok, so "where did the name of this blog come from?" you may ask. In the Disney Vacation Club's Old Key West Resort in Orlando, Florida, is a little poolside bar called "The Gurgling Suitcase." When my family stays there, we ALWAYS go and have a drink or three...or four...

At any rate, we can never remember the actual name of the place (and this is BEFORE we've had a drink), so we call it a variety of things. Some of the more creative are "The Soused Satchel," "The Drunken Duffel," "The Buzzed Backpack,"The Pickled Portmanteau." You get the idea. But the one that stuck was "The Drunken Baggage." It has, as they say, become the stuff of legend in my family. While Disney is not, by far, my first choice in vacation destinations, thinking of this little bar always brings a smile to my face.

10 Things I Won't Travel Without

Over the years, I've managed to pare down my carry-on travel crap quite a bit. I've learned that I really don't need 5 novels, or 2 portable gaming systems, or 2 sets of headphones. I don't need a change of clothes for every day, if I plan a little. But I do need the following essentials in my carry-on bag, in no particular order:

1. Inflatable travel pillow. It packs very small, and in this new era of airline cutbacks, one can never be sure that the little pillow you get on the plane is REALLY clean. Eew.

2. Bose Quiet Comfort headphones. Expensive, yes, but if you travel frequently you'll appreciate the way they eliminate the jet roar and they way they muffle your chatty seatmate.

3. My iPhone. Music, games, movies, and communication device all in one. And with AT&T, the ability to call from almost anywhere on the planet.

4. Travel documents in a slim case. These include my passport, health insurance cards, emergency contact info, drivers license, credit cards. I leave the wallet at home, because I'm pretty sure I'm not going to need my Shop-Rite card.

5. Water. Buy the biggest bottle you can find once you get past the security checkpoint. Buy two. You can never have too much water.

6. One book. This is usually the hardest thing for me to pack. I try and go for the smaller novels, ones I can leave behind so I don't have to carry them twice.

7. Bare minimum toiletries - must include moisturizing lotion, toothpaste, mini toothbrush, lip balm, deodorant. These pretty much ensure that I'll feel like a human being, no matter how long the delay. Unless I'm on some trip to an exotic locale, I can buy the other stuff (shampoo, etc) when I get to my destination.

8. Baby wipes. You just never know when you might need these.

9. Protein bar. Most short-hop flights don't give you ANYTHING, so be prepared. Protein bars are my favorite to carry - a meal in a bar, and they pack easily.

10. Spare undies. Usually quick-dry. I think this is self-explanatory.

I most frequently pack all of this in here. The Osprey React pack is very lightweight and has lots of useful pockets. With two mesh water bottle pockets, and a large outer pocket, everything I need is easily accessible. Sometimes I carry my North Face Recon pack instead, mostly if I'm bringing my MacBook along. Other than these essentials, I usually have one clean shirt, a rain jacket, two 1-gallon ziploc bags, a small camera, and sometimes a laptop. I'm heading to Florida next week for a 5-day stay, so when I pack, I'll post some pics.

On the Road in 2008

I have to say that 2008 was sort of an exception to the norm. I traveled 5 times for work, which doesn't happen that often, since I work for state government. On those trips, I managed to pass through Denver, Albuquerque, Chattanooga, Charlotte, Cincinnati,Washington DC twice, Houston, Atlanta, and Bethesda.

The part about traveling for work that escapes most people is that there really isn't any time to explore. Unless you count the airports, because let me tell you, I had plenty of time to do that. As of right now, in 2009 I have no travel for work lined up.

On the personal front, I only managed two trips by plane, but they were biggies - Bonaire in July for a week of diving, and Palau and Yap in October/November for the BEST diving I've ever done.

None of this counts the 70+ miles a day I drive going back and forth to work, all the weekend travel to see the family, or go into the city (New York), etc. And, I just bought a new vehicle 15 months ago, and have put 30,000 miles on it already. It would be safe to say that I never sit still for long.

In a later post, I'll share how I planned and packed for these trips.

Why?

I love to travel. Period. Whether it's for pleasure or for work, there's something about going elsewhere that makes me happy. I love to see new places, whether here in my home state or halfway around the world. So why not write about some of the places I've been? The good, the bad, and the ugly. Believe me, I've been to them all. I'll even throw in a little about where I'm headed - my expectations, what I'm taking, and who's going with me. And I'll include some of what I've learned along the way - travel tips, packing tips, templates of packing lists, photo tips, travel gadgets, etc.