Quick Trip to Florida

A week or so ago, we made a quick visit to the Ft. Lauderdale, Florida area for a few family events. It wasn't really a vacation, but it was a welcome change in weather and scenery from the cold, gloomy, grey snowlessness of a New Jersey winter.

Even though we had a semi-formal event to attend (complete with nice shoes) I managed to minimize packing. We only needed clothes for three days, plus one outfit in which to travel. The travel outfit by necessity required  heavy coats, since it was in the single digits when we left New Jersey.

I opted for a 21" roller - my eBags Mother Load Mini. Since I have a Presidential Plus MasterCard with United, I don't have to pay for checked bags, so we went ahead and each checked a bag (Priority - a plus!). When we arrived at EWR, we shed our outer winter layers and stuffed them into the bags we would check, keeping a thin fleece jacket for the plane. We each had a Tom Bihn Synapse (the. best. bag. EVER.) as a carry on.

In my Synapse, I carried an iPad, a Kindle, an iPhone, chargers for each, a Canon G12 and its accessories, and some essential toiletries with me. Once through security, we spent some time in the United Club Lounge (another MasterCard perk), and grabbed some snacks from there for the plane. Because we had checked our bags, and had gotten to the airport 2 hours early, we had plenty of time to relax before boarding.

Once on the plane, we had a nice surprise - we were the only 2 people in our row. The flight was smooth, my brother in law was waiting when we landed, and we had an enjoyable short stay. If only all our trips went this well :-)

Souvenirs

There was an interesting article in the Travel section of the NY Times today about the things we bring home from trips. I always try and make it a point to get something that reminds me of a particular place or event while I was traveling. The nesting dolls in the picture on the left were purchased in 1995 when I was in Minsk, Belarus, on a scientific aid mission after Chernobyl (a blog post for another time). Every time I look at them I think about the people I met during my almost four weeks there. They always bring a smile to my face.

Safe Holiday Travels

It's that time of year when many of us hit the road/rails/skies to head off to see family and friends (or maybe you're getting away from them?). It's also the time of year for lots of craziness during those travels. Our friends at the TSA have some advice for us if we're flying. 

Not The Kind Of Packing I Like

Well, here we sit in NJ, awaiting the arrival of Sandy. Like some unwelcome guest, she promises to be everything we thought she would - big, slow-moving, destructive. I spend part of my professional life as an emergency responder, so one would think I would have my bags packed at all times. Nope. But this storm has made me re-examine my propensity for procrastination. Let me share what should be packed in any disaster supply kit:

• 1 gallon of water per day/per person
• 3-5 day supply of non-perishable food
• first aid kit & manual
• battery powered radio & flashlight and batteries
• whistle to signal for help
• prescription medicines for a week
• personal hygiene supplies
• baby wipes for personal cleanliness
• important papers in large ziploc bag (insurance policies, IDs)
• cash or traveler's checks
• change of clothing appropriate for the weather

If you or a family member has any special needs, don't forget to bring along those supplies they will need.

And don't forget your pets - they will also need clean water, food and litter.

Some links to help you out:

• American Red Cross's Plan & Prepare
• FEMA's Ready.gov
• CDC's Hurricane Preparedness
• NJ's Office of Emergency Management

And if you're anywhere in Sandy's path, please stay safe.

Good News

In today's New York Times, there is an article about air travel that is actually good news - our bags are getting where they need to go at a much better rate than in the past!

"A traveler may drop off a bag at the airport curb with a skycap, who may work for the airport, the airline or a third company. An airline worker takes the bag at the check-in counter and passes it to the Transportation Security Administration, which then sends it to the airline’s bag room to be distributed to the correct flight. And while the workers loading the bags on and off a plane can be airline employees, at many airports, they work for subcontractors."

You can read the full article here.

Technology is largely the reason, but I'd like to think its because many of us no longer even check a bag, taking a tiny burden away from the system. I know, dream on....

Posted with Blogsy

New travel gadget

Yesterday I ordered this new gadget I'm going to use on my upcoming dive trip. We're going on a liveaboard dive boat, which means we'll be living on the boat, which means space, and outlets, are at a premium. It was only $11.89 on Amazon, which I thought was a pretty good deal. What I like is that I'll be able to charge up to 5 things at once. Sweet.

One of My Pet Peeves

I think that the one thing that bothers me more than anything else when I travel, particularly when out of the US, is how much Americans look like tourists. It embarrasses me. While I am, by no means, perfect, I at least make an attempt at blending in. Gadling recently posted a great article on how not to look like a tourist.  I think it should be mandatory reading for anyone even thinking about travel.

Of course, going to Disney World or Disneyland is the exception - if you don't dress like a tourist, you'll stand out.

So much of this article's advice is common sense - don't make yourself a target. I can speak to the advice in the article, particularly the bit about learning a few phrases - this really opens up doors, figuratively and literally. Besides, is it really that hard to say "hello" or "thank you" in another language? I didn't think so.