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.....

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.

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.