Washington Monument in DC - it was an absolutely gorgeous day in October and we packed as much of DC as we could into 8 hours.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Travel Photo Tuesday: Washington DC
Washington Monument in DC - it was an absolutely gorgeous day in October and we packed as much of DC as we could into 8 hours.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Travel Photo Tuesday: Boston, MA
We took a water taxi to the airport the last time we left Boston, and it so great! There were some really great views of the skyline, and we had lots of fun balancing in the boat to take the photos we wanted.
Friday, March 20, 2009
Budget Travel
Of the three or four travel magazines I subscribe to, my favorite is Budget Travel. I love them best because they have the most articles I feel I need to save - travel tips, travel stories, travel websites, travel photos, travel resources, the list goes on and on.
And recently, I started subscribing to their blog, This Just In. Some of the entries are long. Some are short. Every entry has something to learn. It's such a great resource for keeping up with travel and deals that are going on.
The article I just finished reading that inspired this post was this one: Vanish With A Trace. As a "victim" of lost luggage, I understand just how frustrating and time consuming it can be to have your things misplaced by an airline. While I'm not sure if I would use a service like the ones they reviewed, it's nice to know that there are options out there for travelers!
Anyway - if you're looking to subscribe to a travel magazine, I would highly suggest Budget Travel. And if you don't want a physical magazine? You should definitely be following their website and blog!
And recently, I started subscribing to their blog, This Just In. Some of the entries are long. Some are short. Every entry has something to learn. It's such a great resource for keeping up with travel and deals that are going on.
The article I just finished reading that inspired this post was this one: Vanish With A Trace. As a "victim" of lost luggage, I understand just how frustrating and time consuming it can be to have your things misplaced by an airline. While I'm not sure if I would use a service like the ones they reviewed, it's nice to know that there are options out there for travelers!
Anyway - if you're looking to subscribe to a travel magazine, I would highly suggest Budget Travel. And if you don't want a physical magazine? You should definitely be following their website and blog!
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Travel Photo Tuesday: Farmer's Market in Montreal, Canada
The last day of my trip to Montreal, my friend took me to a giant farmer's market close to where her apartment was. Everything was so vivid and fresh that I wish she'd taken me my first day there so I could've gone back more than once.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Things to do: Afternoon Tea in Victoria, Canada
I am one of those people who thoroughly enjoys tea. I love tea - the flavors, the process, the tradition, the cute little pastries and sandwiches you get with it, everything.
And when I think of afternoon teas, one of the places that comes to mind is the afternoon tea served at The Fairmont Empress hotel in Victoria, Canada.
The Empress is a gorgeous hotel, and their afternoon tea feels so sophisticated and fun. I highly recommend splurging on this treat if you're on Victoria or in the Vancouver area.
And when I think of afternoon teas, one of the places that comes to mind is the afternoon tea served at The Fairmont Empress hotel in Victoria, Canada.
The Empress is a gorgeous hotel, and their afternoon tea feels so sophisticated and fun. I highly recommend splurging on this treat if you're on Victoria or in the Vancouver area.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Travel Photo Tuesday: Costa Maya, Mexico
As I get ready to go on Mayercraft 2009 to Cabo San Lucas, I find myself looking at all of the photos I have from other "tropical" vacations. This is one of my favorites - from a secluded beach in Costa Maya, Mexico. The weather could not have been more perfect that day, and the water was calm enough for all of us to go play. My only regret was that we didn't get to stay longer in this spot.
Monday, March 9, 2009
Awesome Resource: GoGo In Flight
Another great advance in technology - Internet access is now widely available on airplanes!
A co-worker of mine recently emailed me in flight, and let me know about this website when I asked him how he was emailing me while in coach. Apparently, GoGo In Flight serves numerous airlines and enables you to get wireless on the plane.
It looks like there is a very limited offering of this service so far - American Airlines offers it on flights to and from JFK to San Francisco and Los Angeles, but there are a handfull of other airlines that will be offering it soon.
Prices:
For laptops: $9.95 for flights under 3 hours, $12.95 for flights over 3 hours
For PDAs: $7.95
Overall, this is great if you're a workaholic or as addicted to blogging and Facebook as I am. Downside? You're now reachable even in flight, when it used to be your only reprieve!
A co-worker of mine recently emailed me in flight, and let me know about this website when I asked him how he was emailing me while in coach. Apparently, GoGo In Flight serves numerous airlines and enables you to get wireless on the plane.
It looks like there is a very limited offering of this service so far - American Airlines offers it on flights to and from JFK to San Francisco and Los Angeles, but there are a handfull of other airlines that will be offering it soon.
Prices:
For laptops: $9.95 for flights under 3 hours, $12.95 for flights over 3 hours
For PDAs: $7.95
Overall, this is great if you're a workaholic or as addicted to blogging and Facebook as I am. Downside? You're now reachable even in flight, when it used to be your only reprieve!
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Cruises: What to pack.
At the end of this month, I'll be going on my third cruise. Obviously, this by no means makes me an expert on what to pack for them. But, there are a few things I wish people would have told me before I went on my first one.
1) If it's a regular cruise, you will most likely need "dressier" clothes for the dinners. In addition, many cruises have "formal nights," where you get all kinds of decked out. You can skip these, of course, but that wasn't an option for me as I would miss the amazing food that comes with dinners. I packed two cocktail dresses and a pair of black pants for my first cruise. I would stick to black pants and nice tops in the future.
2) Bring sweaters and/or cardigans if you get cold easily (like me). All of the indoor parts of the boat are majorly air conditioned, and I was uncomfortable when I forgot my sweater.
3) Bring the following shoes: one pair that are easy to slip on and off for trekking around the boat, one pair of sneakers for if and when you go on shore excursions, one to two pairs of dressier shoes for dinners. Honestly, you don't need much more than that.
4) Bring a bathing suit. This one seems obvious, but you'd be surprised at how many people forget. And on-board shopping options are extremely limited and pricey.
5) Bring "deck clothes." Pool cover-ups, sarongs, t-shirts, yoga pants, whatever you feel comfy in, bring lots of. Hopefully, you'll be spending a good amount of time lounging around the boat and comfort is your number one priority.
6) Bring outfits for shore excursions. My pick is always jeans or a skirt, with a tank top or t-shirt and sweater. Again, the sweater because you never know where you might end up that is chilly.
7) Bring lots of undies. I changed my clothes MUCH more often than usual while on our cruise. It was extremely handy to have a few extra pairs of undies around. There are few things worse than having to do laundry on your vacation, but running out of clean undies is one of them.
8) Bring a tote bag of some sort. To carry your room key, water bottle, sweater, camera, etc while you're hanging out on board. My first cruise, I would leave everything but my key card in our cabin, and then would get totally frustrated when I didn't have a sweater or camera, or had to buy a drink because I was dying of thirst.
9) Bring water bottles, if you can. At upwards of $4 for a small bottle on board, they're one of the more expensive commodities. I try to pack at least one large bottle per day I'll be gone. Then I take a refillable, smaller bottle and cart that around with me.
10) Bring your camera and camera chargers! Cruises offer so much when it comes to scenery and people watching. And while they have photographers on board, they charge outrageous prices for group shots you could have gotten with your own camera!
Now, for more casual cruises, you can totally eliminate the cocktail attire and fancy shoes. For Mayercraft 2009, I'll probably wear skirts or jeans and flip flops to the dinners. And I'll probably live in my bathing suit, yoga pants, pool cover-up and flip flops for the majority of the time we're on the boat. Lounging is my goal and lounging is what I'll pack for.
I also try to fit everything into one suitcase, not just because of the fact that most cabins on cruise ships are tiny, but also because it's easier to keep track that way when getting on and off a boat. The only drawback to this? If the airline loses your bag, you're in trouble!
I guess the overall tip here would be to think before you pack: what are you going to be doing on the cruise? Where are you going? A cruise to Alaska might require heavier clothes, or a cruise to Europe might require more trekking clothes. If you're being more adventurous, pack things that will stay on your body and keep you covered. If you're being more relaxed, pack light items that you can layer. It's all about planning, and only packing what you really think you'll need!
1) If it's a regular cruise, you will most likely need "dressier" clothes for the dinners. In addition, many cruises have "formal nights," where you get all kinds of decked out. You can skip these, of course, but that wasn't an option for me as I would miss the amazing food that comes with dinners. I packed two cocktail dresses and a pair of black pants for my first cruise. I would stick to black pants and nice tops in the future.
2) Bring sweaters and/or cardigans if you get cold easily (like me). All of the indoor parts of the boat are majorly air conditioned, and I was uncomfortable when I forgot my sweater.
3) Bring the following shoes: one pair that are easy to slip on and off for trekking around the boat, one pair of sneakers for if and when you go on shore excursions, one to two pairs of dressier shoes for dinners. Honestly, you don't need much more than that.
4) Bring a bathing suit. This one seems obvious, but you'd be surprised at how many people forget. And on-board shopping options are extremely limited and pricey.
5) Bring "deck clothes." Pool cover-ups, sarongs, t-shirts, yoga pants, whatever you feel comfy in, bring lots of. Hopefully, you'll be spending a good amount of time lounging around the boat and comfort is your number one priority.
6) Bring outfits for shore excursions. My pick is always jeans or a skirt, with a tank top or t-shirt and sweater. Again, the sweater because you never know where you might end up that is chilly.
7) Bring lots of undies. I changed my clothes MUCH more often than usual while on our cruise. It was extremely handy to have a few extra pairs of undies around. There are few things worse than having to do laundry on your vacation, but running out of clean undies is one of them.
8) Bring a tote bag of some sort. To carry your room key, water bottle, sweater, camera, etc while you're hanging out on board. My first cruise, I would leave everything but my key card in our cabin, and then would get totally frustrated when I didn't have a sweater or camera, or had to buy a drink because I was dying of thirst.
9) Bring water bottles, if you can. At upwards of $4 for a small bottle on board, they're one of the more expensive commodities. I try to pack at least one large bottle per day I'll be gone. Then I take a refillable, smaller bottle and cart that around with me.
10) Bring your camera and camera chargers! Cruises offer so much when it comes to scenery and people watching. And while they have photographers on board, they charge outrageous prices for group shots you could have gotten with your own camera!
Now, for more casual cruises, you can totally eliminate the cocktail attire and fancy shoes. For Mayercraft 2009, I'll probably wear skirts or jeans and flip flops to the dinners. And I'll probably live in my bathing suit, yoga pants, pool cover-up and flip flops for the majority of the time we're on the boat. Lounging is my goal and lounging is what I'll pack for.
I also try to fit everything into one suitcase, not just because of the fact that most cabins on cruise ships are tiny, but also because it's easier to keep track that way when getting on and off a boat. The only drawback to this? If the airline loses your bag, you're in trouble!
I guess the overall tip here would be to think before you pack: what are you going to be doing on the cruise? Where are you going? A cruise to Alaska might require heavier clothes, or a cruise to Europe might require more trekking clothes. If you're being more adventurous, pack things that will stay on your body and keep you covered. If you're being more relaxed, pack light items that you can layer. It's all about planning, and only packing what you really think you'll need!
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Travel Photo Tuesday: Trinity Church, Boston
Trinity Church in Boston, MA. Marie and I were there in June for a friend's graduation from Harvard, and it was just beautiful. This photo, and the accompanying memories, are some of the reasons I love Boston so much.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
