The Travellers Warehouse

Flying used to be exciting and a lot of fun. I loved the days when families or friends could meet me at the gate, and the airline served meals as part of the travel package. In those days we called it good service. Today very few airlines have these services available on domestic flights. Passengers pay for everything except coffee and soda. These days I take my own snacks on board or have a meal in the airport or I eat before leaving home. The meals served on most airlines are not worth the price. I don’t pay for anything extra when I fly. Crossword puzzle books, novels and yellow ruled pads for writing out manuscripts have become standard carry-on items for me. Some people carry their laptop computers while others use the time in the air as a chance to catch up on sleep rather than shell out more money for poor service.

The seats on most airlines today leave a lot to be desired. In order to save money the designers put in smaller seats with less backing and very little leg room. Let’s face it—ordinary people like you and I are forced, as a rule, to fly Economy Class. Once in a while we get lucky and end up in First Class.

Check the information about the advantages of your frequent flyer program if you belong to one. Airlines may be able to provide a loyal patron of the program with better seating arrangements. It still may not get the traveler into First Class, but could get them into choice seating in the Economy section.

There are tips from seasoned travelers on how to make a trip more pleasant and trouble free. Of course, it is best to do your homework beforehand, and in some cases it is best to use an agent. Being a member of the American Automobile Association (www.aaa.com) can really help when planning a trip. Membership depends on the type of plan you need. I have a Primary Membership in the AAA Plus Plan, and it runs $76.00 a year. Members receive special consideration when using any of their services and the discounts they provide do help on any domestic trip. AAA has a special travel division, and the agents can give good tips on air travel.

Another very good source of information that I have found is on the travel site at the MSNBC website (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/ ). Christopher Elliott is a Travel columnist and a regular MSNBC contributor. He talks about creeping delays. He writes: “Have you ever sat in a terminal - or worse, on a plane - and been assured by a bored voice on the public.

“It’s called a creeping delay. Airlines used to do their best to prevent them because they drove passengers quietly mad. But this year, strangely, creeping delays have been re-imagined as a tool to deflect the anger of air travelers and divert attention from the incompetence of air carriers. With each update, another party is blamed for the delay: air traffic controllers, the weather, lack of available gates. By the time the flight actually departs, passengers are so confused that they don’t know where to direct their wrath. Mission accomplished!” He goes on to point out that the traveler does not have take this condition lying down. Do your homework. Check the airline website, call the airline and don’t be afraid to ask questions. Learn something about the Traveler’s Bill of Rights. In cases like this the airline may owe you a meal and a hotel.

I wish I had known more about the Contract of Carriage provisions when being stranded in the Pittsburgh airport all night a few years ago. Their excuse was that several big conventions had come to town and they could not put us up at a hotel. The problem stemmed from the fact that there was a very real security issue when coming out of another airport and passengers missed their connecting flights. Flyers can find out more about the Contract of Carriage on the airline website. Read the fine print.

Sometimes travel is funny. You get a deja vu experience when arriving to a new place — that you just can’t explain. You know the landmarks, you know the people, occasionally you even know what they are going to say or what they are going to do. It is an amazing feeling to remember places you haven’t visited.

Sometimes this is because you have dreamed the experience before it happened. I remember going to Chicago, long ago — and having parts of the trip feel like I knew exactly what was going to happen before it happened. It was eerie and exciting all at the same time. About halfway through the trip I figured out that I had dreamed it before. Yet, still I watched the dream become a reality. It was an odd feeling — partially due to the fact that I was 15 at the time. Yet, it helped me know that dreams CAN come true and I could avoid some problems if I took the dreams forewarning.

Another travel adventure was in Japan. The Shinto Garden I visited in a small town so familiar and comfortable. It felt like I had been there before - though it was my first trip to Japan. I think I felt like I knew what I would see before I saw it — but it’s been long enough time ago, that I can’t be certain. I believe this was a past life recall — but would have a hard time proving it to someone.

Traveling opens up a whole new world of experiences. Some try to have recollections like these– others just want an explanation as it is so different than “normal” life. If you are one of these people who want more insight into experiences like these, I recommend Past Lives, Dreams, and Soul Travel. It will help you understand these experiences more fully. Perhaps, if you desire you can have these experiences too.

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When thinking about travel, we often want to include our whole family — even our pets. Cats and dogs can travel easily if you are well prepared. You can even take other types of pets too. Yet, sometimes the task seems daunting — how does one go about traveling with pets on a family vacation?

Considerations For Traveling With Pets

* Will Your Pet Be Welcome?

When flying to Hawaii or destinations outside the US, often a pet needs to be held to guarantee that the pet does not have rabies or infectious diseases. For Hawaii, the minimum quarantine is 5 days and can last up to 120 days. So before embarking on a trip, be certain to make sure you can actually have your pet be able to stay there. As laws change, verify current restrictions before traveling anywhere with your pet.

* Flying With Pets

Most airlines will take at least some pets. However, the rules are different for each airline. In general, it costs extra to bring your pet. One consistent theme is that smaller cats and dogs are easier. Some require that they are brought on as air cargo, others will let smaller animals be stowed under your seat. Be sure you have a Airline Certified Pet Carrier that fits your pet according to the airline’s requirements. If you have a large pet (like a large dog over 100 pounds), you may need to drive if you want your dog to be with you.

* Staying In A Hotel With Your Pet

More and more hotels are allowing their guests bring along their pet. To find such a place go to: Hotels.com and click on the search for Amenity and Landmark. Choose the pets allowed option. Doing this search is an easy way to compare hotels that accept pets.

* Are There Things To Do With Your Pet?

Now that you have arrived at your destination, you will want to make sure you can actually do something with your pet. Just because you can fly and sleep at your desired destination, doesn’t mean that you can do everything you want to do with your pet.

Restaurants and parks are getting to be more pet friendly. Disneyland allows you to keep your non-poisonous pet at their daytime pet care kennel but not in the park itself. Other places are getting more friendly towards pets, but be certain to check before you head off.

* Is it Within Your Budget?

Just because there are amenities to accommodate your pet, doesn’t mean it won’t cost extra. Make sure to calculate the differences in price to make certain that it is worth the extra effort you will be expending.

Once you decide your pet is going with you, all it takes is some planning — and you are on your way to a fabulous trip.

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Being prepared for travel at anytime makes traveling easier and less stressful. Whether you need to travel for work or play, having the ability to travel anywhere on a moments notice is a wonderful feeling. So what do you need to do to be fully prepared? Here is a handy list to help you:

Get A Current Passport

As of October 1st, the US is removing it’s Travel Accommodation that has been allowing people back into the US without a passport. This means, now more than ever, you need to have a passport on hand! If you have never gotten a passport, here are instructions from the US Passport Office. It is actually quite easy. You need 2 pictures, proof of citizenship and a photo id. Unfortunately, it often takes longer than you want, even with express handling — so getting it early saves you time and money.

Great Luggage Is A Must

This sounds pretty obvious, but if your luggage was damaged on your last trip, or you want to only use carry on to avoid having to check in your luggage, getting luggage is a must. A Hovercraft Wheeled Underseat Tote can be carried on the airplane easily. It is very versatile. If you are going on a business trips often, a Samsonite Carry-On Upright Suiter will do everything you want with ease.

Small Toiletries

With the new airline rules, having those 3 oz or smaller toiletries can make a huge difference of time spent in the airport. By being able to travel via carry on you can literally save an hour in some airports. Just put them in a small 1 quart ziploc bag and you are ready to go! Read our article on Travel, the TSA and Security for details and needed links. As policies often change, we highly recommend you checking the official website before you travel.

Travel Can Socks Help

If you aren’t used to walking alot or going on airplanes, getting travel socks can make a world of difference between a comfortable day and one filled with discomfort. Travel Legwear with Smart Compression can help you feel energized after a long plane ride. For people with diabetes or circulation issues, socks like these make a huge difference.

Knowing Who Will Watch Your Mail And Pets

Having a list of people to call to watch your mail, your pets, and perhaps your plants can make your life easier. Then when you are in the midst of packing, you only need to pick up the phone rather than figure out who to call. If you want to take your pet with you, there are other arrangements — but having a backup plan, just in case, is wise.

With planning your trip can be very smooth and easy — and that much more enjoyable!

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Generally speaking a vacation will be what you make it, and there is no reason why booking a budget vacation means that you cannot have the kind of vacation that you want.

The most common way of finding a budget vacation is by looking on the Internet or in agencies for last minute deals. I’ve found that www.lastminute.com is a good place to start. Sometimes you can get an excellent package deal at last minute that you would NOT have found earlier.

Many people think that by booking a last minute budget vacation, they will be limited on choice and location. In some cases this can be true, but not always. It is worth thinking about the vacation that you want before you look at the vacations available. That way you are less likely to be disappointed.

You can often set your mind at rest by doing some of your own research on the area before you book. There are many online reviews written by people who have stayed in the resort that you will be staying at. One thing to bear in mind when reading some of the reviews, is that while they can be a useful way of knowing where not to go, people often do not write about vacations that they have enjoyed. However, this can be very useful if you are looking for something specific. For example, you may not want a busy club resort for a romantic getaway for two.

When you are booking your vacation, make sure that you know exactly what is included in the price. If you will be staying in a hotel, see if it includes breakfast and if so, what kind. Some resorts even include all meals. Check before you go if it is important to you.

Check if transfers are included. If they are not included, you will need to look into the cost and availability of either taxis, limo service or a rental car.

When you are booking any budget vacation, create realistic expectations. Many people are disappointed with their vacations simply because they put too high and unrealistic demands on them. You may have saved hard for this vacation, but you need to be realistic in what the purpose of the trip is. If it is for a week or two of total relaxation, then make sure that you choose a quiet resort. Again, research the area well before you book.

One of the benefits of booking a budget vacation is that it is often possible to stay at hotels that you normally would not be able to afford to stay in, at a knock down price. A typical 2 week stay at a four star hotel may be on sale on a budget vacation website for the normal price of a stay in a three star hotel. To get these deals you often need to be flexible on dates and resort, but they are worth pursuing if you like a bit of luxury at a budget price.

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Sometimes, people skip taking a much needed vacation out of fear for how much it will cost. However, a vacation doesn’t need to be pricey. By following some simple guidelines, you can save money with a little planning ahead.

This doesn’t mean you need to go camping (unless you want to) or stay at a hostel. You can save money even if you want to stay at 4 star hotels or play at a fancy gold resort.

A common tip is, if possible, schedule your vacation at least 2 weeks in advance, preferably a month as generally prices will be lower. Though this isn’t always true, it is true more often than not. Additionally, if you can leave and/or return on a Tuesday or Wednesday, travel costs are often priced less.

Saving Money on Lodging Tips

Simple planning can make a huge difference on how much you pay for your lodging. The first step in saving money on lodging is to compare hotel rates. Is there a hotel down the street that has better room rates for the same features that you want? Comparison shopping over several sites can help. One of my favorites is Hotels.com as it compares many hotels at once. I’ve gotten great deals there.

Once you choose your hotel, you will want to compare rates within that hotel. Are you really going to looking at the beach from your room — or are you going to be spending time on the beach instead? Pay premiums only for features you will actually use. If you aren’t going to look at the beach from your room, you could use that money for something else.

Saving Money on Dining Tips

Eating out for every meal and every snack can be very expensive. You can lessen this expense with planning:

(1) Research Restaurants before you leave on your trip. By knowing price ranges you can budget or plan appropriately. If you know certain restaurants are out of your price range, skip going to them — or see if you can get a coupon before hand. Most cities will mail you a free visitors guide that contains useful information on what to see and do. Often these also contain money saving coupons. As the restaurants are putting them in the magazine to encourage you to visit them, it is recommended to use these free gifts if you would go to the restaurant anyways. It will give you money for other things.

(2) Save Money on Snacks and Drinks: At the beginning of your stay, see if you can stop by a grocery or convenience store for snacks, drinks, and things you have forgotten. If you go to one outside your hotel it is usually much less expensive. Having some nuts and drinks on hand, often is both more convenient and less expensive.

(3) Usually Avoid Room Service. Room service tends to often have a large added fee. If you really want to eat in the room, often you can order from local restaurants with free delivery for much less. Of course, you’ll want to compare prices, but I have found this to be much more affordable.

(4) Make your Own Breakfast? If you aren’t a big breakfast eater, you may want to buy fruit and cereal and eat them in your room. Consider bringing a hot pot if your room doesn’t come with a coffee pot, so you can make coffee, tea, and possibly hot cereal.

(5) Eat Before The Airport. If your schedule allows it, often you will get higher quality food for less, if you eat before going to the airport.

Saving Money On Rental Car

First, decide if you need a rental car. If you are only going to and from the airport, paying for parking is not as economical as taking a taxi. On the other hand, a rental car is often key to seeing everything. If you really want a rental car, compare rates. Often rates vary widely. Occasionally they are even higher rates with a coupon! Consider rental cars that are not on the airport property as they often are much less a day. If you are staying a week or longer, this can save you lots of money. Fox Rent A Car car is one such company.

Possible Package Deals

When traveling, especially last minute, using a package deal can be cheaper. But again, you have to compare prices of the options individually AND if you will use all options. If the package includes a rental car and you won’t use one, it may actually be more expensive. One place to price is www.lastminute.com They usually have extremely competitive prices. Save money on travel while going where you love!

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Th reasons I decided to set up a site for people who love to travel as much as I do is because there is so much to share, and so much to learn from others.

There has never been a time in my life when my feet did not have the itch to travel. When I was small I kept my mother busy looking all over for me. The world was a big place and I wanted to see it all. It was always a challenge to see what was over the next mountain or beyond the next horizon.

It is no wonder that my favorite magazine was the National Geographic. I used to read all of the wonderful articles that told about world cultures and famous landmarks. I could actually see myself standing in front of Westminster Abbey, and Buckingham Palace or St. Peter’s Cathedral in Rome. Everything interested me. At that time I did not realize that all my daydreaming would actually come true. My family didn’t have a lot of money. My father was a miner with six children, and my mother an average American housewife. Dreams do come true.

Then in a college marketing class students were supposed to put together a whole publicity campaign, and present it to the class. My subject was Travellers Warehouse. This happened before the Internet explosion where so much data was literally available to everyone. So, now I can carry that vision into reality. I don’t have to open up a store, or pay for expensive advertising to get my points across. This is a much better way of presenting pertinent travel information, and a whole lot quicker.

There are a number of things I would like this website to do.

1. Provide information about up-to-date travel changes that affect all of us who get on a plane, train, boat, or decide to drive in order to arrive at a distant location.

2. Education. It is good to learn as much as possible about the areas to be visited. I do a good amount of research before going to a another country. It helps a person fit into the local surroundings better, and makes any visit in another part of the world more enjoyable. So, on this website there will probably be some book and article reviews with tips on how to learn more.

3. Provide tips to make a trip easier. How does a family travel together? What can be done to make the trip easier?

4. Furnish links for all types of travel information. This can save a lot of time for the trip planner. It takes a good deal of time to surf the Internet. It would be nice if a lot of information could be accessed from one place.

5. I hope to furnish links to various sites where someone can buy travel supplies at a discount. Perhaps a budding hiker is going on a trip with a group of more experienced outdoorsmen. The group may have some good leads for equipment purchases, but it would be nice to check out other avenues without having to surf the whole web.

The other day after having breakfast with a friend, we went into the hotel gift shop, and picked up a little book called The Itty Bitty Guide to Business Travel. This book can fit nicely into a purse or a traveler’s pocket. It is ideal for the young person embarking on a corporate career after finishing college. There is a whole section in this little gem of a book on “How to Pack Like You Mean Business.” This section would help any traveler. It covers how to pack various types of bags: roller bags, duffle bags and garment bags. This little book would be a great tool for new travelers. There is an old saying, “Great things come in small packages.” There is a lot of information really jam packed into a small space.

I always look for more information that I can pass on to people about the wonderful world of travel. That is the heart of this website.

References:

The Itty Bitty Guide to Business Travel by Stacie Krajchir and Carrie Rosten.

San Diego, California! It’s my town! Well-known because it is the jumping off point into Mexico and the Baja Peninsula, the town is home to the famous San Diego Zoo, Sea World, Lego Land, The Wild Animal Park and the lodging of Presidents and Kings, The Hotel Del Coronado on the island on the southwest side of San Diego Harbor. In addition to all of that San Diego has one of the most congenial climates in the world. Normally, it doesn’t get too hot or too cold. The city lays about 100 miles south of Los Angeles, and Disneyland in Orange County is approximately 45-50 miles away. In addition, San Diego is home to most of the United States Military Pacific fleet.

The Port of San Diego has a huge repair facility for the ships that can be viewed from the Coronado Bridge, and Cabrillo National Monument. Coronado island is where naval recruits are trained for duty. Today, a good portion of San Diego’s military personnel is serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. Camp Pendleton is one of the largest military training areas in the United States.

So, how did it all happen?

Just north of the city is La Jolla, California, one of the most elite and exclusive communities in the Western United States. A little further north on Torrey Pines road (which becomes Highway 101) is the famous stretch of beach known as Torrey Pines State Park. Besides sporting some of the most beaches in California the Park is full of hiking trails for outdoor enthusiasts.

East of San Diego the old mining town of Julian is located in the Desert Mountains that separate San Diego from Palm Springs, California. Julian is known for its’ unique shops, and its wonderful homemade apple pie.

Escondido, which is North of San Diego just off of Highway 15 is the site of the Lawrence Welk theme park.

Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo discovered San Diego in 1542. He was an interesting character. No one knows for sure where he was actually born, or where he is buried. He was a wealthy landowner and shipbuilder who also loved the art of discovery. After landing at San Diego, and doing some exploration, he and his crew continued up the California coast. He sustained an injury on the voyage, and died January 3, 1543. His crew went ahead and finished his work by exploring the whole coastal regions all the way up into modern day Oregon.

San Diego was an area that had only a few houses until 1790 when the population jumped to 200 people. At that time the remained small and there were no homes on the present day site of Old Town. Settlers did not settle in this particular area until 1820.

San Diego struggled as a community, and did not really start to grow until after the Mexican-American War when California was ceded to the United States in the final treaty signed by both U.S. and Mexican leaders. In 1846 the American military moved into San Diego, followed by the Mormon Battalion in 1847. Then in 1848 gold was discovered in Northern California, and the gold rush that followed caused a marked increase in the population all over the state.

San Diego struggled as a community, and did not really start to grow until after the Mexican-American War when California was ceded to the United States in the final treaty signed by both the U.S. and Mexican leaders. In 1846 the American military moved into San Diego, followed by the Mormon Battalion in 1847. Then in 1848 gold was discovered in Northern California, and the gold rush that followed caused a marked increase in the population all over the state.

Today San Diego is the 7th largest city in the United States. Lindbergh Field, the international airport is located on the bay near the downtown area. It is named after Charles A. Lindbergh because the first leg of his historical trans-Atlantic flight originated on North Island on May 9, 1927. He flew from San Diego to New York before making his epic journey to Paris. Palomar Mountain in North San Diego County is home to the famous Hale telescope, and is one of the finest astronomical locations in the Western Hemisphere. Old Town remains a unique shopping and business district visited by many thousands of people each year, The original San Diego Presidio which lies just above Old Town has been turned into a public park, and all along the main waterfront area several historic ships have found their final resting place. This collection is one of the worlds’ finest with The Star of India as the center of attention. The exhibit is hosted and maintained by the San Diego Maritime Museum.

A quick 30 minute drive south is Mexico. Tourists can take also take the San Diego Trolley down to the border. A special pass is needed to cross over into Mexico. By the end of 2008 anyone returning from Mexico will need a passport or special documentation Keep in mind that border regulations are must stricter today than they were a few years ago.

A nice way to see the whole west coast is to ride the train. The Amtrak train station is in downtown San Diego, and has rail service all the way to Seattle, Washington. Travelers would probably need to transfer somewhere on the route in to travel further than Northern California. Amtrak has several different service routes, but there are two that are the most popular. The Pacific Surfliner service goes as far north as San Luis Obispo. The Coast Starlight Service goes from Los Angeles to Seattle.

There is plenty do in San Diego and, for the most part, doing it in beautiful weather. Surf, hike, see the giant pandas and enjoy the easy life of San Diegans for a while.

San Diego! My home turf.

My life as a globetrotter has been an enriching and rewarding experience. That is the reason I want to set up this website. I want to share my experiences with others, and pass on important information about globetrotting in today’s volatile world.

There are so many things we have to consider in taking a trip now. We might want to see the Greek Islands, but would like it to be a joyful trip that will be fondly remembered.

Also, I want to share some of my favorite places on earth. There is nothing like a sunset on the Cornish coast in England, or a quiet moment in the Cathedral at Notre Dame in Paris. One of my favorite places on earth is the vista point at Waiemia Canyon on the island of Kauai in Hawaii.

I am fortunate enough to have friends all over the world, and sometimes I am able to visit them. Another favorite place is in Cuernavaca, Mexico. Some friends have a home there. This city sets in the famous Valley of Morelos south of Mexico City, and is a site of one of Hernando Cortez’s palaces which is home to some of Diego Rivera’s most famous paintings. Their home is situated up above the valley and early in the morning, before the fog sets in, the twin volcanoes that hover over the distant villages can be clearly seen. It is quite a site when the volcanoes are emitting smoke at sunrise. The whole sky and the panoramic sunrise manifests as a bright red. My friend’s patio at 5:30 AM is one of my favorite travel memories.

I can pass on what I have learned, and I hope it helps others. Not only that, there are products and tips that I can recommend that make a long trip easier. For example: China. I loved the place, but the laws and expectations are different there. I always believe that while a person visits the land of another that everything there is respected and honored. Because of that, there have been very few problems as I have traveled around the world—last count it was 37 countries.

I have always studied the lives of other globetrotters, like Marco Polo who was born in or near Venice in 1254. Before he died in 1324 he was the instrument for opening the minds and awareness of Europeans to the Far East—mainly China. He came from a whole family of merchants and adventurers who traveled into areas that far off land, and opened up new avenues of trade with the west. His adventures and recollections in his memoirs, Travels of Marco Polo, inspired and fired the imaginations of millions of people. His work was used by Columbus to fabricate a voyage across the Atlantic to find a better trade route to Japan and China. Instead, Columbus stumbled on the continents of North and South America.

I have studied those who loved travel since grade school. In my teens I came across the biography of Richard Halliburton, the famous American globetrotter who died at sea in 1939. It was in one of Halliburton’s books that I first came across the famous anthills of Ghana in Africa. They are tall peaked mounds that dot the landscape there. Halliburton is a good place for a budding traveler to start looking at the world. A listing of his books appears at the end of this article.

Recently while visiting the Hotel Del Coronado on Coronado Island in San Diego I came across a wonderful book in one of the gifts shops there. It is entitled The Best Travel Writing. It is a great book to take on the plane to pass the time. This paperback is a compilation of travel stories by some of the worlds finest travel writers. For the casual or business traveler there is a lot of good information contained in the very entertaining stories.

My research never ends. I haven’t read Halliburton lately. It is probably time to go back read him again. That way I can travel all the time.

List of Halliburton books:

• Richard Halliburton’s Complete Book of Marvels
• The Flying Carpet

• Richard Halliburton, his story of his life’s adventure as told in letters to his mother and father
• The Royal Road to Romance: American’s Most Dashing Adventurer Explores 1920s India (Adventure Travel Classics)
• Richard Halliburton’s Book of Marvels: The Occident
• Richard Halliburton’s Second book of marvels;: The Orient
• The Glorious Adventure

• The famous adventures of Richard Halliburton
• The romantic world of Richard Halliburton
• Richard Halliburton: His Own Story of His Life and Travels

Other:

• The Best Travel Writing 2006: True Stories from Around the World (Best Travel Writing)

When I first started doing a lot of travel I did things pretty much the way everyone else was. In those days people carried a lot of luggage, and some of it very large. Even then I was conservative, and the bags were not quite a big as others that I saw. My own habits were about to change! My former husband landed new position in his organization, and he really did not want to make things difficult for others. I would be doing a whole lot of travel with him. He said to me, “Pack light because we are carrying our own bags.”

Now this was when the general public didn’t have the bags on wheels. The only people we saw using them were stewardesses and pilots. So, my first trip to Europe was quite eventful. I carried two bags to Amsterdam that year, and that was too many. My partner, however, carried one small shoulder bag with all his business materials in it, and a light suit carrier that could be hung up in the plane for his clothes. By the end of the trip I learned a lot from watching him.

First of all, he took a lot of vitamin supplements, and even then he put what he needed in sandwich bags, and labeled them. This way he didn’t have to carry bottles and packages which took up a lot of room. I still do that today.

The next time we traveled I got a little bit better at the packing end of things. I bought one maroon bag that had a lot of side pockets, and sections in it. Still no wheels! However, I was able to pack everything in one bag.

In those days I sewed a lot. Children’s clothes were expensive, and so I made all my young daughter’s outfits. I also sewed for myself. The yardage store has a lot of different type of travel savvy materials. This is cloth that can be rumpled up, but that will lose all the wrinkles when it is hung up and requires no ironing. Most people don’t make their own clothes today, but if someone has that talent and they travel a lot it can make a difference. Suppose someone is going to London on a business trip, and part of that trip entails an evening out at the theater and a fancy dinner party. A talented seamstress can make a very nice, simple outfit for the occasion. Today there is such a great selection in the stores and the shops of ready to wear wrinkle free outfits that are ideal for easy packing in a suitcase or a suit carrier. At the local drugstore, and sometimes the local supermarket there is a whole section dedicated to small travel items such as shampoo, toothpaste, hair spray, and mouth wash. These small necessities take up very little room in a suitcase.

These days we have suitcases with wheels, and savvy travelers. I try not to carry a purse with me anymore when I travel. Instead I put my wallet and travel documents in my carry on bag, and in the checked bag I place a purse that will lay flat. I usually wear comfortable shoes that can be taken on and off easily, and pack another pair that is more upscale. Be sure that the shoes are good walking shoes. Sightseeing often requires a lot of walking, and in some countries staircases are the norm.

On Amazon.com there are all kinds of books on how to pack light. Here are two titles that may prove interesting. The Packing Book: Secrets of the Carry-on Traveler by Judith Gilford and Smart Packing for Today’s Traveler by Susan Foster and Barbara Weiland.

Rick Steves is a modern day Marco Polo who can be met each week on Public Service Television (PBS). He first visited Europe when he was 14, and has returned every year since. He has a whole series of travel books and travel materials that can be found on his website. He also has a book out that gives tips on packing light. His travel books can be found at Wal-Mart.