"My musings on all things travel."
In honor of our current 100 degree temperatures, in an effort to save on my electric bill and because I’ve got company coming I’m taking the week off this week.
Sorry for not posting, but it’s so hot here, I can barely think straight. Hmmm, there’s an idea. Think of a cool place. Mmmmmm Reykjavik…
My husband sent me a link to this Jalopnik.com video of two guys running wild after hours at Dallas-Fort Worth airport. It’s like elves on Christmas Eve. I wonder what on earth TSA thought when they saw this. I think you have a security breach guys.
Note: apologies for not embedding the video. I tried, but couldn’t make it happen. It’s worth clicking through the link above.
When I started this travel blog over 3 years, and a thousand posts ago I envisioned it as a way to share my passion for travel. I wanted to inspire you with destinations, travel accessories and tips and tricks that would get you off the couch and on the open road.
I am a mercurial creature who craves the new. And to me after that thousandth post, it felt like time for a change. So I stepped away to try and refresh my sense of wonder and find new things to share. Now it’s time to get personal. This blog is going to become less a reflection of me the travel planner, and more about me the traveler. I don’t know how often I will post. In the past year I have left the travel planning business and returned to a full time job. Still I hope you will check in periodically and let me know if you find something interesting. I perform best with an audience.
I realize that many of you are hooked on my accessories posts or stop by every Monday to check out my destinations posts. So those may reappear. I’ve never recommended anything on Instant Native travel that I wouldn’t consider for myself. That will stay true. What will be added is a personal touch. What would I pack? Where would I go? What’s on my mind. Consider it a fresh start. Just as Summer is about to kick off, so am I. So stay tuned.
I love this idea. There are so many troubling problems in the world ~ not enough food, school or medical supplies, no clean water, no soap. It’s daunting just thinking about it. However, there are a few people I’ve encountered in the cyber world who took matters into their own hands and are really making a difference. Today I’m going to share a couple and hopefully inspire you.
Pack for a Purpose – I’ve written about them before on this site, but they bear a second mention simply for the amazing amount they’ve accomplished in the past year. The idea is that a travel can spare enough packing space to take a bag of pencils, deflated soccer balls or medical supplies into areas that need them. I’ve watched on Twitter as they’ve added destinations galore.
Clean the World – When Shawn Seipler, a frequent traveler, thought about how much hotel soap and shampoo are discarded in North America every day he realized that there was an opportunity there. People all over the world are becoming sick because they don’t have ordinary bar soap to wash their hands. He partnered with Paul Till to collect and recycle unused soap and shampoo from hotels. That was in 2008. They now they send their recycled bar soap all over the world, helping thousands avoid disease and live healthier lives.
What’s your sure fire sign that Spring has arrived? The groundhog doesn’t see his shadow? The cherry blossoms bloom? Or if you live in New York the snow finally melts. Mine is the appearance of outdoor cafes. Dining al fresco is one of my favorite things about travel. I love being out on the sidewalk drinking a glass of wine and watching the world go by. I was doing just this last week when we had an aberrant, but enjoyable 70 degree day. It reminded me of all the wonderful things that Spring has in store for all of us.
Eat at the airport or wait to see what’s offered on the airplane. I’ve totally been there! Well this week USAToday.com and Frommer’s have some recommendations for the top 10 airport restaurants. Airports have gone local in the past few years. No more big Burger Kings or chain-only restaurants. They are bringing in the hometown favorites you’ve loved. I noticed this in San Francisco when I was there, and I’m delighted that it’s finally catching on.
Sorry for not posting yesterday or today. My internet has been down since last Friday night. I spoke to my provider today and they are projecting another 1-2 weeks (yes weeks!!!!) before it is fixed. In the meantime I’m exploring alternatives, read: my local Starbucks, so I can get the travel site up and running again. Thanks for your patience, and as a reward check out this cool article from Tablet on movie hotels. It’s great prep for the Oscars this weekend!
Today is a banner day at Instant Native Travel. I just hit my 1,000th post. Crazy, right? What I’m wondering Dear Readers is if it’s time to shake things up a bit. What features do you like? Which would you rather do without? Think I should leave things just as they are? Drop me a comment and let me know.
It’s a phrase we’re all familiar with, but how many of you have ever taken a train? Here in the U.S. we travel such great distances just to get anywhere that we always seem to be flying. That means rushing to the airport, checking our bags, being frisked by TSA before even seeing an airplane. No romance in that. Myself I love train travel. Sure I haven’t had an opportunity to do it often, maybe 3 times in my life, but I’m making one this week. It’s almost Valentine’s Day, the most romantic day of the year, so I’m planning myself a little getaway. And I’m taking the train. Amtrak. East Coast. Not sure what I’ll see, but I’m excited at the prospect of the journey. Curious where I’m headed? Check in next Monday at Destinations for the download.
Any time I hear iPhone, travel apps and the words “free”, I’m there. I saw on USAToday.com that Lonely Travel announced this week it is rolling out 14 of it’s popular city guides to iPhone users free of charge. Boston, New York, DC, Seattle and more are on the list. Just download them before 6 p.m. Pacific time on Feb. 4th. I can’t wait to try out the ones I’ve grabbed for myself. Enjoy!