Super Useful Travel Posts

Sleeping and eating. There's no question that these are going to be some important aspects of your vacation. Bad sleep and food can really ruin your trip. I have gone places where the beds were so uncomfortable that I barely slept more than an hour or two in a row (and I can sleep anywhere) and have gone on trips where the food was so disappointing it was all I could remember about the whole experience. Successful travel really depends on a lot of things coming together. When some things go wrong, it's no big deal, but I really feel like sleeping and eating are not something to mess with. When you're tired and hungry, you may end up like me, being totally hangry (hungry + angry) and trust me, nobody wants to be around that. At the moment, I don't care that I'm super-grouchy and mean, but I feel bad for those near me...eventually. This week I want to address making these two parts of your trips better with these nice links I found on the internets.

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As I said, I can sleep pretty much everywhere. I'm one of those lucky people who can sleep curled up in an airplane seat with no problem. I once slept for five straight hours on a flight with a baby screaming at full volume two rows away. I pretty much just put on my sleep mask and zonked out. I know I'm in the minority, so when I saw this article from Lifehacker, I bookmarked it for my sleep-deprived travelmates, like my husband.

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And then there are the times that your flight is delayed and you have to sleep in the airport. Well, do you? I've never done this. When I've had a long layover, I've booked a hotel room nearby, but if your layover is unexpected and you can't get a room, then SmarterTravel has tips to safely sleep in the airport. If you have money to spare and you don't have to sleep using your carry-on as a pillow, you might be lucky enough to be in one of these fancy airports - highlighted by Stuck At The Airport - that have a variety of sleep options, including sleep pods. 

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You know that I love to save money, but I'm not willing to stay just anywhere. I've stayed in some crap places in my life, which has caused me to really research every time I go anywhere now. Just showing up hasn't worked out that well for me in the past. I also am a grown up and like my privacy, so I haven't ever stayed in a hostel, or really wanted to, but Matador thinks that these new boutique hostels might bring the hosteling trend to America. We have some, but we just aren't a country that is very friendly towards backpackers and student travelers. What do you think? Would you stay in one?

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Let's talk about food! Everywhere you go there is a specialty dish. Do you usually seek them out? I make it a point to try something new every time I travel. You just know that you're going to have the best experience of a certain dish when you're eating it in the country that perfected it. Check out these best things to eat in 35 countries.

I've often heard about people who can see colors when words are spoken or taste words. I know it's a rare "talent" to have, but I find it really amazing. If only I could have one of those skills for just one day, aside from being fascinated by it, I'm sure it would be totally overwhelming. A man in Blackpool London can taste words and he used his crazy sixth sense to map the taste of every Underground station. Now I'm really interested to visit different Tube stations to see if maybe they evoke the flavors James Wannerton tastes in the names. With some of them being such specific and weird flavors, I have to think it's taken him almost 50 years to create this map, just because he hadn't ever tasted that thing before to know what it was.

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Do you live for food? If you do, then maybe you plan your trips around the cuisine of specific countries and regions. I know I have not planned a trip to some places because I was unsure if I could enjoy some of the local foods. If you are a foodie, LonelyPlanet brings you the ten best countries to travel to.

I am a big fan of vintage furniture, buildings and clothing and I'm obsessed with underground rooms and houses. If there's a 50's diner somewhere near me, it's going on my itinerary. If I had an extra day in London, I would have spent it at the Kelvedon Nuclear Bunker. Now, the next time I am in Southern California I'm going to be visiting Carlsbad Caverns, because not only can I see hundreds of bats, but also have a meal 750 feet underground in the cave lunchroom built in the 1950s. Though it used to serve full meals, the full-service kitchen has since been shut down due to it breaking down the cave structure. Now your options are only cold foods, like sandwiches, fruit and yogurt, but still...lunch in a cave in a 50s diner!

Do you have tips on sleeping and eating when you travel or did you find a fun link (of any topic) you want to share with everyone?

Live and Learn: Honolulu

It's been a while since I've done a Live and Learn post, but I realized there are things I still learned on trips that I can pass on. I never really thought I would want to go to Hawaii. I'm not one for sitting on the beach or for places that everyone raves about because they enjoy paying money to lay on the beach and drink beers. Just because a place has a great landscape doesn't mean it will be exciting to me as a vacation destination. I want to do things. I don't hate the beach, but I can spend much less money and go to the beach here to just sit in the sand, so there better be something else to keep me busy. I was surprised by how much there was to do in Honolulu and how I wished I had more time to explore. 

While in Hawaii, I did something that scared me, twice. I am terrified of things in the ocean I mean, not everything, but large things that I don't want to hang out with, like sharks. Of course, my husband loves the water and he's not afraid of any of that stuff, so I agreed to go snorkeling. In fact, I suggested both of the water activities we did, because if I jump right in, usually I find that I don't have time to psyche myself out. Well, one tour went disastrously (not for Eric, but for me who panicked and made him swim me back to the boat) and the next one had me so into checking out the sea turtles that I didn't have time to freak out. I was proud of myself, as I always am when I do something new and (possibly) scary.

7 days in not long enough if you want to actually do some sightseeing

I used to be content with a one-week vacation, but some destinations deserve more time. In fact, most destinations deserve more time. I know you can't always get away for longer, but if you can, and you find that there is a whole long list of things you want to do - or a short list of things that could take a while - then take a few extra days. It gives you time to leisurely do the things you want and relax at the same time. I felt like three more days would have been perfect.

Don't buy a bus pass

Honolulu isn't that huge. If you plan to spend most of your time in Waikiki, there's really not much need to take the bus, so buying a bus pass is a waste of money. We took the bus only three days out of seven and the majority of the time we walked everywhere, including to the zoo and back from Leonards, the bakery that sells malasadas - delicious, delicious cream-filled donut-like pastries. I think we must have walked six to eight miles that one day, but it was worth it and we needed the exercise after all the carbs we'd been eating. In case you didn't know, vegetables are a rarity in most Hawaiian entrees, but everything seems to come with rice and macaroni salad. Good thing there's a lot of fish. 

The Hilo Hattie Trolley will take you to the mall

If you want to go shopping, catch a Hilo Hattie Trolley for free. That's a great way to save cash for something else and not have to waste it on the bus. The trolley is open-air, giving you a chance to enjoy the lovely weather.

You can't really see my evil shoes, but they're there

This is not a good time to break in new shoes

Have you ever bought some new walking shoes and think they're going to be awesome and then wear them and wish you could cut your feet off? Yep. That's what happened to me. I got myself some fancy Keen sandals that were really comfy until I spent the whole day in them at the Dole Plantation. 80% of the way through the pineapple maze the back strap started rubbing something fierce and by the time we made it out of there I was pretty sure I was going to be crippled. I would have gladly bought some overpriced flip flops in the gift shop, but shockingly they didn't sell any. Tip to the gift shop at Dole Plantation: start selling flip flops! Tip to travelers: break in your shoes before you go on vacation by wearing them in a variety of different situations and for a different lengths of time.

Flip flops aren't walking shoes

And that brings me to this helpful tip. Though I wished I had put my flip flops in my day bag on that trip to the Dole Plantation, they have no arch support or enough padding to absorb the the pressure you're putting on your feet while pounding the pavement. They're great for the beach and the pool, but they aren't good walking shoes, so make sure you pack a better pair of shoes for your sightseeing.

Rent a car for the day if you want to visit the Dole Plantation

If you don't want to waste three hours of your time commuting there and back then think about renting a car for the day. Not everyone finds public transportation relaxing like I do. I also like to see the scenery, but I will admit that having a car to drive out there would have shaved a lot of time off our drive and possibly I would have been smart enough to bring a back-up pair of shoes with me if I didn't have to carry them around. Ha!

The bus is a great place to meet strangers

When you do take the bus, people in Hawaii are crazy-friendly and you can make some friends on board. We took a ride 90 minutes from town to the Dole Plantation and I had a conversation with a lovely older woman who told me about her life and how the land has changed since she was a girl. 

Eat as much Dole Whip as you can stand

Do you love Dole Whip? Anytime you find yourself faced with the decision on whether to order some or not, order it! You won't get another chance until you go back or go to Disneyland. Never had Dole Whip? It's basically ice cream made from frozen pineapple. It's amazing! I wish we had eaten more. Just say yes! It's healthy and delicious.

Your "snorkel with dolphins" tour might be a lie

So, you know those snorkeling trips I went on? The first one claimed it was swimming with dolphins and sea turtles. Not only was the water super murky - which is mostly what contributed to my freak out - but there was no dolphin in sight and there were almost some sea turtles. So, if you book a snorkel tour that promises something, make sure you go because you just like snorkeling. Our second tour didn't promise anything, but we swam with sea turtles and also saw a bunch of spinner dolphins (adorable!) as we were sailing back to port.

If there's a long line, you should probably stand in it

This is pretty foolproof, especially when it's outside of a restaurant. When the line's out the door and down the block, there's almost no way the food is going to be bad. We saw this every day outside a noodle shop, but only got in line to take this picture. Guess we'll know better for next time and plan better. 

Have you gone to Hawaii and had a live and learn experience? For money-saving tips on a Honolulu trip, see my post here.

Review: Skyroll Spinner Carry-on

Okay, so you probably already know that I have a collection of bags, including the original Skyroll garment bag. Any bag that’s going to make traveling easier for me is a plus in my book, so when I found out that they were making a new spinner case, I was definitely interested in checking out. A carry-on that also features a garment bag sounds pretty awesome, right? Skyroll was made for the business traveler who needs to pack professional clothing that doesn't get wrinkled. A garment bag is the only way to go when you need to bring suits, but most aren’t carry-on friendly. When you have to go straight from the plane to a meeting, you don’t have time to wait for the baggage carousel to deliver your luggage.

Many of us budget travelers don’t want to waste time waiting around either. Not only that, but baggage fees can be ridiculous. Carrying everything you need for casual and dressy occasions is a must, but it helps if you can get it all in one bag that you can carry with you on the plane. If you’re a frequent cruiser, you might have more need for dress-up clothes than the rest of us leisure travelers, but we still need a garment bag for different types of vacations. In fact, our upcoming trip to London will see us going to the theater and a few fancy meals, so Eric will need a suit jacket. We know from previous experience that packing one in a carry-on is not optimal, so probably having to pack more than just one item like this would not work out well. Enter the new Skyroll Spinner.

 

I am never optimistic about a bag’s internal space. Most seem bigger than they really are, and don’t hold everything you need without a lot of packing and repacking. The Skyroll was the exact opposite. I scoffed at the size when I opened the box, but I once I started adding things to it, I found that it had much more interior space than anticipated. Check it out!

There are three separate compartments in the new Skyroll: The main compartment, the upper compartment for things you want to get to right away, which also has a slot for your laptop, and the garment bag that wraps around the whole thing and is totally detachable.

I have been making my packing list for a while now and have whittled down my travel wardrobe to three pair of shoes (more than I usually take, but necessary), three pair of pants and five tops (and two tanks). For the purposes of this review, I also added a blazer and a dress. I honestly was a bit skeptical about getting all this in there, including my boots, but I was able to fit it all in and more.

Obviously, I rolled everything, making it easier to pack and when I was finished, I still had some room leftover in the body of the bag. I could use this for my makeup and other toiletries. The bag comes with a toiletry bag, which I maybe could have packed in the extra space with my clothes and shoes. It may have been a tight fit though. I love the two pockets on the “lid” of the Spinner. I used one for my undies, and socks and/or other undergarments could go in the second. Pretty snazzy, right?

It fits, even if the flap won't close - the top still zipped shut just fine

The netbook fits with tons of space left

The top compartment is really versatile. Not only does it have a pocket for your laptop – Yes! They have thought of everything! – but also room for your electronics, pens, credit cards, sunglasses and your 3-1-1 bag. Now, I’m not a business traveler, so I packed my netbook into the laptop pocket, but just for the sake of seeing if I could, I stuffed my 17” laptop in there and it fit, though pretty snugly, which means your normal 15” one would fit perfectly, allowing you to close the compartment fully. I also packed a card game, my iPad mini, a puzzle book, some gum, facial wipes and then my small purse. Again, there was still room left in the top, so my 3-1-1 would be handy for security. In the top flap, I had my sunglasses, a pen (for my puzzle book) and my flat iron. If I didn’t need a bigger purse for my destination, everything would have fit in this bag, with no need for a “personal” item that I wouldn’t be able to take on a flight within Europe anyway.

If you find that you need more room in the main compartment of the bag, you’ll see that you can totally unzip the top portion, push the bottom down into the side of the Spinner and, voila! You have a larger interior space for clothing and other stuff. I love this versatility.

The big attraction to this bag is with the detachable garment bag. It doesn’t fit inside the main bag as you have seen with other carry-on bags, scrunching it up against all your other items. To keep your business and dressy duds from getting all creased and wrinkled before you even get to your destination, the Spinner garment bag minimizes folds by wrapping around the outside of the case. It attaches/detaches with clips. If you pack more in your garment bag, you can loosen the belts attached to the clips to help it fit. It also stays in place with Velcro on the top and bottom, so it doesn't slide down and end up under the wheels on on side. Smart construction!

There are a few zippered pockets on the garment bag that can be used for accessories, like ties, tights, scarves or belts, so you have everything you need right in one place. The only thing it doesn’t do is hang in the closet at your destination, but you can easily just pull out the contents and hang them as soon as you arrive. You’ll have to remove the garment bag from the main bag in order to get at your other stuff anyway. I like that this makes it harder for people to try to steal things out of your suitcase, too.

Besides the main compartment being inaccessible while the garment bag is attached, the zipper for the top portion of the bag is also somewhat concealed as well, giving the Spinner really easy, but still useful safety features. Of course, you can use this bag all alone without the garment bag if you feel you don’t need it on a trip, making it even more flexible for all your travel needs.

I think the spinner wheels make this bag way more awesome. They easily could have just put in-line wheels on this thing like many other carry-on bags feature, but the spinners make this super-easy to maneuver and will probably be a great bonus for getting down the tiny airplane aisle without having to try to carry it and not hit people already in their seats – don’t you hate that? The telescoping handle is comfortable for shorter and taller people, so Eric and I will both be able to pull/push it along with no problems.

I also like all the handles on this bag. One on top, one on the side, and a hidden grip pocket on the bottom all help you to maneuver your bag into the overhead, the car trunk, that rack on the airport shuttle and carrying it up the stairs. There really are no downsides to the new Spinner, that I can see. We'll be taking this as our second bag to Europe, so we'll see if that changes, but the bag is heavy-duty, has convenient pockets/compartments/interior space and wheels around like a dream. We are both looking forward to a hands-on test. Even though it only comes in black, you aren't going to mistake it for another bag, because the design is pretty unique. You just might find this popping up on my must-buy list for travelers this holiday season!

Check out the roomy hanging toiletry bag!

More information:

What is the Skyroll made of? Extra-tough 1200 denier ballistic fabric

How big is it? The Spinner comes in men’s and women’s. The women’s has a longer garment bag for dresses, and has silver details. The men’s has gold details and a shorter bag for suit jackets and pants. Empty, it weighs 9 pounds and measures 22 x 12 x 7 inches, with stuff in the garment bag, approximately 22 x 14 x 9. The garment bag measures 20 x 48 inches (20 x 58 on the women’s version).

Where can you buy it? Skyroll website 

How much is it? You might think the Skyroll is spendy at $299.99, but with the durability of the structure and fabric, plus the ability to use this bag in several different ways, I believe it will last you many, many trips. It also comes with a limited lifetime guarantee. 

Disclosure: I was provided with a Skyroll Spinner bag for the purpose of this review, but all opinions are 100% my own.