Why You Should Seek Out Food Trucks When You Travel

As a Portlandian, it's common to talk to people about your favorite food trucks, or to run out and get a quick lunch if you work anywhere in the city. Food trucks and food carts aren't as prevalent everywhere, but in most big cities, food cart culture is where it's at and a fantastic way to try new foods for less and really get to know what a city's all about from their food. If you're traveling with a group or with kids, it really allows everyone to be happy with the dining options, while not breaking the bank.

Dining at traditional restaurants can really add up quickly, and if you're tired of your kids eating the same five things (pizza, mac and cheese, hamburger, chicken nuggets, PB&J), splitting entrees with your companions or ordering the least expensive options, then food trucks are where you need to be headed. You can experience some of the best food in the city for less, because you aren't paying for all the overhead (wait staff, tables, rental space). Unless there's a tip jar, you don't even have to think about adding extra to your bill. The truth is that even some of the spendiest items on a food cart menu are still less than plates at a normal restaurant.

Food carts are the new gourmet dining. Food trucks are all the rage. They are booming the world over. Lucky for me, I live in the number one food cart destination on the globe (as named by Travel + Leisure) and can eat cuisine from all over the world everywhere I go within Portland. From ice cream to Lebanese to Cuban, there is something for everyone, including this delicious waffle cart that makes a dough for their waffles and then tops them with all kinds of yummy combinations. Within the same block, we can have hot dogs, Hawaiian, Thai, Mexican, dumplings and Mediterranean. That’s not even all the choices! Each truck specializes in their few menu items, so you know it’s the best it can be.

More choices. How can this be when food carts are so small? Where there’s one food cart/truck, there are usually others. It’s unlikely for several of the same cuisine carts to gather in the same place, which means you have a choice of different kinds of food. This is great for those traveling with kids who are picky and never seem to want the same thing you are eating. Don’t like the dessert one cart is serving? Go check out what the others have to offer!

Mobile dining. Not only is your restaurant mobile, but you can also take your food with you. Either eat nearby or enjoy your meal on your way through the city. It’s a great way to burn calories and save time when you want to get more sightseeing done.

Where are some of your favorite food cart travel destinations? And what did you order?

Getting Cultured with Airport Artwork

You all know by now that I love the airport. I find it fun and as part of my next adventure. I research the food and activities at each one I'll be visiting like I do the rest of my trip. Sometimes you get stuck at an airport for longer than you expect. Things happen: flights get cancelled or delayed. Flights get missed. You can't control everything in life. Of course, I've once purposely chose a four-hour layover in DFW, because it was the best way to get to my destination and I enjoy what DFW has to offer. 

When you find yourself with some extra time on your hands before your flight, instead of sitting at the gate or bar grumbling about how you hate flying, why not take advantage of what's available to you? All airports have some sort of art program. Many even have their own galleries for travelers to pop into. They know that people have places to go and may not have time to visit a stationary location, so they sprinkle artwork throughout the airport, so everyone can enjoy a bit of culture as they run from gate to gate.

Las Vegas' McCarran airport has an aviation museum before security. It's not big and it doesn't even have walls. It's just set up in the middle of the aisle, so you can view pieces of aviation history and learn a bit more about how flight travel has evolved. I was thrilled to find that they also have a mini museum after security so travelers can still get a bit-size version of history. They have informational plaques as well as tiny exhibits set up around columns. Cute, right? I also like that it's right next to the children's play area, so you can peruse while the kids get out their energy.

Phoenix has tons of artwork around the airport with signs letting you know you can find more at the gallery in the terminal. Obviously, they hope that this will entice people into visiting if they have time. I wish I did, but I was running to catch my flight after finally making it though the long security line and only had time to snap this pic.

Salt Lake City is full of historical stuff, and their airport wants to extend the museum feel with local artists' work along the walls everywhere you look. This gallery wall was in the hallway between terminals and the moving walkways. 

Portland loves their locals and all the awesome work they do. Between photography, sculpture and paintings, every inch of bare wall has been covered with something interesting to look at. I'm a bit surprised that we don't have a mini museum/gallery yet, perhaps an offshoot of OMSI or Portland Art Museum, but we don't really have extra space with all the dining and shopping. I won't stop hoping, as we finally got food carts into the terminals as well as a little version of our Hollywood Theater that will show short films for those that have 15-20 minutes to spare.

I'm not sure why I had to fly through Denver to get to Phoenix from Portland, but I did, and they had some large art pieces, including this awesome plane. It's great, because you can't miss it, meaning everyone has the chance to admire it and appreciate the finer details when walking through the terminal. 

When we flew into Washington DC a few years ago, they had this fun exhibit down by baggage claim that was on loan from the local design school. It featured a ton of textiles, from clothing to furniture and wallpaper. Even though I was quickly on my way to get my rental car, I had time to stop and check out some of the pieces that were on display.

Here's another fun piece that was at Portland last time I was flying out. There were several marine-centric "sculptures" in the middle of the walkway, which was pretty fun to check out as we were headed to our gate.

Las Vegas even has cool stuff to see if you are arriving for your vacation. The monorail dumps you out at this gorgeous underground station that always has different artwork displayed. It's really colorful and fun.

Next time you're flying, slow down and take the time to appreciate some of the artwork that's on display for you. Of course, if you have a long layover, you can really just wander and get more of a feel for the city you're in. It's like being in a museum, just with a lot of people who have someplace else to be. You also get some exercise by walking the terminal, so you can stretch your legs before you have to sit one the plane for hours.

Do you make time to enjoy the art when you visit the airport?

Traveling Cheaper with Coupons

Even as oil prices have fallen radically--some 40% since 2011--airlines have not passed their savings on to their customers.  Consumers have one of two choices: accept the current rates for what they are or, the savvier choice, to strike back as effectively as possible to try to recoup some hard-earned money.  

When you think of coupons, you might think of standing behind a little old lady in the supermarket, waiting not-so-patiently for her redeem several dozen coupons at a snail's pace but coupons have come a long way.  In addition to getting a more digital-age appropriate name, promotion codes or keycodes, most stores will offer a box on their checkout page asking if you have one and if you do then you'll get some bonus savings.  Do a search for, as an example, "Apple Vacations promotion code" and see what options pop up.  There are a lot of results to comb through but knowing where to look helps.  In addition to perennial favorite RetailMeNot, other sites have sprung up with fewer stores but better-curated offers.  Two of these are Groupon (not just for daily deals anymore) and PromotionCode.org, a site devoted originally to travel offers.  

In addition to saving with coupons, another great option is calling airline agent directly to book your flight.  Ask specifically about a "positioning flight"; an option where the airline is simply moving the plane from one port to another and the cargo isn't the priority.  If you have some flexibility in your itinerary you can save several hundred dollars off the cost of the flight if you don't mind leaving at the airline's preferred date and time.

Do you use coupons to make your travels more affordable?

Author: Steve Pame, Sources: PromotionCode.org, Groupon.com, RetailMeNot.com