Travel Gifts for Dads and Grads

Father's Day is just next month and soon all the kids will be graduating from high school and college, which means you need to buy gifts of gratitude and congratulations for those you know and love. If your dad likes to travel or your grad is planning a gap year, then why not get them something truly awesome to help them save money and make their travels better? Here are some ideas for gifts in all budgets.

Budget

Make sure you can follow your grad's travels on Instagram or Facebook by getting them a battery backup for their mobile. You won't have to worry if they got murdered when they can keep their phone charged. Your dad can use this, too, since he's streaming all those videos and looking at all the photos you keep sending him of your kids. I have this one and it can charge your phone 2 1/2 times before it needs to be recharged. It also has a flashlight and comes in at a cool $16.

Don't you like to chronicle your trips to remember later? Get them a moleskine journal where they can write down all their thoughts, notes and drawings. They are sleek and convenient, so they fit in the pocket of any bag or jacket. These run $10-15. Get them a fancy pen to go with it and you're golden.

If your dad/grad loves to lounge by the pool or play on the beach, then you need to get them a waterproof phone pouch. It keeps water and sand out, floats and still lets you talk, text, play games and take pictures. Last time I was using mine in the lazy river, a lady floating by asked me all about it. This would be an excellent gift to go with something else, because it costs just $10.

Sleeping on the plane (or a train or the back of the car) can be difficult. Give them the gift of easier sleep with the awesome hoodie pillow where they can get comfortable, keep their head warm and block out light. I love mine and take it everywhere I travel. They start at $20. 

Moderate

(Almost) Everyone likes to be organized...especially when they travel. Get them some of Lewis N. Clark's fantastic packing cubes, like the fun new expandable ones, so they fit everything she needs in her carry-on. These can run $10-44, depending on size and set.

Hydration. It's important. It's also nice to have a cold beverage stay cold and a hot beverage stay hot...like all day. Laken insulated bottles do just that and come in a variety of sizes. They're really sturdy and you'll still find ice in it hours later. I take this with me everywhere, especially when we go anywhere with the dog. Your dad will be excited that his coffee is still hot when he gets to work, or wherever he's going, even if he gets pulled into a meeting. It's also nice to have ice water available when sitting on a hot, sweaty bus in South America. Plan to spend $30-40 on a good size one.

Splurge

Give the gift of experience and save them money with either a CityPASS or a Go Card from Smart Destinations. Both save up to 50% off a city's most popular attractions and saves them from waiting in the ticket line, which is always the worst. They start around $45 and go up from there depending on the city being visited.

It's nice to have clothing that does double duty. Bluffworks pants are specifically for travel, because they are odor-resistant, stain-resistant, wrinkle-proof and almost indestructible. They look like dress pants, but they're sturdy enough to wear hiking, camping or rock climbing. One pair can work for everything you do on vacation or a business trip. These are $98 or $125, depending on the style, but they'll last a really long time.

You know what's awesome? Having noise-cancelling headphones that are also wireless and can help you sleep on the plane and are adjustable to fit everyone's head. Get them a pair of Sol Republic Air Tracks for around $70 and they will love you (even more than they already do).

Let them go farther for less by gifting them air miles or a gift card to their favorite airline. They come in any denomination you choose (or in quantities of 500 for miles), so you can work with the budget you have and, if you want to gift them your air miles, it's even more affordable.

A great traveler needs a great bag that'll hold everything they need, but also discourage overpacking. The Skyroll is basically a garment bag with organizational pockets that wraps around a tube for your shoes and toiletries. It fits under the airplane seat and is easy to throw over your shoulder. Perfect for business trips, but also for cruises. These run $149.99.

What are you doing for the dad or grad in your life next month?

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48 Hours of Fun on a Budget in Toronto

In this blog series I show you how easy it is to budget travel anywhere and I also give you a quick overview of a new city each time in a brief 48-hour itinerary.

Next year we’ve decided to vacation in Toronto. We’ve only ever been to B.C. in Canada, so this will be a new experience, plus an interesting destination that I doubt many people think about. We were going to make this a friends vacation, but they can’t make it, so we are going to go anyway and maybe do a second leg in NYC, because why not? So, if you’ve been thinking about heading North, here’s my plan for spending two days in the city of Toronto. (Obviously, I’ll be spending around a week there, but maybe you can drive up for the weekend, or need a starting point.)

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Day 1

{CityPASS now has the TorontoPASS which could save you up to 43% on 5 of the city’s most popular attractions.} Let’s assume you got in last night or early this morning, so you can hit the ground running. Start the day off with a healthy and unique breakfast at Cora’s. The meals can be large, so if you aren’t a huge breakfast person, you can easily split an entrée. Most range between $10-12. Look to spend around $20 for 2 if you split something and have coffee/juice.

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Make sure you’ve packed your camera today, because you’re going to head to CN Tower now and get a bird’s eye view of Toronto. It has two observation levels, one with a glass floor, at over 1,100 feet above the street. If you buy your tickets online, these will cost you $44 per adult, but it’s included in your CityPASS.

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Walk the few blocks to Union Station and take the train to the Royal Ontario Museum. This is where you’ll check out dinosaurs, artifacts from Egypt and Canada’s history. It’s Canada’s largest museum of world cultures and natural history. In between your browsing of exhibits, head to the museum’s café for a bite for lunch. You can get all the usual easy foods like pizza, hamburgers and hot dogs, or you can get something more unique like chicken schwarma or veggie masala. Two people can eat for around $25. Admission for the museum is $17 per person, but this is also included in the CityPASS.

If you’ve purchased a CityPASS, I suggest heading back towards the CN Tower and visiting Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada. It’s open late and is Canada’s largest indoor aquarium. There are dive shows each day, local marine life and so much more. This is great if you have kids, or just a lover of stuff in the water. If you didn’t purchase a CityPASS and this doesn’t sound appealing, head to the Distillery Historic District. It’s a no-car zone and the architecture is fantastic. You won’t find big box stores here, as they aren’t allowed, so you’ll be surrounded by pure Toronto. The District is free, but the aquarium is around $32 per person if you pay separately.

Save some bucks on dinner and hit up Nari Sushi to get some fish to go and enjoy it in your hotel room while you relax and prepare for tomorrow. You can pick up three 8-pc rolls for around $15.

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Day 2

Make sure your camera’s charged and you have a fresh memory card in it, or you have a backup battery for your phone, today you’re going to explore the fabulous Casa Loma. I’ll just tell you it’s a castle, because what? You can get there right when they open and head to the café for breakfast. They serve everything from muffins to waffles, so you can grab something light or fill up before walking the grounds and exploring hidden passages(!!!). Admission to Casa Loma is $25 per person and a meal in the café for two can run around $20. Casa Loma is included in your CityPASS.

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Head back to the city and go straight to St. Lawrence Market. Browse stalls of foods, plants, jewelry and more. There’s even an art gallery! Cobble together a lunch from finds at the market or grab something from a stall who offers made food for you. The market is free to wander. Plan to spend around $20 for lunch for two.

Walk over to the Harbourfront Centre where you can check out free shows and culture along Lake Ontario. You’ll find a wide range of foods here as well from a variety of local food vendors. Look to spend around $20 for two.

Head back to your hotel and pack to leave tomorrow. If you do everything on the list, you’ll spend around $292 CAD ($226US) – with the aquarium, it’s more like $276 US. If you purchase theCityPASS, you’re looking at $237 US.

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There are plenty of cool things to do in Toronto that aren’t on this itinerary. I also want to check out The Lockhart, a Harry Potter-themed bar, have tea at the Kitten and Bear and visit the magical Library at Osgood Hall. Oh, and check out The Danforth (or Greektown), because I’m a nerd and love the line in Barenaked Ladies’ Old Apartment. 

How To Eat More Healthfully When You Travel

One of my favorite things about traveling is eating and trying new foods. This isn't always a great plan, especially when you find that none of your pants fit at the end of your trip. I am not an exerciser, but when I am on vacation, I walk a lot and climb all the stairs. Of course, I also eat more than I do at home, because...yum. If you've been reading my blog for a while, you know that I will plan whole days around where I want to eat. More than once I've gained some weight on my trip and had trouble getting into my clothing by the end. You want to throw the rules out the window, but you also want to try to eat healthfully, if it doesn't hold you back from eating all the stuff.

Eat smaller meals

If you're always hungry on vacation, maybe don't go crazy and order a huge meal when you've also been snacking along the way. Maybe order an appetizer when you sit down for lunch. Or put some healthy snacks (nuts, granola bars, fruit, veggies) in your day bag to munch on in between meals so you aren't stopping and getting a hot dog or other crap from a street vendor before heading to lunch or dinner.

Say no to the free bread (or chips and salsa)

I love carbs. And I love, love, love bread. It might be difficult to tell your server to not bring that delicious bread basket, especially when you feel like you're starving. Unfortunately, it's easy to eat the whole loaf of bread they bring you and then eat your entire meal before realizing that it was a bad idea and being overstuffed. If you don't have it, you can't eat it.

lobster sandwich with fries that we split, but we also had a stuffed mushrooms app

Split an entree with a friend

Eric and I do this a lot. Sometimes we're hungry, but not hungry enough to eat a whole meal, so we choose something that we both want on the menu and share. You are full, but not super full when you're done, so you don't want to lay down and take a nap or feel sluggish the rest of the day. If we can't decide if splitting something would be enough, we ask the server about the portion size. If they seem iffy about it, or we do, we also order an app. This is a good budget dining tip as well. 

Don't order everything on the menu, unless there's a lot more than 2 of you

Share some tapas

Instead of splitting a main meal, split 2 or 3 apps or small plates. This gives you a variety, so it satisfies your need to try more, but also doesn't give you enough food to stuff yourself before the meal is over. In fact, you may feel like you've gotten more than if you just ordered a regular entree, and you save money!

Don't forget your fruits/veggies

It's hard to get in your fruits and veggies every day when you're eating out all your meals. I always keep it in the back of my head to look for something that has sides that are good for me that I actually like. If nothing on the menu seems to fall into that category, ask your server if they have something that works. Or skip the fries and get a fruit cup instead. I always aim for at least a serving of fruits or veggies for two of my three meals. If you find you aren't getting enough, hit up the local grocery store or market and get some things you like and eat for breakfast or while you're out walking around.

Skip dessert

Am I a horrible person for suggesting this? I feel like it. If I see a funky dessert on a menu, I want to try it (this might also be a time when we plan to split and entree). I'm not saying to say no to all desserts, just many of them. Try not to have more than one per day and, when you do, make it count.

Scale back on the alcohol

Okay, some of you probably feel like this is as bad or worse than skipping dessert. I like a good cocktail as much as the next person, but those are extra calories that can add up quickly. It can also make me feel sleepy before it's even bedtime, and then my sleep is not great when I do go. If you must have a drink, limit it to one per meal. I figure an ice tea will end up being more refreshing, hydrating and affordable. Think of all the other stuff you can do with the money you aren't spending on alcohol!

Get a salad sometimes and go light on the dressing

Yeah, yeah. Blech. After having a bunch of rich or carb-loaded meals, I just crave something light and fresh. If you see a really yummy sounding salad on a menu, order it. It'll probably be healthier for you, gets your veggies in and gives your body a break from the heavier meals you've been putting into it.

Avoid fried foods

I'll never turn down fried chicken, but when on vacation I look to order fewer fried things (fries, chicken strips, fried pickles) and try to sub in something a little better for me. Maybe order the fish or grilled meat instead. Get a cup of soup or a side salad instead of onion rings. You'll feel better, your pants will still fit and you'll have more energy.

So, there you have it. There are a few ways to maintain your weight when traveling. If you want to do more, then walk as much as possible, take the stairs instead of the elevator/escalator or get a quick workout in. How do you eat more healthfully when you're on vacation?