How To Entertain Yourself At the Aiport

I see you all rolling your eyes. You probably hate how much I adore airports. I download GateGuru and print out the map and highlight the places to check out when I have a layover, whether it's an hour or four. Two hours is ideal in my eyes. Does it bug you that I look forward to hours at the airport? It doesn't have to be a place of misery. Maybe my excitement can rub off on you...

SFO has a yoga room!

Why do I enjoy the airport so much? It could be that I live where the best airport is (Travel + Leisure has awarded it four years running), but I like most other city's airports, too. I'll tell you why: I view being at the airport as part of my trip. It's like a mall that also has a portal to another destination! (Yeah, I actually hate the mall, but it's the best comparison.) Once you start thinking this way, you might feel differently in the future too, not be one of those annoyed harried people who look at the route monitors with a permanent scowl. Listen, you'll eventually get to where you want to be, so chill out and enjoy yourself. Get  a snack or a beer, buy a new magazine and go check out what the airport has to offer.

Art collection

All airports now have some sort of art collection. Some even have their own galleries for those travelers who have quite a bit of time to kill. I always like to see the different things on display at different airports. Take some time to wander your terminal to check out the exhibits available. One of my favorites is the History of Flight "museum" in McCarran Airport in Las Vegas. They have a main exhibit and smaller exhibits throughout. 

Play area

Travel with kids can be trying and, after having to sit for hours without getting to flail or even stand up, jumping around and annoying people near the baggage carousel is not a fantastic way to burn off energy (or make friends). Head to the nearest play area, which almost all airports have, and let them climb and run and yell and whatever else so they can be ready to fly or for the next leg of your journey. Bonus is that they are usually airplane themed and lots of kids love pretending to be a pilot. 

Workout rooms

These may be few and far between, but if you're lucky enough to go through an airport with some, pack some shorts and a tee in your carry-on to do some running or strength training. Getting some exercise is a great way to stay alert and get moving after a long flight of being folded into a tiny space. If you normally get a workout in during the day, then you're not missing out by sitting on the plane.

Movies

You're probably bringing your laptop, so why not toss a couple DVDs in your bag to watch if you have 90+ minutes to spare on your layover. If you're lucky, you might be in one of those fancy schmancy airports that have an actual theater for travelers and you can see a new movie on a big screen.

Spa

Treat yourself to a massage, pedicure of something else a little luxurious. I've been lucky enough to get a manicure at the Butter London location in Seattle, but we've also hit up the Xpress Spas on trips as well. They do their best to make your treatments short and sweet, so if you have a tighter connection, you can still catch your flight.

Specialty souvenir shops

Bring home gifts to commemorate your trip for yourself or others. If you're just passing through, this is also a great way to sample some of the local flavor, whether it's candy or beer or whatever else. Fair warning, when you go through Portland (PDX) and think Oregon Rain sounds like a fantastic water choice, just don't.

Go sightseeing

If you have a fairly long layover, don't think you can't get out and enjoy your stopover city a bit. We had 8 hours in Vancouver, BC (YVR), rented a car and made a fun day out of it. Recently, we flew through Salt Lake (SLC) and they had a brochure about taking a two-hour tour into their historical center. They have an airport shuttle to drop you off and bring you back and they get tourists into town and a little extra money in their economy. That was pretty genius to me. 

Buy something you forgot 

Or entertainment. My favorite new shops are the 24-hour kiosks in airports. You can buy everything from travel-sized makeup to fancy noise-canceling headphones to an ebook reader. You pay full price, but if you forget that sunscreen you love from Supergoop! or the best ever Benefit foundation, you can get them at whatever time you're stuck at the airport.

What do you like to do to pass the time at airports?

Be a Savvy Traveler

While it's fun to travel the world, it can be less fun if you don't know how to do it properly. There are some customs that are very important to obey when you visit certain destinations. Nobody wants to offend another culture, even accidentally. I like to make sure I read up on the places I'm traveling to, but this infographic gives you a quick overview of some of the most offending acts.

Have you ever made a great faux pas in another country? 

Happy Halloween 2017

My Halloween party isn't kicking off until Saturday, so I don't actually have any pictures to share yet, but I promise to do a post a bit later. Instead, I'd like to round up all my Halloween daily posts from the month.

Day 31: What's scarier than a bad vacation? Unused vacation days! 
Day 30: I may like to poke around, supposedly, haunted venues, but I wouldn't be able to handle staying in a haunted hotel. If you can, here are 10 of the scariest.

Day 29: There are creepy places, and then there are CREEPY places, though I've been to the Museum of Death and disagree with its creep factor. Maybe I'm the weirdo though.

Day 28: If you want some amazing jack o'lantern inspiration for next year, Kevin Hearne has the most epic on his Twitter feed.

Day 27: Ever wanted to visit the filming locations of your favorite horror films? Now you can! If you can find them.

Day 26: Abandoned buildings and spaces are scary, yes, but they can also be beautiful. Check out these photos from France.

Day 25: Is there anything scarier than being lost in the woods? This haunted experience takes advantage of those fears.

Day 24: Folklore and ghost stories can be fun. Even more fun is going in search of those scary monsters.

Day 23: What's worse than a dead or dying phone? A public outlet stealing all your info when you plug in!

Day 22: Sometimes, traveling people are just "plane" strange. What's the weirdest thing YOU'VE ever seen on a flight? Airline employees weigh in.

Day 21: Would you travel to talk to a bunch of like-minded people about death? There's a whole death positivity movement happening.

Day 20: Oh no! Did you forget your pool floatie or leave it behind on vacation? Now it won't go to waste.

Day 19: What's scarier than travel getting more expensive? What if you had to pay to drop someone at the airport?!

Day 18: Does being lost in the middle of nowhere sound like a good time to you? This company thinks so, and you'll pay them for it.

Day 17: Are you looking to make some friends with some ghosts? Here are 12 of the best haunted houses in the US.

Day 16: Can you imagine checking into a hotel and being asked to check out of the country?

Day 15: Sure, hurricanes and such are scary, but what about an erupting volcano? 

Day 14: It’s surprising that short, slippery, sandy, and uphill runways are even legal. These 9 airports may make you rethink travel.

Day 13: Want to skip the regular hotel room and opt for something bizarre instead? Here are 9 wacky lodgings to choose from!

Day 12: Abracadabra! You just saved money!

Day 11: Can't get away in October? Head to the most haunted place in your state to get some spooky fun.

Day 10: Are you ready to get your hocus pocus on? Here are 10 places to do it. 

Day 9: 11 rickety old roller coasters that will terrify you.

Day 8: There's a giant asteroid coming! Here's how to see it. (Sorry if you missed it!)

Day 7: Hate clowns? Well, here are 10 places haunted by those nightmare-inducing beings.

Day 6: Travel during Halloween time is one of my favorites. Here are 13 places you can go for a spooky time.

Day 5: Swimming with sharks sounds terrifying to ME. If you're into it, here's what it's like to swim with whale sharks.
Day 4: One of these 5 things you should never do on a cruise can actually get you stranded. Whoa!
Day 3: How nightmarish is it to get stuck at the airport due to an airline system failure?
Day 2: Welp. Now it's Southwest's turn to make travelers angry.
Day 1: If you're looking for a quick last-minute trip to plan, here are the best places to go this month.

I hope you all are enjoying your Halloween celebrations. I dressed up as Wayne (Time! Excellent!) at work and will be dressing up for our annual party on Saturday. What are you dressing up as?