Hitting the Road for Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is coming and this year might be one of the busiest travel days in years. You're going to want to plan your road trip well ahead of time or be prepared to hang at the airport for long hours, as delayed flights are expected. AAA has put together some helpful tips and facts to help you along.

We haven't traveled for Thanksgiving in about 5 years now, unless you count driving to our favorite casino to eat at the buffet. We have been going out instead of spending all day cooking and cleaning and generally getting stressed out about everything. We are a small family, so it's so much easier for us to make reservations, have an excellent meal that also leaves us with leftovers to bring home, and then chill for the rest of the weekend. 

Where will you be going for Thanksgiving, either traveling or for dinner?

*facts and figures have come from AAA, AAA, and See's Candies

Winter Travel Packing Tips

Packing even for a beach trip in just a carry-on can be a little tricky if you aren’t used to packing light. Carry-on travel has become more and more popular as baggage fees have become the norm among most airlines. 

Not only does packing light save money, but it also saves time, because travelers don’t have to stand around the baggage carousel waiting for their luggage to (hopefully) make it off the plane. Having minimal baggage can save your back, too. Not sure where to start when planning your winter travel bag? Here are some tips to keep your carry-on light, but still have a large wardrobe.

Mix and Match

When you carry fewer items, you need all your clothing to work together. Throw out the idea of packing a whole outfit for each day and instead look to mix and match everything you bring. Pick a color palette and stick with it, or make sure either all your tops or all your bottoms are a neutral color. If all your tops go with all your bottoms, you’ll find your choices are more than expected.

Scale Down

The only one who will know that you’ve worn the same clothing separates more than once on vacation is you (and your travel companions). It’s unlikely you will see the same people more than once on a trip, and if you do, they probably won’t notice that your outfit is similar to what they saw you in before. The magic numbers for what to bring: Five tops and three bottoms. These, coupled with the outfit you’ve traveled in, net you over three weeks of unique outfit combinations.

Layer, Layer, Layer

Just because it’s cold today, doesn’t mean it will be tomorrow. Plan for days that can vary in temperature by packing layers. You might have an unseasonably warm day in the middle of winter or an unexpected cold snap in fall. Be prepared. Pack a few sweaters, a scarf and a mix of tanks and tees. When it’s warmer out, you can opt for a t-shirt. When it’s really cold, you can add two or more layers together to keep chill out. If you’ve brought a dress, toss a pair of tights into your bag to protect your legs. Don’t forget your favorite jacket, which you should leave out of your carry-on to save space for other necessities. It can double as a pillow on the plane or can be stashed under the seat in front of you.

Choose Two

Shoes are the biggest challenge of everyone’s travel bag, it seems. A pair of flip flops is a staple to any carry-on, as they take up little room and are perfect for quick jaunts to the lobby or to the hotel pool. Other than those, two pair of shoes is all you need. When your destination is projected to be cool, a pair of comfortable boots and another pair of walking shoes are going to be your best bet. Don’t bring anything you haven’t worn before or that you can’t walk in for long periods of time comfortably.

Wear your walking shoes on the plane and leave your dress up shoes at home. You’re not going to want to wear high heels after a day of sightseeing. If you really want to wear a pair of nice shoes out, look for a fun pair of ballet flats or wedge booties that will go with other outfits as well.

Accessorize

If you feel that what you’ve brought is kind of drab and not really exciting for a night out, then accessories will elevate those plain Jane items. A scarf, a belt and some statement jewelry can pack small and make a big impact. Jazz up your little black dress or a simple tank with a funky necklace. Even if you’re specifically planning to go to an upscale restaurant or clubbing, you probably won’t feel like leaving your fancier clothes at home was a bad idea. If you aren’t going to wear something two or more times, it is just taking up valuable real estate in your carry-on.

Do Laundry

There’s no way around it. If you pack light and you’re gone for more than a week, you’re going to have to do laundry. Schedule some downtime (which you should do anyway) to clean your clothes. It doesn’t sound fun, but you can take the time to hit the pool, watch a show or catch a nap. Just need to freshen up a piece? Spray some vodka on it. It deodorizes, and since it doesn’t have its own smell, you won’t reek of booze.

Carry-on packing can be difficult at first, but with some practice you can become a pro and save baggage fees. With fewer bags to deal with, you’ll feel freer as you waltz off the plane and get right onto your vacation while everyone else is still waiting for their suitcases. We just went to Paris for a 8 days with two small carry-on bags, so you can do it, too.

What are your biggest packing issues? Mine was always shoes.

Hit & Miss List For 2023

I gave you the top 5 wish list destinations in my last post, now let's talk about where to actually go and where to skip for 2023. Tourism is ramping up, which is good and bad, because there are places that were struggling and trying to get back to they were pre-pandemic, and there are places that are trying to do things differently. Let's take a look:

Photo by Matheo JBT on Unsplash

Skip: Lake Tahoe, CA/NV 

Go Instead: Saskatchewan, Canada

Lake Tahoe has become so popular that it's basically just you and all the other tourists. Cost of living there is quite high, meaning you're paying extra for a lot of things when you don't have to. It's too small to have to deal with such crowds. 

If you want the convenience of a city with plenty of outdoor things, like Tahoe, Saskatchewan has a lot to offer you. Head to Regina for arts and culture or go up north and explore Prince Albert National Park for hiking and kayaking.

Photo by Bogdan Dada on Unsplash

Skip: Venice, Italy

Go Instead: Ostuni, Italy

Since reopening after Covid shutdowns, Venice has exploded with tourism, which some days having over 350 tourists per local. Sure, there are super cheap flights sometimes, but that comes with pros and cons. 

Head all the way down the boot to the heel and find Ostuni, The White City, where you can lounge on the pristine beaches, wander cobblestone streets, and visit olive groves. Avoid the huge possibility of getting pickpocketed in the crushed streets of Venice and instead immerse yourself in the Greek and Roman history of this southern gem.

Photo by john crozier on Unsplash

Skip: Cornwall, England

Go Instead: Rye, England

I've not seen that much about Cornwall, but the home of the Cornish pasty is, apparently, a huge draw for tourists looking to get away to someplace quaint and cozy. Unfortunately, the crush of visitors make for a miserable life for everyone, including those affected by the housing crisis caused by vacation rentals to help support even a percentage of those coming. 

On the complete opposite coast (the east) gives you Rye, England, a cobbled, seaside town that also sits on a river and is full of medieval homes. It's a haven for antique hunters and foodies alike. It's also a 50-minute drive to Canterbury, if you're looking for a day trip for even more history and/or wildlife.

Photo by Jesper Brouwers on Unsplash

Skip: Amsterdam

Go Instead: Ghent, Belgium

Amsterdam is trying to restructure it's tourism structure. It's cracking down on cannabis tourism and have banned beer bikes from the city center. Tourist numbers can reach as high as the entire Dutch population smashed into just one city and it has taken its toll on the locals and doesn't really give a great impression to those who are traveling for authentic experiences. 

Plan a trip to Ghent, bypassing the more popular cities of Bruges and Brussels, where you'll find a booming art scene - I love amazing graffiti art - juxtaposed with historical places like Castle Gravensteen, canal boats, and amazing food to have with those Belgian beers that you were probably hoping to get down on elsewhere.

Photo by Isaac Ordaz on Unsplash

Skip: Maui, Hawaii

Go Instead: Kona, Hawaii

Hawaii is trying real hard to get back to traditional practices and it's hard when over-tourism is making it difficult just to survive. Though Maui isn't as bad as Honolulu in terms of tourists, it's still quite overrun and now there's also a water crisis and locals have been enduring water restriction, while tourists don't have that same issue.

Kona, and the Big Island in general, has some of the best outdoor activities, beaches, and wineries. There are several coffee plantations, with one in particular opening a tasting room early next year. I just met with the Visitors Bureau for the Island of Hawaii and there's so much to do, without having to vie for space on the beach or the road to enjoy yourself. The Big Island is really to ramp up responsible tourism and teaching visitors through authentic experiences, voluntourism, and the that there's more to the culture than the Hawaii-lite version you get in the uber popular cities. I'll be writing more on a budget-friendly trip to the Island of Hawaii soon.

As much as I love to visit places everyone else is going, I also get a lot of joy from seeing places that aren't that popular and just engaging with locals, eating hyper-local foods, and not being the millionth person to take the same picture that week. It's really fun to be able to show people something new and off the beaten track.

What are some of your favorite travel gems?