5 Items I Never Travel Without

I tend to travel more than most people, and I like my trips to be easy and convenient. I accomplish this, in part, by finding items that help me travel better. There are things I take on certain trips on not on others, but there are 5 things that I always pack, because they have become a necessity. 

If you're looking to kick your vacations up a notch, then here are my suggestions for your carry-on:

A Reusable Water Bottle

Staying hydrated is very important, especially when you're walking more and sitting on a dry airplane for hours. I bring along a thermos that keeps liquids hot or cold, that way I can take my coffee on the go and also fill with ice and water for cold water all day long. This saves me money and also time standing in line to get a beverage. It's also great for the environment, because I'm not constantly buying another bottled water. Most places have bottle filling stations. While it may not be the greatest tasting water, it's free and if you have ice in it to make it really cold, it mostly masks any weird flavor. 

I either take along a S'well bottle that I use every day at work or a bigger Laken bottle, but also sometimes both (one for each of us). 

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A Pop-up Mesh Laundry Basket

For more than ten years, I've been traveling with a collapsible laundry basket that I use as a hamper and a laundry tote. It has great sturdy handles and pockets to hold change for machines, the strap to keep it closed, and detergent. I've also used them to carry games, when we've had to go to an actual laundromat outside of our hotel/timeshare. It's strong enough to carry multiple loads, even when wet. You can also use it to corral all your purchases, so you don't forget anything when you're ready to leave. I've done this in the past when I was figuring out if I needed to get anything for anyone else before I left.

It looks like the one I have has been discontinued, but you can get one without pockets, or if you want one with pockets, there's this one that may not be as as heavy-duty with an outside mesh pocket, and this one that is taller with a reinforced outside pocket. 

Reusable Grocery Bag

One of my first stops on a trip is either to the grocery store or farmers' market. A lot of places charge for bags now and I've been to destinations that don't have bags at the register at all. I have several of these Nanobags that are super small and can fit in your bag, pocket, or coat. They carry a ton and weigh almost nothing. I use these at home, too, and bought some for everyone else to use  when the whole family went to Scotland in 2019. You can buy them here (I use the standard), or if you're looking for something similar Chicobag is available on Amazon.

We've used these for festivals, purchases when out sightseeing, and for carrying around our coats when it stops raining or we get too warm. If you haven't packed a back-up bag for your return trip and have purchased a few too many things, then this works in a pinch as a personal item on the plane.

Battery Back-up

When you're out all day long and taking pics and posting to social media and using GPS  and playing Pokemon Go (or whatever else you do on your phone), your battery is not going to last. I carry a big backup that will charge both of our phones twice during a day. This is especially great when we're at theme parks or we're on a a long flight. We survived off this battery on our flight to France, where we had a whole day layover in Baltimore (basically two days before we could charge up properly). It has 3 ports, so you could, conceivably, charge 3 devices at the same time. 

Mini Power Strip

When you're traveling with multiple electronics that you need to charge at the same time, it's helpful to have a way to do that if you only have one or two free outlets. I have several travel power strips, including a surge protector, that are small and take up less space than multiple chargers. This way I can plug in my laptop, phone, and portable battery all at the same time. The one above doesn't seem to be available anymore, but there's this one that is similar and I have also taken this one on trips where I thought a more substantial one might be better and this one for international trips. 

It may seem like these 5 items will take up a substantial amount of room in your carry-on, but I promise they won't, and they will save you having to bring other things, as well as save you money once you get to your destination, which is always great. I hope this helps you be more efficient in the future and your travels are easier because of these tips.

What are your favorite things to bring along on your vacations?

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The Prettiest Foods in Palm Springs

Last week we were in Palm Springs and we spent 5 days eating and sightseeing and window shopping (with both shops and homes) and soaking up some much needed sun. We did a lot, but we also relaxed quite a bit. 

We went to a handful of "must-visit" restaurants while there and had some of the prettiest food we've seen, which I always enjoy and like to share, because you eat with your eyes first. Here's a quick tour of our trip through dishes we were served:

Farm

We made it off the plane and our car was dropped off (we used Turo) and we were starving, so we headed straight downtown, found free parking, and headed to Farm. This French country restaurant uses locally-grown and sourced foods that all looked beautiful. I was even able to get a watermelon juice. I haven't had one of those out since our trip to Ecuador. Anyway, I asked our waiter his preference between two dishes and he recommended the eggs Florentine. My eyes and my stomach were both happy with that decision.

Gastropub 1501

I knew we weren't going to want to eat too heavily on our first day. Our flight was just before 8am, so we were on our way to the airport at 5:30. We ate pretty much as soon as we got off the plane, but travel days are always weird, so I opted to hit up a much-recommended gastropub for happy hour. We aren't drinkers, but we love a good discounted food menu. I'd been looking forward to this charcuterie board all week and I was not disappointed when it arrived at our table, with the exception of the marcona almonds, but then realized those were awesome with everything else. 

Eric also ordered this avocado toast, which was lovely to look at, but he was less than thrilled by the bland "heirloom" tomatoes, and I thought the onions weren't pickled enough. When he mentioned his thoughts on the tomatoes, the waiter said he'd heard that before. I wonder how many time times they need to hear it before they change the kind they use to something more palate-pleasing. 

Boozehounds

I found this restaurant on a list of Instagram-worthy dining spots and chose it because it had great reviews and also was a hot-spot for people with dogs. I made reservations for brunch and we sat on their pretty patio, so I could see diners with their pups, and ordered this blueberry ube blintz plate and French toast (it was nothing exciting to look at, but was tasty). This came with matcha powder and edible flowers. 

The food was good, but not amazing. The biggest disappointment here was the crazy prices for their coffee. Eric ordered a French press ($9!) and I got a double-espresso ($2.50) that they served me in a shot glass instead of an espresso cup and it was stone cold by the time he brought it to the table and explained the menu. I will give them credit for the gorgeous restaurant, inside and out, and the amazing bathroom.

Tac/Quila

We were able to walk to downtown/uptown from our timeshare, so we did and we got a lot of bonus exercise this way. The people who started Farm decided that they wanted to venture into a different kind of food from another part of the world. The opened an upscale Mexican restaurant and serve everything from specialty cocktails to small plates to platters. We both had tacos (calamari and steak), but we started with taco chips, which are like tiny tacos filled with refried beans and served with a trio of sauces/dips. I love their plates. Click through my link to see the restaurant and their amazing bathrooms.

Wilma and Frieda's

All the most-recommended restaurants seem to be right next to each other, but Palm Springs is actually fairly small, so that's not surprising really. We finally made it to Wilma and Frieda's on Sunday for brunch with a very short wait. Their menu has a ton of things that sound delicious. I ordered the biscuits and gravy with scrambled eggs and country potatoes. It was very good, but not visually interesting, though the eggs were that very fresh deep yellow color. Instead, I give you Eric's bangers and rings, an eggs Benedict with a split open grilled cheddar sausage and poached eggs nested in onion rings. It could have used more sausage, but other than that, it was interesting to look at and to eat.

 

Local restaurants tended to be fairly expensive, so I only made one reservation a day, and it was usually breakfast. Dinners were hard to get reservations some days and the price per entrée were more than we were willing to pay.  Overall, the food in Palm Springs was very good, but somewhat overpriced. Coffee, almost everywhere, was outrageous, but my $7.50 coffee at a coffeehouse was better than all the (even more) expensive coffee at restaurants. I'm not sure what sort of coffee crowd they're catering to, but if I'm paying almost $10 for a drink, it either better be a damn good artisan coffee with flavors and spices or have booze in it. Even so, I can't wait to go back to Palm Springs. 

What are some of your favorite places to travel for the food? 

Budget Winter Travel Destinations

It's the middle of winter, and if you're one of the majority of people who don't live in a sunny locale, then you might be looking for a quick getaway and a break from the snow/rain/cold. We just returned from our warm weather vacation and I don't blame anyone else for needing to do the same. Here are just a few ideas for affordable winter destinations.

Tucson, Arizona

Tucson is pretty affordable all the time, but the much of the year can be horribly hot, but the winter months are quite lovely and still warm enough to not need a coat most of the time. You also won't be looking at airfare that's out of your budget, though you will have to share the road and attractions with Snowbirds (retired people who spend 3+ months in warmer destinations).

Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands

If water sports and the beach are totally your thing, this is your destination. February is the best month to visit, with plunging airfare (especially if you're already on the east coast) and affordable lodging.

Paris, France

Now that the holidays are over, and it's not Spring yet, Paris is the perfect getaway. We spent a week there in September and had excellent weather, but now if you pack a jacket and some great walking shoes - because you will be walking a ton - you can still get some good sun and lines for museums and other attractions will be much shorter. If you've got a valid passport, and want to get out of the country, France is lovely, plus the Euro is basically a one-to-one conversion to the dollar, making it even more affordable.

Cairo, Egypt

Another great warm-weather destination that's outside the US is Cairo. Right now you can find airfare for under $400 round trip and you can soak up all that sun and history for less. You'll feel proud of yourself for getting in a once-in-a-lifetime trip for so little, while also eating all that delicious middle eastern food.

New Orleans, Louisiana

Trying to stay stateside? That's okay, too. February and March are awesome months to visit The Big Easy. The weather is beautiful, it's not that humid, and if you go a few weeks before Mardi Gras, or the week after, you can get screaming deals on airfare and hotels, plus you'll miss all the crowds and actually be able to walk around and see/do things. One of my favorite things I've done there is a visit to the Sazerac House, which is free and you get to drink and learn some history.

Santa Cruz, California

California is always a good road trip state, especially if you're in a nearby state, but there are plenty of flights going in and out every day. Santa Cruz should have pretty good weather, though you'll probably need a jacket for the evenings, and the boardwalk will be open (a must if you've seen The Lost Boys, Killer Klowns From Outer Space, Us, Sudden Impact, Dangerous Minds, Back to the Beach, or any of the other movies filmed there). There are a ton of things to do there, including free things, so you can easily stay on budget.

I hope you are all having a great start to 2023. We were so excited for our first trip that I think I've discovered a new tradition for our January trips. Shockingly, we don't mind being nerds. You only live once, so you might as well have fun. I had room in my bag for these totally unnecessary headbands, because I know how to pack light.

Where are you hoping to head for winter or later in the year?