Tagged With "Smart Things to Pack"
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Re: Carnival opens 'social impact' program to all
A good question, and one open to discussion. we can be sure of Carnival's motivation, and sure that the local government has not done these things. But how to assess whether it is a good thing is more complicated, I think.
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Re: April 8, 2020: Standley Lake Regional Park, Colorado
Thank you DrFumbleFinger. This whole no travel thing is making me insane, l We've missed two trips already, one because of sickness over Valentines Day and one one because of this irritating virus issue. We also have two more (2+ week road trip through 11 states for our anniversary, and a trip to Atlanta for a convention) before the end of June that will prob not happen. Just so frustrating. I am also worried about a trip to AZ in Sept, NH, VT, and ME in Oct and CA in Nov. Not knowing when...
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Re: January 20, 2020: Newport Beach, California
Always a puzzle, Garry, when looking at restaurant reviews, because not everyone values the same thing, and not everyone is health-conscious, even if they say so! And it's not just portion size, either: even in more sensible portions there can be a lot of unhealthy extra calories, food that isn't fresh, etc. And with the arrival of plant-based 'meat,' I find myself amazed at how many people who rail against processed food are pleased to eat this incredibly-processed 'food' because it is...
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Re: Tips to help with packing no matter where you are going
I know what Marilyn means about not overpacking...I recently found a picture of us with our luggage on a 2-person trip to France 20 years ago: a pair of 32" suitcases and a flotilla of small ones around them. Of course, now that we pack Kindle instead of books, that's one down...and overall, we're down to not much luggage. Another useful packing tool is gallon and 2-gallon ZipLoc-type bags (there are even larger sizes available!). Their big plus, aside from compression and sealing is that...
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Re: Tips to help with packing no matter where you are going
I have packing cubes too. Makes things so much easier to find when you are shifting from hotel to hotel or apartment to apartment. I still over pack. I just need to remember how much I love my jeans and t-shirts when I'm on the go. I never bring jewelry except cheap earrings. Simple style feels best on a trip.
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Re: Tips to help with packing no matter where you are going
Very useful reminders Marilyn, thanks. Absolutely agree with "don't over-pack" (I still do and get cross with myself when I have unused items at the end of the trip. And yes, Kindles, packing cubes and ZipLoc bags have made great additions to my bag in recent years. Two other thoughts occur: 1) fast drying travel clothing (wash and wear overnight) helps lighten the load 2) don't pack every last item of shampoo, tea bags, snacks etc etc in the belief that you can't possibly buy x x x-thing in...
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Re: Tips to help with packing no matter where you are going
An excellent and useful post, Marilyn! Part of how I pack depends on where I'm traveling. For example, if I'm on a road trip with a car that has a large trunk, I don't really need to economize with my packing. I can take everything along that I might need and not have to deal with the hassle of laundry and such while on the road. If I'm on a trip of a week or less, I never take more than a carry-on bag and my laptop bag. Longer trips get a little trickier because often I need special...
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Re: Heidelberg Castle: Where Gumbo Was (#135)
Nice memories of a fun place to visit. I seem to recall there's an interesting old pharmacy/pharmacist museum in the Castle. Not exactly the kind of thing you find often.
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Re: Gumbo's Pic of the Day, Oct 20, 2015: Sicilian Fiat
Belongs in the pantheon of true "people's cars" along with the Citroen 2CV and (dare I say it?) the ugly duckling of the lot...the Trabi, which was advanced over its peers in a number of ways. Ironic, isn't it, to think the original Fiat 300s like this one were banished for smoking, and now we find that VW's "clean diesel" was smoking a pack a day on the road!
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Re: Marriott buys Starwood for $12.2 billion...what's in it for loyalists?
I'm hopeful, since I think the last thing in the world Marriott should want to do is to signal Starwood loyalists that they aren't valued. Wonder how long before SPG rewards will book Marriott rooms...that could be a quick thing to do!
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Re: Google Maps dominates the field
I’d never heard of OpenStreetMap, now in my favorites. Reminds me of the British OS maps which I love. As a map addict I firmly believe there’s no such thing as too many choices. Thanks Professor.
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Re: Now an airline charge for NOT flying!
Sadly it seems that the only thing limiting some airlines from charging another fee is their imagination. However, I have faith that they will think out of the box and try to suck more from their passengers.
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Re: Now an airline charge for NOT flying!
If you do call the airline to cancel your return ticket you get no refund. They will probably sell your seat for more than your two-way ticket cost. If you try to reschedule your return for another day they will charge full price with no discount for being polite and doing the right thing. So you just walk away and find another airline. The Philosophy of W.C. Fields. "Never give a sucker an even break"
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Re: Belfast: An Uneasy City
Garry, I'll live with judgemental, but without taking it as a bad thing. Travel and observation involves judgement, even at the simplest level (am I having fun? would I come back here?), but sometimes the circumstances require a deeper look and thought. In that way, for instance (and perhaps unfairly) it is possible to visit Dublin, and have only a historic thought to 1690 and 1916; they're woven into history and customs, but only at a level that does not consciously intrude—but to visit...
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Re: Why I Travel
My early travels in the US were all done with maps. I've been lost many times. So I bought the American Maps for my UK TomTom Sat Nav. Best thing I've done in years ! I love taking roads that aren't tourist routes - and getting lost - now. Explore the back woods and the one horse towns. Explore where the rich folks live and the poor. Taking photo's of local characters. Folks that have worse teeth than the Brits ! Show me the tourist route and I'll go the other way !
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Re: Made in Romania-Beauties from Romania
Nice video! There is definitely a lot to see in Romania. The thing is the country is not very well promoted. I'm from Bulgaria but I don't know anything about basic sights in Romania, I never saw an advrtisment about your country. Maybe the same things is true for Bulgaria, i don't know how other people see it. I think there is a lot to see in Romania and I would love to go and explore
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Re: "Mind Your Manners!" VisitBritain Warns Hoteliers
CICAK. No one gets upset over a few words here. Unlike my family in the US who think that an exchange of views is the start of WW3. I enjoy exchanging opinions and alternate ideas. As do most people here in the UK. Constructive criticism is a wonderful thing ! DrFunblefinger likes to throw me some "bait" occasionally - but he knows I wont bite the hook. PHeymont likes to rock my boat too. But it's just "light hearted teasing" and we've all been friends for many years ! Some of the...
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Re: World's scariest hiking trail?
Originally Posted by Dr.Y: " ...if scattered from the "fish back", you will not likely reach the "flat ground or water" there." Note I stipulated "in this lifetime". I figured if I'm to experience such a thing, it'll have to wait until I'm ashes. But better late than never, right?
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Re: "Spotted On the Road": Everglades City, Florida
I think '79 or '80 was the end of the line for MGB, so you're probably in the right time-frame. Sad thing about the B...it could never look to me like an MG. Tell me MG, and this is what I see...
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Re: Gumbo's Pic of the Day, Dec. 18 2013: Milan's Bronze Typist
I enjoy the photo and the story, PHeymont, but am drawn to the typewriter. In a few more generations, children will be wondering, "what's that strange thing the man is holding on his lap?" I still remember owning and using a typewriter, but few under the age of 30 do. I recall reading a SciFi short story collection written in the 1950s not long ago that featured a story about a journalist traveling on a space ship. He needed to keep his typewriter anchored so that it didn't float away in...
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Re: Should Wi-Fi be free in all hotels?
Actually, privatized toll roads are the coming thing these days! Some states have sold off roads; others have allowed private companies to build from scratch. The road to Dulles Airport near Washington is a prime example. But the comparisons to WiFi here don't really work. No one charged extra for electric light in hotels when it was new; it simply replaced the gas lighting. It took 70 years of broadcasting to create a pay system. As for WiFi, or internet access in hotels generally, it's not...
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Re: Where in the World is Gumbo? 21.0
I was kidding about the polar route. Isn't that what people say when a thing is closest by going north? I didn't have any idea about the rest. I just looked at my globe. Gumbo is a fascinating host.
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Re: How'd We Live Without Travel Apps?
A lot to be said for what might be the ultimate travel app category: Maps and GPS. I know people have their favorites (Google's not the only one, according to my wife...) but almost everyone uses some version on their phone or tablet. Another good one is local transit. Most big cities have a route-finder on their transit site, but you have to find it. But Google Maps and HopStop and some others have transit info for most big cities. One downside: Apple is as bad as Google about business;...
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Re: Classic American Cars #5
I posted on the linked page instead of here. I agree with GarryRF and said much the same thing.
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Re: Canal St-Martin in Paris/Where Locals and Travelers Mix
One thing that's very interesting about the open air markets there is after the markets close. The Roma gather up all that's left behind and divide it up amongst the community. Quite a sight, and I was really amazed at just how much is left
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Re: Please Don't Squeeze the Passengers: Airbus
I've never flown an A380, Mac. They still haven't caught on in North America, where Boeing clearly dominates the market. One thing that I've wonder about is with all those people to board (somewhere over 500), is the process of getting on and off the plane very slow or have they figured out how to make this move along with reasonable efficiency?
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Re: Finishing college. Need help planning trip to U.K,
Again thanks, this is incredibly helpful!! So I think I'll look at trains for trips from bigger cities to other cities, and fill in the gaps with bus if the pricing works out. A little more planning is needed. Even though it's expensive, I do want to spend around a week in London. Being an architect, there's just so much to see and do there, like seeing the Houses of Parliament and Westminister Abbey. I plan on being on the go almost all day each day there -- can rest later, maybe in the...
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Re: Spring Honeymoon Help
Congratulations SueZee! We're delighted in your marriage, and you've picked a great country in which to honeymoon. May is not too early to go to Italy, although pack a light jacket just in case. The crowds won't be there yet and you'll save some money when compared to the peak summer season. Where to go is very much a matter of taste. Most definitely you need to go to Venice and I'd say spend at least 5 days here, maybe with a day trip or two (such as to the glass making island of Murano or...
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Re: A Visit to Ireland: Part 1) An overview of the Country and its People
Thanks for your comments, Garry! We actually had very nice weather during our visit, GarryRF. It was windy and rainy at times, but being from Canada that was no great hardship. Still, good for people to be forewarned and prepared. Always pack in layers and let one layer be a rain shell. It was one of your fellow countryman who said, "There's no bad weather, just bad clothing" or something to that affect, but I can't remember who that was. Didn't try the "moonshine" (no one offered!), but my...
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Re: The Worst Train in the World
Thanks FlashFlyer. The thing about adventures like this is you have no idea what an adventure it'll be until it happens and you can't get out of it even if you want to. So, no guts required. Yes, Burma will certainly change, has already. Currently not enough infrastructure for those wanting to visit but if you've traveled in Asia you know the entrepreneurial spirit is alive & well and it won't be long, I suspect, before it will come to resemble other parts of the region. So, good news as...
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Re: The Worst Train in the World
If I live it won't be my last. Just prior to that one, same trip, I'd gone from Guilin to Nanning, then after lunch got on another, overnight to Hanoi. Later overnight again, Hanoi to Hoi An. Now that I think about it I realize they got progressively worse as I went along, culminating in The Worst. I hadn't thought about it until just this minute, hindsight is a wonderful thing that way. A great disappointment to me several years ago was the apparently permanent cancellation of the Hanoi to...
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Re: We Love our Travel Gadgets--And We Take Them with Us
That's interesting. I travel in part just so I CAN lose touch. Except once. On a stroll through a Borneo jungle, emerged alongside the only restaurant for many miles, it's TV announcing the election of Pres. Obama. An exciting moment but the only one I can think of when I was momentarily glad to be in touch. Maybe another thing that separates tourists from travelers is the "need" to be available.
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Re: Finishing college. Need help planning trip to U.K,
Hi everyone! I'm back. Just arrived at my parents home for Thanksgiving. Not had a lot of time to work on this trip since I last visited TravelGumbo, but some progress to report. I have a firm ticket reservation for Manchester, returning from Paris, though a few days off the dates we talked about. But 29 days in Europe! Whooppeee!! I have a guidebook from the Library which I'm going to go through this long weekend (one by Fodors). I think this will help. Anyone know of a good pocket size...
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Re: Finishing college. Need help planning trip to U.K,
Hi guys, hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. It was good to be with my family again. Visiting and catching up with everyone took longer than I'd thought, but did do a little research into the trip and came out with this plan. Basically, with GarryRF's advice, I think I'll focus my time in the north to save money cause my budget is limited. After that I'll finish my vacation in London and Paris. I need to find places to stay but more important now just to frame the trip. The details I...
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Re: Gumbo's Pic of the Day, Dec. 17, 2013: Olympic Stadium, Montreal, Quebec
Yes Montreal is great. Wish I could go back more often. The fun thing about these attractions is while they are all near one another, there is also a metro station nearby. Cheaper than the taxi and an experience in itself. This is only the tip of the iceberg...so much more to see and experience.
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Re: Finishing college. Need help planning trip to U.K,
Summer months are best - between May and September. Snowdon is 3,560 feet high. Temperature drops 5.4 F per 1,000 feet of elevation. This winter has been very warm so far. So the snow will clear early if it continues to be warmer than usual. You'll see the current Temps before you go up clearly displayed. The weather can change suddenly so pack for wind, rain, sun and snow ! The Mountain doesn't warm up. It depends on which way the wind blows. From the South = warm From the North =cold...
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Re: The Worst Train in the World
Jill, one thing I didn't think to say when I wrote this report is, consider buying 2nd class seats. I could see into the next car, as it swayed in the opposite direction from ours, and it was fitted with wooden benches, presumably bolted down and consequently a less harrowing ride. It may be more crowded but also more interesting.
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Re: Greenland from six miles high!
I agree it's a spectacular sight not to be missed and that there's more to Greenland that just the ice sheet. 2014 will see me on my 7th month-long visit in the last 9 years. I will again hike alone from Sisimiut on the west coast to a location north east of Kangerlussuaq (something like 110 - 120 miles) and then join colleagues doing wild goose research. By all means aim to set foot on the ground there and enjoy camping in the remote arctic landscape - being alone out there is a unique...
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Re: Greenland from six miles high!
Originally Posted by DrFumblefinger: The world's climate has a history of change. Ice ages have come and gone. Who knows what tomorrow's weather will be, much less next century's? But I do know the folks in Greenland would appreciate a little warming there. As I look out at the snow in my backyard today, Canada could use a little, too. If you look at the rate of retreat of Sermeq kujalleq, 2012's big thaw and recent GRACE satellite data analysis on mass loss, I think warming is the last...
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Re: Is Pre-check or Global Entry worth it?
Fortunately, Gulliver, most of us don't wait hours in line. But if that's your experience, it would be a good investment. But it's yet another thing to take care of.
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Re: Greenland from six miles high!
Exactly the sort of thing that I am talking about on this other thread Please Don't Shut the Shade ! The view out the window beats the movie, every time.
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Re: Capital of Culture Series: Liverpool
Not only is Liverpool a great city to visit,but it has so many great places for daytrips that make staying there an excellent base. And to me it seems prices are half the cost of London. One thing Garry might expand on in the thousands of European tourists that are coming there for the day or weekend ,thanks to the budget flights. It has a very international feel to it.
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Re: Gifts to bring back from Portugal or Barcellona
I am no shopper so I try to make this gift-buying task easy. When I arrive at the large entry airport, I like to stretch my legs, get a cup of takeaway coffee, and cruise the airport gift shops. Almost always, I can find little magnets of the country flag, local tiles, miniature photos, the sports team, or handiwork mounted on refrigerator magnets. I pick up a few of those and am good to go for my visit. One more thing off of my list. Refrigerator magnets are easy to carry, no problem with...
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Re: Paris-Barcelona Now Linked by High-Speed Train
Great thing about Europe, especially for travelers, are the many options they have for getting around. Train is often the best option for those going from the heart of one city to the heart of another. I'm glad to her this route is now open to people.
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Re: Doctor List for Traveling
Like you say PortM, it is all about "right for me" choices. I generally insure us 2 adults on an annual basis - covers all our trips - and costs about USD 300 p.a. It's a choice thing
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Re: WiFi on the way for international flights
I've been told that wi-fi over the ocean is a real technological challenge, because it requires constant re-positioning of 2 moving targets (the plane and satellite). In contrast, Wi-Fi over a continent only involves connecting one moving target with a stationary one, a simpler thing to do. Glad to hear this problem seems to be mostly solved. It would be nice to catch up on some wi-fi chores while on a long flight (although I usually manage to fill such flights watching movies or working on...
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Re: The Tulou of Fujian Province
No, Rob. Sorry, I don't remember. I read a lot of publications, online and off, and the original picture got lost in the dust of enthusiasm to research logistics. I don't think there's any lack of enthusiasm in the world but that obscure places are getting less obscure every day. What I do think is lacking is imagination. We tend to read about places people have enjoyed, as here on TravelGumbo and follow, rather than setting out for parts unknown. I believe if a place is hard to get to it...
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Re: Charging your mobile devices on the go
That article has good advice...but should have noted one thing more: Not all USB ports on planes and trains carry power for devices (including chargers). Some are data links only; if you don't know about a particular plane or airline, check or don't count on it!
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Re: Beautiful collection of mate cups at the Puerto de Frutos market, El Tigre Argentina. Mate is the national drink of Argentina, a type of tea
I guess you have to make sure none of your friends have the flu before going out ! Although the drink sounds like a good thing to drink if you are sick.
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Re: 'Dude, Where's My Car?' for real!
Rob, if you're suggesting that the entire thing was staged to meet the Fraulein in the above photo, then I'd say well planned!