Rock Shic

#763 Top Five Travel Tips – A look back at our getaway to the Dominican Republic

“We can’t always take trips for birthdays, you know.”

Such were the wise (and practical) words left by hubs, many moons ago, and I recognized then that he had a point.  It can get a bit much, both logistically and fiscally.  For as long as we’ve been together (and we just recently celebrated our 8 year wedding anniversary at Per Se, see here), we’ve generally always managed to take a trip for each other’s birthdays… including ones for our beloved Nuke Baby.  However, with #2 on the way, I suppose it might be a tall order to do FOUR birthday trips, plus anniversary trips and other holiday trips every year, so I do need to tone things down and manage expectations.

That said, today’s feature ALL about looking back a look back at a birthday trip we took for hubs back in 2011 in the Dominican Republic (2010 and 2011 were very travel-heavy years for us, then came the relative quiet after getting preggars and settling down in late 2012, coupled by the arrival of our baby boy in 2013). 

So here goes, read on and I hope you can pick up a thing or two!

 

Five top travels tips:

Travelling can be a minefield if you haven’t done your research from the very get go, even before you take to the air, we all know this to be true, but sometimes our lives get in the way – and we end up having to cut the frills on the side. 

So my advice to you is (same as Ms. Erykah Badu’s – PACK LIGHT!!!).  That, and find the right flights… and from there, you’re pretty much 90% covered. 

Travel Tip #1: Take the bare essentials

When arriving to a new place, do you really want to be dragging cumbersome baggage around?

Travelling with just hand-luggage is what to aim for (and believe me we always do, I even instill this policy now on my 3 year old toddler). You don’t need a dozen shoes and outfits, you just need the bare essentials.  For more on my “packing tips,” see here. 

Take less and you’ll travel cheaper too, with no check-in luggage fees, and travel faster without having to wait on your bag coming around the carousel.

My personal mantra has always been – make sure you have all of your electronics (charges, etc – that alone makes consolidation quite the task!), some fun accessories for sprucing up, and oh yes – don’t forget a travel guide or two to get you in the mood.  See post on my favorite travel guides. 

Travel Tip #2: Pick your flight wisely

Tuesday afternoon is the best time to look for a flight. After the weekend rush, many airlines will put flights up a sale on Monday, and by Tuesday afternoon, most other airlines will bring their prices down to match that the prices. 

This particular DR trip will always stick in my memory as one of the worst-planned flights… as I had to change and re-change the flight dates so many times (largely due to hubby’s unpredictable schedule).  In fact, it cause so much headache and dollars, that I’d rather not think about them altogether. 

Travel Tip #3: Get some extra holiday cash

It’s all well and good when you book a holiday, but if you get there and don’t have any extra cash to spend, you’ll find your experience limited.

An awesome, quick and easy way to make cash could be to play fun online slots, and if you'd like to quickly earn a little money for holiday treats, you can visit one of Lucky Nugget's best slot games like their Jurassic Park themed game.  There was also plenty of casinos in DR… though we were so busy popping from one spot to the next I don’t believe we ever made time to hit the scene (though a part of me would have just gone for the experience alone). 

Alternatively, you could freelance as a translator or even keep a travel blog of where you’ve been (I may be partially biased to this approach!!) and what you have been doing.

Travel Tip #4: Back everything up

Whether someone steals your valuables or you forget them on a train or plane, losing these potentially important files and beautiful photos can be hugely saddening.

Therefore, backing up your photos and most valuable documents is a must, throughout your trip. (Seriously, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard my fellow colleagues – many of them bloggers – cry me a river about how they’ve just lost all of their precious vacay photos).  In fact, us bloggers can sometimes be the least organized cohort I know. 

Something such as Google Photos works across multiple platforms and immediately backs up photos to the cloud as they are taken, where they can be accessed by any of your devices.

Our luxurious digs at the Peninsula House, in Las Terrenas, Samana.  So pretty!

Travel Tip #5: Eat the local delicacies

Why travel to a new country without eating the nation’s delicacies? If you want an authentic taste of a country, taste their cuisine!!! This one is a given in my book – you know how much I love my food -- see culinary escapades here. 

This might mean eating skewered bugs in some places, but you’ll look like a local and immerse yourself in the culture

So there you have it, five tops tips to keep in mind for all of your travelistas out there.  In the meantime, I’m starting to get a serious case of wanderlust itch just be looking at all of these DR photos!  This was our first DR excursion, followed by a SECOND trip to DR (Punta Cana) for my bestie’s wedding, how quickly time flies!

 

Related:

Secrets of the Budget-Savvy Travelista

Escape to the Rockies -- Where to Stay and What to Do in Denver

The Essential and the Offbeat -- Experiencing the Best of Barcelona

Travel Inspirations -- Just Us Girls

 

Related articles

#643 The Birthday DB Bistro Burger

#678 Summer fun (and birthday) on Shelter Island

#682 A Fourth of July Date - Rooftop Sunsets & BBQ

#680 Celebrating Love and Equality

#590 A renewed Kidville on the block

#736 Secrets of the Budget-Savvy Travelista

Cute cottage near the Labryinthe du Jardin des Plantes, Paris, France. 2016.

Jumping in front of the Forbidden Palace, Beijing, China. 2013.

Aloha!

Okay – so it’s been abhorrently long since my last post. Really… this is record-setting material. Though in my defense the past month or so have been absolute insanity – coupled by hubs traveling for work for what is effectively four weekends in a row (makes for a very grumpy/unbridled household if you ask me).

All that said, I’m more than ready to climb back on the writing horse, so to speak.

May is going to be my month!!!

We’ve got travel plans on the horizon, Mother’s Day coming up… deals we’re trying to close.   There’s a ton of great things to look forward to in May (not the least of which is nicer weather… though still waiting for that to peak its head).

With that said, I’ve got a special treat tonight! I’m sharing some traveling tips from a colleague of mine, who I first encountered via an on-line feature at work. Her travel insights and anecdotes were just so good (a voice of a generation really) I felt like I just had to share.

So please read on, and I hope that you’ll find her spirit for adventure and creative resourcefulness as refreshing as I did, and hopefully learn a trick or two of the trade along the way!   After all, there is a more than a little bit of wanderlust inside of all of us.

The top of the Great Wall with our new friends. Badaling, China. 2013.

 

Blog-Interview Questions:

• As a frequent jet-setter, how do you decide where to go?

Great question! I’ve done a lot of bucket list trips. I’ve started in order of top tourist destinations and now I’m finally going more and more off the grid. I started with Western Europe and slowly ventured out further and further. I’ve done 6 out of 7 Modern Wonders of the World. I tend to do a lot of bucket list trips – in 2013 I did the Trans-Siberian train for 5 weeks, through China, Mongolia, and Russia.

• How many countries have you visited and what are some of your favorites?

I believe the answer is about 30. My favorite places so far have been Beijing and Marrakech. Marrakech because it was my first time in a non-Western place. The colors of the stucco homes are so beautiful, lots of reds and pinks. The food is amazing, lots of tagine and mint tea, with a great selection of patisserie treats! The souk shopping is incredible. So many lovely handmade crafts. Beijing was also one of my favorite places, mostly for the food and the bustle. Nothing was in English, but everything was affordable. Lots of times we went to restaurants and couldn’t figure out a thing on the menu, so we would just point at other peoples plates and hope that the server would understand us. Since the food didn’t cost much, if we didn’t like what they brought, we just ordered more food and went from there. Lots of dumplings and Tsingtao! Also, homemade ramen. It’s really charming to see the noodles being hand-pulled outside of the ramen shops. Beijing was an exciting place. Pushing and shoving to get on trains and buses and trying to navigate our way around. We were unable to ever hail taxis, since the drivers couldn’t speak our language. It was challenging and exciting.

4. At the market, buying a sari for 100 rupees in Jodhpur, India. 2015.

 

• As a savvy travelista, how do you scope out the best deals and what are some of your favorite apps?

Many times, I look at the kayak.com/explore map and go from there. If I find a region that seems to have lower cost flights, I start searching from there. Surprising cities have insanely cheap flights, including: Oslo, Cairo, Istanbul, and Moscow are some of the cheapest flights I’ve found. Occasionally as low as $250 round trip! I think I’ve knocked most of the low cost places out now, so I’m starting to go to more middle grade priced places. Once I find something on Kayak, I usually compare it with Momondo, which tends to be about $20-40 cheaper. One of the best deals I found was on Sky-Tours.com. Most people don’t know about Sky-Tours, but what they do is book you a super low cost flight along with a return flight that you won’t be using. Once you complete your flight, they cancel the return flight. This past January, I booked a ticket from Paris to New York, direct for about $370. When I logged into British Airways to check my itinerary, I saw my flight plus another flight from New York to Stockholm. I was super confused, but after I contacted Sky-Tours, they clarified everything! They surprisingly have great customer service too.

• What are some top traveling destinations on your radar?

Next month I’ll be hitting up South Africa, with a few days in Lesotho. We’ll have a car the entire time. My trip starts by meeting my friends at our Airbnb in Cape Town, and staying there for several nights. Then we’ll take the car down to the coast and hit the beach, then north to Lesotho, and we’ll end our journey in Johannesburg. I’ll be alone in Joburg for 4 nights, so I’m going to take a safari journey to Kruger National Park.

• If you had to do a quick 24-38 hour trip, where would you go?

If I only had a few days, I’d go to Mexico – Mexico City or Oaxaca, since the flights aren’t too long. I’ve only been to Mexico once, to Tulum (see Rockshic's coverage of Tulum here). But I hear amazing things about the rest.

In the Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. 2015.  (And check out that cool camera!  Fuji Instax... similar to a Polaroid, LOVE LOVE LOVE #travelessentials).

 

• Any tips you have for folks who are traveling on a budget?

I always say this: vacations cost a lot, but traveling doesn’t. If you avoid commercial hotels, and go with hostels (or if you want to spend a little – then Airbnb’s), and book your trip with lower cost airfare, you can take any trip you want. I have seen so much of the world, and mostly on babysitting wages! Once you’re abroad, eat the street food, and buy groceries. The best part of traveling is experiencing a new culture, and that part is always free. Never pay for tours, try to map out things on your own. It’s more work, but you can easily save $1000 or more, when you plan your trip on a budget-conscious mindset.

• How did you acquire your wanderlust?

My parents never travel. They are very happy to stay home in their comfort zone. I first got my wanderlust, when my friend encouraged me to study abroad with her in London. I felt comfortable going to London, since I spoke the language already. I was too scared to go to somewhere where I’d feel foreign. Once I got to London, I took a lot of long weekend getaways and I fell in love with everywhere I went: Marseille, Paris, Rome, Stockholm, and Barcelona…. I had more fun in those cities, than I did in London. I had the urge to see more and feel more foreign than I ever had before. The crazier the place, the more drawn to it I become.

• What do you always pack with you on your trips?  Why?

Lots of underwear, feminine products that you can’t always find when you’re abroad (especially in Muslim countries), candy, comfortable but cute clothes (I know I’ll be photographed a lot), and not much else. I hate carrying a heavy bag. I like to bring a big suitcase and only pack it halfway full. That way – if I see something nice when I’m abroad, I’ll have space to bring it home. When I was in Turkey, I bought a big antique Uzbek suzani tapestry. When I was in Morocco, I bought a leather backpack, a kilim bag, and a tin lantern. In India, I bought lots of tapestries and a Kathi comforter too. Gotta leave space for those items! (See here for Rockshic's packing guide essentials). 

Grey day at the Taj Mahal, Agra, India. 2015.

At the lovely Jama Masjid, Old Delhi, India. 2014.

Related articles

#687 Cheetah Encounter in Cape Town

#654 A Bird's Eye View - Table Mountain, South Africa

#615 Mommy's Delight at Blue Hill, West Village

#689 New Zealand on Saddleback

#688 A few days in DC

#735 Rockshic’s Guide to the Ultimate Long Island Getaway

My beach boy venturing forth #summer #beachbum

The perfect beach sunset... #zen

This photo means so much to me... I had literally flown in from DC just a few hours ago, and voila! Here we are playing with my little man on the beach.  Magical

My little self portrait of me and my munchie by the lovely and talented Inselee Fariss, courtesy of the Ruschmeyer's Hotel #montuaklifec #InsleeByDesign

Happy Friday! I must admit, I was super exhausted by Thursday night and basically crashed the same time my munchkin went to sleep (in fact, I often wish that his bed time was the same as mine).

There's so much to do, so much to plan, and ultimately... It always seems that there's not enough time to squeeze everything in.

This weekend we plan to head to Long Island for a little R+R. You might have heard me say this before, but basically ever since our Nuke baby arrived, I've been appreciating the good life out east (that being LI) far more than I’d ever imagined. Don't get me wrong, I don't want to MOVE out there (the commute alone would be the death of me)… I merely want to dip in and dip out for all the fun stuff (of which there is too many to count). If I had my own way of course, we would have a nice little home out East near the ocean – surrounded by green, organic, and bucolic scenery.

Sigh... If wishes were horses.

Having said all that, I'm sharing with you some of my favorite Long Island places and moments over the years – stylishly tailored for the entire fam, of course!

1) Hamptons:

It seems criminal to combine everything that the Hamptons has to offer under one header, but since this is a condensed post, it is what must be.  The Hamptons has so much going for it, and not only during the summer months when the entirety of Manhattan basically emigrates (cue: traffic nightmare), but effectively all year-round. In the fall there's pumpkin picking and apple-cider galore, and let's not forget the wonderful Parrish museum with all of its great delights for the little ones! In fact, if there’s one tip that I can give you, it’s to visit the Hamptons during the “off” or shoulder seasons (e.g., April/May, Sept/October… even when you go during the Winter it’s still quite pretty!).

2) Montauk:

There is the lighthouse.... which our little man is absolutely obsessed with (the concept, not specifically the actual Montauk lighthouse, though arguably that’s where the entire obsession began).  To be honest these days I'd much prefer the more laid back, slightly feral and hipster artsy scene of Montauk over the Hamptons.  We spent quite a bit of time there last year, staying at both the Surf Lodge and Ruschmeyer’s, and I would happily return to Montauk every year. Maybe this time around I'd opt to do a house rental just to mix things up a wee bit. 

Even swans get fist pumps too! Here at Argyle Park.

3) Shelter Island:

What to say about Shelter Island except that it is EVERYTHING. Beautiful, remote (for now), and still the best “getaway” in my opinion. We celebrated Nuke Baby’s 1^st birthday there (2^nd one was in Montauk, I’m detecting a trend!), and have basically been going there every year since he was born. Not quite sure what we’ll do for his third birthday, but it’s likely that we’ll find ourselves back to Shelter Island very soon. It’s remarkably charming, and feels more rustic than most places out east (for one thing it’s only accessible via ferry). The only drawback is that you might quickly run out of things to do if you stay past a long weekend (though the ferry could just as easily take you to either Sag Harbor or North Fork, so you’re not exactly “stuck.”

4) North Fork:

Speaking of North Fork – the other “fork” of Long Island (the Hamptons and Montauk make up one end of the fish-like tail and North Fork the other). In fact, through all my upbringing on Long Island (yes that’s right! Yours truly is a Long Island girl by origin), I’ve never even heard of North Fork. That, by the way, is in no form a negative reflection of the destination itself, but rather a full revelation of my own naiveté. At any rate, the first time we popped over to North Fork was over Fourth of July in 2014. Nuke baby was just shy of one, and it basically rained the entire weekend. That said, we still had a fabulous time – and some highlights included staying on a vineyard, cruising around and enjoying the scenery, driving tractors on a farm (LOVED Harbes Family Farm), visiting the Long Island aquarium, and wine-tasting sans bubs. I probably shouldn’t tell you this, but the Sannino Vineyard B&B is my jam.

5) Water Mill:

Okay, maybe we’re splitting hairs here, as technically Water Mill is the Hamptons, but as you get more familiar with a place you really begin to dig deep into the weeds. Here’s what’s great about Water Mill. A) It’s the closest of all of the Hampton destinations. Think of Water Mill as the gateway to the Hamptons and Montauk as effectively the ending of the world. This is quite important when you’re stuck in mind-boggling summer traffic. B) It’s got Hank’s Pumpkin Town Farm!!! That alone ought to make you love Water Mill. C) It also boasts the Parrish Art Museum, which I’ve been lumping together with the Hamptons, but really it’s located in Water Mill. So there you have it... Water Mill is where it’s at, and it’s also super close to Southhampton, where you can find more dining options (we’re fans of 75 Main).

6) Amagansett:

For the refined East-ender, this is the place to be! It’s sandwiched neatly between Montauk and East Hampton, and really exudes its own rustic, boho-chic charm. It’s way more chilled out than most areas of the Hamptons, which all the more lends to its appeal. Think along the lines of upscale Yogi meets Soho socialite (who happens to be vegan and always looks on-point if not slightly dishelved), and you pretty much get the picture. Some personal favorite spots include Lazypoint Variety Store, the Lobster Roll restaurant, and loads of super cute farmer’s markets. Amagansett Square has some awesome shopping… and quite by happenstance a friend of mine found the Sea Crest Resort for one of our girl trips, which is actually closer to Montauk than Amagansett – but I still think that it’s the perfect place to stay for a quiet weekend retreat! See here for my yogi weekend in Amagansett several years ago.

7) Babylon:

I know I’m a bit biased… but there’s a part of Long Island that’s really quick lovely and it’s right there in my own back-yard. It’s not as chic as the Hamptons, but it’s a far easier drive from the city, with some beautiful beaches, quaint little seafood shacks, and Waterfront playgrouns, which little man dubs as “sha sha”). It’s quite a nice little oasis, and we love art-making classes at Bubble and visiting the Argyle lake, brunching at the Argyle Grill (they’ve got his favorite salmon dish on the kid’s menu!), and shopping at Gemelli’s gourmet market in Babylon Village.

8) Cold Spring Harbor:

This really deserves a separate post all on its own, but Cold Spring Harbor is a lovely little sea-side village right adjacent to the town of Huntington. The town is super quaint, with lots of cute little shops and restaurants (I highly recommend Harbor Mist). It’s an old Whaling village so of course the top attraction is the Whaling Museum and Education Center, which has some excellent programs for the kiddos. Oh, and let’s not forget Sweetie’s Pies on Main, a must do!

9) Manorville:

Manorville is great for the following 2 reasons: (1) It’s got the Long Island Game Farm Wildlife Park & Children’s Zoo; which is like your normal zoo on steroids with an added amusement park component; and (2) There’s an actual animal farm petting zoo which is simply adorable!!! Get there early and you can purchase little bottles of milk to feed all of the baby animals (I say early since later on the animals get full and are less keen on having a feed). We took our little guy when he was just shy of 1 year, and something tells me that we’ll have to go back very, very soon. (Tomorrow perhaps?).

10) Long Island’s Children’s Museum (LICM):

I’m sorry to make this one last, given the tremendous role that it plays in our lives these days, but the LICM is the real deal (see here for a prior post in the garden grounds of the museum). It’s massive, well run, and quite instrumental to our recreational activities while we’re on Long Island. Located in a former airplane hanger, it’s got some fantastic exhibits, not to mention a lovely outdoor garden and play area (see here). There’s the historic Nuley’s carousel next door, in addition to the Cradle of Aviation Museum and the Firefighters Museum. Truly worth a visit (and how nice that they're all lined up next to each other on Museum Row). The nice thing about the Cradle of Aviation is that it never gets super crowded (at least not when we’ve visited), and you get to climb in and truly experience the planes. Afterwards, you can go and have a feed at nearby City Grill. It’s not typically my scene, but the food is actually quite good, and you can’t beat the outdoor dining section during the summer!!

 

Related articles

#656 Baby Story Time - Hipster Style

#641 Tuesday Hangs/ Natural Feeds

#685 Art Making in the Hamptons

#560 Cruising with my baby in the Hamptons

#686 Untitled at the Whitney

#371 On Tieks and the comforts of Flats

Ballerina Pink by Tieks (and yes, they come in the most precious packaging!)

Donning my pink ballerina Tieks on our recent trip to San Francisco (30 weeks pregnant).

I’ve been meaning to do a feature on Tieks by Gavrieli for a long time.  As a frequent traveler and fan of flats (see my recent exposé on carry-on packing tips), Tieks was already high on my lust list when I first discovered the brand via a friend.  Nevermind the fact that I am now nearly eight month pregnant and they are serving me better than ever! In retrospect, I've taken my Tieks with me on multiple travel excursions, including Bermuda, Lisbon, and San Francisco!

So what makes Tieks so fabulously versatile?  Well, to begin – they’re comfortable, stylish, and portable.  I remember reading something along the lines of, “there’s nothing worse than wearing flats and still having sore feet – it’s like eating salad and still getting fat.”  Amen!  Wearing Tieks is pretty much the antithesis of that experience.

That is to say, putting on a pair of properly-made flats ought to be the equivalent of soaking your tired toes in a foot spa.  You should simply be able to let out a sigh of relief and just go “ahhhh.”  As a lover of heels, I’ve been there.

Plus, being heavily preggy (with swollen footies no less… which hubby so kindly dubs “bean foot”), Tieks are fast becoming my new bff! 

The best part?  Even without a crystal ball, I can foresee wearing these puppies well into my pregnancy and after the little Nukie arrives, particularly if I’m going to be on my feet a lot, traipsing all over Manhattan!

Oh, and did I mention that they come in the cutest little pouches (somewhat evocative of wetsuit material actually), that literally makes them the most travel-friendly shoes ever!  Win.  

 

Starstruck – my very first pair of Tieks!

Love the compact mini black travel pouches! They literally take up less room than a make-up bag!

Rocking my Stastruck Tieks in Bermuda! For the full outfit, see here. (I was only 14 weeks along there, sigh... look at my feet then!).

 

Related articles

#358 Celebrity Maternity - Style and Tips

#342 Elegant Expecting - Week 24 (Portugal #2)

#581 Downtown Baby-Chic with Sweet William

#614 Chihuly Ceilings and Other Greats - Artis Naples

#531 The Tuscany - Where to Stay in Turks & Caicos Now

#312 RockShic’s Travel Essentials – Scarves

As I’ve been getting about quite a bit lately, hopping from hotel to hotel, airport and airport – I started to really realize what it is that I absolutely need, and what I should have left at home.  For one, I brought way too many tights with me (a hard lesson learned from my last trip to New Zealand, where I barely packed any, and begrudgingly spent what I perceived to be an exorbitant amount of money on stockings).  But that’s another story altogether, one which might have scarred me unnecessarily.

I also packed too many cardigans, which I never wore.  I figured you could never go wrong with packing layers, but in this case I seldom had any need for them (and when I do need to layer up I just threw on my trusty blazer, so what good are the cardigans if they just sit inside my carry-on?). 

All that aside, I realize that what the travelista *truly* needs, and can never get enough of, are scarves.  Scarves!!! They are wonderful for so many reasons:

1) They fold compactly inside your suitcase (and for that very reason, they also make excellent travel gifts!). 

2) They double up as blankets on planes, and keep your neck warm when it gets cold during the flight.

3) They can make any outfit instantly chic!  Really – all you need is a pair of black leggings, a simple, well-made top, topped with a scarf – and voila!  Instant fashion.

4) Depending on the fabric, they can also serve double duty as: (a) a beach towel; (b) a picnic blanket; (c) a cover for your bag and camera in case it rains.  For those functions, you’ll need a thicker fabric… but it’s well worth the effort.

5) When you’re donning a jacket, a scarf is the most visible item of clothing you can wear. Trust me, people notice. 

6) They instantly make a room feel like home.  Maybe it’s just me, but seeing my beautiful scarves draped across an impersonal piece of hotel furniture evokes an immediate sense of warmth and familiarity.

7) I often find that scarves are a nice and budget-friendly way to try on new designer pieces.  Many times, when I fall in love with an item of clothing, I fall in love with its color, texture, and pattern.  To me, buying a scarf (which comes in the same make and quality) seems to be a more affordable way of wearing the aesthetics I like.  They are always cheaper than their shirt and dress counterparts, and much more versatile!      

8) Last but not least, for the bump-friendly crowd… they’re a great way to camouflage and protect your growing belly.  I, for one, sometimes feel a bit self-conscious and over-exposed in large crowds, with an unwarranted fear that somebody will knock into me and hurt my baby.  It’s all in my head, I know – but somehow wrapping a stylish scarf around my neck instantly makes me feel protected… and put-together!!  

#303 My Favorite Travel Guides

It’s that time again!  Gotta bring out my carry-on from storage, and start calculating what to bring and how to pack.  I have quite the hectic little schedule coming up in the next week and a half, from Paris to Switzerland to Amsterdam, which all necessitates meticulous planning and mapping!

Due to the fact that I’m super Type A, I love to plan as much as possible before my trips.  I find the rewards to be worth all of the sweat and efforts.  Going to a major city such as Paris is not quite the same thing as showing up to Aruba, meaning – you need to have a good sense of where you want to go, the lay of the land, make the appropriate reservations, acknowledge the store hours (this is Europe after all), etc etc.  In fact, some of my worst trips (Paris included) have been quite disastrous, precisely because I hadn’t put in the time in advance – which led to tons of fighting with hubby, but that’s another story.

So, below are some of my favorite bespoke resources:

1)     I *love* Wallpaper Guides.  They make them now for almost every major city in the US, Europe, South America, and Asia.  There’s even Wallpaper Mumbai and Perth! The small little guide contains some fabulous photos and references to hotels, restaurants, shops, and nearby getaways.  It’s short, eclectic, concise, and totally to my taste. 

2)     Luxe City Guides.  This is another nice little pocket-size guide that I think does an excellent job of pointing you to some great hot-spots. I also like the humor they inject in some of their descriptions.  I first found this guide via Luxe New York.  Having lived in Manhattan for 5-6 years at that stage, I was quite impressed by the info it contained on my own city.  Note to self, always check out what a specific guide has to say about your city.  If you find that the given advice is solid and spot-on, chances are you’re in good hands for foreign selections abroad as well!!! (And vice versa). 

3)     Another one that I recently stumbled upon is Taschen Guides (of the art book publisher Taschen).  Unfortunately, I think their city choices are more limited (the ones I have are for Paris, Berlin, New York, and London).  Again, they come in nice, cute mini-sized booklets.  I like these, as they separate out Shops, Hotels, and Resto/Cafes into individual booklets.  An added touch – the guides also point you to the nearest metro/subway stop, with snapshots of what they call the “X Factor.” 

4)     I find the Knopf Mapguides to be also quite helpful (particularly geographically speaking).  It really depends on the way you orientate yourself on a trip.  In my case, I like that they divvy each section by neighborhood, providing you with the lo-down for every area.  I find that the guide really clicks with the way my brain functions (hubby disagrees, but then again, we work differently).  There’s also a nice aggregate layout of the entire city at the front of the guide.  Again, the key here is that I find both the size and the layout of the guide to be super user-friendly. 

There must be a trend here!  Maybe I just loathe bulky & heavy travel guides (who doesn’t?!).  They are nice in concept, but incredibly impractical. 

Of course, I rely on tons of other resources too (i.e., Lonely Planet, Frommer’s, Fodor’s, Eyewitness Travel, Moon Travel Guides, etc).  I find them, on the whole, to be a bit more generic (though great for first-time users and sometimes the only resource you can find for a given destination).  At any rate, I assumed that you probably knew about those already!  Next time, I’ll share with you some of my favorite media/magazine/newspaper tips for travel!! (Hint: I heart Departures Magazine). 

#206 The Travelista’s Packing Guide

I’ve been meaning to do an exposé on travel and packing for a while, and what better time to do so than right now, as I am in the midst of packing for yet another trip (this time for business). 

I frequently get questions on how I pack, particularly as I like to get about different places quite often!  Not really one to be renowned for being low-maintenance, I find that many of my friends and colleagues often express surprise (perhaps even genuine shock) when they see me turn up with a carry-on. 

Truth be told, I’ve always been a carry-on kind of girl.  I remember how impressed hubby was, when we first started dating some time ago… that I would turn up to NYC from DC with just a Sephora shopping bag in hand (secretly I think that’s what sealed the deal!).  They say that the key to a man’s heart is via his stomach (which may well be true).  But to quote the lovely Ms. Erykah Badu, there’s also nothing more attractive than a lady who prefers to “pack light.”

Ultimately, I like to think of myself as George Clooney in “Up in the Air,” though I swear I've been like this much earlier than the film's release. 

So... pack light.  How to do so?  Well here are six tricks of the trade I’ve acquired over the years:

1)  Roll up your clothes.  Roll it like you would a dainty, pretty scarf! (The way a freshly cleaned towel is presented, for instance).  This may not work so well for men’s shirts or bulky sweaters, but I find that it works great for most things (i.e., blouses, dresses, trousers, etc)... namely for three reaons:  A) Your clothes are less likely to crease; B) It saves tons of room in your carry-on; and C) It’s also an excellent way to color code (for the super obsessive types A's like myself).  I often create two neatly aligned columns, with rolls stacked up againt each other, interspersed by the occasional shoe or two.  

2)  Pack flats.  For women, it is often more desirable to wear heels than flats, especially when we travel for work.   However, anybody who’s tried to fit a pair of stilettos in a suitcase will tell you that the geometry simply doesn’t work in your favor.  What to do?  Pack more flats!  (Ballerinas, sandals, etc etc).  They are easy to wear (especially if you need to do a lot of walking), and they fold nicely in between rolled-up clothing.  I generally prefer to wear the one pair of high heeled shoes (often times boots since they’re quite versatile for both day-time and evening) on the plane, so that I don’t have to worry about fitting them elsewhere.  Of course, you can also opt to pack a small pair of flats in your personal tote/handbag, just in case you need to do that mile-long sprint in a state of panic!  For this purpose, my personal go-to flats are Tieks by Gavrieli, as they fold-up and travel so nicely, and take up less space than a mini-purse in your handbag! Score.

 

 

Yes! It's true... I managed to fit all of these in my carry-on on a recent trip to <a href="http://www.rockshic.com/my-blog/barcelona/" target="_blank" data-mce-href="http://www.rockshic.com/my-blog/barcelona/">Barcelona</a> (I wore the boots on the plane).

3)  Pack your shoes individually, and not in pairs!  Likely, this goes without saying – but I’ve learned over the years that it is far more beneficial for me to separate my shoes so as to minimize the amount of space utilized.  I generally prefer to wrap them in the thinnest, smallest plastic bags possible (convenience and liquor stores are good sources for these).  Of course, it also means that once I unpack in hotels, I’m left with half a dozen or so plastic bags like the bag lady I was trying to avoid… but trust me, they come in handy!  I typically store them away in drawers, just so the cleaning staff doesn’t mistake them for garbage.

 4)  Pack a bag within a bag.  Many of my girlfriends do this, and I think it's genius!  Very often we ladies like to travel with more than one bag -- one for daytime and one for evening.  So, if you’re going to pack an evening clutch or cross-body, why not capitalize on the prime real estate within?  Undergarments, accessories, toiletries, valuables -- stuff them all in there! 

5)  Carry (never pack!) a second jacket.  This likely only applies to the hyper fashion-conscious, or perhaps utilitarian types.  Suppose that you'll be away for a considerable period of time, who’s to say that it won't rain?  Or, better yet, you may get bored, and perhaps even depressed over the prospects of wearing the same black coat everyday?  My solution to all of this is to bring a good second jacket (different color? Weatherproof? Your pick!), and carry it in your arms like an extra layer or blanket.  The pay-off is huge!  Plus, you could always use it as a back-up blanket on the plane, and no airline security can ever accuse you of exceeding your "two-bag" maximum! There’s nothing more luxurious then having wardrobe options while you're traveling.  It  makes me feel as though I’ve brought a piece of home with me abroad. 

6)  Accessories save the day.  I am a huge proponent for accessories.  In fact, in High School my girlfriends would point out how I spent all of my money on jewelry (I had much more limited funds back then).  That said, accessories are the ideal travel companion as they’re compact, and can instantly brighten up your look! What’s not to love?  Scarves are included in this category.  They are the ultimate luxurious best friend.  

Ultimately, packing is such an individualist process, and I’m sure everybody has their own preferences for doing so.  (I’ve once chatted with a good friend, who broke down the exact number of credit cards he liked to carry on planes!).  Given that so many things out of your control can go awry when you fly, my advice would be to try and minimize your stress-level by adopting the “carry-on” method!  

Related articles

#371 On Tieks and the comforts of Flats

#599 The Ultimate Shopping Event with Isabella Oliver

#544 Farmer's Market on the Delaware River Valley

#522 Baby's First Fever