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Light-weight pazazz for women’s travel wardrobes

 in Packing

It can be a challenge to pack light while also being ready for the nicer events that come your way as you travel. Sometimes some extra sparkle can help. Strapletz Jeweled Bra Straps offer a nice extra sparkle for woman who can wear a strapless bra, or a convertible bra which has removable straps. The Strapletz have open hooks on each end, and those open hooks need to slide into a fabric loop on the front and back of your bra. If you select a Strapletz Jeweled Bra Strap for yourself as part of your travel wardrobe, remember to choose a design that’s lightest weight and won’t snag your top or dress as you wear it. Stay away from the straps that have Rhinestones or other set “jewels.” Go for the lighter-weight but still snazzy looking plastic-only straps. Having seen the entire line in person, I recommend GOLDEN GIRL- Gold Beaded […]

Fav sculpture in Culver City, Los Angeles

 in California / Deb in the USA / Deb's Travels / North America / Sight-seeing / Sight-Seeing in California / Sight-Seeing in the USA / USA

This is one of my favorite sculptures in Los Angeles. As you can see, it’s film themed. No surprise. It’s actually in Culver City. It’s at the Veterans Memorial Complex. The parking structure you may glimpse through the first shot is parking for Sony Studios. Look closely and you can see a Culver City Green Bus. In the 2nd shot you can glimpse the US flag and the California flag below it. I love looking at the sunlight on it and the reflections in the water. There’s no grass or comfy seats around it though so I just stand and appreciate it when I come to meetings in the center here. Culver City has been home to The Culver Studios since 1918. You’ve likely seen some of the famous movies that have been filmed there.

1Password support with a flair

 in Traveling with Technology

As I was setting up my MacBook Air to leave LA and travel in 2011, I sent a query to 1Password support. I promptly received a clear, full, excellent answer and my passwords and notes remained safely with me. Tonight I happened upon that support reply and noticed the closing words, perhaps for the first time. I’m sharing them here because they were both fun and indicative of the company. I wish you the very best for a safe and enjoyable trip abroad, and please know that you may reach us whenever you have a problem.  All it takes is a little bandwidth to send the Bat Signal! Cheers! Brandt — Brandt Swindell AgileBits Customer Care http://agilebits.com/support http://twitter.com/1Password

My friend Sarah Conner, only in LA

 in Deb's Travels

Some years ago, on what I now call my Three-year Trip, I was in Ko Samui,  Thailand planning to go out for the afternoon on motorcycles with some newly met friends. But, as a couple of the guys finished their meal under the wall-less thatched roof that was our accommodation’s restaurant, a VDO started. The guys were hooked. One of the girls and I went to get them as on the TV in front of them we watched something called a Terminator seek out Sarah Conner and kill her. It was the wrong Sarah Conner, so the VDO continued and we were hooked too, eventually needing to sit down. (So much for motorcycles that day.) Flash forward some years until I’m back from what I now call my Central America Trip and may someday call my One-year Trip. Rather than get an apartment in LA for my in-between travels time, I’m house-sitting. […]

Kayte Deioma’s Things to Do in Los Angeles

 in California / North America / Sight-seeing / Sight-Seeing in California / Sight-Seeing in the USA / USA

Whether you’re visiting Los Angeles, thinking of traveling to LA, or live in Los Angeles — if you’re looking for Things to Do in Los Angeles,  columnist Kayte Deioma’s guide to Los Angeles at About.com can help. Kayte’s been collecting and publishing information about events in Los Angeles to guide locals and visitors alike for many years. She’s got post after post about what you can do in Los Angeles. Her LA event listings are well-written: easy to read, full of the necessary information, and complete with links.

Balearic Islands trip research via Twitter

 in Balearic Islands (Mediterranean Sea) / Deb's Travels / Europe

I’m still in Los Angeles, a break between travels, as I write this. But I’ve been thinking about the places I’d like to head to next. A writer acquaintance living in Minorca, got me thinking about heading there, to the Balearic Islands of which Minorca’s a part. I don’t normally do much research into a place before I go. I like to discover as I go. But this time I’m using  more “social media” and see what kind of relationships I can form before I go anywhere. In this post, I shall share all good or interesting information that I find on Twitter. Why? Because I’m curious as to what can be found using Twitter as a research tool. Using TweetDeck as my Twitter client, I created several columns, each its own hashtag search. One is a search for #Mallorca as it’s the largest island in this group of islands. Mostly there […]

A video by some backpackers

 in Sight-seeing

Need some more inspiration to travel? On August 6, 2011 my friend Lorrie sent me this link to a video by three traveler’s video called Move, saying, “I can see you doing this.” The travel, she knew I’d done and would do again. The video… well, I may have done something cool in video but as we know, my cameras were stolen at the start of my trip. Plus, traveling solo makes it harder to have video. I took plenty — for others, though. The travel. Nope, not me. The hit 11 countries (38 thousand miles) in 44 days, taking 18 flights. In my opinion, 44 days isn’t enough time for one country. Maybe for two very small ones…   Anyway, enjoy Move! It is well done.

Sandals or shoes good for travel

 in Packing

I am always on the lookout for sandals/shoes that I might choose to take on a year-long trip.  I intend to add to this post as I find shoes that I’d consider for travel. Here’s my shoe wish list: Good for walking long distances Light weight Packs into the smallest possible space Looks good with a skirt or dress, but not dorky with shorts or trousers (likely not factor for men’s shoe choices) Looks good with shorts or trousers, but not stupid with a skirt or dress (likely not factor for men’s shoe choices) Can stand up to rain or water Can be washed when they get muddy Have traction

Tweakker app for international Android setup

 in Traveling with Technology

If you’re traveling with an unlocked Android cell phone, you’ll need to know how to set your phone up to work with the local phone services. Word on the street is that the easiest way to do so, is to use a free app called  Tweakker. I have not used Tweakker myself but here is the link to it at the Google play store, along with the start of the description the developer lists there. App name: Tweakker APN INTERNET MMS App location: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.tweakker  App description lead: Worldwide Internet and MMS APN settings – Now with ICS support – Tweakker is the best APN manager tool that helps you set up your APN settings – Access Point Name – for Internet and MMS connection.

Tetanus & Travel

 in Medical / Packing

Tetanus is not necessarily a required vaccine, but I personally think it can be a wise decision to get one. I did, for Central America. Here’s an article that may help you decide for yourself. How Dangerous Is Tetanus Really? 10 FAQs by James Hubbard, MD, MPH — The Survival Doctor. This article about Tetanus and the debate about getting a Tetanus shot — and many more that may be of help to you are on his website, The Survival Doctor. His survival-medicine website, as he says: “provides general information, not individual advice. Most scenarios assume the victim cannot get expert medical help.”

For travelers to Montana

 in North America / USA

If you happen to be heading to Montana… I recently “met” Lynn Kinnaman, a fellow writer, who has lived in Bozeman, Montana for much or all of her adult life and has written many an article and book about Montana. She is also the Editor of this small website that lists some upcoming events taking place there. So, in case it helps you in your travels: SW Montana Magazine — What we love (& you might not know) about Montana.

Fire knife handy on your travels

 in Medical / Packing

If you’re traveling to places where you want to ensure that you have fire, you might love this Swedish FireKnife. One of the best knife companies, Mora of Sweden, teamed with the Swedish company, Light My Fire, to create this handy  3.4 oz. (94 g) knife that ensures you’ll always be able to start a fire — as long as you have something to burn. You’ll find it, and other useful travel items here, at Industrial Revolution.

Marina Del Rey, new business class Hilton Garden with free wi-fi!

 in California / North America / Sleeping Accommodations / Stay in USA / USA

As I start writing this I am cozy on a nice suede couch in the earth-toned lobby of the newly opened Hilton Garden Inn (hotel) in Marina del Rey. And… get this — I can actually post this from the hotel because it actually allows guests to have wi-fi access for free. Now, you may be thinking…what’s the big deal about free wifi? So here’s how wi-fi tends to work in the USA. For some reason I have yet to understand, the more reasonably priced hotels offer free wi-fi for guests but the high-end hotels change from $10-$25 per 24-hour period for wi-fi. (At $25 it’s part of a “resort fee.”) Holiday Inn, a chain at which I have elected to stay at and hold events, led the way with access by offering free wi-fi since 2005. Business class hotels followed, and Hilton Garden Inn falls into this category.

Historic Route 66: 8 States to the Pacific Ocean

 in California / North America / Sight-seeing / Sight-Seeing in Arizona / Sight-Seeing in California / Sight-Seeing in the USA / USA

US Highway 66 was once THE way to cross the US from Chicago to Santa Monica, CA and arrive at the Pacific Ocean. You may have heard, “Get your kicks on Route 66” from the 1946 song written by Bobby Troup. Then the larger higher-speed roads were built and travelers stopped taking this route. Real travelers continued to choose roads such as this and actually get to see and know the USA instead of speeding past so much of it. When I drove across the USA myself the 2nd time, after traveling much of the world, I sure elected those real-life roads. I highly recommend those smaller roads whenever you have time. Anyway, the historic Route 66 log appears more and more on clothing and products. It’s got the appeal. And happily, towns along the route are helping people know about it. Google Maps even notes it in its directions […]

STM Cable Wrap folded

Carrying cables & small tech stuff

 in Packing / Traveling with Technology

As you travel, you’ll find you need a pouch to carry your cables and smaller computer or cellphone accessories. I used a soft zippered ditty bag to keep weight down, but STM Bags just came out with STM Cable Wrap Portable Organizer — which looks promising as a way to keep your cables and chargers organized and tangle-free.

Deborah sounded the most interesting – my sailing reference

 in Boats / Central America / Deb in Panama / Deb's Travels / Sailing / Sight-Seeing in Panama

Richard, who selected me to be the line handler in December 2012, making it possible for me to transit the Panama Canal, published this about me: I put a post on CS to look for extra crew for our Panama Canal transit. Of the people who responded I thought Deborah sounded the most interesting so she joined us for the day. I must have made the right choice because she proved to be very good company and an asset to our crew.

Free Trolley in Ventura, CA

 in California / North America / Sight-seeing / Sight-Seeing in California / Sight-Seeing in the USA / Transportation / USA

People come up to Ventura to enjoy the harbor, the amazing Channel Islands, and the fresh breeze — and now the Ventura Trolley will make travel within the area a breeze. Ventura, California is about to become easier for travelers to visit this summer thanks to a FREE trolley system to take you between Ventura’s Downtown and Harbor Village. After living in Los Angeles for many years, I finally got up to the Southern-ish California coastal village of Ventura. I was there to kayak around the Channel Islands and their pristine beauty took my breath away and reinvigorated me at the same time. But while there, I also got to know downtown Ventura — and as I walked around I was sorry I had missed this lovely town for so many years. (I also learned Ventura has two great golf courses and that one is a true Links course. Soon […]

Travel with children: Custom coloring activity idea

 in Children / Travel Tips

As friends talk about the issues of traveling with children, I am reminded of the travel kit I made for a four/five-year-old child because he and his dad were heading onto a very long airplane flight.

Rather than just giving him some coloring books, paper, and crayons, knowing he’d soon be asking “what should I draw” or “may I have more paper,” I created play scenes for him — my own take-off on coloring and Colorforms®-like scene play.

Honduras: gang truce upcoming 2013

 in Central America / Honduras

As I traveled in Central America in 2012, I had only good experiences and never met anyone who had actually witnessed violence. However, Honduras is known to have problems with gangs, so if you’re considering traveling in Central America, you may like this news. On May 24, 2013, the Honduras Weekly reported, “Gangs in Honduras Will Sign Truce Next Week.” The article reports that this is the work of Auxiliary Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Pedro Sula, Monsignor Romulo Emiliani. The truce will be “agreement modeled after the gang truce in El Salvador of March 2012 that has produced a 52 percent drop in homicides in that country during the past year.” My own travels in both Honduras and El Salvador never brought me near  gang members or issues as far as I knew. While in La Ceiba, Honduras I was told repeatedly that after dark it was absolutely necessary to […]

iPhone/iPad/iPod case for extended viewing

 in Traveling with Technology

In November 2011 I saw, tried, and fell in love with the ZeroChroma “Theater-Stand 360°” case — an iPhone and iPad case that was also a brilliant stand. My first reaction was, why didn’t someone think of this before. My second was that this is incredibly well done. The easel mechanism is perfectly flat in the rear of the case. It then pulls out to provide many flexible viewing angles. The iPhone case provides 11 viewing angles and comes in two models — slim and more protective. Some of the cases provide slightly different viewing angle options, but there are always plenty. This is, I believe, a great travel case. About 6 weeks ago, I gave one of these ZeroChroma cases to a young man that impressed me. As he was writing to me recently, he included this paragraph. In addition I would like to express my gratitude for the new iPhone 5 […]