I have a short list of travel posts this week, not because there was any shortage in great stuff, but because I had a little health scare that landed me in the emergency room.  I’ve spent a rather low key week as I’ve been nursing myself back to health, and so I just haven’t had the typical online time that I usually do.  Still, I think you’ll find plenty to like from these posts:
The Vacation Gals entreat the airlines and the FAA not to allow lap children.  The fares are cheap these days, but the costs add up.  Still, …read more

Have you ever found a website that just sort of sucks you in and you waste too much time spend lots of time researching all the options you find there?
That’s how I feel about Friend Mosaic, in beta, a site that will take all you Twitter followers and create a mosaic photo of you.  Sounds strange, I know, all these photos of other people going to create a larger photo of you.  But it’s actually kind of cool.  So cool that I spent an hour or so playing around with it, using my own @twitter name as well as …read more

I hope you’re enjoying the long Labor Day Weekend, but also hope you’ll make some time to check out some of these great blog post from the past week.  It’s always hard to pick the best of the best, but these captured my attention this past week:
Up, Up, and A Gay, a recently discovered blog from another Flight Attendant, dishes about why we’re always dishing about work.  It’s true, too!
Los Angeles Times tries to makes sense of the security rule regarding exact name matchups.  There may be flexibility now, but what little there is will be going away soon.
The …read more

Another great week of travel reads, covering topics both serious and fun.  Take a read at these great posts, and see if you agree.
The Edinburgh Guide – Although it has been called Auld Reekie, it never meant smelly until now.
Wisebread – Good tips for finding free wi-fi at airports.  Unfortunately, some of these means are getting encrypted and/or shut down, but it’s a great starting point.  And why, oh why, can’t there just be free wi-fi at the airport?!
Concierge – From Conde Nast Traveler comes this great guide to tipping around the world.  Read it, print it out for …read more

When it comes to travel gadgets, it seems like smaller is better.  As long as smaller still allows for a quality experience, that is.  And that’s why the Flip Mino has become such a popular video cam choice.
Now available in HD, and a number of colors and fashion choices (like the Hello Kitty Flip in photo) , the Flip Mino has a budget friendly price point to go along with its travel friendly size.  Here are a few of the features it offers:

Pocket sized
One-touch recording
Built in flash memory (holding up to 60 minutes of recording)
Battery lasts over 4 hours …read more

At one point in my life my photos were organized.  They were placed in plastic film pages in photo books, pinned on a bulletin board, or artfully arranged in numerous scrapbooks.  I could take a look any time I wanted, and share them with family and friends as appropriate.
And then life got in the way.  Juggling myriad duties involving work, home, relationships, and personal responsibilities meant that often I didn’t even have time to take the film in to be developed.  When I finally did get them developed, they just sat in the return envelope taking up room in …read more

This photo was taken in those few minutes right before sunset.  A particularly peaceful way to end a vacation day. 
 
Photo credit:  personal collection
_____________________________________________

After a sunny day exploring the island of Capri, it was fun to take the chair lift in Anacapri all the way to the very top to take a view of the island and surrounding area.  The fog rolling in on one side of the island created quite a juxtaposition with the sun on the other side.  Here’s the foggy side.
The name of the island is properly pronounced CAH-pree, not cuh-PRI (like the pants).
 
Photo credit:  personal collection
_______________________________________________

In my blog posts, I frequently share with you what I see out of my hotel window — beautiful beaches, the ocean, a storm brewing, a majestic skyline, or simply some architecture or flora that may have caught my attention.  I share with you what I am looking at as I travel around the world.
Today, I discovered a relatively new blog that takes this idea to a grander level.  Anthony at What I See Out My Window asks readers to take a picture of the view out their window.  Then, send the photo to him along with your location …read more

If you’ve visited any of the great travel blogs out there, you’ve seen some great photography.  After looking at some of the photos, have you ever gone back through your own personal collection and said, “you know, mine are just as good — maybe even better?”  If so, here’s a contest for you.
As part of Conde Nast Traveler’s 20th anniversary, it is having a travel giveaway — and your photos may just be your ticket.  All you have to do is submit a photo , to the “Live the Cover” contest, that you took and that captures a great travel memory.  …read more