There’s nothing like combining a little shopping with traveling, and today’s Matchbook Monday comes from Tommy Bahama’s Tropical Cafe where you can do just that.

Tommy Bahama is known for its casual and comfortable leisure wear – pretty much all things tropical.  It’s island fabrics and styles for those of us who may only envy or visit the island lifestyle.

Many of the shops have added cafes where they feature island flavors and selections.  It’s a perfect spot to leave the non-shopper to sip a tropical drink and nosh on some appetizers, while the shoppers in the group take care of business.  And we know how hungry and thirsty shopping can make you!

Thanks to Anita for providing this matchbook.  If you’d like to share a matchbook for a future Matchbook Monday, please take a photo and email it to me along with any notes or comments you wish to make.

Photo credit:  personal collection

Happy Black Friday – the day the retail business counts on putting itself into the black for the year.  With difficult economic times, I’m not sure if they’re as optimistic this year as in years past.

Shopping, however, is the Number One tourism activity in the United States.  That’s why you’ll find so many retailers and shopping facilities promoting themselves with a tourism approach.  Whether it’s free shuttles from hotel to malls, special hotel stay/shopping packages, or shopping promotions tied in with conference events, retailers with a tourism focus are experience stronger overall sales results.

As I think about it, I enjoy doing a little shopping when I’m traveling.  It’s not the focal point of my travels, and some times I purchase, others I don’t.  I do think it tells me a little something about the area that I’m visiting when I see what they shop for.

How about you?  Do you shop when you travel?

Image credit: flickr

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Last week I wrote about things to do in Denver (besides the Democratic National Convention0), and this week the country turns its attention to the Republican National Convention in Saint Paul, Minneapolis.

While I’m a little less familiar with Saint Paul, I’ve still spent some time in the area.  I still have a few things left to do and see on this list, but here are my Saint Paul list of suggestions:

1. Check out the Science Museum of Minnesota, across from the RiverCentre.  It is surrounded by parks and walkways, and is a wonderful spot to learn and to relax.
2. Take a child or be a child yourself at the Minnesota Children’s Museum (7th Street, between St. Peter and Wabasha Streets).  This is one of the largest children’s museums in the country, and has lots of hands-on exhibits for kids and adults alike.
3. The Minnesota Zoo (nearby in Apple Valley) is home to over 1,700 animals and 800 plant species, and a wonderful escape from the hectic pace of the world.  Get a great overview of the zoo from the monorail.
4. Tour Landmark Center, and its majestic castle-like structure on Rice Park.  This was once the Federal Courthouse, and the site of some infamous gangster trials back in the 1930’s.
5. Visit Landmark Plaza Park and the bronze statues of Peanuts characters Snoopy, Charlie Brown, Sally, Linus, Lucy, Schroeder, Peppermint Patty, and Marcie.  Creator Charles M. Schulz was a Saint Paul Native.  (You’ll also find Peanuts characters located on various streets around the city.)
6. Tour the Minnesota State Capitol on a hill overlook downtown Saint Paul, and take a gander at the largest unsupported marble dome in the world.  The capitol is home to some great art as well.  Tours are free.
7. Relax and wander in Como Park.  Beautiful gardens, waterfalls, amusement rides, and more.  The Japanese Gardens are part of a program with Saint Paul’s sister city of Nagasaki, Japan.
8. Valleyfair Amusement Park (in Shakopee) is 68 acres of thrills, and includes a water park.  This is the home of the Renegade, a world class wooden roller coaster.  Lots of options for all ages and all levels of thrill seekers.
9. The Cathedral of Saint Paul (Summit & Selby Avenue) is modeled after Saint Peter’s Basilica in Rome.  Its dome is over 306 feet from the floor to the tip of its cross.  (In photo at right.)
10. Take a ride on the wild side with a gangster tour.  Sure, it’s a bit touristy, but you’ll get to visit some famous gangster crime sites, hideaways, nightclubs, and speakeasies, including Ma Barker’s home and Dillinger’s apartment.
11. Drive down Summit Avenue and take a gander at one of Saint Paul’s most prestigious addresses.  It’s rife with beautiful residential Victorian architecture stretching fours and a half miles to the Mississippi.
12. Go shopping at the area’s most famous indoor attraction – the Mall of America (in photo above).  The place is HUGE!  In fact, if it were all one level it would spread out over 35 city blocks!  There are over 500 shops, 50 restaurants, and 14 movie theaters.  But it’s about more than shopping, there is also Underwater Adventures (a walk through aquarium), NASCAR Silicon Motor Speedway (a racing entertainment complex), Nickelodeon University and lots, lots more.

What are your recommendations of things to do is Saint Paul?  Please leave your suggestions in the comments.

Photo credit:  Flickr, Mall of America; Cathedral of Saint Paul

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Tonalá is a city of around 350,000 located near Guadalajara, in central Mexico.  The city is well known for its ceramics, glass, and other native arts and crafts, and its Thursday and Sunday open air markets.

Market days will find the neighborhoods full of good displayed on the sidewalks, and often spilling out into the streets.  Ceramics, pottery, glassware, papier mâché items are all good buys.

If you practiced up on your Spanish, it will come in handy.  Although many locals do speak a little English, it’s probably going to take a fair amount of Spanish, English, and some gestures, to make yourself understood.  My Spanish is pretty rusty, but I gave it a good try, and really didn’t have any problems.

On market days, start your exploration from the main plaza at Juarez and Hidalgo .  Pick a direction and start wandering.  Many of the shops also serve as the family home, with the entire family involved in the business.  After awhile a lot of the products will look the same, and there’s not a lot of variation in price.  Find someone who’s a pleasure to do business with, and enjoy the transaction.

This plaza area also has lots of shops that feature more elaborate and decorative pieces, including wall hangings, furniture, and large ceramic and glass pieces.  Some of these shops take credit cards and will assist in arranging for shipping.

Should I still plan a visit if it’s not a market day?  Keep reading to find out!

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If you’ve never found the comedic in art, Puerco Azul (Blue Pig) will set you straight.

This whimsical art gallery in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, occupying both a house and its courtyard, is full of an eclectic mix of one-of-a-kind art.  The common denominator to it all is animals.

Gallery owners Lee and Nancy Chapman traveled Mexico in search of the unusual, and opened the gallery as a way to share their treasures.  Well, that and because their own Los Angeles home was filled to the brim.

Originally the gallery was a showcase for other artists, but now is home for Lee Chapman’s art as well.  With a career in “serious art” already beneath his belt, he branched out into a more light-hearted style of art working under the pseudonym “Lencho,” and created his now famous blue pig (puerco azul).  The blue pig is licensed in the United States and you may have seen it on t-shirts, cards, and other gift items.

A stroll through the gallery is sure to bring a smile to your face, and you see how the animals have all too human-like characteristics.  It’s a lot of fun.

There is also a line of children’s books featuring the various animal characters, written by Nancy and illustrated by Lee.  The books teach Spanish to kids in simple terms, using common and every day experiences.

Other items you’ll find in the gallery include the popular rooster lamps, a variety of pottery and sculpture, copper cookware, tableware, and vintage clothing.

Although there are a few pricey items, most of the art is very reasonably priced and would make a wonderful souvenir of a visit to Puerto Vallarta.  Or take a home a few gifts for the little ones, and help teach them Spanish.

Puerco Azul is located at Constitucion 325, el Centro, and is open Monday - Saturday 10 am-8 pm.

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If the thought of a fine bag, a decadent pair of heels, or the feel of the fabric of a finely crafted suit makes you swoon, then an afternoon on the Champs-Élysées in Paris may be your definition of heaven.

Avenue des Champs-Élysées is not only one of the most recognized street names in Paris, but in the entire world, and is lined with luxury and specialty shops, theaters, cafes and restaurants.  Its name translates to “Elysian Fields” a refererence to the “place of the blessed” in Greek mythology.  With the prices you’ll see at most of these shops and cafes, you’ll need to be blessed, indeed, to make this your prime shopping district.

The street itself is a little over a mile and a quarter long (see photo at left), running from the Place de la Concorde to the Arc de Triomphe in the 9th arrondissement.  While its easy to get caught up in its current incarnation as the ultimate shopping location, originally, in the de Medici era, the area was a field and garden market.  It was also the location of the famous marches to celebrate the 1944 liberation of France, one march by the French and the other by American troops.  Today, the Champs-Élysées is home to the annual Bastille Day parade and is the end of the Tour de France. 

It seems like the Champs-Élysées is always full of people, day or night.  You’ll find people stopping off to shop at places like:  Drugstore Publicis (filled with so many upscale products that it seems a misnomer to refer to it as a “drug” store), Louis Vuitton (its largest store in the world), Virgin Megastore, Adidas (its largest store in the world), and Nike Paris, as exclusive stores co-exist with the growing presence of large chain stores. 

Above the street level stores, you’ll find offices, attracting still more people.  And, of course, day or night, patrons are flocking to the restaurants, cafes, and theaters.

I enjoyed wandering the street, stopping of at a few shops now and again.  Although the strength of the dollar was not on my side, I did manage to justify a purchase at Louis Vuitton, followed by lunch at cafe right in the heart of everything.  While lunching on the Champs-Élysées is quite expensive (some might say over-priced), I considered it both a meal and an opportunity to do some people watching as I whiled away a beautiful fall afternoon in Paris.

Photo credit:  personal collection

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I was reading the New York Times over the weekend, and found information about a new website that sure to appeal to people who like to combine a little shopping with their travels.  That would be people like me!

Store Adore was started by the former editor at Lucky Magazine, and uses local writers to share information about shopping in their city.  You can create a map of your favorite stores or just get information about a store that you’ve been meaning to check out. 

Current cities covered are New York, Boston, Los Angeles, and Washington DC, with San Francisco, Chicago, Philadelphia, Dallas, and Miami coming on in June.  Ooooooh, all cities that I get to on occasion.

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I love wandering the streets of a city, never any specific direction in mind, just wandering up and down the streets, popping into any little shop or gallery that may catch my eye, stopping for a cup of coffee or a glass of wine when I get a little tired.

Wandering is a great way to get to know a city, not so much for a tourist point of view, but getting to know it as a resident.  Besides that, you get to discover some great little places.

A few months back, I was in the Upper Noe area and came across a fun little shop ““ Church Street Apothecary.  Not surprisingly, it’s located on Church Street:  1767 Church Street (Church & 30th), and you’ll know you’re at the right place when you see the neon green cross above the door.

Inside Church Street Apothecary you’ll find a brightly lit, well-organized space, stocked with lots of high quality products.  There are some old-fashioned homeopathic remedies, great bath and beauty products, and lots of fun gift ideas.  You’ll find the usual and unusual alike, and if you’re at all like me, you’ll find yourself browsing each and every one of the old apothecary styled wooded shelves.  It can easily take an hour or two.

Some things that caught my eye:  Old fashioned candy (remember Beeman’s and Black Jack gum?), Claus Porto Ilyria Bar Soap (I love good smelling soaps), and the Jill Bliss stationery products.

If you can’t get to the store in person, Church Street Apothecary also has an online store.  It’s not as much fun as going there in person, though.

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Japanese artist Takashi Murakami currently has a wallpaper exhibit in the MCA Café at Chicago’s Museum of Contemporary Art.

So what’s significant about Murakami?  He is one of the most significant artists of the under-40 age group to emerge from Japan, with art choices heavily influenced by pop culture and traditional Japanese art forms ““ a blending of east and west. 

His style is called “Superflat,” and is a post-modern style with flat plains of color and graphic images.  His art evokes comments on consumerism, sexual fetishism, and pop culture, and is frequently referred to as a current day Andy Warhol.

Unlike Warhol, however, who took low culture and turned it into high art, Murakami takes low culture, repackages it, and then makes it available to everyone, high and low, in a wide variety of forms.  His artwork has been packaged from everything from t-shirt and key chains, to paintings, to high fashion.

Fashionistas take note:  Murakami is the mastermind behind LV’s Monogram Multicolore canvas handbags and accessories, moving the brand beyond the standard gold monogram on a brown bag, to multicolored monograms on white and black bags.  He also inspired the 2005 Cherry Blossom logo, with smiling faces in pink and yellow flowers.  I was not familiar with Murakami’s art, but I was with his LV affiliation.

The Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago is located at 220 East Chicago Avenue, in the heart of the Magnificent Mile.  It is open Tuesday, 10 am-8 pm, Wednesday through Sunday. 10 am-5 pm, and is closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day. 

Suggested General Admission is $10 for adults, $6 for students and seniors, and free for children 12 and under and members of the military.  Admission is FREE all day on Tuesday, compliments of Target.  Discounted parking is available (validation required) in the parking garage adjacent to the museum. 

Via The Lobby

Photo credit:  flickr

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If you haven’t decided on a holiday gift for the special travelers in your life, it’s time to read this post, get some ideas, and then step away from the computer and go shopping.  It’s too late for online shopping, so you just need to get out there and get busy!  (Okay, an easy way out here is to order something online, then print out a nice picture of the gift, and slip in into a nice card.)

Today’s post is a round up of ideas that I’ve already suggested, along with a few new ones. 

So here’s the list of ideas that I’ve already suggested:

• Night light, personalized photo album, swivel plug in
• Bag tags
• Luggage and carryon bags
• Photo album & frames
• Hand cream
• Netflix
• Books that are educational, humorous, or for kids.
• Digital camera
• Maps
• Xubaz
• Map scarves
• Sleep mask
• Traveler’s journal
• Travel pillow

Here are a few more that would be a big hit:

• A gift certificate for a restaurant that they’ve wanted to try in the city they travel to the most.
• Housecleaning services.  I know that one thing I really hate is to spend all my days off cleaning the house and doing household chores, and I’d guess that I’m not the only one who feels that way.  A little helping hand once in awhile can make anyone’s day.
• A romantic trip for the two of you, or a fun trip for the whole family.  Yes, even though we travel for business, we still love to travel for pleasure, too.

Now get going!  Go get that special gift for the special traveler in your life!

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