The Visa Waiver Program has been around for over 20 years, although it has reached greater awareness and prominence in the post-911 era of travel.  The program has been modified over the years, with additional countries added to the list and an electronic travel component added, but the underlying purpose of the plan remains the same.
Visitors from specific countries are permitted to travel to the United States for a period of up to 90 days (for business or pleasure travel) without having to get a Visa.  There are specific requirements for countries to get on the waiver list, including …read more

Is there really such a thing as too many carry on bags?
You know you need them for your laptop and other geek stuffy, but a carry on frequently does double duty as a purse, backpack, diaper bag, beach tote, and shopping tote.  It’s no wonder then that occasionally we like to change up the look and style.
Tote Couture offers two pleated totes in two fashionable colors.  Lani (in shades of green, tan and brown – almost cammo-like) and Lola (black and white).  Both have funky geometric patters in their respective color scheme,  and are made of coated canvas with rushed …read more

Anyone who travels knows that way too much time is spent waiting.  You have to wait at the airport, the train station, even for a taxi.  Sometimes it seems like all we do is hurry up so that we can wait some more.
How can you put all those precious waiting minutes to good use?  You can keep a book nearby, but often you just get into the plot and it’s time to put it aside.  You can talk on your phone, annoying everyone around you and risking private information being overheard my many.  You can stare into space, day dream, …read more

Just in time for Halloween, I received a review copy of Encyclopedia of Haunted Places, compiled and edited by Jeff Belanger.  This guide to ghostly locales from around the world is geographically organized, so you know the first thing that I did was look to see what’s nearby where I live.
I live in Seattle, and there are 5 haunted locales list in the state of Washington:

The Bush House (Index)
The Oxford Saloon & Eatery (Snohomish – I knew about this one)
Murphy Family Farm, a private residence (Longview)
Rutherglen Mansion Bed & Breakfast (Longview)
Port Gamble (Port Gamble, near the Hood Canal Bridge …read more

Q.  It seems like you’re always traveling, how do you manage to keep in touch with your family and friends?
A.  It may seem like I’m always traveling, but really, I have quite a few days off at home every month!
But, to get to your question, keeping in touch with people is important to me, whether I’m traveling and keeping in touch with people back home, or if I’m at home and keeping in touch with friends that I’ve made while traveling.  Since I’ve become a bit of a geek, most of my keeping in touch involved technology of one sort …read more

I found myself traveling to colder weather a few weeks back, and realized that I had not packed appropriately for cold weather.  What was I thinking?!  Fortunately for me, one of my favorite travel stores is located right at the airport, and I popped into Ex Officio to have a look around.
I LOVE this store, and love the assortment of travel gear, clothing, and odds and ends that they carry.  And, it just so happens, I spend a lot of money at this store, too.  Which should serve as additional proof that I love the products.
Most fall and winter …read more

Everyone loves a behind-the-scenes look at the travel industry, and I’m no exception.  When I talk about the things that happen on a flight, people often can’t believe the stories – and more than once I’ve been accused of making things up.  Believe me, with what we see every day, we don’t have to make this stuff up!
It was with that frame of reference that I picked up Cruise Confidential:  A Hit Below the Waterline: Where the Crew Lives, Eats, Wars, and Parties? One Crazy Year Working on Cruise Ships by Brian David Bruns.  Bruns left life on land …read more

I sometimes forget that not everyone has the love affair with travel that I do.  My new blogging pal, Josh Hanagarne, is one of those people.  He really wants to start traveling, though, and so here’s a guest post from Josh telling us about where he’s going to find his travel inspiration.
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I’m not well traveled and that’s a fact I plan on changing.  When I landed in Chicago for the first time in July of 2009, I felt like a real cosmopolite jetsetter.  I was only there for 48 hours.  But every time I go somewhere new, I’m increasingly more …read more

I’ve used many a Lonely Planet Guide when researching travel, so when they offered to send me the new edition of their Travel With Children, I was eager to give it a read.  While a non-parent myself, I’ve had occasion to travel with some small fry, and after working for 20+ years as a Flight Attendant (and I’m not telling you how many years that + represents), I’ve seen the good, the bad, and the ugly about kids on planes.
So I settled in for a good read.
Unfortunately, I didn’t make it past more than a handful before I began …read more

The world is a pretty germy place.  When your at home or in an environment that you can control, it’s easy to take control of your exposure to germs.  But travelers get hit with germs in ways that they can’t always plan for.  One of those germy times is passing through airport security.  ecoLiving Essentials has developed two eco-friendly products to help give travelers a little bit of a defense against the germs of the world – Biodegradable Travel Booties and a Biodegradable Shower Cap.
The company was founded by two moms, who, as frequent travelers. were concerned about their germ …read more