Travel Essentials Blog

Are you planning on heading south for the winter? Taking a vacation on a tropical beach? Or spending some time “down under” to escape the cold? If so, you’ll need to protect yourself from the sun. A lot of people rely on sun block to keep them from turning pink, but if you’re going to spend a lot of time outdoors, that doesn’t always provide the protection you need.

Adventure Hat

Sunday Afternoons specializes in clothes and hats that will keep your skin out of harm’s way. Most of their shirts are rated at an UPF (ultraviolet protection factor) of 40 or more. Most of their hats have the even higher rating of UPF 50+.

Our favorite Sunday Afternoons Hat is probably the Adventure Hat. Designed for both men and women, the Adventure Hat comes in a variety of colors.  As we’ve noted on our website, “The fabric of this hat, dermatologist approved, will block all UVA/UVB rays anywhere; in the desert, tropics, high altitudes, or offshore. Weighing only 3 oz., it makes it easy to pack in your suitcase or gear bags. This is a traveling necessity you don’t want to be without.”

Women's Passport Shirt

If you want to protect more than just your head (and most of us probably do), we’d recommend a shirt as well. For men, the Sunday Afternoons Island Breeze Shirt has UPF 40 rated protection and also manages to be soft, moisture-wicking and well-ventilated. And, for the ladies, the Sunday Afternoons Passport Shirt provides the same comfort and UPF 40 protection. Both shirts come in a variety of flattering colors.

Thermasilk Women's Top

Thermasilk Long Underwear make a great companion for winter travels. The simple, silk long sleeve shirts and pants (in both men’s and women’s) make an incredible base layer, providing a natural insulation against the cold of winter climes. The natural silk is also odor-resistant and quickly wicks moisture away from your skin when you’re working up a sweat, helping to keep you dry and fresh.

There are two things we really love about the Thermasilk long underwear. The first is that it’s so incredibly thin – but still manages to provide surprising warmth when you’re out in the cold. The second is that the natural silk still breathes. So, while it keeps you warm out in the cold weather, you won’t start sweating as soon as you step inside. The silk works with your body to keep you comfortable as you go in and out of shops, or restaurants. Perfect as a base layer for winter travel or a good winter pajama, we think everyone should have at least one pair!

City Bagg

The Baggallini City Bagg ($74.95) may look like any other purse, but there’s definitely more to this bag than meets the eye. The City Bagg is specifically designed for safe, organized travel, and will keep your belongings secure but still easily accessible. The bag features a spacious main pocket that houses a detachable ID wallet and two interior zippered pockets that tuck away smaller belongings. The front of the City Bagg has several zippered pockets and a handy cell phone pouch with a magnetic closure. But there’s a whole other dimension to the City Bagg, and it’s hidden beneath the front of the purse. If you tuck your fingers into the handy magnetic closure and lift the front panel up, you will uncover a small zippered pocket and an ID slot, as well as an organizational panel with card slots, room for pens or lipstick, and several other zippered and slip pockets. The City Bagg is perfect for travel, hiding your important items and giving you easy access to others—all the while innocently pretending to be just another stylish fashion accessory.

City Bag Inside

by Nancy Bestor

There I was, a 38-year-old mother of two, listening to my 24-year-old, extremely buffed Costa Rican surfing instructor tell me to lie on my surfboard, and when he said go, I was to “glide” to my knees, “pop up” onto my feet and catch a small wave. I know I should have been focusing on form and balance, but the only thing running through my mind, as my 24-year-old, extremely tanned and buffed, Costa Rican surfing instructor stood six-pack deep in the water right behind me, holding my surfboard, was “Does my butt look big in this swimsuit?”

Recently our family traveled the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica, stopping in every sleepy beach town that caught our fancy, soaking up the sun and its rays. Playa Samara was the spot for our surfing lessons, and Jesse’s Surf School (www.samarasurfschool.com) was just the ticket. Jesse and his daughter Sunrise, who are originally from Southern California, along with their patient instructors, work very well with beginners and children (as well as advanced surfers), so they were an excellent fit for our family. A one-hour private surfing lesson was $40 each, and Emily and Sarah (ages 11 and 9) each had a private half hour lesson for $40 total. The price included one hour of board rental after the lesson.

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Irresistible Zippy

Ex Officio’s line of Irresistible sweaters and winter accessories is one of our favorite fall clothing lines. Warm, soft, fashionable, clean, comfortable, and did we mention soft? Nothing perks up a crisp fall morning like being wrapped in an Irresistibly soft scarf, or pulling a warm, fleecy Irresistible beanie over your head, or zipping up an Irresistible Sweater as you head out the door.

We offer three Irresistible sweaters at TravelEssentials.com:  The luxurious Irresistible Turtle, the sporty Irresistible 1/4 Zip Sweater, and the fashion-forward Irresistible Zippy, which zips up all the way. All three are made from an overwhelmingly soft Chenille Feather Fleece (as are the hat and scarf.)

The feather fleece is not only soft, but light-weight and quick-drying, making it a perfect travel companion. So, if whether you’re traveling in snowy climes or just trying to stay warm as the seasons grow colder, the Irresistible Line will handle the cold with style, comfort and grace.

Visit www.TravelEssentials.com to see all the colors and styles available.

Eagle Creek Pack It Cube

When packing for any trip, trying to fit everything in your bag can become a challenge. And it is even more difficult to keep it all organized. That is why Eagle Creek stepped in with their innovative line of packing accessories. The amazing Pack It line of tubes, cubes and folders gives you the tools to keep your luggage organized and manageable.

The Pack It Cubes come in a few sizes and are great for socks, underwear, t-shirts, ties, belts, pajamas – anything you can roll up. They make packing for families a breeze – you can designate a cube or two for each person. (I know that I like to use them for my daughter’s tiny toddler clothes – and it makes it so easy to find her outfits and miniature socks!)

Eagle Creek Pack It Folder

Pack-It Folders are for nicer garments that you want to keep unwrinkled. An included packing board helps you to fold each item into the ideal size for the folder, and the easy velcro closure holds the garments securely, reducing wrinkling of your clothing.

Pack it Sacs have a spill-resistant lining and are ideal for bottles, cosmetics, shampoos, etc. Just make sure that you follow carry-on rules if you’re taking them on an in-flight bag! The Sacs come in four sizes to accommodate any level of packing.

Pack It Cruiser Toiletry Kit

The Pack-It line also includes a Shoe Cube, to keep your shoes separate from your clean clothing. A Cosmo Pouch (in two sizes), which is similar to the pack-it sacs, but designed specifically for cosmetics. Compression Sacs to help cut down on the bulk of sweaters and fleeces during winter travel. And several toiletry kits to help keep your items organized and contained.

Visit www.TravelEssentials.com to see the rest of the Pack-It line and read more about each item.

by Nancy Bestor

A few minutes in a public bathhouse will teach you more about daily life in Tokyo than any book you could ever read,” says Lonely Planet’s Tokyo. Public bathhouses, or “sentos”, live on from the days when homes and apartments didn’t have showers or baths. But to many Japanese, sentos remain an important cultural meeting place where social and economic status is literally stripped away. Therefore, as a way to dive deeply into this culture (no pun intended), Bob and I decided to visit the Jakotsu-Yu bathhouse, a short walk from Senso-Ji temple in Asakusa. After a few wrong turns, we found Jakotsu-Yu tucked down an alley and of course, with no English signage.

At this moment, butterflies in the stomach began to flutter. As rank outsiders we were about to enter a revered and etiquette-filled Japanese institution. While we had been told that the Japanese will generally forgive foreigners’ ignorance of their social graces, the bathhouse is where this generosity ends. We initiated the entrance, removed our shoes and paid the attendant about $4 each for use of the facility, a locker and a towel. We then went our separate ways, Bob to the men’s side, and me to the women’s. Our research revealed that locals will watch foreigners very carefully, to make certain they get 100% clean and 100% rinsed before entering the baths themselves. I put my clothing into a locker and smiled at many women, most of whom were older and fortunately didn’t pay me much attention at all.

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Hovercraft Bags from Eagle Creek

Eagle Creek has revamped its line of Hovercraft bags, making them better all around. Not only are they lighter and more streamlined than the previous Hovercraft bags, but they come with a new-and-improved “No Matter What” Warranty – which means that no matter how your luggage is damaged, Eagle Creek will repair it. One of the best warranties in the industry is in itself a reason to choose Hovercraft as your next luggage purchase. But, even without that warranty, we would still love Hovercraft.

The Hovercraft line may include fresh new colors this fall, but the durability and quality craftsmanship remain. Made from heavy duty ballistic nylons, the

Hovercraft 25" Rolling Upright

upright bags have rugged kick-plates and corner bumpers, two-way lockable zippers and over-sized off-road wheels.

There are two kinds of large wheeled bags in the Hovercraft line – the Wheeled Uprights and the Rolling Duffels. The Uprights feature compression two front zippered pockets, interior compression wings, inside accessory pockets, and an expansion that adds %15 to the bag’s packing capacity. The 19″ Upright and the 22″ Upright are both carry-on friendly on most airlines. Eagle Creek also offers a 25″ Upright and a 28″ Upright if you need a larger bag and don’t mind checking it at the airport.

Hovercraft 30" Rolling Duffel

The Rolling Duffels offer a more casual travel option. They feature both internal and external compression straps. A large handle on the front of the bag provides a duffel carry, or you can use the adjustable handle to roll the bag (and when not in use, you can zip in the adjustable handle, and streamline the duffel.) It also has inside pockets to organize, including a lid pocket that is accessible from the inside or the outside. The 30″ Rolling Duffel has an additional pouch in the bottom of the bag for shoes. If you want a smaller rolling duffel, Eagle Creek also offers a 25″ Rolling Duffel and a 22″ Rolling Carry-On Duffel.

Also offered in the new Hovercraft Line are several Rolling Totes (one with a computer pouch) and a smaller carry-on In-Flight Bag.

Visit www.TravelEssentials.com to check out the rest of the bags and learn more about each one.

And the Winner is….

"Tannery Workers, Fez, Morocco" by Matthew Jorizzo

Congratulations to Matthew Jorizzo, who’s photo of tannery workers in Morocco was chosen as the grand prize winner of a $250 gift certificate! To see a larger version of his photo and check out the rest of the winners, click here to visit our website and view the slide-show.

We would like to thank everyone who submitted photos. We got a lot of beautiful shots, and it was  difficult to pick a winner. We look forward to seeing lots more great travel images next year! Remember, you can’t win of you don’t enter! And, if you’re in Ashland, please come by and check out our window display, which shows off all the winners and many of our other favorites!

Photographer Sean Bagshaw

We’d also like to extend a special thanks to professional photographer Sean Bagshaw, who was a guest judge for this year’s contest. His seasoned eye was a great help in picking out great photos that were not only beautiful but told a good travel story.
Sean is southern Oregon’s premier landscape, nature and travel fine art photographer. He has photographed throughout the western United States as well as Mexico, Alaska, Hawaii, Central and South America, Nepal and Tibet. You can visit his site at www.OutdoorExposurePhoto.com

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by Nancy Bestor

Eagle Creek Switchback 22"

There are times when I know my husband is right, and I am just too darn stubborn to admit it. One time that stands out was a trip to the Bahamas. After I finished packing into the Eagle Creek ORV gear bag, which is a duffle-like bag with hidden backpack straps, Bob suggested I instead take the Eagle Creek Switchback, a carry-on rolling bag. “I’m already packed,” I thought. “Besides, how far am I really going to carry this bag, and plus, it’s not that heavy.” Wrong, wrong, wrong.

In addition to my ORV gear bag, I also carried on a small collapsible cooler with food for the week and my very small Eagle Creek Guide Pro purse. While it was no trouble handling these three bags in Medford—an airport so small that when you’re dropped off in front of the airport, you’re almost on the tarmac, it was in Salt Lake City that my shoulder pains began. Our commuter plane from Medford landed at an outer terminal, and we had to hustle to another terminal to make our connection. It took only a few minutes for me to wish I had taken Bob’s advice and was rolling my main bag, with my cooler sitting on top of it, instead of carrying two heavy bags (is it possible that they got heavier from Medford to Salt Lake City?) from what seemed like one end of the airport to another.

At the gate I found that my troubles were not yet over. “You’re only allowed one carry on and a personal item,” the not-so-friendly Delta grounds crew person said. “You’ll have to check one of your bags.” This would be a problem, because we needed to get right to our private plane in Florida in order arrive on the island of Exuma before dark. We didn’t have time to wait for checked luggage. Informing the grounds crew person that I had carried all three bags on from Medford made no difference at all. In fact, it only seemed to make her more determined. I had a sneaking suspicion that it wouldn’t butter her up if I told her I had a private jet to catch in Florida either.

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