The Glam of Pan Am

The Barbie Version

I'm counting the days until the start of the new ABC series "Pan Am".  See the trailer here.  The creative people behind two of my former favorite shows "West Wing" and "ER" are involved - so it's just gotta be good.

In the meantime, I'm all about the merchandising...

I've always been a fan of the Pan Am store- which has been around forever.  Maybe you need a little retro number to carry on your next trip?

From the "Originals" collection - $189

  Too big?  maybe this ...

Reversible make-up bag - $99

Don't think I could pull this off, but it's really cute....

Sky Belt - $54

They've got passport holders, luggage tags even Pan Am cuff links...love it.

Old School

Yes, honey...that's a heater - careful!  the hair!

The Hat Bag - $54

ok.  one more...the Pan Am Hat Bag.  From the web site, "this piece screams - you are a very stylish girl!  Hey, if $54 is all it takes - I'm sold.
 

My New Best Friend

So, you want to save a little money on your vacation and who doesn't?  If you're like me, you head directly to a discount site like Expedia or Travelocity first, right?  Well, hold on a minute.  I recently tried a little experiment and now I'm wondering why I didn't try it sooner....oh, I know! because it makes no sense whatsoever.  On a whim (and because I was curious) I contacted a travel agent regarding a trip for a group of six for 5 days in Cancun. Just exactly how much was I saving by booking with Expedia?  Was I really getting a deal?  Much to my surprise (and delight), he quoted us a price that was $100 less per person  AND he threw in premium ocean view, ground transportation and breakfast and yes, his fee is included. He's my new best friend.  In fact, I think I might just invite him to join us.

Although I've used Expedia many times and have been pretty happy with the savings, I've always known that my reservation is "red flagged".  As soon as I check in, I know I'm marked as "a discount customer" so if there's a room right outside an elevator, with a "lagoon" or "garden" view, or next to a noisy, kid-filled pool - whatever - it's going to be mine.  If I want an upgrade I'm going to have to fork over more money at check-in and poof! there go my savings.

Travel agents, however, have access to blocks of rooms and groups of seats on most airlines.  They're given a special price which they pass on to you.  So when you check in, you've got the good name of a reputable agency behind you AND someone to contact directly if anything goes wrong.  Another plus for my travel agent friend is that he only requires a small amount down to hold the reservation.  The balance isn't due until shortly before we leave.   Expedia and Travelocity require you to pay for your trip in full upon booking.  Ouch.


Sometimes it just doesn't pay to be a "do-it-yourselfer".

Get Outta My Chair!

This couple certainly doesn't seem to have any trouble getting a good spot at the pool...evidently, they're so good looking no one even comes near....

But alas, real life isn't a travel brochure and there are a lot of yahoos vying for the best seat in the house. All is fair, as they say, but there are a few rules that one must abide by and tips one must remember....well, just because one must.


#1 Good "pool position" sets the tone for the whole day.  This is my number one rule for obvious reasons.  Time in your sunny haven is limited and you can't risk a whole day not being what it should be because you're stuck in no man's land fighting for the smallest ray of sun, or a waiter's attention, or there's a mile walk from your chair to the pool or beach. Sleeping until noon and then sauntering out to the pool and expecting to get a good seat? Not likely.  And don't think for a second one might open up later - sorry. If you're on vacation and a chair is taken, it's taken for the whole day, baby. 

#2  If any towel or personal item is anywhere near a chair, it's taken.  Yes, I've witnessed people "toweling" a chair in the morning and not even using it until the afternoon.  Although that is a little frustrating, it's fair. I get it - first come, first save.  Perhaps they're going shopping or touring in the morning and want to hit the pool in the afternoon, they run the great risk of not having anywhere to sit.  (See above).  Who wants to have that awkward moment when they return and discover you're sitting in the chairs they saved?  I'm sure it probably wouldn't come to blows (well, depending on how much tequila is involved) but it's still uncomfortable. 

#3  The early bird gets whatever the heck they want.  My friends think I'm a bit ridiculous, but I've taken rule #1 to heart.  It doesn't matter if I'm up until 4am the night before, I'll be out there at 7am securing the best lounge chairs.  I can't sleep thinking someone might be taking our spot.  Sleep?  Who needs it?  After all, what am I going to be doing all day? Ummm...lying DOWN.


#4  What makes a good chair position?  One must scope these things out early and create a strategy - including a plan A, B, and C.  Very important things must be considered:  Where will the sun be as the day goes on?  Is there any tree or building nearby that might cast an unfortunate shadow thereby infringing on my rays?  Am I close to the bar and/or bathroom?  Can I get to the beach easily or am I going to have to run an obstacle course?  Is the chair near the pool so that when I'm overheated I can jump in quickly without having to be upright and walking around in my swimsuit for too long?

Vacations are too expensive and too rare to be lame. Why risk it with something as easy to get as a good spot at the pool? 

Tan on, my friends.

A New Place to Hang...

Cancun penthouse

If you've read this blog before you know that I mention Trip Advisor.com well...a lot.  It's my "cheat sheet" for considering a hotel.  I scan through the reviews, toss out the "overly glowing" and the "overly critical" and focus on the meat in the middle.  I try not to let myself get too freaked out about someone seeing a bug in their hotel room or smelling something "funny" or the worst - those dreaded two words: Bed. Bugs.  Obviously, there's huge value in "knowing before you go" and I like the fact that I can read a review from someone who was just there yesterday.   Now I have a new reason to like Trip Advisor - Flip Key.com.

Jackson Hole, WY

Sometimes staying in a hotel just won't work for you.. maybe you're traveling with a big group of friends or family and they all want to hang together. If you've ever considered renting an apartment, condo or even a massive house with plenty of bedrooms, you've probably  seen VRBO.com, Home Away.com, or even www.beachhouse.com.  


All are fairly helpful sites and offer individually owned properties all over the world - but Flip Key has those user-generated reviews with which Trip Advisor has built an empire.  You can't argue with success.

Florida Keys Cottage

So go...pick out a few places, read the reviews and then here's a little tip:  choose a handful of properties you like and email them all...make them negotiate for your business...you can get the deal you want in the place you want.  You may just find your next home away from home.

Airline Tickets and Algorithms? umm...what?

I'll let you in on a little secret: I HATE paying too much for airfare. I know I'm not alone in this but no one is more psycho about it that I am. I will check and check and re-check ALL of the airline sites for weeks before I pull the trigger on a ticket. I'll even keep checking AFTER I've already purchased it- just to convince myself that I got the best deal I possibly could. It's such a gamble that it totally stresses me out.  But, now I've finally found something that might give me a bit of an edge.  It's Bing.

Bing studies the algorithms (huh?) and tracks all the ups and downs of my particular fare and it's "Price Predictor" will tell me when I can expect the best price for my ticket. Bing will even let me know how confident they are that they're right. In short, it's like going to Vegas with someone who can count cards.   Cool.


Check it out: http://www.bing.com/travel

Only you...in Italy.

Robert Downey Jr. & Marisa Tomei in Only You

I'm a sap. I'll get lost in a good chic movie and I'll watch it a hundred times.  Only You is one of those movies - not because Robert Downey Jr. is especially handsome or Marisa Tomei is the greatest actress ever - my real love in this movie is...the scenery.

A lot of movies have been a boon to Italian tourism; Under the Tuscan Sun and Roman Holiday for example.  But this movie in particular introduces us to the dreaminess that is Positano and makes the romantic sap in all of us want to call a travel agent right NOW.

Positano was a poor little fishing village located about 200 miles south of Rome on the Almafi coast.  Now, tourism is now Positano's major industry along with.... Limoncello. Lemons are big and plentiful in this region and the people of Positano have mastered the art of making the perfect blend of lemons, sugar and booze. 

View from Le Sirenuse Hotel, Positano

In the movie, Marisa Tomei's character runs all over Italy chasing a man who's name she got from an ouija board when she was young.  She thinks he's her destiny.  When she reaches Positano, she meets Billy Zane's character here at the pool at Le Sirenuse Hotel.

 Frankly, I would have been a lot more excited about the pool.

 and the room....

and the restaurant...

Romantic, no? But if you still need a little help in that area, most rooms at Le Sirenuse have a balcony overlooking the sea, La Sonda restaurant (pictured above) has hundreds of twinkling candles and a mandolin and guitar player, and the hotel has an Aveda Concept Spa and an oyster and champagne bar.  Aahhh..that's the ticket.  We won't talk room rates because that will just ruin it for everyone.

In the end, Marisa finds her Mr. Right and all is well (yeah, like you didn't see that comin'). For more views of beautiful Positano see the movie below....

Diane Lane and some hottie in "Under The Tuscan Sun"

Here's a great insider's guide to Positano.
For more movies with great scenery, enter these titles in TripScout's search box: Roman Holiday, Something's Gotta Give, The Holiday and The Truman Show.

Expedia + Groupon = Yay!

I'm VERY excited about this news:  "On Tuesday, daily deal giant Groupon.com and online travel agency Expedia.com officially launched Groupon Getaways, promising limited-time offers of up to 50 percent off regular rates on select hotels and resorts."

Read more:  Groupon and Expedia team up for travel deals 

Can someone just tell me if the beach is nice?!

Friendly Marriott Staff

Like millions of people, TripAdvisor.com is the first place I go when looking for a hotel -even though sometimes I get so annoyed I vow never to do it again. It's hard to weed through the long, bitter rants followed up by someone who writes as though she's just been to Nirvana. Eventually, I do stumble on a good reviewer: one who gives the pros and cons in a fairly level-headed manner and recognizes the things the hotel actually has control over (umm..the fact that it rained the first 3 days of your vacation has nothing to do with the hotel so you can just leave that part out, ok?)  But, just how accurate are these people anyway?

Turns out that studies show TripAdvisor and other hotel review sites (whose content is user-generated) are mostly right on the mark.  You just have to remember to "be like an Olympic judge" and toss out the lowest and the highest scores and go with the meat in the middle. 

When all else fails, if it's in the top 10 it can't be that bad, right?


To read more about the study click below:
Need a good hotel room? Follow the herd.

Eeeewwww......part 2

Anti-microbial remote control from DirectTV

Ok.  I'll own this: I'm a bit of a germ-a-phobe.  Especially in hotel rooms.  Ironically, being a maid at my local Best Western was my first job...perhaps this is where my phobia began (ya think?) The day I had to clean chip dip off a wall and toenail clippings out of a bathtub (shudder) was my last.  

Did you know the most germy thing in your hotel room is not the nasty bedspread that NEVER gets washed, but the TV remote?  Think about it. (but not for too long - ick). My neighbor happens to be a pilot and when he checks into a hotel room he takes the plastic bag off the plastic cups and slips it over the remote.  Genius. But what if you're at..say, the Waldorf and there are no plastic bags available? 

Well, DirectTV has invented something that will make my pilot friend and other grossed-out hotel guests very happy.  The anti-microbial remote control. It's coated with a lovely germ-resistant finish. "The company says the new coating will not change the feel of remote, but will offer up to 99.99 percent protection from harmful organisms such as bacteria, mold and fungi.”   Although still in the testing stage, it shows promise.

Now, if they could just guarantee me a brand new bedspread or duvet cover every time I stay somewhere I could stop bringing my own....(I'm kidding).



To read more: Germ free hotel TV remote

Get bumped? Get clever...

A friend of mine was on a business trip yesterday and trying to get home.  His flight was bumped countless times and then canceled altogether.  Arghhh.. In his case, it was weather related, understandable but frustrating just the same.

Here's a suggestion to not only give you something to do while you're waiting (because, c'mon - I know you're just playing around on your smart phone anyway) and actually help yourself get a leg up in the competition for a seat on the next available flight. Sign up for the airline's e-mail or text alerts. Passengers who get those alerts sometimes find out about cancellations even before they're announced at the airport, allowing them to get in line faster to talk to an agent. When you find out your flight is canceled, get in line and call the airline's reservations number at the same time. Someone may pick up the phone faster than it takes for you get to the front of the line.

Glamour Girl Camping

do I see a waiter in there?

For those who hate camping...there's "Glamping"!  Short for glamorous camping. It's camping with a little something extra - or alot in some cases.  It's perfect for people who are in a "mixed marriage": one loves to camp, the other?  not so much.

I think I've camped only a couple of times in my life (I don't remember it very well - perhaps I've blocked it out).  My father was an Eagle/Falcon Owl/Big Bird Scout Leader whatever - I don't know...he was a big time scout-guy.  He could make a fire out of a couple of rocks and a cool breeze.  We ALWAYS had a big, yellow canoe strapped to the hood of our car (THAT'S not embarrassing when you're in high school).  I have to admit I did enjoy the canoeing part, but I was greatly relieved when my brothers finally got a little older and they could go on trips with my dad and I was politely "excused".

aahhh....sheets.

I don't like to get dirty (I even hate to garden).  Bugs are irritating and for some reason they think I'm delicious.  I have a strange affinity for my blow dryer and it's quite impossible for me to get by without it.  Some gals can look ever so cute in the ponytail/baseball cap combo. Me?  uummm no.  I require a hot shower and plenty of hair products.

It seems I'm not alone because more and more resorts are offering upscale alternatives to traditional camping. Although not exactly defined, "the "glamping" term generally applies to commercial camping options that involve accommodations with wood floors, premium bedding and “en-suite” amenities, such as rugs, wood stoves and propane lighting." Hmmm...didn't see anything there about providing an outlet for my Conair Ionic Turbo Styler.  I did see something about a butler and a camp chef - that I like.

no moldy sleeping bag here...

To read more: 

Glamping - The Cure For the Common Camping Trip

Glamping - Camping, But Not Quite