Getting Ready To Head Off.

I just spent the last 5 days attending an educational event.  Since I had to come down to the Los Angeles area, I decided to head off to Australia for a week and then another week in New Zealand.  I managed to get everything down to one check through bag and my usual carryon.  This year, I've made the discovery there are certain things I have to bring that take room.

For instance, I hate going too long without using a water pik on my teeth so I pack a travel water pick that is relatively small and works decently.  That takes care of that.  I also use an electric toothbrush so I have that.  

In addition, I am a tea drinker and most American hotels do not have electric kettles.  Usually, they stock those wonderful coffee machines that have so much coffee oils ingrained in them that it is impossible to get anything but coffee flavored tea.  So I have a small extremely portable water heater about the size of my tall tea container.  That takes up more space.

As far as my hair, I've got the bar type shampoo and conditioner that works well but I need the leave in hair conditioner, oils, and serums I have to have to keep my hair under control.  Yes, I put the hair conditioner in a small travel container but I usually leave the oils and serums in their own containers since they are about the same size as the travel ones.  That is more space.  

I also travel with extra plugs and strips and such so I have enough plugins and places to charge my electronics.  I found I have to have them.  I also have a few converters packed since I am going overseas and my American plugs don't work in Australia or New Zealand so that is another set of things I have.  I generally carry small converters for the ones I have that are Usb or Usb-c and larger ones for my plugs and more USB and USB-C.  I travel with someone who usually brings like 3 iPads of assorted sizes, two phones, and a couple of other electronics.  I only bring a computer, one iPad, one phone, and one itouch to take pictures with.  So those plugs, converters, etc take up a lot of space.

Then I'm going from a nice warm place to somewhere that is enjoying winter.  I bought a couple pair of those long pants with zippers so you can detach the lower part to make longer cargo pants.  Those make it easy for me to go from hot weather to cold weather and they are basically cargo pants.  This means I can cut down on the number of pants I have to take.  I've also packed the detergent trips so that I can do laundry as needed along the way. 

I don't remember how I learned about this but I found a wonderful three level thing that I can put shirts, underwear, shorts, etc in, fasten straps and it fits easily in my suitcase.  I've decided if it doesn't fit in there, it doesn't go because I need space for everything else.  I did pack a nice sweater I can team up with a hoodie and I'll stay warm since it doesn't get too cold where I"m going.  I have a pair of sneakers for the colder climate and sandals for the warm climate.  

When I packed to check out of the hotel. I realized that almost half of my suitcase is taken up with the water pick, hot water heater, hair stuff, shoes, and converters for overseas.  I am going to have to figure out how to get the plugs and converters down so I don't have to bring as much.  The thing is, we all know about the theory of how we should do it but it doesn't always work.  One time I bought this great looking thing for cords, I tried it and it just didn't workout so I'm back to plastic bags.  Let me know what you think or if you have suggestions to cut back on crud.  I would love to hear.  Have a great day.  

Traveled Yesterday

I spent all day yesterday traveling to Tacoma. Didn’t get much done.

Waiting for flight to Nome.

Waiting on runway for fellow travelers at another village.

Shot of countryside as we headed to Nome.

Hotel room and bed looked so good.

It was a long day.  I traveled to Tacoma and it took all day.  I didn't get a chance to do what I wanted because I was traveling with a group.  I'll share more tomorrow.

Airports on the Way To Burbank.

I've included a few pictures of some of the things I found interesting at various airports on the way down.  By the time you read this, I will be finishing up my packing so I can head out again to Iceland and Helsinki Finland.  I will post pictures of my travels and a bit about the conference I'll be at. 

 This trip started out in Fairbanks.  The picture is of a display of items from the local Air Museum.  The Uniform is from Weir Airlines which eventually became a part of Alaska Airlines.

There are posters talking about some of the early air pioneers who began flying to Alaska back in the teens and twenties.  If you talk to people you'll find the current library is where one of the early airports was.  I think it was the one before the current one.

Johannson  Parkway runs through the old private airport but when that went out of business, Giest was extended so people had a direct path across town.

Its over near Gate 2 and is next to a book stand filled with books you can read while waiting for the planes.

 This is a shot taken looking down the hall from Gate 2 in the Fairbanks Airport.  There are a total of 6 or 7 gates so it is not a big airport.  About half way down is security and the two restaurants, along with the only store. 

I am probably sitting in front of the display from the last picture.  I love the beautiful wooden floors.  They rebuilt this a few years ago and its about the same size as the previous building.

 I did not take any pictures of the Sea-Tac Airport because I've shared so many photos this summer.  This is taken at the San Jose Airport where I had a short stop on my way to Burbank.

It is quite impressive with its soaring curved ceilings, marble walkways and open feel.  I never got out of the area because I was tired after flying all night. 

This shot was taken near my gate as I strolled back from the restroom.  I love exploring airports and it gives me a chance to stretch my legs.

 On my way to the bathroom, I came across this robotic creature.  It was not working quite right because just before I snapped this picture, the printing on the screen showed it needed to be rebooted. 

I think it is there to provide answers and show people things about the airport.  I have never seen a robot like this wandering around any airport.

As you can see from the picture, that day, it was near the Peets Coffee and Tea stand, down near gate 25.  There were quite a few people but it was not heavy.

Side View of Robot.

I traveled with someone, so they watched my luggage while I strolled around the area, looking for unique things.

This is the side view of the robot who may be female based on the fact it has a skirt which hides the wheels underneath.

I love the beautiful green and white outfit it has on. 

 This children's play ground continued the robotic modernistic theme.  As I walked buy, there were children having a wonderful time playing inside the area with parents perched.

It does not have a huge gate, so the children just climb over and in.  Notice it has a couple of small robots inside.  To the right is a board with all the information about the area.

This is the outside of the Bob Hope Airport which serves Burbank and Hollywood.  I went to my conference in Woodland Hills and use this airport because it is much smaller than LAX and a bit closer to my hotel.

I refuse to rent a car in Los Angeles because I'd rather rubber neck than drive.  Yes, I can and have driven there but I still prefer just relaxing.

I have been going to this particular event since the first time it was held so many years ago.  It has grown bigger and become more well known.

I hope you enjoyed this.  I hope to start sharing pictures tomorrow of part of my trip as I fly to Iceland.  Let me know what you think.  Have a great day.

This summer

  I am getting ready to visit two new places this summer, Puerto Rico and Finland.  I speak enough Spanish to ask if it is without meat but I've discovered a cooks idea of no meat is not mine. 

One time, I ordered a tofu soup at a Korean place and got a beautiful red soup.  I had asked if it contained meat and they assured me it did not.  The owner was right as far as it did not have beef, pork, or chicken.  It has shrimp and a fish broth.

Another time, I saw a vegetable soup on the menu in Mexico,  I asked about meat and was assured it didn't have any.  It had lumps of chicken in it so I assume they did not see chicken as meat.  Its harder if you do not speak the language well enough to explain you prefer not to even have a meat or fish broth.

Over time, I have become somewhat accepting that when I buy food, it may have something in it I do not want to eat.  So I often purchase fruits and vegetables to eat raw if I do not have access to cooking facilities.  If I do, I visit the local market for things to prepare something I can eat.

I will be the first to admit, I have had to bite the bullet and just eat around the visible meat and hope for the best.  In some places, they honestly believe a vegetarian is someone who wants the meat and lots of vegetables.  Its hard to convince them otherwise.

I'll be traveling with a friend who cannot eat gluten or dairy products.  Those are a bit easier because he knows not to have baked goods but there might be some in a thickened stew or soup so he may not be able to avoid it totally.

I often wonder how people manage who have extremely restricted diets when they travel.  I know someone who is allergic to anything canned, green beans and so many other things while her husband must eat extremely low fat dishes.  They seldom travel anymore due to their dietary concerns.


There are suggestions for managing special diets no matter where in the world you land.

1. Scope out the restaurants before booking to see if they have options you can eat.

2. Do not let food restrict your travel, figure out how to make it work.

3. Be bold in restaurants, find cards in the local language explaining your dietary restrictions. Be prepared to mix and match foods as needed.

4. Pack a few stable supplies just in case you can't find anything.

5. Look for food that appears to meet your diet.  If it looks vegetarian, I will often eat it, hoping it is.

Let me know what things you do to meet your needs when traveling.  I'd love to hear from others.

Thinking About One Day.

Every time I see this picture, I think about quitting my job, running away maybe to Tahiti or the Maldives but I'm always worried about finding a place to stay that is in my price range.  Just for the fun of it, I did a quick check on the internet and discovered there are several booking companies who let you book all over the world.

I tried looking at Tahiti and found 5 pages of everything from hotels and fancy places to the more inexpensive pension and Polynesian bungalows. The site gives the price for the whole stay.  What I liked best was the site even listed information on parking and if wifi is included in the stay. 

The last time I traveled, I was on my way from the United States to Glasgow Scotland and I stopped in Dublin.  Before, I left, I popped on the internet to do a quick search for places to stay.  At this time, I had to consult a list of local hotels provided by the Irish Tourist Board.  Major companies like Hotel.com, Booking.com and others were not covering international hotels to the extent they do now.

After a ton of searching, I found a nice hotel on the main bus line, about half way to down town.  The price was great, the place well kept, and it included a breakfast.  It was great because the bus had a place for people to stow their luggage so they could take a bus from the airport to various locations around the town. 

I'll tell you about that trip another time.  I am straying.  I have had a blast looking up places in Tahiti, Fiji, and Samoa because I want to take a trip to all three places some summer.  I found nice places for under $1000 for an 11 day stay. Most of these places have parking, cooking facilities, or include breakfast.  Having either cooking facilities or breakfast can really cut down on costs.

Of course, I'd have to fly via Hawaii and stay for a few days both ways.  The time change can be absolutely horrendous.  Making a short stop both ways is a nice way to make the whole trip so much easier.  It is no fun crossing tons of time zones and arriving feeling like a member of the walking dead.

Yes, one day, I'm going to fly out and visit those three countries.  I can hardly wait.  Do you have places you want to visit?  Let me know.

Stuck Again.

  I know, I know, I'm running late.  I was traveling home yesterday but due to blizzard conditions, the wind caused the plane wings to shake hard.  I was stranded in a place with many of the rooms already booked for a conference.  After lots of hours, I ended up at a place with no internet.  I got back in time for lunch so I had to get to work immediately. So I'll be back to normal tomorrow.

Travel Entry 1

I am currently visiting my parents.  My mother still has one of those dial-ups from the stone age and I am too impatient to use it so I have to walk down to the public library to use their WiFi.  The biggest problem is that they are closed on Sunday's and holidays.  That means I can't use it over part of the weekend.  Instead of coming and doing work at the library, I took my mother on a walk around the neighborhood and took some pictures of things I spotted.

This barrier is made of bamboo that has pretty much escaped and grown all around the house and protects people from the world.  There is space inside the property but I don't think there is much.   The picture to the left shows the front of the property.  The house peeks out between the bamboo and the conifer.  I go by there every so often and I have no idea how large the house is or its size due to the bamboo and conifer but I do know the bamboo kind of escaped and keeps trying to take over the block.

 As we continued out walk, I found this beautiful sculpture in front of the fence of someone's yard.  The bird is not real but from a distance it looks real.  The sculpture is hidden below a bush and peeks out so unless you are walking and looking, you won't see it.  I know its been there for a while but I don't recall seeing it.




We continued down the street to the main road and headed back to my parents' place.  On the way, we stumbled across a beautiful sculpture.

 This metal sculpture lies in someone's front yard on the main road across from the bay.  Actually its a harbor.  I love looking at landscaping that tickles my fancy and has character.  The animal does that for sure.

The above photo is a shot of the harbor at low tide  The picture was taken just before we turned up the street to my parents' place.  The birds are having a great time looking for food.  Its easier to dig in the mud at low tide.

I'll post more pictures as I get them.  In a couple days, I'm heading off to Hawaii for a week to enjoy some time off and to present at an educational technology conference.  I can hardly wait.