Most hotels now use keycards to unlock room doors (instead of keys). Some hotels suggest you return the keycard after your stay, or leave it in your hotel room.
However, you don’t have to do either of these things. Hotel keycards are deactivated as soon as your stay is complete, and you are free to take them if you wish.
Keycards can provide a fun memory of the hotels you’ve stayed in, and you can even show off your growing pile to admiring friends and family members.
Tourist attractions are peppered with refreshment stands where visitors quench their thirst and satisfy their hunger. These stands also present a wonderful opportunity to grab cheap souvenirs.
The majority of tourist attractions offer their goods in reusable cups and containers. These reusable cups and containers can be purchased in most cases for a nominal cost above the cost of the item you’re already purchasing.
Souvenirs like this are great for kids (and for adults). You can buy a frozen drink in a reusable cup, or cotton candy in a reusable bucket, and you have an instant, affordable memento of your trip. Every time you use that cup in the future, you’ll think about the great trip you had!
Dining out during vacation is an experience you want to remember — just like sightseeing! after all, with only a little work, you’ll get to try something that’s a specialty for that region.
My mouth still waters when I review the pictures of the ahi poke I had from Hawaii, barramundi fish in Australia, and the poisson cru in Tahiti. So go ahead and take a photo (or two… or ten!) of the lovely presentation. No need to be embarrassed as taking a picture of the food is a high compliment to the chef.
Road trips are some of the most amazing adventures, but unless you capture the moments with your camera, then all you’re left with are mental pictures that are bound to fade over time.
The best aspect about road trips is that you can pull your vehicle over at (almost) any time and capture the amazing scenery, stunning skylines, or bizarre bits of life sprinkled along the highways.
One huge tip is to bring a small dry-erase board along to “caption” the photos so you aren’t left wondering, “Where was this photo taken?” or “What in the world is that?”
Many people have a nice bottle of wine when they dine out on vacation. When you’re on vacation, scan the wine list for locally produced wines or choose a bottle with the restaurant’s label. Instead of packing the bottles to lug home, ship them home as you leave each city.
Alternatively, if you don’t have room for the bottles, soak the labels off the bottle in your hotel room, let dry overnight and press between the pages a book. At the very least, they make for a great color insert in your Moleskine.
Related: The 25 greatest cities in the world for drinking wine