Searching for travel-size sunscreen

by Amy Chen on

It really shouldn’t be that hard, but finding the right travel-size sunscreen is one of my least favorite things to do before a trip. Though it’s often more cost-effective to go for the larger bottle, sometimes all I need is a small tube for a quick beach trip or weekend getaway.

Unfortunately, my local drugstore never seems to have the size I need in the brand that I prefer. Yes, you can easily find a 1 oz. tube of Banana Boat SPF 30 on Amazon.com for 90 cents, but shipping is $4.67. No, thanks.

So I find it refreshing to learn that last month, Neutrogena rolled out a men’s line with 1.7 oz. sizes. (See the black tube in the center of the photo). I’m told there are plans to add even more travel-size versions of its skincare products by the fall. Small innovations, but a surprisingly big help when it comes to last-minute packing. Since a 1 oz. tube doesn’t last long enough and a 3 oz. bottle hogs all the space in a Ziploc bag (how can anything else fit?), I welcome the happy medium of 2 oz. or 2.5 oz tubes. And if these travel-size sunscreen tubes become easier to find at the drugstore, perhaps I can finally stop my hoarding.

Other travel-size sunscreen solutions

Find reliable D.I.Y. containers.
I usually end up filling up a travel-size container with sunscreen (lately I’ve been using these squishy GoToob bottles). But I know it’s just a matter of time until the contents explode in my carry-on bag.

Consider sunscreen sticks or sunblock wipes.
I’m not a huge fan of sunscreen sticks or sunblock wipes (so far), but I’ve resorted to packing them in a pinch. To be fair, I think I could grow to appreciate these travel-friendly products, especially whenever I end up with a spilled bottle of sunblock all over my stuff.

Buy your sunscreen on arrival.
After running out of sunblock, who hasn’t shelled out for an overpriced bottle? Save yourself the trouble of packing a travel-size tube and just plan to pick up a bottle at the drugstore once you get off the plane. Just don’t be surprised if the $8 bottle at home now costs double. Justify it this way: Is buying some toiletries at your destination still cheaper than paying the checked luggage fee?

Mooch off someone.
You’re either the ultimate cheapskate, or you’ve cleverly worked out an arrangement with your travel partner(s). “You bring the sunblock; I’ve got the toothpaste.” Personally, I don’t mind sharing my sunblock, but I’ve noticed that some people can be very picky about the SPF (30 or 100?) or sunscreen formula (sport, waterproof, sweat-proof, scentless, no-grease, etc…). Ok, so maybe I’m one of those people.

Got any other sunscreen tricks? I’m all ears.

[Image Credit: Amy Chen]

Travel missing among fastest growing Facebook pages

by Tom Johansmeyer on

What happened to the hotels, resorts and destinations? These naturals for social media didn’t make the cut on All Facebook’s list of the fastest growing Facebook pages. Media and celebrities dominated the list, which consists of Facebook pages not on All Facebook’s leaderboard, but even there, there isn’t a travel-related site until #37, the destination- and company-agnostic “I need a vacation!!!”

Of course, there is no shortage of travel content available on Facebook, from Gadling‘s page to resorts such as Turtle Island on Fiji. And, social media marketing is starting to creep into thetourism and travel business. There have been some successes, such as JetBlue and Southwest, but the gains haven’t been as profound as in other industries, particularly media. Hotels are lagging. A quick poke around shows that the W Hotels page, for example, has a bit more than 10,000 “likers.”

The travel business is taking steps toward a more robust social media presence, but there’s still plenty of ground to cover. For now, it looks like it’s up to traveler to fill in the gaps! How do you use social media on the road … or to book your trips? Leave a comment below to let us know.

Rare, really smelly Sumatran “Corpse Flower” to bloom at Houston museum

by Laurel Miller on

The botanical world is a fascinating thing, but fans of “Little Shop of Horrors” will be especially excited about the eminent blooming of the endangered Amorphophallus titanum, at the Cockrell Butterfly Center at Houston’s Museum of Natural Science. Nicknamed the “Corpse Flower” for the unholy stench it emits in bloom, the phallic-looking plant is one of the largest, rarest flowers in the world. Native to parts of Indonesia (I’ve seen Raffelsia, a similar flower from a different family, on a trek in Thailand’s stunning Khao Sok National Park) these suckers can reach up to 10 feet in height, with a diameter of up to six feet. Early explorers in Sumatra actually believed the flower was a man-eating plant.

“Lois,” Cockrell’s resident Corpse Flower, is about to bloom for the first time, and visitors can check it out for themselves in person, or via webcam. Lois even has her own blog, and Twitter account (not affiliated with the museum). Says Dr. Nancy Greig, director of the Center, “The Corpse Flower is unique because it’s totally unpredictable. No one really knows what triggers a given plant to flower, and [it may] flower once in its lifetime. We’ve had ours for six years and this is the first time it has bloomed-we’re very lucky. It may be the largest, smelliest flower in the world, but its beauty is unparalleled.” Lois is one of perhaps only 30 cultivated Corpse Flowers to ever bloom in the U.S..

If you want to see (and smell) Lois for yourself, she’s due to flower at any second; the museum is open 24 hours until she does. Check her blog for updates.

[Photo credit: Flickr user lornagrl]

Ten reasons to have your wedding reception at a hotel

by Annie Scott on


I’m getting married this fall, and I chose to have my wedding reception at a hotel. This is not because I’m a travel writer (and they have no idea that’s what I do; I’m not getting any special treatment). The reason was actually that I’m getting married in my hometown of Minneapolis, but I live in New York and my fiance is from Cleveland, so between us, we have a lot of out-of-town guests coming. A hotel reception seemed like a good way to simplify everyone’s travel situation.

My decision to host the reception at a hotel has proven more and more helpful as time has gone on. Here are just ten of the reasons having a hotel reception turned out to be the best idea ever:

1. They want you there.

Hotels earn a lot of their revenue from events like weddings. Not only does having your reception in a hotel bring them cash from the room rental, but they also know that even your local friends will want to crash there afterward, meaning they’ll have more rooms occupied. In my research with other possible venues, at times I felt like they weren’t really that into hosting what will surely be the greatest wedding of all time — and does any bride want to deal with feeling like an inconvenience? No.

2. They know what they’re doing.

Because weddings are so lucrative, hotels host a lot of them. Cathy Smith from The Knot informed me that about one out of five wedding receptions take place at a hotel/resort, “the second most popular venue type behind banquet halls.” Hotels know what they’re doing. Even if you have big ideas and crazy requests, they’ve probably heard worse.

3. They’ll sort out the dinner details.

While hiring a specific caterer may be hugely important to some brides, for me, I just want things to be easy. Most hotels will require you to use their caterer (though usually not for the cake), so I chose a hotel I know has terrific food. They’re providing the staff, the tables, the plates, the linens, the bar … a million details were instantly eliminated from my to-do list when I decide on using a hotel. All I had to do was taste the food and tell them how much of it I wanted.4. It’s convenient for out-of-towners.

As I mentioned, this was my original reason for choosing a hotel. Thanks to public transportation and the close proximity of the church, my out-of-towners don’t actually even have to rent cars. Any way I can help them save a buck is worth it to me.

5. You’ll worry less about people getting home okay.

Drunk driving is always a worry with events like weddings, as is getting home when you’ve been dancing for hours and you’re just plain tired. Even my local guests, when they heard the wedding was at a hotel, inquired about the …

6. Group rate.

Because a whole bunch of my friends and family want hotel rooms, they’re getting them for less. Awesome.

7. Parking.

In the case of a downtown wedding, which mine is, parking can be a nightmare. Fortunately, the hotel has ample parking and has agreed to provide it for free.

8. Recommended vendors.

Hotels have worked with just about everyone in town, from florists to photographers. They may even have ideas you hadn’t thought of, like a photo booth or building a stage for your band. Working with vendors who’ve already done hundreds of weddings at your venue makes everything a lot easier. Ask your hotel who they recommend.

9. Free perks.

Hotels want weddings, and you may be able to get some amazing perks like a free room for gifts, a free honeymoon suite for the night, a complimentary champagne toast, an hour of open bar … these are all things hotels will use to entice you to go with their hotel. If they don’t offer them, ask for them.

10. Ceremony included.

My wedding is not a destination wedding, and I’m not having my ceremony at the hotel, but in the case of destination weddings, many will do your ceremony, complete with flowers, an officiant and all the setup, for free.

[Photo credit: Annie Scott]

Cheap eats in Paris: dining in the Japanese quarter for under €10

by Amy Chen on

Eating well in Paris isn’t hard to do, but it can easily cost more than you originally budgeted. After a week of dining on foie gras, duck, and cheese plates, I was ready for something simple — and cheap.

Less than a five-minute walk from the Louvre, the Japanese quarter is just that kind of place. With most of the ramen houses centered on rue Sainte-Anne in the area between Palais Royal and Opéra Garnier, the long lines outside the restaurants seem to be a reflection of the tiny eating spaces as well as the universal appeal of affordable meals.

I first heard about the Japanese quarter by following the culinary adventures of ex-pat food blogger Meg Zimbeck, who recently started the website www.parisbymouth.com. Though I was originally looking for restaurants that were actually open on Sunday, I ended up checking out the neighborhood on a Friday and Saturday night. By 9 p.m., most of the shops had already closed, but the lines outside the restaurants were just beginning to ramp up. Here are two places where I had dinner for well under €10.

Naniwa-ya (11 rue Sainte-Anne)
This tiny space has six tables and a bar, where I sat with a view of the chefs preparing the noodles. When I asked a man sitting to my right for tips on what to order, he was nice enough to tell me that the noodles tasted better than the donburi. Seeing that he had completely emptied his bowl of noodles, I followed his cue and ordered the ramen. Before the man left the restaurant, he told me to help myself to the tea, which was stationed near the door. For a mere €6.50 ($8.20), I was content with the noodles, hard-boiled egg, slices of pork, and miso broth. As you can tell from my bowl, I wasn’t disappointed. I wanted to try more of the menu, but was too stuffed to fit in anything else.

Hokkaido (14 rue Chabanais)
In this deceptively small restaurant, a narrow staircase took me downstairs to the overflow room, which was painted white with an arched ceiling. After asking my server which ramen dish was the most popular, I happily slurped up the Champon Ramen. At €8.30 (about $10.50), this version had a little more substance than the one I’d tasted the night before at Naniwa-ya: one-inch strips of pork, Napa cabbage, carrots, mushrooms, and just the right amount of sesame seeds.

Unfortunately, by the time I’d inhaled the bowl of noodles and downed most of the soup, I once again wasn’t hungry enough to be able to sample anything else — that’s one of the drawbacks of dining solo; it’s much harder to eat your way through a menu. Looks like I’ll just have to go back on my next trip.

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