We haven’t posted many gift giving ideas here for the season and I’ll let you know I have some pretty rock-your-socks off recommendations, but for now I offer you this nifty stocking stuffer idea. Let me remind you that it is simple, useful and it is the perfect purchase for those on a tight-holiday budget. Not everyone can afford the first-class ticket to Bora-Bora for their loved ones, but planning for an island vacation doesn’t have to stop here. Grab one of ISLANDS 2007 calendars and mark the days away until it’s time to sail away. The calendar runs for $11.97 from ISLANDS magazine and can be purchased here. To make it that much better they even have an extra island photo for January 2008 so your planning can take you further if necessary.
Colors Magazine
Don’t you hate it when someone puts you onto something completely hip and cool and then you sit on it for two months or so? You finally make the time to go check out what they were trying to tell you about in the first place and wonder why you didn’t move your arse to check it out any sooner. Such is the scenario with Colors Magazine. One of my Habitat pals told me long ago to scope out the online version of the quarterly magazine packed with vivid, bursting photography and culture topics from around the globe. I didn’t listen until now. If the online version is this awesome I think I wouldn’t mind having one of the hard-copies zipped over into my mailbox once in a while. In their current issue they discuss genetically contaminated corn, smoked reindeer meat, what kind of salmon the world will eat, in addition to tracking goat cheese by satellite. Sounds quirky for the most part, put the photos really pull you in for the read. Great magazine! Don’t wait on giving it a once over like I did.
GADLING’S TAKE FIVE: Week of November 12
Settle down and settle in as I take you on a spin of our five favorite’s from the week that was… You’ll love it – I promise!
5. MTV Launches Travel Guidebook Series:
My MTV days are just about over and done, but the memories will last forever. (Not that I did any of the crazy stuff you see on the network these days.) If you’re off to Ireland and looking for some place hip, spunky, spanky, no, no, spunky and cool with more pubs than humanly possible to crawl you may want to check out this blurb from Neil.
4. Travel Insurance for the Over-65:
There are two peak times in one’s life when the opportunity to travel should be seized; in youth and old-age. During each time frame there are many things to consider before taking off into the wilderness. One of the most important is travel insurance and while you may only need it in your young age to cover really silly and naive mishaps, it’s a little different in your golden years. See what Iva found about the situation for the over 65 and start planning ahead if you don’t think they’ll be giving you a break to take a break.
3. Procreation Vacations:
We’ve talked about ‘Babymooning’ and heading out on vaca to go half on a new baby boy or baby girl, but surely it is time to think about it again. Why? Because it’s getting colder. Because the holidays are coming. Because babies are just too darn cute not to have! You decide and if you think your clock is ticking maybe it’s time for a moonlit stroll on the sandy shores of Tonga.
2. Craig Duff Blogs from Egypt:
Gadling is a travel blog and we point to other travel blogs that we like from time to time. Erik points us to his pal who blogs from Egypt. Craig is his pal and all, I’m sure, but as an outsider and unbiased set of eyes reading I’d say it’s swell. Go check it out if you need info or fuel to get your own travels to Egypt going.
1. Surfing Alaska:
Can’t say that I’ve been to Alaska or that I’ve been surfing and I can’t say that I wouldn’t try it out, but this isn’t about me. This is about an article found in Outside mag on surfers who do brave the icy waters and their experiences. If you can’t take the cold get off the board. Yuk,yuk, yuk….
Wallpaper* City Guides
Just when you start to sleep on Wallpaper* they go and make their debut in the publishing world with these nice little City Guides. Their reason being, after 10 years in the game uncovering the best new design and urban travel spots globally, packaging that decade of experience into well-thought out yet simple guide books was only obviously. They make it clear that the traveler’s time is as important as their own and they don’t waste it chucking in massive quantities. It’s about quality and they very best. The first 20 were published this past September and another 20 will be published every six months after that. Current titles include Mexico City, Los Angeles, NYC, Madrid, Bangkok and Stockholm to name only a few.
The books can be purchased at Phaidon. Don’t see what you’re looking for? Stay tuned for the rest in 2007!
Fall Issue of Planet Magazine Out Now
Every time Planet mag hits the shelves I feel as if I have this reader loyalty type thing to spread the word and paint the town with the news. If you’re not a subscriber I suggest you sign-up today. With just four issues a year it’s easy to let one slip by and well, you don’t want that do you? So how about I stop sounding preachy and things on the glossy and just tell you what’s inside this issue?
There’s the usual Satellite, Diary, Divinity, and Greenspace pages, but also inside, especially for fall and the 5th anniversary issue are pieces on Élodie Bouchez, Roberto Rossellini, Baptiste Ibar, Kirby Dick, and Katharine Hamnett among many others. As far as I’m concerned Planet magazine nails it when it comes to global culture!
And that’s my two cents for now.