Christmas shopping in London – Impossible?

by Grant Martin on

I had the dreaded pleasure of finishing my Christmas shopping in London this year. Recently, with the pound sterling so strong against the dollar, I’ve abhorred the thought of spending money in the United Kingdom, but with work in the city and little time to spare, this year I had little choice.

To my surprise, however, the experience was invigorating. With the global financial crisis in full swing, the past few months have seen significant gain in the dollar against the pound. At departure from the states, each British pound cost 1.56 American dollars, and while that’s still a hefty exchange, it’s a relief from the nearly 2x exchange rate earlier this year.

On top of the exchange, retailers are squabbling for the few pence that people are willing to spend on this year’s holiday, so are hosting a wide range of sales. In boutiques like Ben Sherman, where I never thought I would find a reasonably priced article of clothing, I was able to purchase several holiday gifts for damn near bargains. Other stores, like Puma, had almost the entire store marked down.

So if you’ve been holding back on heading down to 5th or Michigan Avenue because you’re cutting corners this holiday season, it may be time to take a second look. The money that you were planning to save may have already been saved for you.

Instead of Utah as a ski destination, head to New Mexico

by Jamie Rhein on

Let’s say you’re interested in boycotting Utah but you really want to ski at an affordable destination. Consider New Mexico. The mountains are steep and become packed with powder; the sky is blue; and skiing is near places worth heading to whether you ski or not.

Consider this: Santa Fe and Taos

I’m not saying that Utah isn’t a lovely state–It’s gorgeous–breathtaking even. Then there’s David Archuleta who is cute as a button. He’s from Utah. So are the Osmonds. But let’s say you want to boycott the state because it’s been suggested as an appropriate response as of late. (See Meg’s post.)

If you do think about heading to New Mexico for a ski vacation, here are details to tip your decision-making in New Mexico’s favor.

  • Lift tickets are $6 cheaper at Santa Fe’s resort than at Utah’s Alta.
  • Lift lines in New Mexico, in my experience, are not particularly long.
  • If you ski in Santa Fe, head to the Japanese onsen-like Ten Thousand Waves for a glorious soak in a private outdoor hot tub. Some tubs are located in the midst of trees that glisten in the snow and moonlight. This is a perfect stop after a day of swooshing down a mountain over and over again.
  • Santa Fe is a place to shop like no other. Friends of mine– who never shop, said they’ve never been to a place that has given them the urge to buy things more than here. Canyon Road is filled with galleries and stores that are the definition of eye candy.
  • The best folk art museum in the world is in Santa Fe. Head to the International Folk Art Museum for a visual treat and a reminder of all the markets you passed through in your world travels. You’ll possibly be reminded of that item you didn’t buy, that very thing that is in the display case in front of you–specifically an odd painted piece of pottery that is shaped like a chicken–kind of. It’s from Senegal to be exact.
  • A meal at Cafe Pasqual is fit for a weekend that’s meant to be special. This is fine dining with an organic, Old Mexican, New Mexican and Asian twist. I can’t remember what I ate specifically, but I was on a date with a guy who wanted to impress. He did. Fine dining doesn’t mean you need to get all gussied up either.

If you head to Taos, you can stop at Taos Pueblo, the oldest continuously inhabited Native American town that is both an National Historic Landmark and a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Gadling Take FIVE: Week of Nov. 8–Nov. 14

by Jamie Rhein on

Today Gadling welcomed our newest blogger, Brenda Yun. Yun, who is tapped into the thrill of world travel without guidebooks, has looked for surf in a remote spot in Vanuatu and has traveled to where many haven’t tread.

Keeping with a theme of thrills in mind, here’s Gadling’s Take FIVE for this week:

This week also marks the end of our series, Catching the Travel Bug. The series offers personal accounts of various parts of the world where the kindness of strangers and newly made friends have resonated over the miles and years.

In Baghdad, It’s Time to Shop

by Josh Lew on

Bombings in public spaces are fewer than before in Baghdad, but still not uncommon. However, the threat doesn’t seem to be stopping local residents from shopping at the city’s markets. Vendors at these retail meccas are staying open later and stocking more goods in their market stalls than before. The city’s central market district could be considered “bustling” for the first time in a long time.

Just how much has the situation improved? It’s hard to tell, because Iraq is still a largely cash based society so there is no way to track sales numbers. A man with a clothing stall in Souk al-Araby Market explained the reason behind the apparent surge in retail to a Reuters reporter: “Iraqis have got used to [the violence]. Till when are we supposed to stay at home? We Iraqis are used to war by now.” The proprietor of a nearby shoe stall mentioned the success he was having with higher priced footwear: “We didn’t sell Mizuno trainers last year. There was little demand as they were expensive, but more people have money and decent salaries.”

So while tourists won’t be rushing to book a shopping junket to Baghdad anytime soon, there is plenty of evidence that things are looking up.

Garage sales and flea markets for travel bargains

by Jamie Rhein on

Garage and yard sales are on the rise as the stock market falls. The picking through what people don’t want to find the items that you must have–even if you never thought you might want one until it was in front of you– has never been better.

Instead of donating items to charity, these days more people are selling them to make some extra cash. Unfortunately, forclosures are also adding to the bounty.

Reading this article in the New York Times about the proliferation of garage sales reminded me of the used items I’ve purchased in my travels and why garage sales are worth putting on your itinerary. Going to a garage sale (or a flea market or thift store) is one way to find items for a lot less than they would cost new, and often reflect the place where you are traveling. You may not be able to find the items back home.

This summer, for example, I bought a brown chips and salsa bowl shaped like a cowboy hat from the thrift store in Philipsburg, Montana. The indentation at the top of the hat is where the salsa goes–the brim is for the chips. It was in mint condition and something I would never buy back home. Because I was in out West, and it looked western, I had to have it. I gave to friends of mine who appreciate kitsch.

When we were in England, I headed to a “boot sale,” the British version of a flea market. There, displayed on a blanket stretched out on the ground, I found a Wedgewood child’s mug with a Beatrix Potter Peter Rabbit design. What could be more British or more perfect than that? I bought it for my son who I pushed in his stroller up and down the rows of goods.

If you end up at a destination and discover you’re missing items that you ought to have with you, a garage sale may come to the rescue. A few years ago, we arrived at an A-frame cabin near Mohican State Park in Ohio for a weekend get-a-way with my husband’s brother and his family. We knew the cabin had beds, and for some reason, we thought there would be bedding. There wasn’t and we were so unprepared.

Off we headed to find a store to buy sleeping bags, but with no luck. Instead, we came upon a garage sale at a motel of all places. There on a table were sheets, pillow cases, pillows, one sleeping bag and a full-size comforter. All were clean, in great condition, and ours for $20.

Keep your eyes open. Maybe there’s a deal just around the corner waiting for you in someones yard.