Capture your footprints in the sand – Souvenir tip

by Gadling Staff on

If you’re a beach bum like me, your vacations are to tropical places. Pictures of sunsets at the beach are pretty, but after a while, one beach looks like the rest. A better souvenir is to take a handful of sand. Once you get home, empty a spice bottle and fill it with the sand. Label it with the beach name and location. Consider making a note of a special memory on the label. After several trips to different beaches, you’ll have a nice spice rack full of sand.

You’ll be surprised to see how each beach differs in their textures and variety of sand; it’s much better than a photo.

Roadtrippin’ with a theme – Road trip tip

by Gadling Staff on

Road trips are meant to be fun and adventurous. Up the stakes by picking a theme for your trip!

Choose a theme that you and your travel buddies agree might be interesting, and do your best to center your stops and sightseeing around this theme. The possibilities are endless:

  • Food theme: Eat only barbecue across the Southeastern U.S.
  • Sports theme: Pit-stop at small town parks for quick games of touch football
  • Souvenir theme: Collect tacky knick-knacks from truck stops and gas stations
  • Couch theme: Limit your overnight stays to only couch-surfing

Buy stamps – Souvenir tip

by Gadling Staff on

If you’re traveling abroad on a tight budget with absolutely no extra room in your suitcase for a souvenir, then buy a stamp. Even the lowest denomination stamp of any country is colorful, cheap, and easy to find.

When you get home, mount the stamp in the middle of a piece of poster board, write the details of your trip on the back of the poster board, and put in an inexpensive frame. You’ll have a decorator look on a backpacker’s budget.

Hit the bookstore, buy a local author – Souvenir tip

by Gadling Staff on

Hit up a local bookstore for a good, unique souvenir.

Many self-published authors sell their books through the local storefront and many of those books are based in the area in which they live. The souvenir is not only unique, but it’s entertaining and lacks the gaudiness that many souvenirs display.

Plus, you may get smarter about your destination, which makes any trip more satisfying.

Photobomb your own photos with a funny character – Souvenir tip

by Gadling Staff on

Let’s face it: How many souvenir t-shirts can somebody have? Most people take generic souvenir photos, as well! Think outside the “souvenir box,” and make your photos unique! How? Bring along something “unexpected” to place in the photographs — a beloved childhood character perhaps, or maybe a small stuffed animal that represents the location you’re in — and purposely photobomb your own pictures.

You can have great fun with this. Get creative, and you’ll make lots of funny memories — and probably entertain a lot of other tourists as well!

Try it sometime: WE had great fun with this idea!