Travel

Traveling over the river and through the woods to visit loved ones this holiday season? Well, you’re not alone. But before heading out, help ensure a safe (and enjoyable) journey with these pre-road-trip tips.

Flying can be stressful on a normal day, but during the holidays it can reach a whole other level as airport traffic continues to increase dramatically.

For the true traveler on your list, here are some gift ideas to help you pack lighter, travel safer and stay connected.

I’ve donated enough water bottles I’ve received as gifts to quench the thirst of several football teams. Give your clients something they will really use with these customized gifts, appropriate for men and women.

There’s (finally) a chill in the air, and the leaves are beginning to change color – it’s the perfect time to plan a road trip to the mountains. But if the thought of planning a route, booking hotels and picking activities that everyone will love sounds daunting, I’ve got the app for you.

We passed thatched-roof houses, castle ruins rising out of lush green fields and spotted a rainbow over the Atlantic Ocean. The scenery of the picturesque country of Ireland was just one of the highlights of the tours we took with Wild Rover Tours.

In the South we love to give our kids two first names. This hotel in Charleston, South Carolina, is honoring that tradition with the opening of the new Hotel Bella Grace. The Marriott-affiliated property has 50 rooms and suites, which include a fully equipped kitchen with refrigerator and sleeper sofa. All rooms come with a full complimentary breakfast.

“We have an anomaly on the plane and need to go back to the gate,” the captain said. That began a 12-hour delay for my flight home from Syracuse, which finally landed at 1:54AM.

On paper, the Lexus RC doesn’t match up to the BMW 4 series, Audi A5 or Mercedes C-Class. It’s heavier, slower, thirstier and doesn’t corner as well. It might, however, be the best of the four.

Counting Crows, Chris Stapleton, Jack White, Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds are just a few of the big names among more than 60 diverse acts you can see at the Pilgrimage Music & Cultural Festival on Sept. 22 and 23.

If I had children, I’d happily transport them in a Toyota Sienna. Quiet, comfortable and dignified, Toyota’s minivan also boasts 300 horsepower and capable suspension, making it a joy to drive.

If F. Scott Fitzgerald stayed at a resort, it’s good enough for me. The Don CeSar in St. Pete Beach, Florida, opened in 1928 and welcomed several celebrity guests. It served as a hospital for the U.S. Army during World War II and reopened to guests in 1973. The resort has 277 rooms, two pools and three restaurants.

I haven’t smelled a mildewed towel since Girl Scout days, but have no desire to repeat the olfactory offense. With this quick-drying Shammy Towel from Rumpl I don’t have to.

I recently had the pleasure of spending a weekend in Austin … not nearly enough time to explore all it has to offer but we made the most of it.

One of my favorite travel sites, TripAdvisor, shared its travelers choice for the top 25 destinations in the world. Coming in at #1? Paris. As Audrey Hepburn said, “Paris is always a good idea.”

There’s nothing wrong with the 2018 Toyota RAV4; it drives fine, offers decent MPG for its class, looks nice (especially with its outdoors-y Adventure trim) and features generous cargo space and road manners.

The check-in counter was surrounded by bookshelves. My key was a replica of a student ID. The lamps in my room were shaped like trophies.

What do you get when you pursue day-to-day greatness, embrace change, act with integrity and serve the world? If you’re the Atlanta Marriott Marquis, you’re recognized as the 2017 Americas Hotel of the Year. Marriott International recently awarded the iconic hotel the prestigious honor. It also received the Eastern Region Hotel of the Year, Classic Premium Category earlier this spring.

It was the perfect excuse for a mother-daughter weekend – I got tickets to see “Hamilton” in Chicago and Catherine flew up from Houston to meet me.

As summer comes to an end, trying to coordinate one last road trip can be stressful. Luckily, there are plenty of apps to enhance your travel experience. If you plan to hit the road, download these apps first:

This fall, tell the post office to put my mail on hold: I’ll be stay-cationing at Canopy by Hilton Atlanta Midtown. The modern-yet-functional hotel, conveniently located in the “heart of the arts” neighborhood, just released new renderings, and boy, do they look stunning.

I’ve peered over the edge of tall skyscrapers, viewed sharks floating above me in tanks and strolled through beautiful gardens, all with discount admission by using a CITYPass. This coupon book gets you reduced admission into major attractions in 13 cities.

Some are just for fun, like the cute travel candles and the customizable children’s book, while other items fall in the essential category. These include the compression socks I wear on any long flight and the universal adapter for foreign travel.

I’m not sure if this is welcome news or falls somewhere on the so-creepy scale. Airports are experimenting with using biometric technology to test facial recognition for some international flights. Rather than showing a passport, passengers have their photos taken prior to boarding, which are matched to photos of them already on file.

It seems the social media world never stops evolving, always launching new tricks and features to keep consumers wanting more.

In the security line yet again Monday at Hartsfield-Jackson International, I heard, “Chris!” Without looking, I recognized the voice, replying, “Norman DuPre,” whom I met in first grade at Christ the King.

During a recent Palm Beach getaway we took a fascinating island tour where we heard tales of the rich and dysfunctional while viewing their mega-mansions, dined on superb sushi and took the best food tour I’ve ever been on where I was introduced to the charming custom of fika in Sweden.

“What time does the pool close?” “May I have a cheeseburger please?” These are the types of questions guests at hotels with the new Echos from Alexa for Hospitality can ask.

Before vacay this summer, equip your phone with these three great apps:

Delta serves 660,000 snacks a day on its 6,000 flights. That was one of the fun facts I learned during a talk by Lisa Bauer, VP of Onboard Services, at the Atlanta Food & Wine Festival last week.