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After You Arrive…

Your trip is in full swing. You’ve landed. Maybe you are waiting for your bags or catching the bus to the rental car place. Maybe you are already on your way to your hotel. Now what? 

After you pick up your rental car and head to your hotel, think about leaving. Sounds depressing, right? Not really. Actually, the best time to figure out the fastest and easiest way out of town is on your way in. You can avoid some of the stress or lost time by scoping out the airport as you wait for your bags. How far is it from the car rental counter or return area to the terminal? Does the bus come every 10 minutes or every 30 minutes? Check to see where the nearest gas station is located. Ask for a map at the car rental place that shows how to get back to it.

Maybe you are not renting a car and are taking a bus to the hotel. Check with the front desk at the hotel for the bus schedule so you know how much time it will take to get back to the airport. 


Also, when you check in at your hotel be sure to ask about check-out times and see if you can leave without stopping at the front desk. Ask for a map of restaurants in the area. Then check that against sites like TripAdvisor, Urbanspoon, Yelp, and others.

I always set my clock to the new time zone. That helps me adjust. It also helps to get outside to check where your hotel is in relation to the Metro, the parking garage, etc. 


A friend of mine tells me he takes photos of everything when he first arrives in a new place. Things are new to him and fresh in his mind and he has photos of street signs, buildings, architecture, etc. that he might not think to shoot later on in his visit.

Don’t forget to charge up any electronics when you get to your room. Also, check for the best and safest place to store any valuables. Hopefully you did not bring valuable jewelry, but you still may have something that needs to be stored away. Ask the front desk about room safes or if they have a safe for individual guest access.

I let friends and family know where I will be before I leave home. It’s also a good idea to let them know you have arrived.

Happy Traveling…
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The USS Iowa

The USS Iowa, a World War II-era battleship, whose speed, armor and 16-inch guns made its name as “The Big Stick” of the U.S. Navy, began the first leg of its final mission Thursday, departing a mothball mooring in Suisun Bay, California.

Representing the peak of naval military power in an era from Franklin Roosevelt to George H.W. Bush, the Iowa was nudged by tugs from its decade-long spot amid the Navy’s fleet of retired ships.

The Iowa, the lead ship of its class of the biggest, fastest and most powerful battleships ever to sail, is also the last battleship to find a permanent spot for retirement. Its sister ships are museums: the Missouri, at Pearl Harbor; the Wisconsin, in Norfolk, Va., and the New Jersey, in Camden, N.J. The Navy no longer has battleships in its fleet. This is the world’s last battleship’s final voyage.  
Facts:
·         Nine 16-inch, 50-caliber guns, capable of firing shells weighing a ton or more for 20 miles
·         Three, three-gun turrets
·         Its speed, firepower and special angled armor were achievements at the time unmatched by other nations
·         The Iowa was commissioned in February 1943 and deployed to the Atlantic and then the Pacific 
·         President Franklin Roosevelt traveled on it en route to a conference with British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Soviet leader Josef Stalin.
·         The Navy installed an elevator and bathtub for Roosevelt, who used a wheelchair. The tub and captain’s wardroom where he stayed were the main attractions for the few workers and visitors allowed on board Thursday. This is the only battleship ever equipped with a bathtub.
·         The ship weighs 45,000 tons, is 887 feet long and 108 feet wide. It could travel at up to 38 mph and displaces 38 feet of water, leaving only inches to spare in parts of Thursday’s journey.

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Travel Gadgets

We all travel with gadgets…some we use, others we don’t. Recently I read a post on Budget Travel about some gadgets to take next time you travel.

A mini power strip helps you plug in your phone, laptop, iPod, etc. all in the same place. You will only take up one plug in spot in airports and everything will be plugged in in one spot in your hotel room.

How many travel mugs do you have? Think about packing one of them to keep your sunglasses from getting squashed, holding delicate souvenirs or a place to store extra cash if your hotel room does not have a room safe.

Safety pins double as a multi-functional travel tool. They can be used to clasp zippers of your day pack together to deter thieves, replace a button or zipper pull, hold torn clothing together or hem your skirt. And they take up so little room.

Light weight tote bags work for shopping, picnics, the beach or dirty laundry. Check out greenbaglady.blogspot to get ideas for other uses and perhaps qualify for one.