Pura Tanah Lot is the most popular and photographed of the more than 20,000 temples that give Bali its nickname: "Island of the Gods." It's the first temple that we visited on our trip--and it offered us an introduction to the beauty of the Balinese people’s affection for Hinduism, the island’s predominant religion.
Two 4-year-olds and one 5-year-old on a 14-hour flight to Taipei, Taiwan, a two-hour layover and then a five hour flight to Denpasar, Bali. Sound like a disaster waiting to happen? Well, that’s what I assumed it would turn into as we waited at San Francisco International Airport for our midnight flight on China Airlines. My daughter and son, Paris and Dante, and their friend Kaya were racing around the waiting area in their pajamas. Paris and Kaya, who both brought their American Girl dolls (Julie and Jen), dumped out a backpack filled with clothing onto the floor and proceeded to fight over whose doll would wear the one pair of pajamas.
Those five hours were long. Paris and Kaya were entertained by The Little Mermaid DVD for about 10 minutes--and then they discovered that the back of an airline seat is actually fun to slide down. They crawled to the tops of their seats and then let themselves drop to the bottom cushion. Dante of course had to get in on the fun. Also, a glass of orange juice was spilled (all over me), an American Girl doll roller skate was lost, and the Trader Joe's Pirate Booty was consumed.• Do not gift-wrap carry-on items. Security officers are required to remove the wrapping paper. Wrapped gifts should be packed in your checked bags, according to TSA spokesman Christopher White.• Do not bring remote-controlled toys as carry-on luggage. "Unfortunately in this world we live in, terrorists have an interest in using remote-controlled detonators," White said. You can put them in checked bags.• Pies (and other food, such as gingerbread, cookies and the like) are permitted as carry-on items. "It doesn't matter the consistency, though we may perform some additional scrutiny on the passenger or the plate," White said.• Jams and jellies are considered gels and are therefore subject to the 3-1-1 rules if brought as carry-on items: They must be in containers no bigger than 3 ounces, and they must all fit in one one-quart clear zip-top plastic bag. (Otherwise, wrap them carefully to prevent breakage, and put them with your checked bags.)
Greater support for Amtrak: The president-elect has supported larger appropriations for operating and expanding Amtrak, while his adversary, Sen. John McCain, was well known for opposing that federal support. In addition, the Senate's most active opponent of Amtrak - Sen. John Sununu of New Hampshire - was defeated for re-election, and there's no doubt that a far more favorable environment now exists for improving and expanding Amtrak.
In the campaign, Obama also favored creation of a National Infrastructure Bank for funding such initiatives as reviving the many hundreds of miles of abandoned railroad tracks, which would restore rail service to such cities as Nashville and Las Vegas. Though a primary purpose of that bank was to create jobs, the dividends to our travel facilities are obvious.
Support for the Travel Promotion Act: Numerous members of Congress have endorsed a major program to establish an advertising and marketing medium for encouraging foreign travel to the United States, and Obama was one of the early signatories of that legislation. McCain opposed such use of federal power, and now there is no doubt that a nationally supported organization for promoting travel to the United States will be launched.
Easing of restrictions on travel by Cuban Americans to visit relatives in Cuba: Though the overall travel embargo on Cuba probably will be maintained, at least on paper if not in practice, there undoubtedly will be new regulations increasing the frequency by which Cuban Americans can visit their relatives and raising the amount of money they can spend there.
This was a major issue in South Florida during the campaign, and Obama went strongly on record as permitting greater travel there by Cuban Americans. As to Cuban travel by the rest of us (and despite statements by Obama that he does not support ending the embargo quite yet), it's predicted by many that the federal government will no longer be eager to enforce those restrictions on leisure travel, and the situation will revert to what it was several years ago: a steady traffic there by Americans flying quietly into Havana from Jamaica, the Bahamas, Canada and Mexico.
Major improvements in the air traffic control system: A constant emphasis was directed by candidate Obama to the need for greatly increased funding of air traffic control systems (and candidate McCain advocated the same). The new administration apparently will propose appropriating several billion dollars to measures that should reduce delays and improve safety.
An increase in the number of foreign visitors able to come here without visas: Up until now, it was mainly citizens of westernmost Europe (Ireland, Britain, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, etc.) who were allowed to visit the United States without first obtaining expensive visas. During the campaign, Obama suggested adding several other major countries to the visa-free list: Brazil, South Korea, Greece and others. Many observers predict that this may reverse the present downward trend of tourism to the United States.
Packing carry-on luggage for airport security checkpoints is challenging as it is--and then you throw in the holidays. It's really easy to toss a jar of apricot jam into your bag at the last minute when you realize you don't have a gift for Uncle Joe. Guess what? Jam is forbidden on flights. Oops! To help you avoid these sorts of mistakes, the Transporation Security Administration offers up a list of common liquid, aerosol and gel holiday items that you should put in your checked bag, ship ahead, or leave at home:
We planned to leave our home in San Francisco for our family road trip to Seattle at 2 p.m. on Tuesday. But of course, everything took longer—the packing, the cleaning, the car tuneup—than expected. We didn’t actually have the car packed and the kids loaded until 6 p.m.
Steve Martin and John Candy taught us in the 1987 movie Planes, Trains, and Automobiles that Thanksgiving travel isn’t easy. Martin plays a tightly wound advertising exec, Neal Page, who is on a business trip in New York and trying to get home to his family in Chicago. He ends up traveling with Candy, who plays shower curtain ring salesman Del Griffith, when their plane is diverted to Wichita, Kansas, due to a blizzard in Chicago. A trip that should have taken an hour and forty-five minutes turns into a three-day error-prone journey. But in the end their pain and persistence pays off when they gather with Martin’s family for a memorable meal.
You spent the afternoon wine-tasting and discovered an amazing zin. You want to bring a case home--but how do you do it? The rules and regulations for transporting a case from one state to another are far more complex than the wine itself, but these tips should help you bring a bottle home.The Walt Disney Co. and Verizon Wireless announced Wednesday that they have reached a multiyear deal to provide theme park information and extras to Verizon customers who download a special application.
Beginning next year, visitors to Disneyland and Florida's Walt Disney World will be able to use their Verizon phones to locate shows, costumed characters and restaurants; find wait times for rides, play mobile games and receive messages from Disney characters.
Because cellphone technology pinpoints a device's location, users can tell how far away they are from Mickey Mouse, for example.
Have you ever tried to get your family through an airport security checkpoint? While you're removing the shoes from your squirming toddler, shoving the car seat through the X-ray machine, and carefully lifting your sleeping baby from the stroller, the guy behind you screams "Hurry up!"
These days packing light and stuffing everything into one bag is crucial since all major airlines are charging for checking in luggage. Dr. Bronner's Magic 18-in-One Soap is a product that takes up little space in your bag (try a 2 oz. bottle for $2.49) and promises 18 different uses: toothpaste, shampoo, laundry detergent, mouth wash, body wash, shaving cream, bubble bath, and the list goes on. The 60-year-old company makes it soaps with a simple, and short list of ingredients: organic extra virgin coconut, olive, jojoba and hemp oils.
Last week the world's largest airline announced that it's charging for checked bags. Delta is the last major carrier to do so. You'll pay $15 for the first piece of luggage, and $25 for the second. Now that the airlines are hitting passengers with these fees, more people will be rolling carry-ons onto the plane. But this requires packing light. Here are some tips on how to squeeze everything you need for three days or three weeks into just one bag.
Use the hotel shampoo. You can limit toiletries by using those provided by your hotel. Even most budget hotels provide a small bottle of shampoo and hand lotion. But you'll definitely need to bring some essentials, which might include toothpaste, toothbrush, deodorant, sunscreen, and anything else that you use on a daily basis. Consider a vacation from cosmetics or just bring a lipstick and mascara.
Every year more than 50,000 animal species become extinct, 60,000 square miles of rainforests are lost, and countless historical sites are destroyed. Whether it’s the collapse of a rock formation in Utah's Arches National Park or the last Yankee’s game played at New York’s historic Yankee Stadium, we are reminded on a daily basis of the urgency to visit some of our world’s most beloved natural and cultural destinations.
Question: My wife and I are vacationing in Waikiki for a week this winter. Where should we eat? We'd especially like some tips on local spots serving fresh fish. Also, we're on a budget.
