It was all set up. We had a condo with our friends, they were going to pick us up from the airport and we were going to spend the day at the beach. Surfing, tanning and building sand castles. Then we were going to get some of the best clam chowder in the world at the Splash Café. Yes, I was very excited about our trip to Pismo Beach this past weekend. The only problem was- it never happened. My husband plays ice hockey for a local league. He grew up in northern Minnesota, and has been playing hockey since he could barely walk. Chasing after a puck, he bumped his opponent (it’s a non-checking league) and it set him off balance which caused him to fall and slide really hardly into the boards. As a last ditch effort to keep his head from hitting the boards, he turned and took the impact with his shoulder.

We spent the next few hours in the Emergency Room. The doctor knew by looking at his shoulder that he had definitely broken his collar bone. Apparently, the collar bone is the first or second most commonly broken bone. The X-Rays came back and we realized just how badly it had broken. It was in three pieces with the middle piece turned on its side, making a z. Following up with the orthopedic surgeon yesterday confirmed that he will indeed need surgery to fix that mess. The doctor also believed that he had broken a few ribs while he was at it. So…. basically what I am trying to get at- no beach for me.

I spent a few hours this weekend wallowing in self pity but tried to make the best of it by going to a movie with one of my best friends. It also helped knowing my husband was in a great deal of pain and discomfort and was also sad that we had missed our beach trip. I busied myself waiting on him and focusing on making him comfortable. I found this article yesterday on CNN. It lists stories of people who had the worst things happen to them on their vacations. Realizing it’s not the most upbeat post I have written but, I am writing about it because it makes me feel better about not going to the beach. Hey, it could have been worse right?

This is a good one from the article:
Bruce Bush’s vacation in Hawaii started off perfectly. His family loved the “sandy beaches, hot weather and a tropical paradise I had never seen,” he wrote in his iReport. But Bush, who had been sick for much of the vacation, was diagnosed with cancer in a Waikiki hospital three days before his family was scheduled to fly home.
“The doctors wanted to admit me right away but something didn’t feel right about the situation. So Bush’s parents (he was 17 at the time) declined treatment and decided to wait out the rest of the vacation and ask his regular physician about it when the family arrived home in Indiana.
“By the time we went home, I’d already started feeling better,” Bush said.
The cancer diagnosis? A terrifying mistake. Bush had thought his illness was mononucleosis the entire time, and his doctor at home confirmed the diagnosis.

Are you kidding me? Imagine you are on vacation in HAWAII nonetheless, find out you have cancer (talk about buzzkill) and then go home to find out they were mistaken and it’s just mono? Ok… feeling better already.

Anyone else have some nightmare vacation experiences they want to share?

I often ask myself why I love to travel so much. I have yet to come up with a definitive answer to that question. But why do we like anything? What in our brain allows us to like and dislike…stuff? Totally random I realize. When it comes to snowboarding and wakeboarding, it’s obvious why I like it, it’s fun. So I like to travel because it’s fun? Is it really though? I mean think about all the stress that comes with traveling. Planning, rushing, waiting, packing and often times in the nature of my travels- even disappointment. So, why do I do it to myself? I guess the reason I am writing this post is because this summer has been the worst. I’ve had a handful of trips that I have planned and gotten excited for, and then to have it fall through- only offers disappointment and frustration. As of now, another trip is on the verge of great disappointment.

But then I look through my pictures, and I remember why I love to travel. Traveling for leisure is by far one of the most satisfying inner victories (other than winning the Olympics of course).  Had I not gone through the stress and the agony of some of these trips, I would not have been able to see glaciers in Alaska, enjoyed baseball and football games with family, or relaxed by the beach and enjoyed the sunsets.

Traveling is truly a zen like expirience. Once you leave your stresses behind you and vow to not let a simple thing like missing flights get you down, is when you truly live, learn and love. I urge you, sit down and plan a vacation. Your mind, body and soul will thank you. If I didn’t travel, I would have gone crazy already.

Staying at hostels are a great way to save some money while also receiving a unique traveling experience. It’s also the adventure of the unknown that can be quite exciting. Some hostels are so nice, some are in unique buildings, and some are a little scary. The people you will meet will be different then those you would run into at a hotel- and I would challenge you to interact and learn from those individuals.

There are plenty of websites out there that can help you locate a hostel to stay at- one including hostels.com which also helps you book online as well.

Here are some things to consider when determining whether or not staying at a hostel is right for you:

1) Are you ok without having a private bathroom and sharing with complete strangers?

2) Are you ok to live without luxury for a few days in sacrifice to visit somewhere amazing?

3) Do weird people creep you out?

Putting that aside my first stay at a hostel I was scared. I had no idea what to expect except for what I had seen on TV. But it was fun, clean and more importantly cheap. For more adventurous travelers I would definitely recommend it, however I do offer this advice:

Bring your own towel and in some cases you might have to provide your own bedding so find that out ahead of time

Don’t expect HBO in your bedroom (although I have stayed in hostels with cable tv before)

And finally just in case bring flip flops to wear in the shower- because you just never know!

So last week the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee passed a bill placing a permanent ban on using cell phones to  make in-flight phone calls. Honestly, I couldn’t be happier. Let me tell you why. Last week I went to the doctors office and ended up sitting in the waiting room for twenty minutes listening to the most obnoxious person having the most obnoxious phone call. During the twenty minutes I learned that the lady was allergic to peanuts, hated her kid’s second grade teacher and was having trust issues with her husband. Imagine being stuck on a three hour flight where everyone around you is calling everyone they have ever met and their brother. There is no such thing as cell phone etiquette as it is- so throw 146 people in a metal tube with unlimited cell phone access and guaranteed that hostility would increase even more! Apparantly I am not alone-According to a Department of Transportation Survey nearly 60 percent of flyers are against the usage of cell phones during flights. I am willing to bet the other forty percent are the people who have no concept of cell phone etiquette.

Ok not really, but wouldn’t that be amazing? In preparation for my upcoming Europe trip, I have been keeping my eyes open to articles that will offer me advice on how to save money while I am overseas. I came across this really great article that gives tips to alleviate a tight wallet when visiting Paris. I found it really helpful as the author Gaelle Faure talks about ways to save money visiting the museums, where to stay and eat as well as how to get around. It’s worth checking out. My favorite tip- the Louvre and all other major museums are free on the first Sunday of the month, I actually rearranged my trip so that I will be in Paris on a first Sunday! Plus I love the idea of renting a bike for only 1.50 and going on a self-guided tour of Paris. It’s also good to know that Paris is a truly connected city offering Wi-Fi free all over town, gives peace of mind knowing I will be able to blog while I am in the city of lights.

According to gocalifornia.com about 24 million people go to Los Angeles, California for vacation every year. I would say I am definitely one of those 24 million, but actually visit the area on average three to four times a year. Usually for one of three purposes, disneyland, a football game, or a baseball game.

This trip was no exception, and was based around the notion of going to a Dodgers game. The plan was to arrive Sunday morning and leave early Monday morning in order to make at least a half day at work.

Of course the first thing that occurred after we picked up our rental car was a visit to In-N-Out. To say I love In-N-Out is an understatement. As a high school student and my first summer as a college student I worked at In-N-Out. What started as an innocent obsession quickly turned into an addiction. I have never gotten sick of their cheeseburgers, fresh cut fries or creamy milkshakes.

Dodger Stadium was just as I remembered it. Blue, old and rustic. Unfortunately we were running a bit late and so we missed the opening pitch and the National Anthem. But we made it to our seats just in time for the first inning. Dodgers fans are some of the best. The people were nice and considerate, unlike the usual stereo-type of LA natives. The game was a short one as the Dodgers killed the Nationals by 2-0. It was fun and of course we were ready with our glove in case a foul ball came our way (we weren’t that lucky). Leaving Dodger stadium we stopped for pictures and made the exhausting hike back to our car.

Following the game, we decided to beach it up at Newport Beach. If you have never been to Newport Beach, it’s an upscale beach southwest of LA proper. I wasn’t expecting for it to be so packed on a Sunday night but parking was definitely a challenge. Too bad we had already eaten dinner because there were a lot of cute little restaurants near the beach. However, being in the mood for desert the balboa bars and the frozen bananas sold by the beach, were seriously tempting. It was perfect weather to walk along the pier and run around the beach, chasing the waves. I was really surprised at how warm the water was! Growing up in Northern California the beaches were always cold. I will definitely be planning a trip to come back and just spend time playing at the beach.

It was a fun quick trip. Definitely what I needed for my exhausted and over worked mentality. The journey reminded me to take time to have fun and not take life so seriously. I recommend a day or weekend getaway to anyone who has gotten lost in their routine.

If you have ever visited San Diego then you know that there is something different about this mildly tempered California metropolis. San Diego, which is located 125 miles south of Los Angeles, is a haven for city-dwellers who want to get away and relax, has miles of sandy beaches, and where the average weather ranges from mid sixties to high seventies all year long. No wonder this is a hot spot for tourists.

Visiting San Diego was something I had been wanting to do for a long time. I had been there once as a kid but didn’t really remember what it was like or didn’t even have clear memories of the visit. So the excitement I felt was a bit of an understatement. We had some issues with our flight- we weren’t able to land in San Diego due to the wind and so we were re-routed to LAX for a couple of hours. Then when we finally managed to get into San Diego, but it was so late that the rental car company was closed. Arghhhh. While it was a rough start, the rest of our trip definitely made up for it.

One of the great things about San Diego is there is so much to do and so much to see. Of course you have SeaWorld which is always an awesome time and the San Diego Zoo however these places can be a little costly but for sure worthwhile. We first ventured to Coronado because we had heard great things about the city. It was cool and fun to see- the hotel is beautiful and looks like it would be a great place to stay and vacation. The beaches are beautiful as well.

Other things I would definitely recommend to do during your visit to San Diego would be to journey to Point Loma, which is a hilly peninsula in the pacific ocean. Point Loma in and of itself has a few things to explore, Old Point Loma Lighthouse is kind of fun and you can actually go in it and see how the keeper lived, a museum, some bunkers from World War two days and some really fun tidal pools that kids (and adults) would love. The view you get of San Diego is breathtaking- but as a warning there is walking uphill associated, although it’s pretty accessible by car. Plus its pretty cheap admittance- about $5 that covers parking and is good for a week.

Gas Lamp Quarter is gorgeous. I would recommend plan to eat at least one dinner in the Gas Lamp Quarter. The small restaurants are a little pricey but it’s romantic and the food is worth the money. We drove a little north and went to mission beach. We rented bikes and rode along the board walk (it was about $30 to rent two bikes for a couple of hours). It’s more of a surf beach that is a lot of fun. It also was gorgeous.

Old Town San Diego is also worth checking out- as is Balboa Park (where San Diego Zoo is located). Also the waterfront is a fun place to explore old ships, and learn about San Diego’s history. Ours was a short weekend trip where we crammed in as much as we could. I would recommend a week long vacation so as you could relax and maybe enjoy a Padres game, SeaWorld, San Diego Zoo and all the great things San Diego has to offer.

Since I have been feeling a little land locked lately (mostly because I have been working like crazy), I decided to cheer myself up by listing some of the trips I am planning to take in the next six months, as well as recap the trips I have already taken due to the fact that the year is already half over.

Trips I have already taken this year:

1. Anaheim/Disneyland
2. Washington DC
3. Anchorage, Alaska
4. Saint George, Utah
5. Las Vegas, Nevada

Ok, so the first part of the year was a little slow as far as travel goes, which makes me a little sad. However, when I think about it- we bought a house in February and we spent the winter doing a fair amount of snowboarding, so I guess you could add Park City, Utah to the list.  Anyways, I am gearing up for Fall travel season which includes an awesome trip to Europe (my first time!). I used to say that we are going to backpack through Europe but apparently that’s not true- I was told we are packing our clothes in a backpack and going to Europe. So that accounts for the first five places on the list- and the rest are stateside cities or states I want to visit.

Trips I want/will take this year:

1. London, England
2. Athens, Greece
3. Ireland
4. Slovenia (here is a map- in case you want to know where this is)
5. Paris, France
6. New York City
7. San Diego
8. Seattle
9. Oregon Coast
10.North Carolina

The airlines are a hot topic of discussion these days. I know I have already written a few posts about it this month. I was reading this article today about flying and surviving, but it almost seems like the flight crews are the one that need help surviving! Read a few of the cases that this article listed as examples of passengers that got out of hand:

• Christina Szele of Queens, N.Y., who reportedly lit a cigarette on a flight between New York and San Francisco, punched a flight attendant and broke through the flex cuffs the crew used to restrain her. (Ms. Szele was indicted by a Denver grand jury last week.)
• Zoltan Lensky of Slovakia, who apparently got drunk on a flight between Atlanta and Vienna, slapped a flight attendant’s hand and tried to set an onboard curtain on fire.
• Jacob Kline of New Mexico, who allegedly overindulged on a flight between Dallas and Charlotte, N.C., pinched a flight attendant’s bottom and threw ice at his fellow passengers

Holy cow people! There is an interesting correlation that you will notice in these cases that all of them had something to do with intoxication and cigarettes. Something to be aware of- in case you aren’t already- that if you are drunk when you show up for your flight- the gate agent/flight attendant have the right to not let you get on the plane. Now you can see why! Travel is stressful and especially when you are dealing with long security lines (and lets be honest TSA agents aren’t always peaches), extra fees, and flight delays, so take some time to unwind and remember why you go through all that pain- because traveling is fun!

Have a horror story and need to vent? The article mentioned flightsfromhell.com, this website allows you to submit entries of your awful flight experience. However, after reading some of the entries- I wonder why would people take such the time to write such long entries? I’m talking long, and most aren’t even that bad and some seem highly exaggerated. You can also check out AirRage.org if flightsfromhell doesn’t meet your fancy.

* I know it must look like I’m an advocate for airlines- but I promise I’m not. I do have a sister-in-law who is a flight attendant and another brother-in-law who is a pilot- it just helps me gain perspective that flight crews are human with real feelings

Hallelujah! That is the sound of iPhone owners around the world rejoicing at the launch of iPhone Apps (and of course the new 3G iPhone which I am truly jealous of). Looking through the list of the Apps on iTunes, I am literally salivating at the thought of being able to turn my phone into a light saber, use pandora, be able to chat, and of course use facebook and twitter easily and more efficiently.

However, some things that really excite me are some of the new Apps that are designed to make traveling a little easier. Having an iPhone while traveling is usually a life saver, especially when you have never traveled to that city before. You can find restaurants and attractions using your maps and you always have the internet available which definitely comes in handy. But, the new Apps are going to bring that to the next level- and I can’t wait to try it out this weekend!

Here are a few of the Apps that I, and other fellow travelers should be excited about:

Whrrl- a cool app that is based on a map so you can share your current location with your friends- which might be fun for frequent travelers. Another cool tool with this app- it recommends places to go based on places your friends have recommended- and it remembers places you want to try in the future

ACTCurrency- would be handy for those traveling abroad. It is a universal currency converter and calculates the currency conversion. I think it would be convenient because it’s quick and easy- you only have to put in one number and it calculates as you type

Babelingo- another cool tool for traveling to a new country. You are able to type in a phrase and have it come up in the foreign language- and guess what! You don’t even have to try and struggle through the language- you can just show them your phone! Ultimate translator at your fingertips-gotta love that

Local Picks by TripAdvisor- You know how you go on vacation and you always ask locals where they recommend to eat? Well not anymore- this apps takes locals recommendations and brings them to your phone. The only downside is- it’s brand new so it could take some time for the database to build up, so start helping travelers out recommend great restaurants in your hometown!

Urbanspoon- I love apps that integrate aspects that are unique only to the iPhone. Basically Urbanspoon is set up like a slot machine and uses GPS to find restaurants near you based on type of cuisine, price range, and neighborhood. It includes ratings and reviews from newspapers, bloggers and other sources. Here is the fun part, if you don’t like the option, you shake your iPhone and another option comes up! What a gamble

There are so many great and mind blowing Apps that I challenge you to explore them for yourself. I found a lot based on subway systems for various cities that help navigate, tip calculators, travel and airline trackers, Travelocity and hotels.com both have Apps,  and Apps that are specific to different languages. I think this will change the way we travel and definitely for the better! I am excited to report back and let you know how they work!