Carry-On Bag Restrictions to-date, International and Domestic (list)

Carry-on Bag Restrictions to-date (Smallest restrictions listed)*
- Aer Lingus Regional 48cm (18.5") x 33cm (13") x 20cm (8")
- Air France                 55cm (21") x 35cm (14") x 25cm (10")
- AirTran                     60cm (24") x 40cm (16") x 25cm (10")
- Alaska                       61cm (24") x 43cm (17") x 25cm (10")      
- British Airways         56cm (22") x 45cm (18") x 25cm (10")
- Delta                         56cm (22") x 35cm (14") x 23cm (9")
- Frontier                     60cm (24") x 40cm (16") x 25cm (10") additional charges may apply
- JetBlue                      43.2cm (17") x 33cm (13") x 27.9cm (11") under seat (overhead measurements are larger)
- RyanAir                    55cm (21") x 40cm (16") x 20cm (8")
- Southwest                 60cm (24") x 40cm (16") x 25cm (10")
- Spirit                         56cm (22") x 46cm (18") x 25cm (10") additional charges apply
- Transavia                  40cm (15") x 25cm (10") x 20cm (8") recommended size, one bag total
- United                       56cm (22") x 35cm (14") x 22cm (9")
- US Airways              56cm (22") x 36cm (14") x 23cm (9")

* cm = inches conversions may vary but are based on what is listed on each website, when in doubt, err on the smaller side

Antler Luggage has a great listing for international airlines; be sure to verify that measurements are current.

Mt Bachelor, Bend, Oregon

Located in Central Oregon, Mt Bachelor ski resort offers 3,683 acres of terrain, downhill & cross country trails, tubing and multiple terrain parks for boarding and other.

My husband and I took the opportunity to ski this last weekend and had the fortune of terrific weather and groomed runs throughout. Bachelor experienced a fierce ice storm not too long ago and underneath the groomed runs, there's a hard shell of ice. As more snow arrives, this will be less of an issue but as long as we stuck to the groomed runs, we were treated to spring-like conditions, without the slush.

The Outback and Northwest chairs were open both days we skied, offering longer, steeper & narrower runs that many places on the mountain. With so many chairs on the mountain open, crowds were not an issue and liftlines, even on Pine Martin and Summit were small and at times, non-existent.

Some views from Bachelor:






















There are a number of things to do in Central Oregon. Golf, fishing, tennis and more.

Places to stay include Black Butte, Sunriver and Bend.

If you stay in Sunriver, don't miss the South Bend Bistro, by far the best restaurant in Sunriver, and they serve a good margarita, as well. I do not recommend the Sunriver Lodge for dining unless you order the sliders (my husband swears by them) or the fish & chips, everything else there, I've found to be less than marginal.

Originally written in February of 2009.

Baker City and the Oregon Trail

If you're interested in history, Baker City is a gem. Make dinner reservations and stay the night at the recently renovated Geiser Grand Hotel, originally built in 1889. Must haves are the Oregon-grown steak and the Mushroom Marsala. The bar makes an excellent Mojito, as well.

Start your tour of the area with a walking tour through Baker City to see some of the historic buildings in the area.

Next, head to the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center, stopping along the way to see wagon ruts (pay attention to the markers on the side of the road and you won't miss them).

If you have some time, drive out past Richland to Hell's Canyon.

Other things to check out in the area: Sumpter, Anthony Lakes and here's a terrific article on Tripadvisor.

Originally written Jun2009.

Favorite Communication App!

My latest favorite app (available for iPhone, Blackberry, Android and more) is What's App.

A friend from London introduced me to it and now I'm addicted. If you travel or have friends that travel or live out of the country, this is a must-have app.

What's App allows you to text message, leave voice messages, and more, for free, using data. In order to use it, you do have to allow the program to sync with your contact list and those you want to communicate with, will also need to use the program but the money you save avoiding international texting charges and the convenience the app provides make it worth it.

The app costs 99 cents, and while I generally don't use apps that cost anything, this one I'd put on a Best Buy list.

Disneyland Tips for Parents with Little Ones

I know a lot of parents dread going to Disneyland but our family has had a great time. I think there’s a key to having fun – at least for those who aren’t Disneyland fans regardless of parenthood. My husband dreaded our first trip but due to great planning, towards the end of the vacation, he was asking ‘when will we go back?’

We’ve gone twice now and both trips have been fantastic. Our first trip was when our daughter was 4. A great age, although, if you really want to get the most of out Disneyland’s offerings, wait until age 5. Five, allows you to take advantage of Pinocchio’s Workshop, an evening childcare facility, so that you can have a nice dinner out. Five also means your child will be a bit taller and more adventurous. For some kids, a little more adventurous is important. Our daughter loved seeing the characters, even the characters she didn’t recognize (there were lots; we don’t allow a lot of television) but for some kids, life-size mice, dogs and more can be pretty intimidating. Did I mention Pinocchio’s Workshop?

So, here are my tips (please keep in mind, my tips are geared for parents of young children; if you have older children, not all of them will not be useful)…

If you can, stay at the Grand Californian. I didn’t do a tremendous amount of research but from what I can tell, AAA offers some of the better rates and perks.

What are the benefits of staying at the Grand Californian? Besides the fact that it’s a newer hotel, has better restaurants than the other Disney hotels, Pinocchio’s Workshop is located in the hotel complex, and more, the hotel has a direct entrance into California Adventure Park and direct access to Downtown Disney, which is basically an entrance to Disneyland. Why is this important? It gives you flexibility.

I don’t care what people claim, 4 and 5 year olds need naps and if they don’t need naps, they need time away from the constant barrage of stimuli that Disneyland offers. That means, a trip to the hotel room for some down time. I know, I know, Disneyland is expensive and the Grand Californian is the more expensive hotel in the Disneyland chain; still, it’s worth it, IMO.  Our daughter is iffy on naps. Sometimes she needs them, sometimes I need them (some of you moms know what I’m talking about). At Disneyland, she doesn’t think she needs them but she does.

Our Disneyland schedule is like this:   
     - Breakfast

     - Disneyland Park

     - Lunch in Downtown Disney  (better food and they serve alcohol for parents that need it)

     - Hotel for NAP

     - Disneyland or California Adventure Park

     - Dinner

     - Bedtime for Daughter

Don’t let your child(ren) fool you. You will arrive in your hotel room and they will escalate, bounce on the furniture and basically try to prove to you that they do not need a nap. Lay down, pretend to sleep, if you have to. Wait for it, wait for it…. A scream, crying, silence, and they’ve passed out colder than ice. Sometimes I tell our daughter to pretend to sleep and a little while later I look over to see that she is no longer pretending. If you need it, want it, take a nap yourself or go out on your balcony and enjoy a glass of wine, answer your email, or any number of other things you can do without a lot of noise in the hotel room.

We have friends that don’t do naptime but instead do pool time. This works well too, if that works for your child. If you question it, gauge your child’s behavior. If he/she is acting out of control (assuming you aren’t pumping him/her full of sugar), a nap may be the key to his /her, and more importantly, YOUR sanity. If your child seems to be doing fine, maybe the pool is the key to get away from the onslaught of noise, visuals and everything else that Disneyland offers. Maybe one day you nap, the next you pool (yea, I turned it into a verb; what of it?).

If you can’t stay in the Grand Californian, consider other nearby Disney hotels or hotels close to the Park but not affiliated with Disney (we all know they charge extra for the privilege of the Disney name). I know it will be a pain to trek back to the hotel for a nap or pool time but trust me, that time away from the noise, candy, excitement, and more will do you all some good. You bought an all day pass; take a nap and go back later, refreshed. It will be a lot more fun for all of you.

Don’t try to do it all. This, by far, is what my husband considers the most important thing to do, or not do, depending on how you look at it.

Is your child going to hate the experience because you missed a few rides? No. On the other hand, you AND your child may hate the experience if you stand in line from 8 or 9am until nearly midnight, eating crappy food and trying to cram every single Disney experience into a one-day ticket. If you can only afford one day at the park, so be it; but, isn’t it better to have a really great time that one day than it is to torture the entire family because you’re bound and determined to experience every inch of the park despite hunger, exhaustion and over-stimulation? Lots of children never go to Disneyland; if you’re lucky enough to go, make it a good time, even if you have to miss a bunch of stuff.

Alcohol. There is one place in Disneyland where alcohol is served. Club 33. If you aren’t a member, the key is knowing a member or someone who knows one (reservations by a member are required). Otherwise, you need to go to Downtown Disney or California Adventure Park for your alcohol. IMO, Downtown Disney offers a better selection than California Adventure, particularly when we’re talking about margaritas. Barring Club 33, you’ll find better food in Downtown Disney than you will in either park. That’s my opinion, anyway. We usually lunch at the Mexican restaurant in Downtown Disney; it’s on the way back to the hotel (remember, naptime after lunch!) and they have good margaritas and a good food selection that works for all members of our family.

Photopass. This is a terrific program. The discs / downloads aren’t inexpensive but if you take advantage of the PhotoPass photographers as often as you can and opt for all of the pictures, vs individual selections, it can be well worth it. Professional photographers throughout the park, take pictures of you, your kids, and your entire family, sometimes adding special features like putting Tinkerbell in the hands of your little girl. Since I’m the usual family photographer, the PhotoPass pictures are a special treat for me as I finally get to be IN some of our vacation photos! It isn’t necessary to register before you hit the park and if you don’t have a PhotoPass, the photographers can give you one to use. It is my understanding that you can combine various PhotoPasses under the same account for a single disc or download but you’ll want to verify that before you go crazy accumulating PhotoPasses on your trip. Once you log onto your PhotoPass account, you can edit your photos to include various borders and other Disney graphics. The program even allows you to add pictures you’ve taken on your camera so that you can add graphics or put all your Disney photos on one disc to send to Grandma & Grandpa.

Rooms at the Grand Californian. We’ve stayed in a room overlooking the pool and a room overlooking Downtown Disney. Our preference is the pool. The rooms over Downtown Disney are fun for people watching but the music plays on until at least 9 or 10pm and, I think midnight, on weekends. If you’re looking for quiet, you won’t get it in your room if you’re overlooking Downtown. Early mornings can be a bit rough too as the garbage & construction trucks come through Downtown, collecting and whatever else they do. Every time they back up, beep! Beep! Beep! Argh!

The iPhone app called Disneyland Mousewait is terrific and FREE. The app depends on users for information and we found it to be fairly accurate for planning which rides to take when. The program also offers other tips and features that are useful.

Autograph book – A combined photo album / autograph book for your child to get autographs from his or her favorite characters and fill with photos (after the trip). They sell them at most places in the park but there’s no reason you couldn’t make or buy one before hitting the park if you don’t want to pay Disney prices. Our daughter loves to go through her book and talk about each character that she met. 

Cannon Beach Dining - Newman's

Newman's at 988 in Cannon Beach

Set in a 1910 farmhouse, Newman's is intimate and family-run. 

We started with the Ravioli du Jour w/ goat cheese and crab cakes which were nothing like any crab cakes I'd ever experienced. No breading, no fillers, these cakes WERE crab. Period. Two large cakes of crab, seared and topped with an aioli, it was almost too much and I gladly shared with my eagerly waiting husband.

We followed the first course with a wonderful tomato soup and beet & goat cheese salad. Unlike many beet and goat cheese salads, this one wasn't overwhelmed by an overabundance of cloyingly sweet candied pecans. Instead, it was accompanied by slightly sweetened, crunchy almond slivers, a welcome alternative.

My husband's third course was the rack of lamb entree, which must have been good because he licked the bones clean and mine, the lobster ravioli was so filled with large chunks of lobster that I nearly forgot we were on the West coast, a sight like that is only seen in Massachusetts or Maine. Like the crab cakes, I found myself with such a wealth of delectable goodness that I found it easy to share substantial bites.

We shared a dessert, the butterscotch pudding parfait. The texture was akin to cookie dough and was layered with whipped cream. 

It's been some time since we've visited Newman's and we were thrilled to see the food is just as good as it was the first time. It's also quite a deal. Two elegant, three-course meals with two kinds of warm bread served throughout, plus a shared dessert cost $114; try to find a deal like that in Portland.

Reservations recommended.

There's No Place Like Home

Last week, our family went on a well-deserved and needed vacation. It was wonderful, fabulous and after approximately five years, long-overdue.

We chose the Hawaiian island of Oahu, in part because we could get a direct flight but more importantly, it offered sun. Sun in November. Heaven.

The first half of the trip, we relaxed and played on the North Shore and the second, the touristy, city of Waikiki. The beach, the sun, the warm air and the pools, all perfect.

As the trip drew near its end, I found myself missing home. It seems impossible but it's true. Our four year old missed her toys and best friend. I missed my bed and the luxury of a washer / dryer, as well as not living out of a suitcase. I missed a healthy diet; I'd love to say I have the will to maintain a healthy diet on vacation but I do not. Cocktails (something called a Frozen lemonade caught my attention in Waikiki) and decadent desserts called my name daily and I heeded the call of the calorie siren.

Yesterday, our last day in paradise, I packed our bags, laid by the pool and enjoyed my last cocktail but the thought of home nagged me in those last minutes. I wanted to be home. I wanted that long, 5+ hour flight over and I wanted my little girl in her bed.

Our flight was delayed by a medical issue (we had one on the flight over too) and we landed just before midnight. It was an all right flight. With age, our daughter has lost the enthusiasm of sleeping on flights so it was a bit trying and the food on the flight, well, everyone knows the food on planes these days... I purchased a number of garbage snacks like potato chips and M&M's before the flight. I know myself well enough that eating plane food isn't an option, although eating such toxic waste in addition to a week's worth of indulgence made my head hurt, both literally and figuratively.

I carried our daughter to the car while my husband grabbed the checked luggage (one, single gigantic piece carried luggage for the three of us -- and just barely made the weight restriction). The air was damp and cool, refreshing after a long flight. It felt good to be home and I could hear my bed, calling out to me.

For the man/woman/child who has everything...

Unfortunately, PrivateAirDaily.com no longer exists on the Web and I can't get the article large enough to be readable. I'm not sure why I saved it; it's not like I am or will ever be, in the market for a blimp. Nevertheless, I'm cleaning out old files and found this article in my file of misc scans. The important details, I'll regurgitate... it seems there is a personal blimp now available. Yes, because everyone needs a blimp, right?

SkyYacht makes these personal blimps, along with a number of other spaceship-like air vehicles; I encourage you to check out their site.

Above is a picture of what your personal blimp could look like. According to the article, it will cost you anywhere from $100,000 to $200,000. I know, it's quite a spread but I suppose, if you're in the market for a personal blimp, a price spread of $100,000 isn't that much to you. Of course, I could be wrong. I've yet to meet anyone who was in the market for a blimp of any kind.

Besides the price and size (unless you have a garage large enough to house a regular blimp), another benefit of a personal blimp is that the company is working with the FAA to obtain special licensing requirements for personal blimps. Unlike traditional blimps, personal blimps are powered by hot air and that may mean easier licensing requirement.

Traditional blimps require a fair amount of training and there are no schools for blimp flying. A lighter-than-air pilot certification isn't easy to come by and yes, during the practical portion of the exam, you DO need to parallel park your blimp. And you thought the DMV was hard on you at 16.

From the Air

Over the Cascades

Everytime I'm above the clouds, I'm struck with how much the surface looks like that of the North Pole. Perhaps a bit rounder, softer but solid, white expanse looks so similar...

Tripadvisor.com

I love tripadvisor and I use it frequently both for the reviews that others write and to write my own. I'm currently planning a trip and scouring reviews. Some reviews are terrific, even-handed and a fair assessment and others...

Ugh.

There are those who expect the moon if they are paying over $5 for a hotel stay.

There are those who don't bother completing the profile page (I don't need a picture but a little something about the writer helps when I'm trying to figure out how legit the only review you've ever written on the site is).

There are those who never write a positive review, ever (frequently overlapping with those above).

I try to be generous about spelling and grammar but it's not always easy to take a negative review seriously when the third sentence in:
"I had took my SUV to valet parking, took my ticket from the attendant and proceeded upstairs to the ballroom."

...further down, the same person writes:

"Out of a crowd of people, mainly Caucasian and Oriental"

(really, WTH uses the term Oriental for Asians anymore? This reviewer signed up, wrote one review and nothing again.)

My favorite reviews are those that offer pictures of the room reviewed, view from the room (with room # please!) and any particulars important enough to comment on (for instance, if you complain about rusty fixtures, post a pic). I admit, I don't always post pics, although I'm trying to do it more frequently. I'm not interested in pictures of your honey or your cute-as-a-button, wee one but of things the hotel website won't show. ... Speaking of which, the pics on VBRO of various monuments or other fantastic points of interest aren't helpful when you're trying to sell me on your apartment; I know what the Eiffel Tower looks like, thank you; I'm interested in your apartment so I can go see the Eiffel Tower in person.

Reviews that offer good and bad points, neither hysterical over something minor nor overly excited because you've never left your hometown before, those are useful reviews.

Really, if a $49 parking charge in the middle of downtown San Francisco at a luxury hotel destroys your entire stay, don't stay at a luxury hotel in downtown San Francisco. If the view of the ocean overrides a $1600 night's stay in a falling-down-roach motel that makes Motel 6 look like a 5-star resort, something is wrong with your idea of value. And a glowing (in its entirety) review of "I am not sure where to begin....it was heaven on earth....can't wait to go back...a little expenseive but worth it" gives me less information than the hotel website.

Also useless are the reviews by people whose entire stay is ruined because they weren't allowed to smoke in non-smoking rooms, bring their children into 21 and over bars or find a McDonald's while in Tahiti.

I like pros & cons lists. I like reviews that include tidbits the reviewer may not care about but someone else may (like laundry facilities, handicap access, long distances, night life or lack of, is it more kid-friendly or honeymoon-friendly or somewhere in between, dress codes, wireless, etc). If a hotel restaurant is particularly spectacular or awful, make a brief note of it and review it separately and more thoroughly under the restaurant listing, the same can be said of any particular dish at the restaurant (especially if it's really, really good!).

Ok, rant over. Thanks for listening.

A Short Day on Orcas Island

Yesterday we had the opportunity for a brief visit to Orcas Island. Not only is Orcas a stunning getaway but, it's also a big part of my husband's childhood. He spent summers playing in the water, running through the forest and having all sorts of adventures there with his brothers, both in camp (Nor'wester) and out of camp.

We started our day at Teezer's, arriving just in time to snag the last Blackberry & Cream Cheese Pastry and slice of pumpkin bread (no nuts, perfection!). Add to that two blackberry scones and coffee (we brought milk in a sippy for Daughter) and we were set... for the moment.

Following our breakfast, we headed to one of Orcas' rocky beaches to check things out. No starfishes this time around but plenty of tiny crabs and rocks to skip. We did find what appears to be a baby deer skull tucked among the rocks. Next, it was off to lunch. We debated between Bilbo's (not fabulous Mexican), Rose's and Vern's (good steamers & a view but not much else) and decided Cafe Olga was the place. The food is consistently good and Husband can't get enough of their pie. I ordered my usual, the Chicken Cashew Salad on Greens & a cup of their Tomato Basil Soup, Husband ordered the soup and the Salad du jour w/arugula Prosciutto & artichoke hearts and Daughter had just a cup of the soup (all came with good rolls). Lunch was terrific and filling and we took a slice of blackberry pie to go and headed for the park by Cascade Lake for some sun and playtime before heading back home.

Carry on... Or don't but, pack like a pro

Packing is my thing. I'm *really* good at it. If you can carry on your luggage versus check, you can arrive later at the airport, you save time when you arrive (no waiting for the carousel!) and you don't have to worry about lost luggage. Carrying on is also immensely convenient if you miss your flight or connection (trust me!).

Some of the items in my arsenal of packing tricks...

Lush Massage Bars instead of lotion. They sell tins to keep them in or you can just use a plastic baggy. When you need lotion, just rub on. Benefits? Besides not having to worry about bottles breaking and lotion ending up everywhere, the bars are exempt from 1-qt ziploc bag status! Another company to try: Lilypad Bathworks
**NOTE: These are scented and some of them have dyes -- these dyes will come off on your clothing so please keep that in mind when you choose your massage bar.
If you want something that's scent-free and good for sensitive skin, try Mustela Hydra-Stick.

Nivea Cream, the small containers, the ones you find in the sample section. I carry one of these in my purse regularly. They are slim, creams don't spill or leak and I've managed to take them through airport security outside of the ziplock bag. I did notice, recently, while going through security in Europe, a picture of the larger-sized Nivea cream in the "don'ts" so keep that in mind.

Colorscience Sun Protection Mineral SPF 30. Great protection and because it's a powder, ziploc exempt! I have the tinted version (Perfectly Clear) and it doubles as foundation if you only need light coverage.

Eagle Creek Pack-It Folder A lifesaver. It comes in 3 sizes and it not only helps you keep things wrinkle-free but it can halve the space your folded clothes require. I have two and never travel without one.