Off to enjoy some family time for the holidays! Sometimes the best travel is heading home (sometimes it’s also the most stressful ;). Hope everyone has safe travels with no delays, lines or airport aggravation. Will be back next week!
Author: travelingdocs
know before you go: Long Beach (LGB)
As we start traveling for the holidays, I have to shout out to one of my home airports. Ah Long Beach, a lovely little secret. I like flying into this tiny regional airport. It’s no frills, quick, easy and it makes you feel like you’re in the 60s or something because you go out directly onto the tarmac when you come and go.
LGB is a hub for JetBlue, but now Southwest even has some flights out of here. There a couple of regional Delta and American flights as well. It’s one small terminal split into North and South concourses with 11 gates for the whole airport. JetBlue has gates 1-5. There’s not much food, but what are you doing eating at the airport? You’re likely coming from LA/OC anyway.
Overall it’s a nice airport to get from point A to point B quickly. The fact that you can skip LAX to get to NY and Boston from this no fuss airport is awesome and worth giving up on amenities and dining.
Remember: ✈️ = so much drama in the LBC to ✈️✈️✈️✈️✈️ = sublime
Convenience to the city: ✈️ (it’s in Long Beach, off the 405, may the odds be ever in your favor)
Ease of navigating through terminals: ✈️✈️✈️✈️ (I think it takes 5 minutes from one end to the other)
Convenience of check in/security lines: ✈️✈️✈️✈️ (not a lot of traffic = fast lines)
Dining: ✈️ (bring your own food)
Bathrooms: ✈️✈️ (not that many of them)
Charging stations/wifi: ✈️✈️ (free wifi available)
Amenities: ✈️ (what are amenities?)
5 days on the Big Island, Hawaii
One of the best things about living on the West Coast is that you’re pretty close to Hawaii, only about 5 hours away. It almost makes up for being spoiled on every major TV event (don’t even start me on avoiding the internet Sunday nights for GoT).
The Big Island of Hawaii lives up to its name. It is vast. You need to get a rental car while you are here, if you’re planning on seeing the sites. Otherwise, you can veg out in your resort, if that’s your dig. Whatever you like, soak in the tropics and enjoy the natural beauty of the Rainbow state.
Aloha…
4 tres magnifique days in Paris
There are not enough adjectives to describe the wonder of Paris. No one needs a guide to this city, there are a million ways to enjoy it, and the little discoveries down every alleyway are what makes this place special. You don’t need a ton of money, you don’t even need to see any of the popular tourist attractions. You could walk around for days and not spend one cent and be content. It’s all splendor. The air is different when you arrive in this city of light and magic. You feel different, you get a new lease on life– nouvelle joie de vivre.
I’ve been all over the world, and there is no city that causes my heart to take flight like Paris. No city that comes close in terms of architecture and art and food. It’s the ultimate muse for any travel fantasy, it puts the lust in wanderlust. There’s a romanticism that cannot be recreated anywhere else; it’s no wonder that Paris salons attracted the best in art and literature to a bohemian lifestyle in the capital city.
To get a true sense of the city, you have to at least spend 4-5 days here. My first visit more than a decade ago lasted for almost two weeks. I saw the entire city as a 16 year old, and even though we did not have smart phones back in the dark ages (le horreur), I’ll never forget the moments during that trip. It started my love affair with France and gets reignited every time I come back. C’est magnifique.
la vie en rose
know before you go: Dallas (DFW)
The Big D is so big, it has two major airports serving it, Love Field and the larger Dallas-Fort Worth. Because I am a Southwest frequent flier, I’ve been through Love Field several times, but recently I had a very quick layover at DFW (like just barely made it).
It is gigantic, the third busiest airport in the US, behind Atlanta and O’Hare by flights. It is second only to Denver in terms of actual acreage, and in that acreage is a plethora of eateries and shops. Everything IS bigger in Texas.
There are 165 gates split amongst five terminals A-E, connected by a convenient skylink train. Each terminal is semi-circular and when you look at the complex from above, it kind of looks like three turtles in a row (there is a future F terminal completing the last oval).
American Airlines has its hub at DFW, so every terminal operates its flights. United, Frontier, JetBlue, WestJet, Air Canada and Spirit operate out of E and International flights are located in the D terminal. This airport has the distinction of being one of the few airports that serve more than 200 destinations.
Remember: ✈️ = D-town (Dallas’ worst nickname) to ✈️✈️✈️✈️✈️ = jerry’s world
Ease of navigating through terminals: ✈️✈️✈️ (immense distance, made better by train)
Dining: ✈️✈️✈️✈️✈️ (Wingstop, Chick-Fila, IHOP, McDs, Starbucks, Peet’s, Caribou, ethnic foods, Cantina Laredo and other airport mainstays. But it gets a 5 plane rating for Garrett’s popcorn alone)
Bathrooms: ✈️✈️✈️ (clean, well spaced)
Charging stations/wifi: ✈️✈️✈️ (free wifi available via AT&T)
Amenities: ✈️✈️✈️✈️ (American and International Lounges, a few luxury shops including Kate Spade, Tumi, Longchamp; XpresSPa, 7-Elevens, Yoga Studio, Animal hotels)
3 days in Boston
I think I’m going to Boston, I think I’ll start a new life. So are the lyrics of the Augustana hit from the early 2000s that fill my head every time I go here. It’s a great city for new starts and rejuvenations, being both young and vibrant whilst steeped in history and tradition.
One if by land, two if by sea…
36 hours in San Antonio
Inexplicably, I’ve been to San Antonio several times for work. Texas’s second largest city, it’s one of the fastest growing cities in the country. There’s a huge US armed forces contingent there and is probably best known for being home to the Alamo and previously, Tim Duncan.
Beyond that, the food and drink scene in San Antonio is fantastic. Not only do you have spectacular Tex Mex regional cuisine, but every restaurant has it’s own unique look and feel. The decor in some of these restaurants–especially the ones in repurposed spaces is something to behold. It’s a multicultural city with so many identities, and that’s what makes it a great place to create some memories.
Remember the Alamo…
know before you go: Newark (EWR)
I hadn’t been to Newark Liberty (EWR) in years, like more than a decade, and it has changed considerably for the better. One of the airports serving NYC as well as most of the Garden State, it has very heavy traffic. There were people everywhere.
We’re talking a TON of restaurants, shops and amenities. It’s still crowded, and the addition of said trendy restaurants in the middle of the concourses narrows the walking path quite a bit. But, at least there’s stuff to see and do.
I was really pleasantly surprised at the amount of food choices and the presence of the Global Food Bazaar, although ramen, pizza and philly cheesesteaks doesn’t quite scream “global” to me…but at least they tried.
There are 121 gates in three terminals A-C, each with three concourses. A serves JetBlue, Alaska, Virgin, Southwest, Air Canada, American, United Express. B is international, Delta and Spirit. C is United and is the terminal I passed through (i.e walked circles in). If you’re flying in from the north, sit on the left side of the plane. You’ll catch a great view of Manhattan and will even be able to see the lights of Times Square from very high up (think about all that energy being used!)
Remember: ✈️ = EW-R to ✈️✈️✈️✈️✈️ = the Boss
Convenience to the city: ✈️✈️✈️ (airtrain connects to the train/amtrak station which will connect you basically everywhere in the tri-state area)
Ease of navigating through terminals: ✈️✈️ (the hallways are narrow because of restaurants taking up the middle portion)
Dining: ✈️✈️✈️✈️✈️ (Global Bazaar food market, CBGB, all sorts of chains, upmarket restaurants/bars, fast casual bistro types, Dumpling Bar–I would skip this food is meh, neapolitan pizza, french brasserie, steakhouse, sushi/ramen, oyster bar — like everything you could want at exorbitant prices)
Bathrooms: ✈️✈️ (clean but there could be more of them dispersed)
Charging stations/wifi: ✈️✈️✈️ (free wifi available, plentiful charging)
Amenities: ✈️✈️✈️✈️ (the shops are a little weird, America! store? Swatch? There is a Metropolitan Museum of Art store so that’s a plus, CBGB’s, spas–mainly the things to see here are food based and of course, people watching–the best activity on layover)
how bazaar
3 days in Sacramento
Sacramento may seem like a random place to visit, but thanks to Greta Gerwig’s stunning (read: STUNNING) ode to cinema and her hometown, Lady Bird, California’s capital city is taking its turn to bask in its own deserved spotlight.
I think the best way to describe this city is that when you’re here, you feel like you’re in a vintage Instagram filter, a bygone era of Americana with modern splashes. It is simply an easy place to be. There’s that old school charm, from the architectural gems of the Fabulous Forties to the neighborhoods dotted with old neon signage (featured prominently in the movie and as you know if you’ve read this blog, are one of my favorite things) and the proximity of farms and citrus tree groves.
Beyond the capital, it is one of the top destinations for locavore cuisine, earning it the nickname of “America’s farm to fork capital.” For a city of its size, there’s every type of food you could imagine, and ingredients are so fresh due to its proximity to California’s central agriculture industry. People forget California is one of the largest farming states in the country–next time you eat those strawberries and avocados, think of us.
Eureka, I’ve found it!
24 hours exploring Charlotte’s web
Charlotte, North Carolina is one of the country’s financial centers which draws in a lot of young professionals and individuals with money. With a growing population, the demand for restaurants, attractions and entertainment rises, and the city has stepped up. It honestly does not feel like much of a Southern city, other than its hospitality, the downtown feels like mini Wall Street with its city of skyscrapers.
The cool thing about this city is that there’s a real sense of humor about it. There’s quotes all around town, and whimsical public art displays. Not what you might expect from a city that boasts the Nascar Hall of Fame. The unexpected it what makes this city so special, and a great place to spend a short weekend.
Traveling docs 