Archives for category: Travel Logistics

Subjects to write about when traveling

December 29, 2025 //
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When we depart in nine days now I want to write a bit, but not too much, and I want to do it every day. What I intend to do is be particular about what I put down on paper. Every day I’ll put a pen to paper briefly about:

  • Logistics and reality
  • Remaining active and fit on vacation
  • Food and entertainment, but only if it’s interesting
  • Opportunities for rest and relaxation, in the literal sense
  • What experiences in the moment inspired the strongest emotions

Logistics. This is actually the least most important subject. You can learn this anywhere, but it is essential to having time to have fun and remaining stress-free. What are the logistics of being where you are? Was the ride smooth or bumpy? Was it warm or cold or wet? Were the seas rough?

After the storm

How to remain active. Particularly true on package tours and / or cruises. How do you remain healthy? How do you stay young? How do you keep up your fitness program rather than gaining weight?

Waiting for a jazz show in Manhattan

Then, the opposite – food and entertainment. Did you see a band play? Did you see a show? Write about it if it’s interesting. Don’t right about it, except in passing, if it is just background music. If you decided to follow them on social media write about it. Same with the food. Once you’ve established the same dull habit of a bowl of fruit and yogurt in the room for breakfast every day no matter how much joy it brings you, don’t write a photo, but if you went to Morimoto’s latest or you found the freshest oysters in whatever strange country you’re visiting, go ahead share a photo and write.

Navajas

The next is where I am going to get controversial. I want to keep track of how I stayed well-rested. If you’re going to go on extended travels, you need to track your energy levels. Otherwise, you’re going to get sick. Fortunately, we have modern technology on our side.

Finally, this is what matters most. What did you see or experience that inspired you today? What was that one moment? Was it a flash of light across the sky? Or the sound your footsteps made in an alley on cobblestones? What will you remember the most about being there, away from home?

What will make you come back?

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Categories Travel Logistics

Christmas 2025

December 26, 2025 //
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Christmas this year was peaceful. We had conversations by phone with family starting with Tyler, my 14 year old, calling me at 5:30am. I was sound asleep in the dark and my watch started vibrating. I woke up with a start and realized the phone was ringing so I rolled over and grabbed it. Tyler on FaceTime. “Oh, so you ARE up,” bright and happy! I was expecting could not sleep or upset about something, but nonetheless I was in the dark and a couple of teens were wide awake at their mother’s house and ready to interrogate me…

“Yes, I’m up now, but I’m going back to sleep.”

The next time they called us we were out on our Christmas run.

View of the airport

In my house we run separately except on Christmas and on major holidays, so today was the day. Usually we go down the National Mall from Lincoln past the White House and to the Capitol and back, but neither one of us wanted to see “that part of the town” in the current circumstances so we parked on Ohio Drive and ran south to Haines Point and back opposite the Wharf.

DC Wharf

The Wharf in DC is a newly-redeveloped waterfront area of hotels, condominiums, restaurants, and nightlife. We head down there a few times a year for various events. Even though it’s a hassle and it’s overpriced, we usually enjoy it. Near the Wharf there was a flock of geese loitering.

Geese

Our run ended basically at the Jefferson Memorial which has always been my favorite as there are fewer crowds and it has a view over the Tidal Basin.

Jefferson Memorial

A lot of the seawall near the Jefferson Memorial is under construction and to be replaced, hopefully all the way down to Haines Point. They’ve built a temporary concrete plant next to the MLK Jr Memorial to handle all of this.

Anyway, after this we went home where we had mimosas and omelettes.

And then the presents

One of the more interesting gifts I received was a book of useless information. I haven’t read through it yet as I am busy reading a novel about Antarctica and flipping through Antarctic cruise guides.

As I was awake at 5:30am, the afternoon involved a nap.

Fish pie with pastry crust

For dinner I made Paul Hollywood’s fish pie with pastry crust from his cookbook Baked. And then we topped off the evening with a longer than usual dog walk down to our neighborhood landmark Alcova House.

Alcova House at Christmas

Alcova House was the farmhouse of the original property on the land where we live. The owners sold the land off to the Alcova Improvement Company in 1920 at which point individual parcels were sold over the next couple of decades to people wishing were build. This practice, unlike some of the neighboring communities where the developer owned the land and homes built were consistent, led to the hodgepodge we have here today. We have a mix of ramblers, 1920s Cape Cods, small cottages that sat on large wooded lots back in the day, and infill development.

Not actually this week

On our particular lot, many of the houses are built on lots that are three hundred feet deep and fifty feet wide, like half of a football field. Ours, however, is part of a lot that was diviced two or three times over the past hundred years. Our rear neighbor’s house was built in 1989 off of an eight-sided parcel that was taken from our lot. Our house was built in 1992 after the previous house on the lot – a house built in the 1920s that sat on the rear lot line – burned down due to a maze of extension cords catching on fire.

Thus, a hodge podge.

We’ll see what I get into this week. Today it’s time to start packing.

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Categories family, Foodie, Home Life, nostalgia, Running, Travel Logistics

Packing list

December 23, 2025 //
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Yesterday I wrote up a packing list for our upcoming travels. It goes something like this:

Packing List for Holland America 22-Day South America & Antarctica Cruise

My daughter drew this on the back of a Silver Diner comment card a few years ago

Including Three Days in Santiago

Clothing

  • Wear for travel –
    • Zip-off pants
    • Belt
    • Running shoes
    • Jacket
    • Short sleeve and long sleeve layer
    • Pack change of clothes – shorts, underwear, socks, shirt, travel pants, swimsuit, running outfit
  • Lightweight button down shirts (2)
  • Travel shorts (2)
  • Jeans (1 or 2)
  • Evening wear for formal cruise nights
    • 2 dress shirts
    • Suit
    • Tie
  • Smart-casual outfits for dinners and onboard activities
    • 2 pairs khakis
    • 1 polo (in addition to lightweight shirts above)
    • 3 less formal button down shirts
  • Thermal base layers (top and bottom) for Antarctic experience (three top and bottom layers
  • Heavy sweater or fleece jacket –
    • Antarctica sweater
    • Waterside Man hoodie
    • All Blacks sweatshirt
    • Long sleeved under layers (3)
  • Waterproof and windproof outer shell (raincoat)
  • Winter gloves, running gloves (waterproof recommended)
  • Warm hat and neck gaiter or scarf
  • Workout clothes
    • 2 pair yoga shorts
    • Trainers (three)
    • 3 pair running shorts
    • 3 short sleeved running shirts
    • 4 pair running socks
    • 1 pair running tights; 2 pair long sleeved running shirts (can be used as layers)
  • Swimsuit (for ship’s pool or spa, 2 or 3)
  • Sleepwear (nothing)
  • Socks (including wool or thermal for cold excursions)
    • 3 pair heavy socks
    • 6 pair regular
  • Underwear – 10 pair
  • Comfortable walking shoes for city sightseeing – NY Boot company shoes
  • Frye boots
  • Sandals or dress shoes for onboard use
    • Frye boots
    • Beach sandals
    • NY Boot Company shoes
  • Compact umbrella for unpredictable weather
  • Two white undershirts
  • At least three black undershirts
  • Two yoga shirts

Toiletries

  • Toothbrush, toothpaste, floss – spare toothbrush, at least 1 ½ tubes of toothpaste
  • Shampoo and conditioner (travel size in case your hotel/cruise supplies are limited)
  • Pack soap from Asia
  • Deodorant – one full tube
  • Razor and shaving supplies – electric shaver and charger plus cream
  • Hairbrush or comb – travel brush plus regular
  • Skincare essentials (moisturizer, sunscreen, lip balm with SPF)
  • Bug spray
  • Hair product
  • Fingernail clippers
  • Travel-sized laundry detergent for hand-washing small items
  • Shoe polish

Electronics

  • iPhone
  • AirPods
  • AirPod MAX
  • Plug adapters/converters for Chile and cruise ship outlets
    • USB-C to USB-C (2)
    • USB-A to USB-C (2)
    • FireWire charger (to -C and -A)
    • Watch charger
    • Oura ring charger
    • Charger plugs
    • International adaptors (2)
  • Work laptop
  • iPad
  • Books –
    • South America travel guide
    • Cruise Antarctica travel guide
    • Wheeler book on Antarctica
    • At least two fiction novels
  • Portable power bank
  • Magnetic charger

Travel Essentials

  • Passport (with required visas, if any); photocopies of passport; extra passport photo
  • Travel insurance documents
  • Credit/debit cards and some US dollars for tips/incidentals
  • Chilean and Uruguayan Pesos
  • Printed copies and digital backups of reservations, tickets, and cruise documents
  • Hand sanitizer
  • Waterproof daypack or small backpack for shore excursions
  • Reusable water bottle
  • Spare duffel bag

Miscellaneous

  • Reading glasses, distance glasses
  • Prescription medications (with extra in case of delays)
  • Over-the-counter remedies (motion sickness Bonine, cold meds DayQuil/NyQuil, pain reliever Tylenol / Advil)
  • Travel pillow and eye mask for flights
  • Binoculars for wildlife and glacier viewing (2 pair)
  • Notepad and pen
  • Laundry bag
  • Small first-aid kit
  • Snacks for travel days
  • Personal entertainment (puzzle book, journal, cards)
  • Carcassonne game
  • Sewing kit
  • Shopping bag
  • Vitamin C drops

Antarctica-Specific Gear

  • High-quality waterproof gloves
  • Thermal socks
  • Waterproof pants
  • Packable down jacket
  • Sunglasses with UV protection (glare from ice and snow)
  • Sunscreen (for unexpected sun exposure)
  • Dry bag for camera/electronics during zodiac cruises

 

It’s a bit excessive. But still, gone from home for 25 days with a half a dozen different climates. This should be fun.

So today we ended up upgrading to a Neptune Suite. According to some they’re the smallest “true suite” on Holland America. We were in a Signature Suite. We started with a Signature Suite because we decided if we were going to be on a ship that long we wanted to be as comfortable as possible. Also, we didn’t go on a smaller expedition ship for a similar reason – because we wanted to be as comfortable as possible. I don’t feel as if I’m missing much by not having a more active expedition experience, although who knows I may eventually change my mind on that. Some day I think I’d enjoy expedition cruising around Greenland.

We justified the Neptune upgrade for a few different reasons:

  • It comes with laundry, dry cleaning, and pressing. Unlimited.
  • Additional menu items in the main dining room.
  • Concierge can arrange a lot of things such as full main dining room menu in room.
  • Aft-facing suite cabin.
  • Priority tendering, embarking, and disembarking.
  • Priority seating in the main dining room (better seats – in an elevated area or by windows).

We actually were feeling a little trepiditious about the main dining room. Holland America has assigned dining times and any time dining times. Honestly, I would prefer assigned dining – you know where you’re going to sit every night and you show up at your assigned time and they seat you. Anytime… can be a crapshoot. Sometimes you wait. Sometimes there’s a kitchen delay. Sometimes you get worse seating. Nonetheless, now we have priority access to avoid a wait.

We’ll see how this goes.

The Antarctic Continent

In general, we’re flying to Santiago, staying a few days, heading south along the Chilean coast and then across to Antarctica, then returning via the Falkland Islands, a stop on the Argentine coast, two in Uruguay, and two days in Buenos Aires. This all begins two weeks from tomorrow.

I’ll blog about the trip of course. I haven’t decided if I want to put it up on Cruise Critic or not. If I do, it will be daily or twice daily, not true live. Maybe I’ll focus on a few things I’ve had to research to help people taking the cruise in the future. Things like:

  • What to pack
  • Do HAL cruisers really actually do dressy night?
  • Weather – day by day report (most reports I’ve seen fizzle out)
  • Activities on board, especially what “younger” people engage in
  • Activities in port
  • Walkability of ports and safety in port
  • Always talk about food

And so forth.

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Categories travel, Travel Logistics

Why we go on cruises

December 15, 2025 //
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This post is entitled why we go on cruises. It’s about the obvious. I’m the type of person – we’re the type of people – who actually enjoy doing things when we travel. We’re active. We run. We run in port. We walk across the Brooklyn Bridge to Kings County Distillery in the Navy Yard. We go on an architecture boat tour in Chicago. When we visit a city, we stay somewhere comfortable and wander around and try to be like locals. Well, we try. We walked to the top of Cadillac Mountain instead of driving. But we go on cruises. Why?

The view from the top

We go on cruises so we don’t drive each other nuts. We like to do certain things in the morning and we also appreciate a fair amount of downtime. Sometimes one relaxes while the other goes to the casino. We don’t like to haul our luggage back and forth constantly; instead, we want to pretend we’re home. We don’t want to sit in a place for a week or two or three weeks, at least not most of the time. We want to experience a place but also relax.

Feet up in awkward relaxation

So let me start out by telling you how I started cruising.

Walking amongst the fish, Atlantis

In 2016, I took my daughters on a cruise. I drove to the cruise port with them and we sailed south for a week. Planned ports included Port Canaveral in Florida (a success, we visited Disney for the first time ever), Nassau in the Bahamas, and Freeport (fail, due to planned hurricane). Did I mention the hurricane? My worst experience at sea was my first one, the one where the ship was listing sideways as we skirted a Cat 1 hurricane off Cape Hatteras.

In 2017, I took them on a cruise with my mother. Or rather, we went on a transatlantic passage on Queen Mary 2. Again, the main reason I did this is because it allowed a degree of relaxation while also entertaining my family. It was to some degree tiring though – travel with family is often not about relaxation. We did go to Scotland though.

On the train to Mallaig

I went on one solo cruise on a ship called the Royal Clipper, and then I went on two more – one, another Transatlantic, on Celebrity Silhouette as a “first vacation since COVID,” and one on Queen Victoria at the edge of winter to Spain and Portugal. That last one was in many ways the best – we, meaning we and not my daughters, visited a number of different interesting ports and towns in Spain and Portugal. This is really where we established our cruising habits and learned some lessons.

Always dine in port

Always dine in port, because the food in port is one of the strongest identifiers of a culture.

Always give yourself downtime. Don’t attempt to try every event on the ship. Remember, if you’re on a ship for more than a week, just as you do with work at home you also need a day off to sleep in, rest, and relax. Also, don’t drink heavily before a day where the captain is telling you that you will have rough seas.

Sunset

And move into your cabin. Act as if you own it. Find that one spot on the ship you find relaxing and keep coming back to it. Watch the sunset, watch the waves change day after day. Look for whales and dolphins. And enjoy yourself.

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Categories Travel Logistics

Practice Packing

December 8, 2025 //
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As a run-up to our January expedition I have been trying to track if anything is missing from my needed inventory for packing. End result, I have been asking myself questions such as “I don’t know if I have enough pairs of long johns” or “Do I have enough outer layers that are presentable for lunch in the main dining room on a day where I am layering so as to rush outside to look for penguins and whales?” Anyway, it ended up being laundry day, so as part of the process I spread my long cruise suitcase out on the bed and as I folded clothing I stacked what I needed carefully or not so carefully in my suitcase and did an assessment. Do I have everything? Will everything fit?

The process

The short answer is I do have everything. The longer answer is maybe I do not or should not pack everything. I put too many heavy shirts in there, too many pairs of jeans, the right amount of khakis, a suit, probably the proper amount of underwear, more than enough running shirts and yoga shirts, and an extra swimsuit. As I have unlimited laundry even though I am packing for three climates I don’t need as much.

The suitcase wouldn’t close

It wouldn’t close. It would close when I zipped out the expanders, but even in business class that puts me in penalty zone. It’s still within weight limit (69 pounds, not over 70 pounds) but my winter coat isn’t in there yet. It’s beyond size limit (62 inches total length plus width plus depth including wheels) but not beyond extra size limit (65 inches). It’s clear what I need to do.

Standing suitcase, 69 pounds, three inches too wide

I need to remove a quarter of what I packed and I need to add a duffel for extras on the return trip.

Anyway. I am not a fan of packing early, nor am I a fan of practice packing, but this time was helpful. New strategy – plan to go over if necessary, but try not to on the trip outbound. Old strategy – pack a duffel bag.

Unladen Swallow

About my suitcase – $79 at Macy’s Backstage, bought for a thirteen day cruise two years ago (you can see if you zoom in on the label on the side). It may only last a few cruises, but that’s fine. Eventually I’ll get something better.

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Categories Travel Logistics