Linda Dini Jenkins from Travel Italy the Write Way

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Tips From Traveling Friends

I have a blogging friend whom I have never met, yet our thinking trains seem to often run along the same rails — and it happened again this week. I had planned to write a post about some items I’m adding to my travel closet stash, and Linda also wrote a post about the things that are on her travel must-have list.

Linda Dini Jenkins is a travel writer who blogs at Travel the Write Way. She offers tips about tourist destinations, and plans tours in Italy for small group travel. Here’s what she says about this week’s post.

“It’s trip planning season again. At least that’s what all my travel blog colleagues are writing about in their columns lately. This is the time of year, they say, when people start to plan for their annual holiday, especially if that holiday involves crossing oceans. To help potential travelers in their search, all kinds of lists are appearing to promote the top 10 beach destinations, the best European bargain spots, “undiscovered” this or that, and what you should or shouldn’t pack on said trip.”

Linda is also the author of a delightful travel memoir, entitled Up At the Villa: Travels with My Husband. I received this book as a gift from a friend who is also friends with Linda and her husband, and has traveled with them to Italy (see Kathy’s guest post here). For those of you who love travel diaries, this is a good one. You can purchase it at Linda’s web site.

Are you ready to jump over to Linda’s site to see what she thinks you need for your own packing and traveling? Wait just one minute so that I can show you what I’m going to buy for Music Man and me.

Image Credit: Amazon.com

Two New Accessories For Our Travel Stash

I have been struggling with how to attach various bags to my rolling suitcase without it getting drunk and toppling over from the shifting weight of my camera bag or my enormous Vera Bradley duffel. In one of my catalog walks, I found this ingenious bungee cord which is designed just for luggage! I’m buying it in the leopard print, but I’m also buying a black one for Music Man.

While traveling in France this year, I was eager to shop at the markets and took a folding shopping tote with me just in case. Here we are in Aix-en-Provence with our guide, Philip Haslett from Unique Provence Tours, carrying my tote (I decided to crop my friends out of this photo, as it wasn’t the most flattering of the thousands we shot). Until I saw these photos, I didn’t realize how garish my shopping tote was. It stood out like a sore thumb everywhere we went.

Image Credit

Then I saw these Reusable Shopping Totes on Amazon.com. They are exactly the same size as the one pictured, but I can order the combination of colors that suits me and Music Man from Amazon.com. Clearly we will choose a more muted set of colors than my electric blue tote that Philip is carrying.

Keep Your Passport Up to Date

Don’t forget that you need a passport that is good for at least six months after you return home from your trip outside of the United States. Don’t wait to the last minute to get yours renewed, or you may end up like a friend of mine who is waiting for Fedex today to bring her daughter’s passport for a trip to St. Lucia tomorrow. I really hope it comes. (Update: the passport arrived this morning. Whew!)

For More Travel Fun, Visit My Friends

In addition to featuring Linda at Travel Italy the Write Way today, I’m also linking up with Oh, the Places I’ve Been at The Tablescaper. I hope you will stop by and visit these fantastic bloggers!

Got my bags, got my reservations,
Spent each dime I could afford. 
Like a child in wild anticipation, 
I long to hear that, “All aboard!”

Music and lyrics by Bud Green, Les Brown and Ben Homer (1944)