What Kind of a Traveler Am I Anyhow? Part One: Packing

I can be a bit of a kook actually. Sometimes I’m frighteningly calm, other times I’m manic. Doesn’t traveling amplify all of our crazy, quirky, compulsive traits? Travel can be about totally letting go, but it’s also about zeroing in on the most minute details. For me, I love being in this mode of complete bipolarity when it comes to touring and discovery. But when it concerns the logistics of travel—planes and packing, for example—it can make me nuts. Or I just respond with a total laissez-faire attitude that can potentially make others around me go ballistic.

Let’s take packing. I’m from the bring-a-wide-selection-so-that-you-have-a-choice mindset. That’s totally Old School, especially with the baggage surcharges enforced by the airlines today. It’s tough though since I love to look my best when traveling and that often means switching out handbags and shoes along with a few different sweaters and a couple of coats. (We’re already approaching the limit here.) I had a near breakdown when I traveled to the east coast in September which prompted a major intervention I performed on myself (in the privacy of my bedroom, thank goodness) when I prepared for a second east coast trip in October. I don’t know what I was thinking, but I almost choked at the United counter in September when I had to pay $75. for two bags that I hadn’t even registered online. And that was just for the outbound segment. What made it worse was that I was to be spending most of my time in beach communities in Virginia Beach and The Outer Banks. How much room could a couple of bathing suits, sandals and assorted casual wear take up? This is pathetic, I thought to myself at check in. Granted I had a heavy silk dress and jacket packed in there for a wedding I was to attend (with, of course, the requisite matching sandals and bag). I was cursing my boyfriend, Steve, to myself for having urged me to take my sneakers. (Now that’s a space eater if there ever was one—who walks on the beach in sneaks anyway?) I had also thrown in my hairdryer since it appeared I might be without one for a bit. (Who travels with a hairdryer these days?) And my toiletry case ended up being the joke of our ten-day trip since it was stuffed with twenty some odd bottles (mini, but still), containing my prized potions and lotions that I presumably couldn’t live without. Now really? My God, an intervention was definitely in order. Clearly I hadn’t followed my own packing tips outlined here.

I know better. But an overflow of stress, combined with a what-the-hell kind of attitude provoked me to throw all my stuff into one suitcase, a duffle bag and two carry ons. I schlepped this proliferation of possessions from plane, to car, to another car, to taxi, to bus (yes, even on the Greyhound; read Riding the Bus), then to more car, plane and car, cursing myself the whole way. You get the idea.

I swore I’d never do that again. And so I haven’t, at least not on my October trip back east. I followed my own advice and cut my wardrobe selection in half and let it hang on door handles in my room for a few days before departure. Then I thought more about all—accessories and toiletries included—and neatly folded my trim little selection into my suitcase the morning of my departure. Phew! The intervention had worked. Plus I had registered my one bag online within the twenty-four-hour period allowed. Boy was I feeling mighty!

Suddenly I’m struck with that panicky feeling again, a strange sort of anxiety brought on by pre-departure packing plans. I’m leaving tomorrow with Steve on an almost week-long jaunt to Colorado Springs. He’s the General Manager at Mountain Lodge in Telluride and he’ll be attending the annual Colorado Hotel and Lodging Association conference at The Broadmoor. I’ll be joining him at a few events in search of story ideas and more. I already had my wardrobe planned in my head (and on my door knobs), thinking I’d draw from some combination of Rocky Mountain casual and Parisian chic. (It is The Broadmoor after all.) Then suddenly he tells me he’d like to add on a day of skiing on the return trip. “Oh, sure, sure, that’s great,” I said. But then I thought about having to pack my ski pants and ski jacket, mittens, hat, the whole shabang. I had already been wondering where my skis and ski boots were located since I didn’t see them in my storage area in Montrose, an hour and a half from where I live, when I went to pick up my winter things there ten days ago. I’ve been meaning to check my other storage area in Telluride as well as my ski locker at the mountain. My heart quickened. I’ve been on the verge of throwing Getting Ready for Ski Season: Part Two into motion, but now I need to get it into full activation mode. (Fortunately I’m already well into Getting Ready for Ski Season: Part One.)

Jeez, this is really confusing. And then I wonder how many other people go through these kinds of mind games regarding travel. Our supposedly more relaxed lifestyle of The West can be thrown a curve ball when you add on “just one day of skiing” to a business trip/elegant romantic getaway. One would think I’d be a professional traveler and could handle any scenario. When I’m in full ski instructor mode I sometimes sleep in my long underwear, get up, have breakfast, wash my face, brush my teeth and fly out the door to the mountain in near record time. But this travel combo so early in the season almost seems daunting. I take a deep breath and remember all the calming words I uttered to myself during my little intervention. Ssssh, ssssh, ssssh, stop, I say to myself. So what if I have to take two different pairs of mittens, socks and a variety of layers in order to be properly prepared for any type of weather for our one day of skiing, our maiden voyage of the ski season. I can handle it, I tell myself. And you won’t bring more than one file along with your laptop, I add on, almost as an afterthought. Can it be a fat one? I ask myself pleadingly. All right, all right.

Thankfully Steve, who travels considerably for his work, is no better than me. Actually worse, I think. On our east coast trip in September, he also checked two bags and a guitar! I’m not altogether sure what he had packed in his duffels but he mumbled something about his wetsuit and booties taking up a lot of room. Like my hairdryer, his wetsuit, booties and guitar were used only once during the entire trip. He employed his surfboard considerably more but that he leaves stashed back east. I wouldn’t think of doing a packing intervention on him. In any event, I love the fact that I travel with a guy that brings more stuff than me.

I wonder how it will be for us this trip.  I’m already beginning to feel slightly superior after my October test, despite my sporadic mind chatter that has raised some new packing insecurities.  We are driving and neither of us has to worry about baggage allotments.  Hmmmmm.  Oh dear, I sense a binge coming on.

14 Oct 2009, 1:53pm
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Mid-Atlantic Discoveries: Virginia Beach

VB Hotspot:  The Sexy SkyBar

VB Hotspot: The Sexy SkyBar

I have to admit I’m more of a Saint-Tropez kind of gal, so I felt somewhat wary about the idea of spending time at Virginia Beach, a destination that conjured up images of guys in muscle shirts and girls romping about in wet T-shirt contests on the beach.  But it made sense for me to park myself there for a few days until my boyfriend, Steve, came by to pick me up for our trip to the Outer Banks.  He had actually lived in VB for a while nearly two decades ago and his curiosity about the evolution of this major resort town encouraged me to check it out.

Both of us ended up being quite impressed by this super beach-y destination.

And who wouldn’t be?  The Atlantic is gorgeous here.  It stretches out as far as the eye can see and comes crashing in with big tumbling waves.  I love the vastness of the ocean but I find it even more interesting when there’s activity on the water and here, at practically the mouth of Chesapeake Bay, there’s plenty to see.  Cruise ships, barges, immense freighters and all kinds of pleasure boats pass by at varying distances from the horizon, providing endless hours of entertainment, especially for a landlubber like me.

Neptune's Statue on the Boardwalk

Neptune's Statue on the Boardwalk

The beach and boardwalk tract the coast for some three miles here.  My biggest decisions revolved around whether I’d walk on the expansive sandy beach or meander along the impeccably maintained boardwalk.  Now that’s vacation mode.  Most of the time I ended up doing a combination of both.  The scene at both locales percolated with locals and visitors alike doing all the fun things you do at the beach.  And yes, I saw a number of muscle men, but more in the form of super fit guys jogging, walking and roller blading along the boardwalk.  Few posers here.  This is the real deal since Naval Air Station (NAS) Oceana, our country’s largest naval facility is located in VB and I can assure you that all of these military dudes and dudettes appear more than fit to serve.  The locals overall look as taut and tight as most Coloradans.  This is a beach community after all.

The tourists seem more concerned with gorging themselves in one of the many restaurants, bars, ice cream shops and various other eateries along the beach.  And VB is their oyster when it comes to choosing their preferred form of temptation.  There’s something for every taste and pocketbook and most scintillate with a brightly-colored decor that offers outstanding views of the beach.

VB Ocean Beach Club Penthouse

VB Ocean Beach Club Penthouse

Far from a tired old beach town, Virginia Beach pops and bubbles with beautiful places of lodging as well.  The Virginia Beach Ocean Beach Club is one such place and I felt so content here that it was hard to tear myself away from the sunny interior of my eighth floor abode that plunged over the ocean.  The crash of the waves on the beach lulled me to sleep and I snatched every possible moment to sit on my balcony high above the activity below.  Morning meant gazing down at early risers strolling on this vast playland of freshly raked beach.  I sipped tea (hot and iced) bemused by pods of dolphins that frolicked in the surf throughout the day.  In the evening I savored white wine staring down at this constantly animated tableau and one night I even worked on my laptop from my little perch.  The combined glow from the moon and my computer screen will never be forgotten.

VB Ocean Beach Club at Dusk

VB Ocean Beach Club at Dusk

A little investigating led me to unearth lots of charm amidst all this newness.  Of course the quaintness of the beach never waned, but I delighted in discovering some small, soulful places that clearly rank as locals’ best-loved establishments.  I peeked into Pelon’s Baja Grill, a surfers’ favorite, the first day I arrived, yet sadly never made it back for some of their renowned fish tacos and guacamole.  I picked up some excellent take out instead from Taste nearby and brought it back to my surf-side enclave.  I also longed to experience the old beach house interiors of Doc Taylor’s and Tautogs, but opted out of eating there as well since the beach beckoned.  (I swear I’ll return to Doc Taylor’s some day, especially for their crab crêpe with veggies topped with Hollandaise sauce.)  Steve and I did, however, grab breakfast at The Belvedere Coffee Shop, a real classic that hasn’t changed since the days when he would come here with his buddies before a day in the surf.  The Belvedere is a totally unpretentious diner that offers fantastic views of the ocean and tasty eggs cooked to order.

Rockfish, a must-see for anyone that has a love for the Beatles, presents more great vistas of the beach.  After having studied the plethora of Beatles’ memorabilia here (one of the largest in the world), I was happy to sit outside and gaze at the VB Fishing Pier over their lighter version of scrumptious She-crab soup (a sort of bisque) and Pina Colada.  She loves you, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Steve arrived for my last night and I was excited to show him all that I had discovered at Virginia Beach Oceanfront.  We strolled along the boardwalk, his eyes widening as though he was seeing it all for the first time.  We stopped in front of the many different points of interests—-extraordinary statues and the like—that were erected at each intersection of a street along the Boardwalk.  He was amazed at how far this once shabby beach town had come, how handsomely the oceanfront had been developed over the past ten years or so.  We lingered at the Neptune Plaza for a while where free concerts are performed nightly to a highly animated crowd.  We poked in at The Jewish Mother, an institution of sorts known for hosting performers such as Dave Matthews and Dr. John (before they became big).  Steve informed me that it hadn’t changed an ounce since his college days but we learned that it is slated to take over new digs in 2010.  (This is likely a good thing since to me it looked like too much of a dive.)  Their eight-inch tall carrot cake, however, tempted me greatly but we were in search of a more romantic venue.

We found our bliss at the SkyBar, the wraparound pool bar that opens at 10 p.m. on top of the Hilton.  Apparently it’s only open to hotel guests, but that alone would give me reason to stay there.  Part Miami, part Marrakesh, part (yes) Saint-Tropez, the look of the SkyBar is sexy and alluring.  As soon as the doors opened, we busted onto the scene, took one look around and threw down my jacket on one of their many double-wide loungers that punctuate their pool deck.  After doing the 360-degree tour, we opted for a lounger within the indoor pool area.  It was nearing late September by now and the ocean breeze cast a chill in the air.  Inside felt like a tropical paradise.  We sipped strawberry daiquiris and lounged in each others’ arms amidst piles of white terry towels, many of which were rolled up into perfect bolsters.  Steve moved to take off his shirt until I suggested we not become quite so comfy.  As much as we were enjoying each other, we didn’t miss a minute of the action that played out before us.  House music blared and fashionable folks slithered by as though they were mingling at a mixer on the beach.

I wondered how many people had ended up in the pool after a couple of hours of partying.  Undoubtedly a few.  If so, VB’s wet T-shirt exhibitions have certainly come a long way.  Steve and I vowed to come back to take in even more next time.

SkyBar and Its Infinity Pool by Day

SkyBar and Its Infinity Pool by Day

Virginia Beach Ocean Beach Club, 3401 Atlantic Avenue, 757-213-0601 or 800-245-1003, www.vboceanbeachclub.com

Hilton, 3001 Atlantic Avenue, 757-213-3000, www.Hilton.com/VirginiaBeach; SkyBar is open Friday and Saturday nights from 10 p.m.-1:30 a.m. throughout the season (which goes at least until October 31st when they’ll have a Fire & Ice Halloween Party—ooo la la!). SkyBar memberships are also available inside Catch 31, the showcase restaurant of the Hilton, for $100.

Pelon’s Baja Grill, 3619 Pacific Avenue, 757-417-3970, www.pelonsbajagrill.com

Taste, 36th & Pacific Avenue, 757-422-3399, www.tasteunlimited.com

Doc Taylor’s Restaurant, 207 23rd Street, 757-425-1960

Tautogs, 205 23rd Street, 757-422-0081, www.tautogs.com

Belvedere Coffee Shop, 3601 Atlantic Avenue, 757-425-0613

Rockfish Boardwalk Bar and Sea Grill, 1601 Atlantic Avenue, 757-213-7625, www.phrinc.com/restaurants/rockfish

The Jewish Mother, 3108 Pacific Avenue, 757-422-5430, www.jewishmother.com


More Fun

Pocahontas Pancake & Waffle Shop, Atlantic Aveune & 35th Street, 757-428-6352, www.pocahontaspancakes.com; loved the kitschy decor and will definitely return some day for their griddlecakes.

Whalebone, 1616 Laskin Road #748B, 757-437-8141, www.whalebonesurfshop.com; the place to shop for surfboards and surf attire, particularly ultra-cool T-shirts.

Coastal Edge, 2122 Atlantic Avenue, 757-491-9017, www.coastaledge.com; a super-popular surf and skate shop with numerous locations in Virginia Beach.

Forbes Candies, 2318 Atlantic Avenue, 757-425-5173, www.forbescandies.com; an Old School candy company that continues to make yummy saltwater taffy and other treats in big copper pots.

28 Sep 2009, 1:51pm
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Mid-Atlantic Discoveries: Baltimore

Historic Fell's Point

Historic Fell’s Point

When my boyfriend, Steve, asked me to accompany him to his brother’s wedding on the Outer Banks of North Carolina, I didn’t expect that the trip would grow into such a big travel week (actually more like ten days).  But I should have known that that would be the case since the travel writer in me itched for new experiences and, of course, it takes more doing than one flight to reach the Outer Banks from Telluride.  It’s rare that I can go to a place and just BE; instead I seek to live it fully, gathering all kinds of information along the way, jotting down notes, doing what I can to find the story.

We flew from Denver to Baltimore and since I had never visited this major hub, I decided it was a must-see.  It did not disappoint me in the slightest.  We stayed our first night together on the east coast at The Admiral Fell Inn, a historic property on Fell’s Point, Baltimore’s original port and Maryland’s first National Historic District.  (The area was spared destruction in the late sixties after a grassroots effort prevented construction of a highway plumb through this now happening neighborhood.  Can you imagine?)

Once dominated by ship building and commerce, today Fell’s Point is a charming harbor side district characterized by centuries-old buildings, eclectic shops, lively taverns and cobbled streets made from bricks of granite used for ship ballast.  Goods once flowed through the wharves and warehouses of Fell’s Point with as many as eighteen shipyards operating in the area, building hundreds of vessels.  Many of these structures have recently been converted into fun spaces for people to live and play; others, such as the taverns, have existed for ages.  

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Biarritz Beauty

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Vacation rentals have been experiencing tremendous growth from Telluride to Tokyo–the key is to make sure you land one that delights you. That means it’s a good idea to consider verified guest reviews for the properties you’re considering and FlipKey, a vacation rental service largely owned by TripAdvisor, provides that and more.

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