Category Archives: Cool Tools
Cool Tools: AirBNB
(example of a condo you can rent in Hawaii) My friend Grace, who lives in a one-bedroom in NYC’s Chinatown, was suddenly deluged with family coming in to visit: her mother and father, her sister, her sister’s husband, her sister’s … Continue reading
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Cool Tools: FlightViewApp
I got an iPhone. Did I ever mention that? In October, we all caved. Me, Jon, my sister, her husband. We had been flip-phones, sans camera (well, Jon had a camera but no picture-sending ability in his phone plan), for … Continue reading
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In the Suitcase: travel vouchers
So I headed to Austin this weekend for the notorious South by Southwest film/ music/ interactive conference, where the world’s hippest and geekiest self-proclaimed techie heads in their skinny jeans, derby hats and Ipads all jetted in. It is such a … Continue reading
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Cool Tools: Registering with the State Department
My travel health advisor (the one who injected me with yellow fever so I won’t get it abroad) mentioned a Cool Tool: the State Department registry. You register yourself and any upcoming trips with as much information as you’d like … Continue reading
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Cool Tools: Mom’s Minivan!
Oh no! It’s summertime and you have to pile the kids into the car for a roadtrip to Grandma’s. And your car doesn’t have a newfangled DVD player anchored to the ceiling! What are you going to do! Or perhaps, … Continue reading
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Cool Tools: Jetsetter.com
So you’re a “budget” traveler like me, which is a euphemistic way of saying we’re cheap. Rather, I’d like to think of it as being “practical” or “reasonable” or, mostly, “not being ripped off”. “Cheap” implies that I would put … Continue reading
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Cool Tools: The portable safe!
Guidebooks and people are always warning about valuables on trips. “Make sure you lock them in the hotel safe!” is a popular piece of advice. Well, if you’re a budgety traveler like I am and sometimes stay in places that … Continue reading
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Cool Tools: Airport gyms finder
I’m sure many entrepreneurs have been salivating over this idea: a chain of gyms across airports for those with long layovers or a delayed flight. Easy, right? Rope off an area or lease space in an airport or several spaces … Continue reading
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Cool Tools: Miles or buy?
My friend John was debating on Facebook whether he and his partner should spend $200 each on a plane ticket or 12.5K miles for a flight from Chicago to San Francisco. Lots of opinions came in, mostly – “no! spend … Continue reading
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Cool Tools: Hiding your valuables at the beach
Protecting your valuables on the beach is always a tricky deal: you want to bring your Ipod, your phone, your camera, plus your money and keys, but then one of your friends or family has to stay behind to guard … Continue reading
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