Only things you need to know about LA

We just returned from a quick three-day jaunt to sunny southern california. We just had to escape the cold and opted to head out to LA and see some friends. LA is, well, LA. It's big, its obnoxious, it has great weather.

In just 60 hours on we can sum LA up in just a few points:

• Traffic is as big of a deal as you read about. We knew this having been to LA many times so never planned any events that would take us 20 miles to get there. Except on our last day we drove up the coast and decided to end the day in Hermosa Beach. From Malibu Canyon to the south bay on paper is just an easy 30 minutes on the freeway. Traffic at 2PM on a Saturday on the 101 and 405 was agonizing. If only in LA a few days, pick an area of town that interests you most and...stay there.
• Do not travel east at evening rush. That's the easiest rule to follow.
• Valet is everywhere. Even the smallest coffee shop has a private lot and a mandatory valet service. We encountered this at every. single. restaurant.
• Parking meters are always broke. If you chose to find street parking, expect the meter to be broken. We only encountered one working meter in at least 10 street parkings.
• LA has a 'town' for every ethnic culture. Thai town, Koreatown, Little Tokyo, Little Armenia. And that is just a 10 mile drive down Sunset.
• In 'n Out makes the best burgers. Only fast food I will eat and always the first thing we do off the plane.

Enjoy your trip!

Tips for not being 'that guy' at the airport

We all know our rights as travelers have decreased so much so that soon we'll all be flying naked, strapped to our seats, and paying for recycled oxygen. But unless you plan to subscribe to something someone coined called a staycation (and why would you), you probably have to board a plane whether you want to or not. Don't be that guy while in security or boarding the plane and take these tips with you to the airport next time:

• Pack light. Type how to pack light into google and you are bound to get more responses than you know what to do with, but honestly, it's simple. Pack with layers in mind. You can wear a pair of jeans more than once, and you can pack a top that one day is layered under a jacket and another is by itself. Only the most astute concierges will notice. Two outfits in one. This is just an example but think of creative ways to spare yourself checked luggage and those pesky fees by packing lesser clothing items.


• Wear your heaviest outfit on the plane. Easy if traveling in the winter, harder if your destination climate is warmer than your departure. Either way, wear the heaviest clothing on you so that you don't have to pack it. You can always stuff your jacket or sweater in the overhead once everyone has stowed their luggage.


• Wear your jacket or blazer on the plane. When going through security, we're asked to declare every penny and jewelry item. Why not come prepared and while waiting take everything and stick it in your jacker or blazer pockets? Put your outerwear on the conveyor belt with your shoes and save yourself (and others) time emptying your pockets when it is your turn.


• Don't wear tennies on the plane. Wear slip on shoes and you'll save yourself the time having to re-tie your shoes after TSA Agent Smartypants gives you the go-ahead.


• Get in line at the gate as soon as the last person for the group before you gets there. In other words, if you are labeled in Group 6, watch carefully for Group 5 passengers to finish lining up and then be the first. Or do what I do and just go with Group 5. You'll get to your seat first but won't hold up folks needing to get by - hopefully. This doesn't apply to airlines like Southwest, but then again, I never fly those clowns.


• Please, for the love of god, store your bag closest to your row and wait to put in your jacket. With baggage fees, everyone is bringing their possessions on-board. Be courteous and store your item near your row. Plus, wait until everyone has been seated and their luggage stowed before you put your 15lb down jacket. You can always mold and fold it above your own bag or between two others.

I haven't checked a bag in 5 years and will roll my eyes still at that guy who tries to bring on a 36oz bottle of shampoo or has to take off his jacket, put away his keys and untie his shoes in security. So take this advice and hopefully you can have a more enjoyable, speedy trip!

Zipline / Canopy Tour

A friend text messaged me today and asked about "that tour you guys did where you glided by a rope over the trees." Zipline, I responded. Taking a zipline tour is still one of my most memorable excursions while on vacation. The feeling is altogether unique and with the proper safety gear easy for even your grandmother to do.

We partook in a tour while traveling in Roatan, Honduras. Some tours are short, 5-6 line adventures, and others longer such as the one we enjoyed. We started literally at the top of a mountain and ziplined down through the rainforest to the beach. Fantastic experience.

Highly recommend this if you visit somewhere this is available. There is a lot information online. Start here.

Santorini, if we can fit

 

So we arrived in Santorini aboard the high-speed ferry from Piraeus. In April, few of the passengers were tourists. Most were Greek families visiting the island for the weekend. Or maybe a Athenian visiting a friend. Or shop and hotel owners returning to the island to get ready for the season.

Nevertheless, in Greece, the ferries are such a typical mode of transport, that they can disembark as fast as a New York city bus. It became apparent quickly as we gathered our luggage for our own weekend stay that everyone was focused and ready to go when we docked.

In my travel planning, I suspected that Santorini's port, despite its small size, would have plenty of transportation options into town. The port is at the bottom of one the steep cliffs. I assumed it would resemble many other Mediterranean or Caribbean island ports I had visited with a mad chaos of taxis pushing for your business, mopeds whizzing off and small 6 person vans-turned-buses. People milling about negotiating fares and if were were lucky, some kind of organization to the mess. Boy was I ever wrong.


Upon stepping off the huge ferry, the literally hundreds of passengers disappeared. As if they all dove into the ocean. Everyone apparently had something pre-arranged as every small van was loaded and took off. Family members drove down to great their loved ones. Only a half-dozen or so taxis filled quickly. A few moped rental agencies, an Avis office and a hotel and restaurant or two were located on the water but little else.


I quickly discovered that I, Mr Itinerary, had no plan. All we needed was a ride up the hill and into Firá town. As we stood there looking like bumbling tourists with our - albeit light - luggage, we wondered what our options were. Renting a moped with the bags was out of the question. Avis could be a fall back but we didn't need a car. As soon as the concern set in, a pushy Greek taxi driver approached me to inquire if we needed a ride. We breathed a sigh of relief as he ushered us to the last Mercedes wagon waiting on the dock. When we got closer we discovered there were already five people in the back seat and one in front. He grabbed our luggage and threw it into the battered rack atop the car and opened the front passenger door. Is this guy serious?

We were desperate. I climbed into the front and squeezed the already-seated patron towards the middle of the front bench seat. The driver climbed in. My wife proceeded to climb aboard seated on my lap. In the front seat. Up a steep cliff. Sure enough, we were off. Luckily we arrived into the heart of Firá unscathed. My heart returned to it's resting rate and we paid the man a few Euros and wished him well.


The weekend proved to be well worth the troubles and our return journey was, sufficit to say, much less concerning. (We flew back to Athens!) Next time, we'll be the first one off the ferry.