Dakota Jones's Blog
Posted by Dakota Jones
Sarongs pack down to just about nothing. You need several on any warm-weather trip to add flexibility and fashion to your beachwear or cruise attire.
Beach Sarong - this is the typical cover-up sarong. Wear over your bathing suit when lounging or walking. This should be a sarong that can take little use and still look pretty. Pick a fabric that's wrinkle-free so there's no need to iron anything on your vacation. The beach sarong fabric can go sheer, semi-sheer or downright opaque for sun blocking.
Dress Sarong - this is one that can double as a nice casual evening-out on the cruise ship or the beach hotel area. Use as a skirt, pashmina or even as a simple, shift-style dress. You can find a nice silk sarong, one that is textured, or has little beads/trim/embroidery work. Something classy will serve you well.
Hiking Sarong - Any large, opaque square of cloth you can use to protect yourself from the sun. Put under your hat for extra body shade, over your shoulders if you are wearing a tank top, wet it and place around your neck for keeping cool, or simply hike with it as a skirt. I am KNOWN for hiking in a sarong. It's really, really cooling to go...um..."commando" when trail hiking on a hawaiian island...
Posted by Dakota Jones
The Body Shop had an end of summer sale, and I bought the Sarong Pareo. Since The Body Shop is a cosmetics store, they don't have a dressing room. It's like that at stores not in the business of selling clothes. :-)
When their lovely aqua sarong that I had been eyeing went on sale, it was cheap enough, but I still wanted to try the thing out.
It's easy to put a sarong on over your clothes. Then you simply hop up and down in the face-level mirror, to try to see what it looks like as a full-body casual beach dress. I actually pulled out one of their makeover stools to see more of myself in the lame non-body length mirror. The Body Shop people didn't much like that but contented themselves with throwing me odd glances instead of shooing me out the door.
I've put on clothes over my clothes in so many places it's like a habit. I've done it at Goodwill, at tourist shops, at The Territory Ahead and even Tommy Bahamas. Sometimes it's because there is no dressing room to speak of...and sometimes I am just too darned lazy to look for one, take off my clothes,or be pestered by salespeople.
It even works, to some extent, since you can see if the clothing is too large, too tight, or the wrong length for you. If you know you like the style and color, it's a good way to shop quickly.
It isn't "sa-rong" to not get nekkid all the time. Sometimes it's even "sa-right".
Okay, I know that joke sucked. Sorry. These things happen. You can go read about my new, lovely Body Shop Sarong Pareo now.
Posted by Dakota Jones
Everyone says duty-free this and that, but do you really know what it means? Even I wasn't exactly sure, so I looked it up.
Yahoo.com answers: What's the deal with duty-free shopping?. The Wikipedia only has a "stub" on this topic, so don't bother exploring their definition at this time.
Basically, duty free shops, found in airports and on cruise ships, peddle wares that aren't technically imported into any country. They don't have to pay import taxes. So they can sell their goods more cheaply to you. You still pay tax, but it's usually a screaming deal if you play your credit cards right.
Go back and read that Yahoo article about your personal exemption, and keep your inbound purchses under a certain amount, as per your destination country's rules.
Also, know your prices. Not all shops play the cheaper-than-retail game. Caveat emptor, and have fun!
Posted by Dakota Jones
The day after transatlantic terror was squelched, the news showed travelers dumping their expensive liquid cargo right in the trash. Fine wines, Dior perfumes, spendy, trendy Perricone facial serums. Hundreds of shopping dollars a person in many, many cases.
Now flight-destined consumers are wiser...but duty free shops are suffering. Alcohol and perfume vendors are the hardest-hit, since those little luxuries often sell at steeply discounted prices at duty-free shops, as compared to the open retail market.
Courant.com reports: Airport Duty-Free Shops Hurt By Terror Alert. And also Business Week: A Dilemma for Duty-Free Shops. Check out MSNBC's take: Duty Free Shops Hard Hit.
Still planning a duty-free airport or cruiseline shopping spree?
You can still get your duty free goody bags back home. Here is the link to my Cruise/Island Travel article on three hints for getting your goods back home.
Posted by Dakota Jones
Flip flops rule. They are almost weightless, usually inexpensive, protect the feet from warts, broken glass, fishing hooks, live creatures with pincers, wood slivers and hot sand...they even look cute on the feet. This is a no-brainer. I love those.
I say, go hog wild on the flip flops. Get a pair of basic thongs that you find comfortable for walking, get a fancy pair (imagine rhinestones or flowers) for the trendy beach cafes, and have a wildly adorable pair (think hot pink? Or a pair to match your sarong/sun hat/new tatoo?) for lounging purposes, wherever you wish to be seen.
Usually my articles recommend you pack wisely for vacationing, but in this case the items are so packable that you really can overdo it and not pay usual overpacking price.
And, even if you forget to pack a pair or three, you can generally pick up an inexpensive/cute pair of flip flops at your cruise or beach destination.
Posted by Dakota Jones
Always stow a soft cotton or canvas tote bag inside your luggage. They fold down to nothing and have no real weight. There are endless uses you will find on your cruise or beach trip for, well..."toting" your books, water bottle, sunscreen and miscellany...for carrying a spare change of clothes (ie - for after swimming or for casual evening wear)....for shopping excursions and shore leave.
Don't forget how handy the tote will come in AFTER the trip, for carrying all the extra goodies you bought that just won't fit in your luggage.
Posted by Dakota Jones
Destination wedding invites don't have to be traditional...or, er...boring. Give some thought to your paper Save the Dates and RSVP-ables. Get a little origami how-to book, or experiment on your own perfectly themed invites.
A few ideas: make your invites shaped like airplanes, boats or even cranes...depending on just where your destination is...as in, flying to an island, cruising on a ship, or even to an Asian-themed wedding location (for the folded cranes idea).
Almost anyone can make a folded airplane, which is quite frankly perfect and pretty cute for a destination wedding.
Posted by Dakota Jones
We'll tackle packing first - the basics on what to bring, in a nutshell. Then we'll deconstruct this list, category by category. Here's the starter article on Cruise Packing Basics.