Gadling

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Win a Plantronics Bluetooth headset from Gadling! {Gadling}

Feb 2nd 2010 4:30PM Knee deep in the Atlantic Ocean.

Five reasons to leave your camera at home {Gadling}

Feb 2nd 2010 4:25PM Like Aristotle's philosophy that virtue is a mean between extremes, I think there is a mean between the extremes of leaving your camera at home and constantly snapping pictures. If you spend your life behind a camera, you miss out on fully experiencing what a camera doesn't capture, like the aromas and textures of a location. If you leave the camera behind, you miss out on a snapshot that captures your vantage point at a particular moment.

More people should take the approach of capturing memories on film without allowing it to take over a vacation. Travel should be more about experiencing new things and less about filling up camera cards. When you see something beautiful or unique that you want to photograph, go for it! But if you're clicking away every other step, chances are that you're losing the full effect of appreciating your surroundings.

Practice good photography etiquette, include those traveling with you in your images, and don't let the camera come between you and enjoying your location. Mental pictures are important, too!

Big Island Hawaii: A budget travel guide {Gadling}

Jan 27th 2010 12:13PM I have to disagree with the author's suggestion of driving around the entire island in one day. Compared to the other Hawaiian Islands, the Big Island is enormous. And unlike the continental U.S. in the summer, it gets dark fairly early in Hawaii. There's no way to do all of the things suggested in one day. If you're going to sink the money into a trip to the Big Island, do yourself a favor and give yourself time to enjoy the place. You will wear yourself out trying to make the circle trip in one day. Don't speed through Volcanoes National Park or whiz by Hilo. A lot of people stay a few nights in a hotel around Kona or Kohala and then a few nights in a hotel on the East side, around Hilo or Volcano. If you really want to spend all of your nights in the same hotel, split the island in half based on your location and do half of your sightseeing on one day and half on another. It will allow you much more time to make all of the stops on your list and it will save your sanity and keep you from spending hours on a rainy two-lane road trying to get back to your hotel without falling asleep at the wheel.

All beaches in Hawaii are public, even those fronting hotels, so you don't have to be a guest to enjoy a beach at a resort. But keep in mind that much of the coastline on the Big Island is volcanic rock, not white sand. The best place to stay for that is along the Kohala Coast.

Gadling giveaway - publish your first book with FastPencil {Gadling}

Jan 21st 2010 4:55PM Trip of a Lifetime

Big Island Hawaii: The Resorts of the Kohala Coast {Gadling}

Jan 8th 2010 11:52AM My husband and I spent five nights of our honeymoon at the Waikoloa Beach Marriott. Of the three properties we stayed in while in Hawaii, this was our least favorite. We had an affordable package that included a rental car and ocean view room (which had a poor view, compared to the other ocean view and partial ocean view rooms we were in), so it didn't break our budget as many of the other properties in Kohala would have. We liked that the pools and hot tubs were open 24/7, enjoyed the turtles in A-Bay, and had a great time at the luau. But there was only one dining option on-site, the business center was terrible, and the room layout was really awkward. It was definitely a disappointment after our five-night stay at the Marriott property in Lihue, Kauai.

Galley Gossip: A flight attendant responds to the first class orange juice debacle {Gadling}

Dec 11th 2009 3:53PM Heather,

I read the entire post on Consumerist and wondered if the warning slip was issued because the passenger refused to go with the FA and speak to her privately when she asked him to do so. Do you think it's possible that THAT was the reason for the warning slip? Would not complying with a FA request like this one (being asked to leave your seat to speak privately about something) be grounds for getting this kind of warning? Obviously, this is a rare situation. I've never had a bad experience with a FA, let alone something that sounds as awful as this. What advice would you give to a passenger if they're ever in this type of situation? If you'd been that passenger yourself, would you have just done as she asked to try to assuage the situation?

PS - I've enjoyed your blog for a long time now. Whether or not I agree with you 100%, I always love reading what you have to say! Keep up the good work!

Tips for tippers: it isn't what you expect {Gadling}

Nov 18th 2009 1:02PM I agree that you shouldn't tip for something that you don't use. However, keep in mind that you should leave some kind of tip if the room was neat and tidy upon your arrival. Someone cleaned it since the last guest was there and someone will straighten it up after your departure. So if you are declining maid service during your stay, you shouldn't have to tip each day, but be sure to leave a tip just before you check out.

Galley Gossip: 5 tips for getting through airport security quickly {Gadling}

Nov 17th 2009 4:42PM On our island-hopping honeymoon this year, my husband and I found out quickly that "standard operating procedure" isn't so standard with security at different U.S. airports. (Nine takeoffs and landings and six different airports...we saw a lot in two weeks!) Shoes go on the bin. No! They go on the belt! No! They go in the bin! In some airports, we pushed the bags from the table onto the belt. In others, the TSA person at the X-ray machine did it and gave you a dirty look if you tried to do it yourself.

Bottom line, come to the airport on time, be prepared, and follow instructions. Don't spend all of your time daydreaming while standing in line. Pay attention to what is going on ahead of you so as not to hold anyone up. Just because you did it a certain way on your last flight or at a different airport doesn't mean it will all be the same on your next trip through security.