Souvenir Tips
by S. Johnson (RSS feed) on Jun 22nd, 2010 at 5:23PM
Recently my mother presented me with three garbage bags full of t-shirts that she had cleaned out of the attic. T-shirts have always been my favorite travel souvenir. Many of them were sized for an eight year old and most were dreadfully stained, but I could hardly get rid of them. They were my mementos!
Instead of tossing them, I cut out all of the images and logos and made a travel quilt. The throw is a wonderful conversation piece, and now I have an excellent way to display all of my travel experiences.
[Photo: Flickr user
Zezebono]
by Cathleen Shaffer (RSS feed) on Jun 22nd, 2010 at 11:03AM
That White Sox hat you're wearing above your "I hiked the Grand Canyon" t-shirt may be a hot commodity in some countries. Many items we take for granted are both unique and highly sought-after in many foreign nations.
If you find something at a vendor's stall you like, offer that vendor something of yours in exchange for that good. Maybe he'd like your hat, or that extra shirt in your bag. While you're not allowed to bring a cache of items into a foreign country to sell, trading items you would normally have in your luggage is perfectly acceptable. No extra luggage room is needed -- and you don't need extra cash on hand, since you're swapping goods.
It's not icky to give someone the hat off your head! Trading souvenirs is fun; you get to interact with the locals; and you go home with souvenirs and a great story on how you acquired them.
[Photo: Flickr | Courtneysue75]
by Emma Larkins (RSS feed) on Jun 21st, 2010 at 5:23PM
It's been said that hand-drawn directions can be a window into the soul of a culture.
When you find yourself not knowing exactly where you're going, ask a local to draw directions for you. Keep a store of interesting napkins or papers and a pen on hand to take advantage of the opportunity of being lost.
Asking for directions might also lead you to start some great conversations and to gain a deeper insight into the locale you're visiting. Even if you have an excellent sense of direction, it never hurts to ask for clarification!
by Monica L. Williams (RSS feed) on Apr 30th, 2010 at 1:25PM
When buying souvenirs in a foreign country, be sure to pick up a copy of the local newspaper. Even if you don't speak the language printed, the newspaper makes interesting wrap for the gifts you'll take home.
Bonus points if the recipient is studying foreign languages, as
newspapers are good tools for practice.
by Natalie Kuchik (RSS feed) on Apr 29th, 2010 at 1:34PM
A great take-home and space-saving souvenir for wine lovers are corks from bottles you've enjoyed while traveling.
What to write on the cork is up to you, but I usually include the date, where, and with whom I drank the wine.
At home, purchase or salvage an empty vase, bowl, or jar and simply start keeping the wine corks in there. The cork-filled vase also passes for decoration over the fireplace or on a coffee table.
Over time you can re-visit your trips by pulling out a cork and reminisce about that day.
by Lance Wiedower (RSS feed) on Apr 28th, 2010 at 1:26PM
Have you ever tried to recount an exquisite meal from a trip a couple months prior, only to discover that you really can't remember that memorable meal?
Restaurants can help, as many of them provide their own unique "notebooks" to jot down those menu memories while they are happening: cocktail napkins and beer coasters.
Just make sure you carry an ink pen in your pocket or purse. When that fantastic bite of cheesecake or grilled lamb chops has your taste buds spinning, jot a few notes down on the napkin or coaster. It will make a perfect addition to your scrapbook.
Pro tip: note who was with you at that great meal, so you can reminisce with them later.
by Lance Wiedower (RSS feed) on Apr 27th, 2010 at 1:28PM
So, uh, let's say I have this friend. We'll say her name is Emily. Everywhere she travels she pulls out the same tacky Ricky Martin T-shirt, puts it on, and has someone snap her photo. Ricky in front of the Hollywood sign... Ricky at Machu Picchu... Ricky at the Vatican... you get the idea.
You don't have to use a Ricky Martin Tee, though. On your future travels, pack along a unique shirt -- or better yet, buy one on a trip -- and snap a photo wearing the shirt at all your favorite spots.
by Dan Cabacungan (RSS feed) on Apr 27th, 2010 at 1:26PM
Next time you unpack after a vacation, comb through your luggage to see what you've collected. Chances are, you'll find itineraries, attraction brochures, guidebooks, maps, local coins, postcards, matchbooks, ticket stubs, and even packaging from small purchases.
Arrange the most attractive pieces (you can enlarge them with a color copier) along with favorite photos, and mount them in a frame. Now you've got a conversation-piece and souvenir that reminds you of
what you did rather than what you bought.
Need a how-to for collages? Check out
Wikihow.
Want to frame your incidentals the easy way? Check out
AOL Shopping.
by Joyce Zee (RSS feed) on Apr 26th, 2010 at 1:32PM
It may seem strange, but something as simple as some hotel toiletries can be the best souvenir.
I still have my Mickey Mouse soap from the Old Key West Resort in Disney World, monoi oil from the Sheraton at Tahiti, and love using the spa quality Honey Mango Body Lotion from the Grand Wailea in Maui.
You don't have to feel like you're stealing as hotels want you to take those toiletries in your room, so you'll remember the great time you had at their hotel. Plus, you paid for it in your room rate.
by Heather Larson (RSS feed) on Apr 25th, 2010 at 1:31PM
The word "souvenir"
means "to remember" in French, so the best souvenirs are memories. But the best memories are quirky ones.
I once knew a man who had to pour champagne on the cruise ship captain's head on every single cruise he went on. He did this at the kick-off party for every cruise, but also did it on the night when the crew built the champagne tower -- just to see if he could get away with it. This led to some incriminating photos -- and captains who smelled like bubbly!
by Jackson Michael (RSS feed) on Apr 25th, 2010 at 1:15PM
If you're traveling with family or friends, create a shopping contest. For example --
* Who can find the weirdest souvenir today?
* Who can find the funniest post card?
* Who can spot the best souvenir under $10?
Making a game of it can add a tradition to your trips, and provide the potential for hilarious memories. Prizes could be picking the next restaurant -- or everyone buying the winner a t-shirt from the location.
Pro (solo) tip: If you're traveling alone, you can challenge yourself in each destination and see which place provided you with the strangest or most colorful souvenir.
by Alex H. (RSS feed) on Mar 30th, 2010 at 4:28PM
We beach-lovers usually wind up bringing bits of driftwood, shells and pebbles home. They are all pretty, but used to wind up sitting around in plastic bags which eventually got shifted into storage. Then, about 20 years ago, a better idea dawned on me.
Now, the finds that come home -- all of which I sign and annotate with the beach location and year -- go into a shadow frame. Artistically arranged and glued in place, they provide a nice reminder of a pleasant vacation and bring a little unique art to the kitchen, or room of choice.
by Diane Gigantino Baltz (RSS feed) on Mar 28th, 2010 at 4:24PM
Don't be tempted by cute, cheap, useless kitsch that will clutter your house. Find out what products, colors, or fabrics make your travel destination famous, and spend your money on one or two quality items that you will keep and use for years.
Decide on an item you will actually use, such as a table cloth or beautiful platter, or think about an item that will add to your home's decor, such as a decorative bowl or painting.
Remember to consider your home's existing color palette and style and chose something that will fit in.
by David A. William (RSS feed) on Mar 18th, 2010 at 10:05AM
I enjoy collecting beer glasses for national brews that I sample when traveling, but tracking down stores that sell the glasses is time-consuming and logistically difficult, if not impossible.
However, on a recent trip to
Slovenia, while enjoying a locally-brewed Lasko Pivo, I asked my bartender where I might be able to buy a glass featuring the logo. After hearing about my collection, the pub owner offered to give me two glasses of his own.
Now I ask all my bartenders the same question -- more often than not, they are happy to help me build my collection, at no charge.
by MarilynB (RSS feed) on Mar 17th, 2010 at 4:44PM
Whenever I travel overseas, I always pack a stack of postcards from North Carolina and my hometown,
Asheville, located in the heart of the Great Smoky Mountains.
The postcards show beautiful scenery, and they pinpoint a location some non-Americans might be unfamiliar with. By sharing my postcards, anyone can start a generic conversation (e.g., "This is where I live...") and go from there.
Bonus: by giving someone a postcard, it becomes a souvenir from our meeting. Add your contact info on the back, and you can always stay connected.
by James Rawls (RSS feed) on Mar 10th, 2010 at 5:51PM
From refrigerator magnets to postcards to
snowglobes, I've collected many things during my travels. Of them all, what I value most will surprise you: the programs from cultural events.
Don't toss them so quickly! The miniature Big Ben I bought will never mean as much as the program for
La Boheme at Covent Garden. The Sacher torte I enjoyed at Hotel Sacher was divine; my program, on the other hand, will forever remind me of the spectacular Vienna Boys Choir.
My programs are my most prized collection. They continue to mean more than any items purchased in souvenir shops.
by Meg Buchner (RSS feed) on Mar 8th, 2010 at 5:56PM
Collect all the brochures and printed promotional materials you can find, as well as local traveler's guides. Most of these are professionally printed on good quality paper stock and feature beautiful photography. Inexpensive postcards make nice accents, as well.
At home, you can cut these up (include words, headlines, and phrases). Use the words and images as scrapbook elements to supplement your own photos. You can also cut out the front of the brochure, or paragraphs of copy with details about the event or attraction you saw. This helps you remember little details.
by Haley Hennes (RSS feed) on Mar 8th, 2010 at 5:56PM
If you're a beach bum like me, your vacations are to tropical places. Pictures of sunsets at the beach are pretty, but after a while, one beach looks like the rest. A better souvenir is to take a handful of sand. Once you get home, empty a spice bottle and fill it with the sand. Label it with the beach name and location. Consider making a note of a special memory on the label. After several trips to different beaches, you'll have a nice spice rack full of sand.
You'll be surprised to see how each beach differs in their textures and variety of sand; it's much better than a photo.
by Erin Schmitt (RSS feed) on Mar 8th, 2010 at 5:50PM
When going on vacation with your family or friends, you often have special memories of different locations or attractions. An inexpensive way to capture those memories is to purchase a postcard from that location and immediately have each person write down on the back of the postcard their favorite part of the attraction. Be specific.
When you get home, collect the postcards and add them to an album with some of your pictures taken at the location.
[Image credit: D Sharon Pruitt]
by Lilly Cer (RSS feed) on Mar 8th, 2010 at 5:48PM
I find no better way to remember a vacation than through the kitschy photo books available at any tourist shop. They're relatively inexpensive and are full of photographs unique to that particular spot on the globe. They can be kept on a bookshelf at home, and you can revisit your favorite vacation spots any time the mood strikes.
I have one photo souvenir book that's almost thirty years old. It covers one of my favorite vacation destinations, Vancouver Island,
British Columbia, and its breathtaking Butchart Gardens. While I may not have the photos we took handy, these books are only an arms reach away.
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