We’ve Got Spring Fever!

It’s March. In most parts of the country the sun is starting to peak through the clouds, temperatures are starting to warm up and you’re seriously in need of a break! When we were kids, we had Spring Break. Now, unless you have kids or are reliving your college days, that little escape may not exist. Well, I’m here to offer a little spring inspiration with some of my favorite destinations that will warm up those winter bones and get you ready for some summer fun!

$$$: $301 +

$$: $201-$300

$: < $201

Scottsdale, AZ

The red rocks and desert temps of Arizona, mixed with the style and flare of Los Angeles = Scottsdale. Great restaurants, awesome nightlife and totally relaxing spas await those looking for a quick, inexpensive (for the most part) escape!

** Don’t forget to download The Secret List: Scottsdale **

$$$: The Sanctuary at Camel Back

$$: The Mondrian Scottsdale

$: W Scottsdale

Mexico

Mexico is a cheap Spring Break heaven for the college coeds. But that doesn’t mean you can’t find an amazing, luxury property sans boozing-it-up boneheads. Here are my three favorite Mexican getaways for any budget! (Book during the end of April, first of May for non-spring break prices)

$$$: The One & Only Pamilla

$$: Paradisus Riviera Cancun

$: Mosquito Beach Adult Only Hotel

Southern California

I love Spring on the West Coast. Whether it’s an Santa Monica, Laguna or San Diego; So-Cal has coastal towns offer great temps, plenty of sunshine and the perfect flip-flop experience that you need to help you mentally come out of Winter hibernation. (Avoid May Gray & June Gloom in parts of Southern California)

** Don’t forget to download The Secret List: Los Angeles **

$$$: St. Regis Monarch Beach

$$: Shutters on the Beach – Santa Monica

$: Tower 23 – San Diego

Paris, France

This may sound a bit cliché, yes – but Spring in Paris is AMAZING! This is one of my favorite times to visit this incredibly modern, romantic and exciting city of love!

$$$: Hotel Daniel

$$: Hotel Le A

$: Hotel Clos Medicis

Marrakech, Morocco

Marrakech? Really? YES!!!! If you want something different and exciting- Marrakech offers the most bang for your buck! Culture & history mixed with a seductive sexiness that is found NO place else in this world!

** Don’t forget to download The Secret List: Marrakech **

$$$: Riad Lotus Privilege

$$: Villa des Orangers

$: Riad 72

The Perfect Holiday in Florence

Florence, or Firenze as it’s said in Italian, preferably with a flawless rolling “r”, is my favorite city in the world. This extraordinarily beautiful Tuscan capital city is the place that Rob and I plan to live for 3-6 months of the year once our daughter is in college. For me living in Italy is not a dream, it’s a necessity. I’m drawn to the Italian culture, history but especially the Italian people that inhabit this historic city which was developed by Julius Caesar himself. There is just something that is perfectly imperfect about the Italians. Maybe it’s the passionate way that a verbal quarrel can ensue like clockwork over a shared weekly dinner between friends, where the topic is which local farm produces the best olive oil. Maybe it’s the ridiculous red-tape that you encounter when you need to do something as simple as cash a travelers check; it can make you feel like you’re on an medieval Italian hamster wheel where the end result is surely to end in domani or tomorrow. Maybe it’s the arts and how, regardless of age, income or education, Italians have seemingly read and can passionately discuss the most important pieces of historical literature; just as we discuss who should have won the American Idol. Maybe it is the way the crema sits perfectly on the espresso. Or maybe, just maybe, it’s the effortless designs in my cappuccino that makes me feel like the local barista is a descendant of Botticelli or da Vince. The reality is that I love Florence for all of these reasons. Simply put, I have fallen head-over-heels in deep amore with Florence and it has become impossible for me to ever become satiated.  Therefore, there is only one remedy for this love-sickness. Book another wonderful week, which is never enough, in Florence!

The planning of my upcoming trip has my head spinning with excitement. So, I thought I’d share with you my perfect Florence experience!

When to Go:

Personally, I love Florence in the fall or winter because it’s not overrun with fanny pack wearing tourists crowding the Michelangelo’s David and the temperatures are relatively mild year round.

Weather in Florence

Best Place(s) to Stay:

Florence is a perfect walking city, nothing is too far away and you want to avoid having to take taxis. For me, staying in the city center of Florence is important. I like to skip the hotel breakfast and head to a local cafe for a pastry and cappuccino with the locals. The experience of breakfast in a cafe is memorable and addicting, as are the chocolate pastries! Here are my Florence hotel favorites:

Lungarno Hotel: The Lungarno is on the River Arno. From some of the rooms you will feel like you can actually  reach out and touch the Ponte Vecchio. The Lungarno has multiple properties with different prices ranges and locations. There is one to fit every taste and budget.

The Savoy: Located on my favorite square in Florence. The Savoy sits directly on the Piazza Repubblica about a block or two from the famous Duomo. This is a five star, ultra luxurious property where you can always expect the best.

JK Place: The hippest boutique hotel in Florence is the JK. Don’t expect a traditional Italian decor. This place is as funky as it gets.

Best Place to Eat:

Food in Italy can never be bad, especially in Tuscany! The olive oil that you’ll taste here is like nothing you’ve ever experienced. The one thing I love about Italy is that the restaurants only use the freshest ingredients. The result is once again perfection.

La Giostra: All I really have to say is that during my last trip to Florence, I ate at this restaurant 4 times. It’s my personal favorite for ambiance, food, unique EVERYTHING! If you go to Florence and skip this restaurant, you will be making a HUGE mistake. This little dark restaurant is owned and operated by a father-son team who just happen to be Hapsburg Lorena princes. Everything on the menu is delicious and cooked to perfection!

Best Place to Splurge:

Shopping in Florence is obviously amazing. The tiniest of children look like they had a stylist put together their daily attire. One of my favorite things to do is go with my husband for a custom made Italian shirt, or two, or three!

Simone Abbarchi: Simone is the best of the best. He is a true tailor, and knows the ins and outs of designing the perfect men’s shirt or suit. You pick the material, color, buttons, collar, cuffs…everything. It’s a fun experience. He’s so amazing that he customizes the shirt down to allowing room on the cuff that you wear your watch so it fits just perfectly.

Ph: +39 055 210552

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Want the The Secret List: Florence? It’ll be available here soon.

Living La Dolce Vita – Guest Blog Living & Learning Italian in Italy

It is true when people say one of the best ways of learning a language is to go and live in the country where the language is spoken. I spent a month learning Italian in Sorrento, a beautiful town in the south of Italy famous for limoncello and its stunning scenery. During that time, besides from learning, I cycled through pine forests in Tuscany and ate wild boar, jumped off various structures in Rome for a Roman artist’s next art collection, nearly killed 5 Italians when attempting to cook Chinese food with Italian chillis, and really indulged in some of the best food I’ve ever tasted!

I booked online using www.languagecourse.net as it was cheaper than booking directly with the school. There are no agency costs and you can get discounts on courses. In addition, there are over 4000 language courses to choose from with reviews of courses from previous students.

I decided not to go through the school to find accommodation and tried to go direct and find accommodation in other ways. As a member of A Small World, I put out a thread in the Travel Forum that I was moving to Sorrento and looking for advice and tips. I love ASW as it’s a community of people who look after and help each other out and I had several people recommend certain people to contact in Sorrento.

I ended up finding an Italian family to stay with and lived in an amazing villa at the top of a mountain overlooking the Bay of Naples with views of the Vesuvius volcano from my balcony. This ended up being more affordable than getting the school to find accommodation for me (and I stayed at a much better place!).

View from the villa I was living in Sorrento.

I really lived la dolce vita in Sorrento. I had Italian lessons every weekday from 9am-1pm in a small class with 2 other girls from America and Australia. Sorrento Lingue is a reputable language school and the teaching quality was fantastic. After class, it was siesta time! I would either eat lunch at the Marina Grande or go back to the villa to study whilst eating mozzarella cheese with tomatoes on my balcony and slowly drift off to a sunny afternoon siesta with this view. Sometimes I would be woken up by my Italian Mama and Papa calling out to drink freshly squeezed orange juice as we lived in a villa that was surrounded by orange and lemon trees.

The great thing about Sorrento is that it is a ferry ride away from the beautiful island of Capri, 1.5 hour train ride from Naples, and a short drive to Positano and the Amalfi Coast. From Naples, you can catch fast trains to all the other cities in Italy. It was very easy for me to visit these places on the weekends when I didn’t have school.

Highlights in Italy

My Italian host brother was called Marco and he is the embodiment of someone that lives the moment! He used to be a motorbike racer, then a policeman, a tennis coach, traveled across the world and is now a tour guide in Capri. Italians are passionate people and I would often watch and smile at his friend’s expressions and hand gestures as they talked heatedly and passionately and then realize it was about something as simple as the weather. It was exciting living with Marco- one moment we would be speeding down cobbled narrow streets at 4am on his motorbike to watch a religious procession and other moments we would be dancing, whirling, and clapping to Italian music with his friends.

Food in Italy is out of this world! Buonissimo! Contrary to the Italian dishes I’ve had in other countries, the best tasting dishes in Italy are the ones with the fewest ingredients. I had the best pizza I’ve ever had my whole life in Naples (a simple buffalo mozzarella cheese magherita pizza) and when I was taught how to make pasta with only a few ingredients, it actually was full of flavor and tasted delicious! It’s all about how you cook it and the quality of the ingredients you use.

Be weary if you try to cook anything else though. I offered to cook a Chinese meal for my Italian friends but translating ingredients like ‘bok choy’ is not exactly easy. I nearly killed 5 Italians when attempting to cook a honey and chilli chicken dish as the chillis are not the same as the ones in London!

I traveled to Rome, Tuscany, Naples, Capri, and Positano during this time. I got up to some funny adventures such as helping a friend in Rome with the video clip for his song. The pop song features an American girl trying to order food in Italian and then a big, fat cook starts rapping in Italian about food. I featured as the Asian tourist and we got up to some crazy situations such as getting in trouble with the police for bringing a sheep onto the famous Spanish Steps in Rome.

With the rest of the places I visited in Italy, I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves…

Melissa in Positano

Relais Blu Restaurant in Capri

Blue Grotto, Capri

Adventures After Italy

After Italy, I flew to the US where I experienced flying on a WW2 biplane (but nearly threw up in the air when it started doing Cuban 8s and 360 degree flips) and went to the best street party, Bay to Breakers in San Francisco, with a bunch of guys and girls from LA dressed as prisoners and hot cops.

In France, I joined in on some friends on their French Riviera trip, the highlight being meeting Kim and Robs’ film producer friend, Matt. His butler picked my friends and I up where we then had lunch at his villa in Monaco where I was inspired by his entrepreneurial spirit and life stories.

I then hopped over to Spain where I went on a road trip with Spanish friends from San Sebastian. We went to a medieval festival in Longrono, did basque dancing in Laguardia, and then visited Frank Gehry’s Marqués De Riscal hotel and winery in Elciego which was a modern, artistically beautiful twisted mess of colored steel in the middle of nowhere. I heard that even Angelina and Brad Pitt got lost and had to ask for directions to a lucky Spanish local when they tried to find it.

I spent a month traveling after Italy and it was definitely a lot more cost effective learning Italian in Sorrento than jumping from country to country. Learning another language is a great mini-retirement option and you pick up a useful skill. If you book a language course in Europe, a good time to book is during spring when it’s warm and the classes are smaller and traveling is cheaper than the summer peak season.

Overall, I had an amazing time and would love to go back one day and learn more Italian. Io amo l’Italia!!

To keep up to date with Melissa’s adventures, follow her here.

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What to know how you can travel the world like Melissa, while you’re “muse” is making money?

Rob and I have put together a program that will tell you how! We are so excited about our upcoming live launch of Secrets of Successful Muses from St. Tropez on July 16, 2009.

For more information on the product and the launch, sign up on our early alert list today!

Fly Clear: The New Way to Fly

Fly Clear

Let’s face it, air travel is becoming more and more complicated and stressful. There is nothing worse than showing up to the airport a couple hours early, only to find that the security line is ridiculously long! Then once you finally get to the TSA agents, you now have to basically strip yourself of shoes, belts, jewelry, laptops and of course the 3 ounce liquids. It’s like an episode of the Amazing Race, except you not only have to do it as fast as humanly possible, but with an audience behind you staring you down as if to say “Hurry the &%$# up!”. If you’re lucky enough to be a frequent or first class flier you can skip most of the line and hit the “special line” which is usually shorter, yet in the end you still get thrown into the same chaos.

Now, imagine a world where you show up for your flight with your preprinted boarding pass and you waltz through security in just a few minutes with the help of a concierge. Your flight concierge helps you unpack and repack your electronics and quart size bag of liquids. This would never happen right? Wrong, now there is Fly Clear.

Currently, Fly Clear isn’t available in Atlanta, so I haven’t gotten to experience it first hand. However, I know a very successful doctor and business man that has. Here is the Fly Clear experience of Dr. Darren White.

1. How hard was the application process?

The process was quite simple. From home I logged onto Fly Clear and filled out the online application and paid the $128.00 for one year. The second part of the registration must occur in person at the Fly Clear in the airport or satellite location. Since I live in Seattle and Fly Clear isn’t in Seattle yet we had to wait until we flew to Oakland, CA to do the second portion. They require to pieces of government I.D., a retinal scan on your eyes and fingers prints. The whole process was completed in fifteen minutes. About one week later my wife got the email that she was CLEAR. I was left to sweat it out two more weeks before they decided I was okay. But then again, I am a British citizen living as a permanent resident in USA (or maybe it was that thing in 1998…).

2. How long does it take you to get through security now as compared to before Fly Clear?

Depending on the airport and time of flying, before Fly Clear it took me a good 20-50min to get through security, which made it about an hour process from curb to gate. Now, you print your boarding pass at home, carry on your Tumi luggage and you are at the gate with Starbuck’s latte in under 10min.

3. How does the Fly Clear security line compare to that of the First Class/Club members line in speed?

HA! My wife and I were in the First Class security line with Dennis Kucinich at Reagan Airport in D.C. We stood in that “First Class” line for more than 35min, great if your chatting with your favorite politician, sucks if you are trying to catch the flight. Right next to us was the Fly Clear…EMPTY! That is when we made our decision to raise our standards.

4. What is the Fly Clear process like at the airport?

We have never seen a line at Fly Clear. You basically step up to the Fly Clear machine ender your card and get your eyes and fingerprints scanned. BAM! you are “CLEAR” Then you can proceed straight to an empty metal detector screening. This part can’t be avoided however Fly Clear has a “concierge” to help you strip down.

5. Would you recommend Fly Clear to frequent travelers?

If you don’t fly first class or have not attained the upper elite tier of a frequent flyer program AND you you fly between airports that currently have Fly Clear… it is a MUST. Otherwise, there is really no rush until it is available at more airports.

6. Are there any improvements/changes that should be made with the Fly Clear process?

I’m looking forward to this becoming standard at all major airports. The biggest nuisance is still having to strip down and put your belongings into five trays as you walk barefoot through a scanner trying to hold up your pants. I think if we have had a full background check then we should be able to have a reduced security screening. With all our technology there has to be a better way than having to strip down every time.

So, there it is. Fly Clear is expanding quickly and luckily for me, it’ll be available in Atlanta in the Fall of 2008. As soon as I’m CLEAR, I’ll let you know how it’s impacted my air travel experience.

I’d love to hear more Fly Clear experiences…so please comment if you’re CLEAR!

Ciao!

Kimberly

How to Keep from Going Crazy on an International Flight in Coach

As I walk onto the plane, I’m greeted with champagne and the flight attendant helps me store my Tumi carry on . She is pleasant and assures me that this long overnight flight back from Rio de Janeiro will be wonderful. I take my seat. After the plane takes off the lovely flight attendant returns to ask what I would like for dinner, pasta primavera or the steak. “Being a vegetarian I choose the pasta.” Real silverware, real plates and real glasses filled with wine. Perfect. Now it’s time to watch my personal in-flight entertainment system. Let’s see Entourage or a documentary on Blonds , choices, choices. A few hours later, another flight attendant approaches, sees that I am sleepy and asks if I would like to see the ice cream sundae cart early so I can go to bed early. My answer, “Yes please”. After my sundae but before I go to bed, the flight attendant approaches one last time to ask what I would like in my omelet in the morning and if they should wake me. I ask them to allow me to sleep in a little. They oblige.

You’re wishing that was a coach experience aren’t you. Nope sorry, definitely first class. But just in case you get stuck in the back of the bus here’s some tips on how to survive.

#1: Choosing a Seat

Your seat can make or break your trip. If you have a preferred status then you may be able to land the bulkhead or the exit rows. This is great because both offer extra leg room. The only down side is that you may be near a bathroom. In that case, it’s the worst seat in the house. Use Seat Guru to check your seat rating and the pros or cons about your specific seat. Yes, I know that you can often see the plane configuration on the airline’s website, but they are not always correct as to bathroom placement, galley etc..

What you’re looking for is:

a. The most leg room. Even for shorter people it’s nice to be able to stretch out.

b. No middle seat. No one wants to be riding the hump seat for 9 hours.

c. Front of the plane. There’s a reason first class is in the front. They closer you are to them, the better. Easier to get on and off the plane.

d. Not near a bathroom or galley. You don’t want the banging around, flushing or weird plane food smells all night long.

#2: Entertainment

Don’t fall prey to the in-flight entertainment choices. Nothings worse than sitting through a movie you’ve already seen or one you never wanted to see. Simple solution, an iPod , headphones and laptop can easily convert into your own mini-entertainment system. Load your iPod with a TV show series that you’ve always wanted to see, but didn’t or you can even rent movies on iTunes now for $2.99-$3.99. Just remember to load enough to watch for both the plane ride to and from your destination.

#3: Food

Let’s face it, the chips, cheese crackers or Biscotti cookie cart gets really boring after a while. Some airlines are offering food for purchase, but who knows what the selections will be and how much they’ll cost you. An easy fix is to bring some food with you. We like to head to Whole Foods before we leave and bring cheese and crackers, grapes and other easy to eat items with us. It doesn’t take up much room and you’ll be thankful when you see the guy across the isle munching down on his third granola bar.

#4: Sleeping

Sleeping in flight is difficult and those uncomfortable pillows, itchy blankets and lights don’t help. This is why I never leave for an overnight flight without my n-a-p travel kit . They have multiple colors and styles. But for me, I love my pink soft cuddle blanket, my eye mask and neck pillow. I sleep like a baby.

#5: The Morning After

There’s nothing like going to sleep and waking up with the taste of sweaty socks in your mouth, knowing you now have to get off the plane and talk to someone in customs about why you’re visiting. Do both of you a favor and at a minimum bring a travel toothbrush, toothpaste, brush and a packet of baby wipes to help you freshen up just a little before you land.

Well, there it is, how to survive an international flight in coach. I hope you never have to use this and may you always fly first class.

The next post will be from The Belvedere Hotel in Mykonos, so stay tuned.

Kimberly

How Alltop & Guy Kawasaki changed My Jet Set Life

You know when you have something in your gut, something that just tells you that you need to be doing something. Not the should be doing something (actually I try not to should all over myself). It’s the need , the burning desire, the feel it all over, reoccurring, like a boyfriend (or rash) you just can’t get rid of, it’s that passion.

I’ve always loved writing. In fact, my elementary school claim to fame was winning a Young Authors contest, but past that little first grade honor, I never really did anything with writing.

Fast forward about twenty years….My poor husband often had to hear about the next idea I wanted to write about. There was always a new topic, a new idea, a new book on the horizon, but nothing ever got onto paper. Why not you may ask? Well, there was a simple answer. The problem was, I wasn’t following my heart, at least not completely. I was choosing subjects that I was half interested in. Nothing I was truly passionate about.

Then one day, my husband said, "Why don’t you write a blog for our new company (Jet Set Life)?". I wasn’t sure I’d enjoy it, I wasn’t sure if I’d be any good at it but I said I’d give it a shot. After I wrote my first post I was hooked. I didn’t care if anyone read it, liked it or wanted to read more. I finally connected my two passions writing and traveling .

My first post was at the end of April 2008 and I got 28 views during the last six days of April. I’ve got to tell you that I was so excited for those first little 28 views (they were probably all my Mom and Dad), but I didn’t care. I caught the bug.

During the month of May I worked my way up to 1,139 views on my blog. This was due to my Twitter friends mainly. They’re the best!

Then I found the God of all blogs, Guy Kawasaki and Alltop . Alltop was the only place that I felt I could find blogs that I was interested in. What a concept, all the top blogs in one convenient location! Wow, I was in blog heaven: Tony Wheeler , NY Times Travel , Lonely Planet and of course mad chef Anthony Bourdain where all there.I couldn’t help but ask, why wasn’t I? So, let’s just say that by six o’clock that evening My Jet Set Life was on Alltop, at the very end, but on it never the less. It was an amazing start and I’ll never forget the chance that Master Guy Kawasaki took on this little baby blogger. I’ll always be in his debt.

Life since Alltop is amazing. In less than one month since my Alltop debut, my blog has almost tripled in views and I’ve written two guest blogs. More important than anything: I’m excited. I’m passionate. I’m thankful.

Thank you Guy, All Top and my Twitter Family for making my blog a success.

This is only the beginning of My Jet Set Life.

Yrs,

Kimberly

The Centurion Card, The Black Card: American Express’s Invite Only Credit Card

The Black Card , The Centurion Card …which ever name you use, it’s still the the most exclusive and elusive credit card in the world. I am seeing it more often than I used to, maybe it’s the circle I travel in, maybe it’s people are making more money, or possibly American Express is just inviting more card members than in years past (although American Express will not disclose how many members actually have Black Cards).

I see this remarkably heavy VIP card in restaurants, hotels and nightclubs all around the world, which is all very normal…but the other day I saw a lady use her Black Card to purchase a $2.00 espresso at Starbuck’s.

Hmmmm….so I have the Platinum Card (which I love , I know weird to love a credit card, but I do have strong emotional feelings toward my little platinum piece of plastic), and I’m wondering, what does it take to get a Centurion Card Invite? Do I need to be a Academy Award winning actress, maybe a politician with a very wealthy wife or a business mogul buying twenty-five thousand dollar dinners each week? Is getting a Black Card Invite harder than getting into A Small World ?

There is a lot of gossip about what it takes to get this card. I wanted to hear it directly from the source, so I contacted American Express directly. Here’s what they’re willing to disclose:

#1: The Centurion Card is Invite Only . There’s no online application and no, your friend that works for American Express probably can’t get you in. They have criteria (which they won’t completely discuss) but it definitely includes high spending. I asked them if the number was $250,000 a year and it was neither confirmed nor denied. But it was stated that they look at the card member overall, not just spending habits. Maybe it’s like dating where they just want someone with a great personality and enjoys long walks on a beach (except the beach will probably have to be in Bali if you’re hoping to get the Centurion Card).

#2: There is a one-time initiation fee of $5,000 billed to all new Centurion accounts. It’s kinda like becoming a member of a very private club with great benefits such as access to Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, exclusive culinary and cultural events around the world. You also great incredible personalized service superior than any you could imagine and assistance in making your wildest dreams (and most ridiculous requests) come true!

#3: Each year the annual fee is $2,500. Again you’re paying for the benefits people. If you travel around the world, need super specialized service and all the other incredible benefits, it’s a small price to pay! Plus if you can get this card, you’re so loaded that you won’t even feel the hit of $2,500 once a year!

So there it is, The exclusive and elusive Black/Centurion Card. Now, go out spend enough, travel a lot and maybe someday this welcome kit will show up in your mailbox!

If for some reason you can’t qualify for the Black just yet, and you want to learn about the Platinum “love of my life” Card, here’s my Travel Ringer guest blog on the Platinum travel benefits.

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If anyone can get me an invite to the A Small World, I’d honestly love to have one if you’re willing to part with it! Just a little honest begging here, that’s all!

Kimberly

Why I Will Never Cheat on My Tumi and Always Carry-On.

For the jet set traveler, luggage is everything. I wasn’t a believer in expensive luggage…not at least until my husband clued me into why Tumi luggage is so far superior for the frequent traveler. For us, you must travel with carry-on only. This is not because most of the airlines are now charging for luggage to be checked, we have our own reasons why we think all Jet Set travelers should just carry on (those other people can check their luggage, we don’t care).

#1: Because we have a belief that if you can’t carry it on, you shouldn’t carry it at all. Yes ladies, sad to say, but all 20 pairs of shoes are included in this motto and are not needed on your trip to the beach. (all the husbands can thank me later). Ladies you’ll also thank me when you don’t have to schlep your luggage up the hills of Capri like these fools had to.

#2: You get to skip the “is that my bag, maybe thats my bag or is it that one?” game in the baggage terminal.

#3: As a man, you won’t have to carry a bag with some hot pink strap, rainbow stickers or dare I say it pastel multi-colored ribbons just so your wife can identify it in the baggage terminal.

#4: You’ll never have to explain to a lost baggage agent the following: “well it’s a black wheelie bag, and about this big and oh yeah, I put one of those flimsy paper tags with my name on it, do you think you’ll find it soon?”.

#5: If some crazy Italian needs to put your luggage onto a flatbed truck to get it to your hotel, you may never see it again!

#6: Because your luggage should never get to visit more countries or states than you.

#7: You never want to get stuck in Marrakech for five days without a single article of clothing, make-up or underwear! (this literally happened to us, no kidding, five days, no clothes, no toiletries, nothing at all. The good news was that those Moroccan outfits are very comfy, yet slightly breezy!)

Anyway, now on to why Tumi is the luggage love of my life!

My husband and I each travel with a small shoulder carry bag. This doubles as your “under the seat in front of you” bag. It holds the necessary things like our Apple Laptops, iPods, Magazines, 3 ounce liquids in a clear plastic 1 quart bag…those necessary in-flight things. Just make sure it actually fit under the seat in front of you and resembles a “purse, laptop case, or other item of similar size” rule. If you don’t, some bi-atch French (I can say it, I’m French, plus even the French don’t like the French) Charles DeGuale check-in agent will tell you that you have to check one of your pieces. (yep, that one happened to us also; all I can say is Orly if possible!)

Now for the Jet Set’s favorite things. (not to be confused with Oprah’s favorite things, because I will not be giving you each one of these items listed) My favorite shoulder bag is the one I purchased for my husband last Christmas. It’s the Townhouse Travel & Business Esmond Small Satchel. I love it and he really loves it. It has a place for everything. The bonus is that it has a small zipper pouch that is hooked to the inside (so you can’t lose it). In this pouch we put the all important iPods and headphones for easy access when on the plane. For the wheeled carry-on he’s in LOVE with the Ducati. It’s perfectly shaped to fit in the overhead compartment and it’s surprisingly big inside. It doesn’t seem big, but it really fits a lot!

Townhouse Travel Esmond Small ~ $550.00

Ducati Travel 22″ Expandable Wheeled ~ $495.00

Now for me, I’ve got my favorites for the ladies. When carrying-on the ladies need a shoulder bag that can fit everything they need on the flight, plus their purse (remember, you only get 2 carry ons including a purse, so jam your purse inside your shoulder bag until you’re home free in your seat!). My favorite shoulder bag is the Mini Weekender. It’s adorable and huge on the inside. (It’ll hold all the stuff you can’t jam into your husbands bag when he isn’t looking.) My favorite wheeled carry-on is the T3 22″ Expandable because it’s similar in size and shape to the Ducati, but with a classic black make it a little more sleek.

T3 Travel 22″ Expandable Wheeled ~ $495.00

Voyageur Lightweight Mini Weekender ~ $375.00

We travel almost a dozen times a year and our luggage needs to last a very long time. It’s definitely an investment in the beginning, but totally worth it. If you ever need repairs, your local Tumi store can ship it to the factory and they’ll repair it for you for either no cost or a minimal fee. Plus they always have new designs and great service.

Here’s the big Tumi bonus! Are you ready? One of the best parts of having a Tumi is that you can register your Tumi’s serial number with Tumi Tracer. If your bag is ever lost or stolen, the finder can call the Tumi hot-line and you’ll get your bag back! Yes, there are still honest people out there! (example: I actually had my Gucci purse found in the subway station and returned to me with everything still inside!) Hopefully someday they’ll come out with a GPS insert that can locate your lost baggage by satellite! Wait, maybe I should patten that one…hummmm……

I’m throwing this picture in just because it’s a beauitful shot of two models and their Louis Vuitton!

So, there it is. How to Carry-On with sense and style with Tumi.

Ciao!

Kimberly

Sexy, Chic, Trendy…Travel Hip.TV Launches!

We have launched TravelHip.TV. Come to our site, get inspired to travel somewhere outside your “travel box” somewhere other than the same old cruise or trip to Cancun! We’ll inspire you with our videos, show you some real photos (not that fake crap) and then we’ll tell you EVERYTHING you need to know to Travel Hip to your destination.

Currently our destinations are:

1. Punta del Este, Uruguay ~ The jewel of South America! Beaches, beauties and plenty of Punta sunshine!

2. Marbella, Spain ~ A Mediterranean hot spot that should be on your list for this summer!

3. Marrakech, Morocco ~ Marrakech is making it’s way into one of the hottest destinations on the planet, it’s different that you think. Marrakech has been reborn!

4. St. Barth’s, Caribbean ~ This tiny, super exclusive French Island is like no Caribbean Island you’ve ever been to. It’s like having St. Tropez with a mellow Caribbean vibe all wrapped up into one sexy island!

Coming Soon… The Greek Islands, Buenos Aires and Rio de Janeiro!

The Hip Traveler

{Def} Hip Traveler: Someone who understands that a hotel is more than a bed, a restaurant is more than food and being a “tourist” is not part of their identity. This person is an “insider” in any destination, and is part of the scene, all over the globe.

We don’t really care where George Washington slept. But where Gisele Bündchen slept, that’s a different story. Hip travel is our passion. We travel twelve times a year to the world’s hottest locations. But, we realized while planning these trips that there was no “source” for our type of travel. Sure there are tons of websites that promote the Hip Hotels, but because they make money on booking these hotels, it became hard to determine how objective these sites really were. And finding new and exciting destinations that also had a scene, was nearly impossible. There are plenty of forums, but how do you know who is behind the screen name SexyTraveler and if they are really like you.

There was a market for the luxury traveler, the eco traveler and even the budget travel; but nothing for the Hip Traveler. That’s when we thought, “There’s got to be a better way!”

TravelHip.TV is your objective Hip Travel resource. This is what you can expect from us:

• TRAVEL MOVIES ~ Get to know us and how we travel. In just ten-minutes you can watch one of our Travel Movies and see what a destination is really like, and decide if it’s somewhere you’d like to visit. We’re not going to tell you about the 18th century tiling of your hotel ceiling, so if that’s what you are looking for, you’re at the wrong place! We’re going to give you a real feel for the destination, you’ll almost think you’ve been there too! Most are in HD and all of them are fun to watch. Don’t miss the Blooper Reel at the end!
• HIP LISTS ~ Imagine a short condensed guidebook that only told you exactly what you want to know. Where to stay, eat and play. That’s it. It’s completely down loadable, even to your iPhone!
• IMAGES ~ Candid photos of each destination, photos we took personally, not some doctored up images from hotels or other websites. Really see what the hotels, beaches, restaurants and people are like in each destination.
• EXTRAS ~ Do I need a Visa? Where is this destination? How long is the flight? What season is best? Everything you need to know before you go!

Go ahead and subscribe to this this blog and we’ll keep you informed on upcoming trips, hot travel tips and anything we feel can benefit the Hip Traveler!