Ah, vacation! That time when you get away from it all and enjoy some quiet time alone or with those you love the most. Yet before you can head out on vacation, you must first pack, and that can be a bit stressful. As you make your checklists and plan for your travel needs, make sure you understand what items you should never pack in your checked luggage.

Cash and Credit Cards

In a perfect world, your checked baggage will not be touched, but we don’t live in a perfect world. In today’s time of heightened security at every airport, the chances that your luggage will be searched have increased dramatically. You don’t want to lose your cash or credit cards to a dishonest TSA official.

Laptop and Other Electronics

If you are traveling with a laptop, DSLR camera or other pricey electronic item, take it on the plane with you if at all possible. If you can watch the luggage handlers as they load your plane, you will know why. They are not careful with that baggage, so not only does packing those expensive electronics in your checked bag mean you could have a higher chance of theft, but it also means you could have a higher chance of having those items damaged.

Flammable Items

It is against the law to pack flammable items in your checked baggage, so just don’t do it. The TSA strictly bans items like grenades, tear gas, gunpowder, matches and other flammable objects. The exception is lighters. If you need to pack lighters that have fuel in them, you can, but only if they are in a Department of Transportation approved case. Check the list of prohibited items before you leave to be certain you are not stashing one in your bag.

All of Your Clothes

What happens if you pack every single item of clothing in your checked bag, and the airline loses it? You will be at your destination with only the clothes on your back. Pack a change of clothes in your carry on just in case.

Breakable Items

Again, luggage handlers treat luggage like a softball in a pickup softball game. If something is breakable and important to you, it will be safer in your carry on bag.

Essential Documents

Your license, passport, visa or other essential documents need to stay with you. Of course, you need these items to check in for most flights, but you may have other important documents to consider, like your insurance papers or work documents. Put photocopies in your checked luggage if you want, but keep the real thing on your person.

Jewelry

Jewelry is another item that is easy to swipe, and you also run the risk of having your baggage lost with your valuable jewelry inside. You are safer to keep this on you as you travel or sticking it into your carry on bag. Keep in mind that airlines will pay no more than $3,300 per bag if they lose your bag, so you don’t want to have valuable items over that amount in your checked bag.

Remember, vacation is supposed to be a relaxing time, not a stressful time. By carefully packing and avoiding these seven items in your checked baggage, you can fly to a far off destination without a care in the world. Even if your baggage is damaged or lost, your most valuable and important items will still be with you.

Image: colourbox

All laptops are supposed to be made for portability which is an essential feature required of travel computers.  Does this mean therefore that every laptop can be an ideal travel companion?  Travelers who bring their laptops along will be quick to deny this.

Travelers need laptops that are made for long-distance travels.  This is to ensure that it will perform wherever it is brought.  Arriving at the best choice can be determined by its fitness to travel as well.

Travelers will not always have access to conducive conditions such as an office or home.  They spend much time on the road so it is quite clear that laptops made for indoor use will not suffice.   Exposing a laptop fit only for indoor use to the elements can only shorten its productive life.

The smallest and the lightest is not always the best option since it can severely limit the amount of work that can be done with such cramped set-up.  The laptop’s weight is a primary consideration but it needs to be balanced with the kind of work that has to be done.  After all, there is not much sense in gaining comfort in transporting the laptop at the cost of unaccomplished tasks.

Battery life, size of power adapter, and user serviceability, are all important features that are all considered by frequent travelers   Traveling laptop owners will also be concerned with the ease of replacing components of the computer while on travel.  The last thing a traveler would like to be left with is a laptop that cannot be used due to unavailability of parts.

Everyone has priorities when it comes to going on vacation. You’ve got your museum freaks, your sports nuts, your roller coaster fiends, your foodies and more. But let’s not forget the passionate travelers who visit cities in hopes of seeing world-class architecture.

While impressive buildings can be found anywhere, some cities are better known for their architecture than others. If you’re a fan of stunning skylines and incredible edifices, following are five destinations you won’t want to miss.

Washington, D.C.

East Building in the National Gallery of Art

You could probably spend weeks exploring Washington, D.C., and still cover only a fraction of its architectural marvels. Aside from famous buildings like The Pentagon, The White House and the United States Capitol building, the city is home to other lesser-known structures that are sure to impress. The Pope-Leighey House, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, offers tours from March through December. And the East Building at the National Gallery of Art, designed by I.M. Pei, is a fascinating juxtaposition of sharp angles, glass and marble.

Chicago

Chicago is home to numerous impressive hotels, most notably, The Palmer House. Even if you don’t plan to spend the night, it’s worth a visit to this property just to see the lobby. The marble interior and intricately painted ceiling create the impression of being inside a European palace.

The Chicago Architecture Foundation offers several different tours – by boat, trolley, bike, Segway, ‘L’ train or on foot – covering different areas and attractions in the city.

Las Vegas

NYC in Las Vegas

While the lure of Vegas is the gaming tables, the casinos themselves are worth a second look. Some are built to mimic other famous buildings around the world. The New York New York casino’s exterior looks like the Manhattan skyline, and the Paris casino includes a smaller scale version of The Eiffel Tower. Stroll the strip, and spend a little time appreciating the outside of these buildings.

Los Angeles

The Los Angeles Conservancy offers tours visiting many of the city’s architectural highlights, and each tour focuses on a certain theme. Walking tours cover the Millennium Biltmore Hotel, the Victorian-era Angelino Heights neighborhood and several Art Deco buildings.

New York City

The Big Apple has more than its fair share of memorable buildings, some dating back centuries. Many of its crowning architectural achievements are well-known across the country, but there’s nothing quite like seeing these creations in person. New York City has possibly the single-most iconic construction in America in the Statue of Liberty, located on Ellis Island. Walking tours for small groups offer an up-close look at some of the most interesting Beaux Arts and Art Deco buildings, and tour guides offer insight into the buildings’ history.

Wherever you go, do your research beforehand to make sure you know what buildings are worth hitting. Not every awesome architectural wonder is a looming skyscraper – many cities abound with small but brilliantly designed buildings worth perusing. Just make sure you fit in time to check out the cool sites beyond these buildings – each city listed is jam-packed with fun activities and venues!

Chicago in the summer is the cultural & business hub of the midwest, in the winter it is a sometimes forbidding place of windy nights, sub-zero temperature, and icy beauty. Today let’s talk about a few tips for business travelers visiting Chicago in the winter.

Chicago is a frequent location for the business traveler.  It is lovely in the springtime, summer, and fall but winter nights in Chicago–the windy city–are often forbidding.  Here are some tips for the frequent winter visitor to Chicago.

Surivival of the Fittest

Chicago operates the second-largest public transportation system in the nation. On an average weekday, the Chicago Transit Authority carries 1.6 million passengers to their destinations, either on its buses or rail cars, which serve 125 stations. The CTA isn’t just a convenient option for downtown jaunts. It also offers service to both of Chicago’s major airports and the CTA’s Metra Rail provides transportation to distant Chicago suburbs within a 70-mile radius.

All of those routes can seem overwhelming to an outsider, but getting around Chicago is easy, convenient and affordable. And because Chicago is no stranger to winter weather, you can count on public transportation to be there for you, even in conditions that would cripple cars.

The power of trains

Chicago is infamous for its wickedly brutal winters. Arctic winds sweep over Lake Michigan and come howling down city streets, freezing all exposed flesh and most improperly layered tissue as well. Chicagoans routinely relate stories of meeting “new friends” on the street or in foyers, only to discover that these heavily-wrapped winter denizens are friends, unrecognizable under multiple layers.

In January 2012, as snow caused flight cancellations and traffic jams, Chicago’s Metra train was still humming along, carrying passengers to the suburbs – a testament to the reliability of the CTA, even in the harshest conditions.

Parking: Expensive in many ways

Some city residents choose to own and drive a car throughout the winter. While seemingly convenient, the option is actually an agreement to be gently and slowly tortured for the duration of the winter months. In addition to ridiculously expensive parking fees downtown and street parking a rarity, Chicago residents experience an annual Winter Overnight Parking Ban – an absolute prohibition that takes place between 3 and 7 a.m. – from Dec. 1 to the following April 1, or when snowfall exceeds two inches. Cars parked on main streets during this time are promptly towed, and owners are charged a minimum of $210 to reclaim their automobiles. So if you’re thinking about renting a car for your winter stay in Chicago, think again.

Affordable, reliable

The CTA is a remarkably inexpensive system, particularly when one purchases monthly unlimited passes. The excellent coverage of Chicago’s mass transit system rarely requires more than one change of bus or train and often delivers passengers within a block of their destinations. Plus, one of the best parts of taking public transportation is that when you’re not driving, you’ve got time to catch up on a good book or read your email. Who doesn’t appreciate a little more time to get things done?

CTA, demystified

Chicago attracts many tourists in the winter, for its world-class shopping, outstanding theater and many attractions – like ice skating in Millennial Park. And because of the numerous CTA stops, you can get anywhere you want to go. Don’t be intimidated by the many maps and routes – you can download a handy app for your smartphone and plan your route with ease. After hopping on a bus or The ‘L’ and arriving at your destination, you’ll feel like a true Chicagoan!

Image: baconismagic

Documenting one’s travel is a natural activity of a frequent traveler.  There is a desire to capture what has been seen and discovered through travel.  This will come through words and pictures usually in a blog.

The act of recording the details of a traveling experience may stem from a desire to forever preserve what has been seen.  It can also be prompted by a desire to share the experience with or without monetary benefit.  When there is no expectation of financial remuneration, documenting a travel experience can be provided for information to travelers who might be considering going to the same destination in the future.  Travels undertaken for work of course requires remuneration but may be subject to certain format in presentation.

Personal travel stories are quite free flowing.  It may provide details which may be relevant or not to the destination like emotions which the author may be going through  at the time which is not at all related to the place featured.  For searchers who are are merely interested in the facts of a travel experience, this might not a preferred format.  It is best therefore for the author to determine what audience he or she is targeting so the story line can be adjusted accordingly.

Whatever the reason of the author is in writing the story, documenting travel experiences is always a good practice.  Even if words have been imparted  to readers, the experience remains personal to stay in the author’s heart as long as he or she wishes to remember.