PicaJet Blog

My husband and I celebrated our 21st wedding anniversary yesterday.  Our formal plans had us dining at a very cool eatery called “The Bootlegger Italian Bistro,”  in South Las Vegas. We had eaten there when we first arrived in Vegas and thought it would be a nice place, with its classic old gangster ambience, to have our anniversary dinner. 

But our plans changed.  Vegas has a way of doing that to plans.  So, we cancelled our reservations in favor of another place.  And we are so glad we did.  We had one of our best times yet in Las Vegas.

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This is a typical sight from an Alberta highway.  A quiet little pond, so innocuous, so charming.  But many countries, many lands have similar vistas - sights which look perfectly safe, including those sights in some of the more questionable areas of the world like Egypt and Africa. 

How can a traveler know if a decision to explore a new world is a smart decision? 

Luckily, there are many web sites that can help you make an informed decision.  Some even have links to other travel tools (like currency conversion charts) that make travel to a foreign land a whole lot easier.

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There’s “adventurous” travel and then there is “dangerous” travel.  Since neither my husband nor I are members of the CIA, nor are we navy seals, we have placed limitations on our travel experiences.   Those limitations recently affected one of our travel decisions: an end-of-summer trip to Belize.

Having reviewed a recent Canadian foreign affairs travel report, we have decided that Belize is not the place for us - at least not this year.  

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I love my province, and I love our two biggest cities: Edmonton and Calgary.  But I hate the traffic congestion.  Monday, I went to Calgary for a Photoshop seminar.  Arriving at 5 PM was my first mistake; my second mistake was staying on the Deerfoot Trail.

The drive was perfectly normal.  3 hours from the west side of Edmonton to the edge of Calgary.  What happened after that was, in a word, ridiculous.

Read this if you want some good advice when traveling to Calgary.

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Malaria? 

It’s a word I have heard, but I never really spent much time thinking about it.  That is until I began researching Belize (I am tripping there end of August).

I thought Malaria was prevalent only in far away countries like Africa and India, not the Americas.  But I was wrong.  Malaria is also common in South and Central America.

Yikes, I thought, what do I do?  Read on . . .

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Guns, knives, hand grenades, alligators, and bottles of water — these things will be confiscated if you try to take them through American airport security.  But what currently is allowed in your carry-on luggage?

Since the terrorist attacks of 9-11, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has changed its mind repeatedly on what is and what is not allowed onto a plane.  Nail clippers, once taboo, are now okay.  But what about foods?  Can you take your lunch onto the plane?  What about lithium batteries?  A camcorder?  What about a tube of face moisturizer?

The answer is “Yes,” to some things, and “No,” to others.  If you are still unsure, here’s a quick checklist of some of the most common items allowed and those disallowed in airport security.

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Airport layovers are seldom part of the travel experience we usually anticipate with joy.  However, if you must be stuck in an airport, then make it the Chicago O’Hare International Airport. 

We recently spent several hours there while awaiting our connection to Houston.  The time flew by in this bright and cheery place.  But the designers need to give their heads a shake.  There’s a feature in the women’s washroom that gives pause for thought.  Especially if you are visually impaired.

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Looking for drugs?  Do you need a tooth fixed?  Or maybe you just have a yen for a darn good taco.

A visit to Brownsville, Texas is great but you must spend at least one day in a foreign country when in the area.   And that’s so easy to do, because Mexico is just a short drive, or walk, away.

You can choose from a variety of entry points (International Bridges), but double your fun with a drive up Hwy 281, the “Old Military” highway, and hang a left at Progresso.

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“Oh, look a snake!” 

The urgency in my husband’s voice was alarming.  We had just been warned by a local Texan to watch out for snakes inhabiting the bushes.  And sure enough, in one of the older, more deserted, most appealing graveyards, just outside of Brownsville, along Highway 281, a snake crossed our paths.

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Nothing proclaims, “This person is an adventurer” like a Tilley hat.  It’s true; look at a group of tourists - the ones in the khaki Tilley hats don’t look so touristy - they look more serious, more experienced, more like seasoned travelers.

Yes, it’s all good when you wear a Tilley hat unless, of course, you (like my husband and world travel companion) refuse to wear the hat’s chin strap.  That decision, or lack thereof, can get you into a lot of trouble.

Read on. . .

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