by Carmel L. Mooney
As a seasoned traveler who takes over 25 trips per year, I have found some travel gifts for your holiday that take the guesswork out of pleasing your resident traveler in the family. This year you won’t have to worry if what you send gets used and enjoyed. ANY traveler will love these!
Magellan’s World Time Alarm Clock
I don’t know about you but one of my biggest pet peeves in travel is checking into a nice hotel, asking for a wake-up call, and not receiving one or half-sleeping with one eye open all night wondering if you’ll ever get that call. It’s also a pain remembering to change your clock or watch when traveling through time zones. This is no longer an issue with Magellan’s World Time Alarm Clock. With the ability to pre-set 16 different time zones, you’ll know the time where you are going, where you’ve been, and back home too, for checking it. Its bonus is a 12 or 24-hour format as well as a flashlight and calendar to boot. Now I can check the time, find the bathroom in a foreign hotel room, and fall back into deep and restful asleep knowing I’ll make my flight. For light sleepers like me, that’s peace of mind and convenience worth any price. I only wish I had got one years ago.
Custom Fit Earplugs
All right, it sounds like I’m complaining but I find myself sleep-deprived more often than not on a lot of trips these days. Sure, my kids might not be babies anymore, but who can sleep with a snoring husband, loud next-door-hotel-neighbors, midnight ice machine runs and slamming doors down the hallways, crying babies in the room below, teens texting in the next bed, traffic, unfamiliar, needing to-be-serviced air conditioning and heating units. I could go on. But now I have a fighting chance with soft, comfortable, and yes, even cute, women’s earplugs. My daughters now fight me for a pair, because they do help with dad’s snoring. I like the little carrying case cause I hate rolling over to find an earplug in the middle of the night and they roll off the nightstand. Buy this gift of thoughtfulness and peaceful slumber. And if you want to go for the top of the line, then get the gift that keeps on giving with these reusable, long-lasting silicone silencers that have inserts for a perfect and adjustable fit. They’ll go the distance and fit all sizes and I have to say, I love the little case.
Power Trip Charging Station
Another gadget of all gadgets for every traveler is the pocket-sized Power Trip Charging Station. This compact all-in-one charger can charge 5 devices at once and includes an international universal plug that helps you be ready to use your devices anywhere!
Wheeled under-Seat Tote
This is no stocking stuffer, but at just a smidge over 6 pounds, this light, durable, and stylish nylon tote gets an A+ in my mind. For us highly organized, efficient travelers who like convenience and functionality married with aesthetics, this is our ideal tote. With numerous strategically positioned pockets, padded iPad sleeves, zippered water bottle pockets, and 3-1-1 pockets it makes rushing from place to place a lot less stressful. Ergonomically designed detachable shoulder strap and an extra-long, comfortable telescoping handle and piggyback strap make this the sensible solution to air travel, with the quality ballistic nylon and luxurious detailing you would expect from something Magellan’s designed. With four beautiful colors to choose from, it makes a truly lovely gift for your serious traveler.
And if you really can’t decide, a gift certificate is always great fun for shopping at Magellan’s …hint, hint….honey (and kiddos)!
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Carmel L. Mooney is a travel columnist, author, and radio talk show host. She is the editor of Road Trips for Couples.