It's a Ho-Ho Holiday Gift Guide
By Amy Ziff, Editor-at-Large
October 19, 2005
It's the time of year we've all been waiting for: gift-getting season! I mean, er, gift giving, of course. Perhaps you meet the holidays with dread because you don't know what to get someone on your list. If that someone likes to get out of the house and travel the world, this list can't be beat. From stocking stuffers to show stoppers, I've queried my traveling set and come up with some of this year's very best offerings.
What is more fun than accessorizing? For that musically addicted iPod user in your life, or even for the musically challenged, the iPod car adapter (AKA the Monster iCarPlay FM Transmitter) at $79.95 is a sweet choice. It lets you take great music on the road and doubles as a charger all the while. Ensure a good soundtrack on your next road trip with family, friends, or on your own. Also, for the music lover on your list, the iPod speaker rest is super cool (officially called the JBL On Stage II with Remote) looks as mod as the iPod itself. It rests while cranking a high performance sound system and retails for $169. Another brilliant contraption is the iPod splitter which makes it possible to share an iPod between two people, and it costs $12.95. All this gear can be found at http://store.apple.com.
Speaking of accessories, I've found the best travel bags for anyone on your gift list who is on the go. They're from a company called Briggs & Riley, and they feature a new @work collection which, simply stated, rocks. Oh, and they roll too. So if you need a breezy way to get through the airports with something durable, my favorite this season is the Executive Traveler, which retails for $429. It's worth every penny and has amazing compartments, organizers, a removable accessory pouch, hanging section, and hide-away ID card, and even comes with a stowaway brief case. Visit www.briggs-riley.com for more information and other luggage products.
If you or someone on your list is in need of directions (and normally refuses to ask for them), check out the TomTom Go 700, which is basically your very own portable GPS guide. It sits on the dash of any car and provides simple touch screen operation with crystal-clear 3D navigation. You can also get real-time traffic and weather reports. Visit www.tomtom.com for more information and purchase online at www.target.com for $899.00.
In the spirit of not getting lost, two parents of young children founded Wander Wear tags, which allow parents to write up to two mobile numbers, plus their name and a password onto a tag fitted for children ages 2-10. Every parent knows the anxiety of holiday shopping with children who tend to wander off on their own--make this holiday season or upcoming vacation a little less stressful by securing them to your own kids. Visit www.wander-wear.com to learn more about Wander Wear tags and purchase them online.
For the non-material, perhaps spiritual, yogi road warrior, there is a perfect solution to taking your practice with you--it’s the machine washable Crescent Moon non-slip yoga practice mat. This mat features a 100% cotton rug top and a rubber sole mat below made for use on any surface! For $49.99 each, all you have to do is roll it and go. Visit www.cresecentmoon.com for this product.
Ok, so this one is a cheap plug–but it is not only cheap but fun! Why not own your very own Travelocity Gnome playing cards? For just 6.99, they are several games in one if you consider all the games you can play. Plus they're terrific in an airport, on the tarmac, or while riding the train or bus. You can find them at the Travelocity Gnome store along with some other nifty gift items: http://leisure.travelocity.com/Promotions/0,,TRAVELOCITY|1751|mkt_main|,00.html
If you don't know Magellans.com, you should. It has almost anything and everything for the traveler in your life. For safety fanatics, the Emergency Crank Radio and Cell Phone Charger, in one, that retails for $49.85 is a bargain. Plus it has a flashlight and emergency siren built right in. It's the kind of item you might want at home too. They also have handy items like a SnacPac picnic kit, meant to travel with you; an unbreakable French Press for coffee fanatics; and a very tote-able travel scrabble game--all of which can all be found at www.magellans.com.
If you live in New York City, or you're visiting soon, you can geek out in style at the first-ever WIRED Store! Wired magazine’s first store is the perfect place to do your holiday shopping for the wired one in your life—it’s easy, convenient, and fun, and it’s open from November 18-December 24 at 160 Wooster Street in SoHo. Cool travel gadgets run the gamut from Voltaic Solair Backpacks, which feature solar panels on the outside, so you can charge your cell while you’re traveling, to the Archos AV700 Mobil Digital Recorder, which attaches to your TV, allowing you to record your favorite shows, then remove the player and screen to bring with you on the plane (it’s the size of a hand-held pocket video game); there’s also pre-registration available for the not-yet launched Space Adventures suborbital flights, which you can book to send someone you love to view planet Earth from above—see if Santa can top that! If you're not in NYC, you can access the store online at www.wiredstore.net.
With all these ideas at your finger tips, why not shop 'til you drop?
For more travel tips and advice, check out Amy Ziff’s monthly column, Travel Trends & Advice from A to Z, at www.travelocity.com/atoz. To suggest a topic for a future column or to tell about a travel experience of your own, please email Amy Ziff at ask.amy@travelocity.com.
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