5 minute read
Travel Buzz Plan
Travel With Ease
To avoid being “that person” (the one holding up the boarding process due to bag struggles) this holiday travel season, you need to plan a bit before you leave. We’ve asked Heather Sanchez, a veteran Hawaiian Airlines flight attendant, for her tips on de-stressing the boarding experience. MIMI TOWLE
• Pack light if you are carrying on luggage.
Wear your biggest shoes and heaviest jacket or sweater on the plane and leave the shampoo and bath products at home; most hotels offer an unending supply.
• Most airlines allow passengers one
carry-on and one personal item (purse, briefcase, laptop bag, small backpack or small musical instrument). Avoid having to check your bag by following these rules: bags must not exceed 25 pounds and must not exceed 22 inches long, 14 inches wide and 9 inches high.
• Use containers or ziplock bags to
organize your belongings and keep clothing from getting wrinkled.
• Parents are allowed to bring car seats, infant-carrying seats and strollers as part of their carry-on allowance as long as the items can fit in the overhead compartment.
• Check with your credit card provider;
most airlines have credit card programs that offer great perks, including free checked bags.
• For carry-on, keep your bag of toiletries
separate and accessible. The Transportation Security Administration allows you to bring one quart-size ziplock bag through the checkpoint holding 3.4 ounces per container of liquids, aerosols, gels, creams and pastes.
San Francisco Sleep Over
Special occasions, office parties or gingerbread teas — here are a few lodging options across the bridge to consider this holiday season. M.T.
1On the Embarcadero The swanky Hotel Vitale and attached Americano Restaurant is celebrating the season with a “Park, Shop and Sparkle” package, featuring 15 percent off your stay (two-night minimum). Highlights include a special performance by the Notre Dame Children’s Choir, and throughout the month guests can indulge their sweet tooth with churros and hot cocoa or take a relaxing 10-minute chair massage break in the lobby. Rates start at $245. jdvhotels.com 2 A Mont So Fair Experience the holidays at the Fairmont San Francisco, where the luxury destination company Fairmont Hotels and Resorts opened its first namesake hotel in 1907. The opening was delayed after the 1906 earthquake; architect Julia Morgan was called in to repair damage and reinforce the structure. Daughters of silver baron James Graham Fair planned the Fairmont as a posthumous monument to their father that would carry on the family name in an exclusive location at the top of Nob Hill. This month enjoy holiday brunches, gingerbread tea and festive decor. Rates start at $259. fairmont.com/sanfrancisco 3 Pacific Heights Heaven Carefully note the location of Hotel Drisco, because once you’re in Pacific Heights it’s challenging to locate it amid the many mansions (it’s at the corner of Pacific and Broderick avenues). Built in 1903, the place makes an ideal escape. You can walk to the Presidio, shop on Sacramento Street and dine in Fillmore Street cafes. A breakfast buffet and an afternoon wine reception are both delicious and complimentary. Guest reviews deem the staff f this locally owned and operated hotel “gracious, capable and friendly.” Rates start at $375. hoteldrisco.com
Sweaters and Sweats
Looking for coastal cozy? Think Mendocino in December. Long beach walks, warmed toes in front of wood-burning fireplaces (abundant in this town) and locally produced wine just might be the antidote to
TANK OF GAS holiday craziness. With a little more than three hours’ travel time to get to this historic logging town, the journey through wine country or up the coast is also part of the experience. And once you arrive, get into the spirit of the season with the annual Festival of Lights, held at the Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens every weekend through December 20. Here are just some of the town’s other attractions. M.T.
HIGHLIGHTS Mendocino Village is the only coastal town in the state to be designated as a historical landmark, which happened when California joined the Union in 1850. Stay in a historic home-turned-inn like MacCallum House, or walk the streets and catch the docent-led
tours every Saturday at 11 a.m. starting from the Kelley House Museum. maccallumhouse.com, kelleyhousemuseum.org NEW Located in the heart of
the village on Kasten Street, the Trillium Cafe and Inn has already been recognized by the Wall Street Journal and Los Angeles Magazine as a not-to-miss dining spot. High on the list of popular dishes is the seasonal Dungeness crab–stuffed phyllo with Meyer lemon preserves, perfect with a glass of locally produced wine. trilliummendocino.com DETAILS Lodgings range from quaint to luxe and, compared to many other locations, won’t break the bank. The high-end historic farm and eco resort
Stanford Inn, half a mile south of the village on the bluff, starts at $250, while the Didjeridoo Dreamtime Inn, also a great choice, has rooms for under $100. stanfordinn.com, didjeridooinn.com
AIRTIGHT PARTNERSHIP With Virgin America now flying to Hawaii, the airline is offering pretty compelling incentives for Elevate (mile club) members to become Airbnb hosts there, as in 20,000 points for signing up. And in reverse, members will get 1 point per $1 spent on completed Airbnb stays. virginamerica.com/airbnb
