WILD SIDE DESTINATIONS
  • Home
    • Our DNA
    • Travel Request
    • Real Kudos
    • 3 steps for travel
    • TravelQ&A
    • Layaway Plan
    • Blog
  • Travel
    • All-Inclusive Travel >
      • Palace Resorts
      • Sandals Resorts
    • Nude Travel >
      • Original Resorts
    • Luxury Travel
    • Adventure Travel
    • Spring Break 2025
    • Hawaii Travel >
      • Hawaii Island
    • Caribbean Travel >
      • Antigua Travel
      • Aruba Travel
      • Barbados Travel
      • British Virgin Islands Travel
      • Cayman Islands Travel
      • Curacao Travel
      • Dominica Travel
      • Dominican Republic Travel
      • Grenada Travel
      • Jamaica Travel Specialist
      • Nevis Travel
      • Puerto Rico Travel
      • St Kitts Travel
      • St. Lucia Travel
      • Tobago Travel
    • Bahamas Travel
    • Mexico Travel >
      • Cabo San Lucas Travel
      • Cancun Travel
      • Cozumel Travel
      • Guadelajara Travel
      • Mazatlan Travel
      • Puerto Vallarta Travel
      • Riviera Nayarit Travel
    • South Pacific Travel >
      • Fiji Travel
      • Cook Islands Travel
      • Tahiti Travel >
        • Tahaa Travel
    • Central America >
      • Belize Travel
      • Costa Rica Travel
      • Panama Travel
      • Roatan Travel
    • Colombia Travel
    • Italy Travel >
      • Venice Travel
    • Asia Travel >
      • Macau Travel
      • Bali Travel
    • Africa
    • U.S. Travel >
      • Alaska Uncruise
      • Las Vegas Travel
    • Destination Divaz Travel
    • Family Travel
    • Autism Travel
    • LGBTQ Travel
    • Single Travel
    • Wellness Travel
    • Tours
  • Destination Weddings
    • Special Events
    • Cocktails & Drinks
    • Champagne Tips
  • Groups
    • Meetings
  • Cruises
    • Sailing & Yachts
    • Uncruise
    • Small Ships Tall Ships
    • Riverboat Cruising
  • Travel Documents
    • Passports
    • Travel Brochures
    • Travel, Pack, Travel
    • Travel Tips
    • Luggage Tips & Airlines
  • Home
    • Our DNA
    • Travel Request
    • Real Kudos
    • 3 steps for travel
    • TravelQ&A
    • Layaway Plan
    • Blog
  • Travel
    • All-Inclusive Travel >
      • Palace Resorts
      • Sandals Resorts
    • Nude Travel >
      • Original Resorts
    • Luxury Travel
    • Adventure Travel
    • Spring Break 2025
    • Hawaii Travel >
      • Hawaii Island
    • Caribbean Travel >
      • Antigua Travel
      • Aruba Travel
      • Barbados Travel
      • British Virgin Islands Travel
      • Cayman Islands Travel
      • Curacao Travel
      • Dominica Travel
      • Dominican Republic Travel
      • Grenada Travel
      • Jamaica Travel Specialist
      • Nevis Travel
      • Puerto Rico Travel
      • St Kitts Travel
      • St. Lucia Travel
      • Tobago Travel
    • Bahamas Travel
    • Mexico Travel >
      • Cabo San Lucas Travel
      • Cancun Travel
      • Cozumel Travel
      • Guadelajara Travel
      • Mazatlan Travel
      • Puerto Vallarta Travel
      • Riviera Nayarit Travel
    • South Pacific Travel >
      • Fiji Travel
      • Cook Islands Travel
      • Tahiti Travel >
        • Tahaa Travel
    • Central America >
      • Belize Travel
      • Costa Rica Travel
      • Panama Travel
      • Roatan Travel
    • Colombia Travel
    • Italy Travel >
      • Venice Travel
    • Asia Travel >
      • Macau Travel
      • Bali Travel
    • Africa
    • U.S. Travel >
      • Alaska Uncruise
      • Las Vegas Travel
    • Destination Divaz Travel
    • Family Travel
    • Autism Travel
    • LGBTQ Travel
    • Single Travel
    • Wellness Travel
    • Tours
  • Destination Weddings
    • Special Events
    • Cocktails & Drinks
    • Champagne Tips
  • Groups
    • Meetings
  • Cruises
    • Sailing & Yachts
    • Uncruise
    • Small Ships Tall Ships
    • Riverboat Cruising
  • Travel Documents
    • Passports
    • Travel Brochures
    • Travel, Pack, Travel
    • Travel Tips
    • Luggage Tips & Airlines

TRAVEL SMART

Luggage Confessions OR Keep Calm & Carry On

Tips For Anxious Travelers 


Luggage Basics

1. Decide How You’ll Use Your Bag: is it for flying, driving, cruising, or some other purpose? For airplane travel, familiarize yourself with luggage rules of airlines you're patronizing.  For road trips: look for pliable bags to maximize your trunk space. For cruise ships, they stack baggage in the boat’s belly before departure:  flat, rigid luggage is optimal.

2. Know Which Size You Need, this will depend on the length of your trip(s). Are you flying, airline luggage restrictions, what are your own habits? Can you pack for two weeks in a carry-on and underseat personal item?

3.  Carry-on or check-in? There is a science to this. Comparing check-in bags can be an expedition with so many details. 

A) Soft-side with zipper, everything goes into, sits nicely on room luggage rack with top standing up against the wall. You dig or lift things up to reach or find articles.

B) Hard-side, two sides, two even compartments help you  organize with a divider.  Is anything you pack (especially coming home) bigger or wider? How does this fit on the luggage rack? 

4. Store Your Bag. Once you're home, where will it go? Hard-sided bags are unflexible; soft-sided bags have more flexibility. NOTE: Don't settle for a bag based just on where you'll store it.

Luggage Confessions

Life i full of challenges and we love making dreams come true, let's find the perfect bags to start with.
 
 
​ We can’t live without them.  Who else has a graveyard of broken bags? A wheel missing (thank you American), a zipper split, a tear. There are designer "Refurbish, Repurpose Vintage and not so vintage suitcases" out there. Check out pinterest!

I am here to preach 
"your luggage will make or break your travel, getaway, special event, trip." 


. but I loved the color
. it won’t stack, but it’s got a shoulder strap
. it used to fit under the airline seat?

. this NO nonsense fact: the perfect and desirable luggage is based on your personal needs and preferences
. comparing a long list of luggage and suitcase brands, you should create your personal guide towards choosing the best possible bag for your traveling whereever you go! 

​Facts about luggage

1. the parameters you set for luggage are as important as your work, car, home and children priorities.

2. What you like may also be what the gorilla’s at the airport like too.  Think twice before purchasing the first bag you see in pink or purple.

3. Choose another color besides black to easily identify and eliminate your luggage taken by mistake.

2. There’s more than one Top Ten Best-Selling and Consumer Reports list.

We’re all dreamers, we have our heart set on the journey, the perfect story.  It's not set on complete logic, our needs are unique, like our cravings looking at a menu!

 Scents & Ingredients
​ With Purpose

@ Almond:  harness & nourish yourself, create your natural calm. Travel with almond oil, creams, saches
@ Amber: warm, musky, rich and honey-like, also somewhat earthy
@ ​Angelica:  "angel's grass", oil, for toning, overworked, hydrating. 
@ Cade: wild juniper for skincare, antiseptic, strengthening, shaving option
@ Cedar: base notes of musk and vanilla underneath  warm earthy scent
@ Cherry Blossom: magical scent & feel, fresh & floral. Enlighten & inhale
@ Coconut: oil for body/skin/hair/ digest 
@ Frankincense:  anti-inflammatory, anti-infectious, deep level healing. Soothes skin, nerves, protects from microbes, anti-cancerous, for warts/moles/ age spots
@ Grasse: smells like Fragonard's** fragrance "la fleur d'oranger"
@ Immortelle: Helichrysum*, oil for sun protection, pain relief, psoriasis, eczema, tissue regenerate & healing.  
@ Iris: varies almost much like rose, can be earthy and spicy
@ Jasmine: enchanting, flower  connected with beauty, Egyption queens. Released evening/nightfall for soft, exotic feelings, seduction
@ Lavender: emanating scent captures the soul, calm/soothe body/mind. Sooth irritated & dry skin, reduce inflammation, allergic reactions, anti-fungal, anti-tumor, anti-microbial, anti-everything
@ Myrrh: anti-infectious, antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, natural, tonic & astringent. For chapped skin & infections
@ Orange Blossom: light, fresh yet sensual, add sweet black currant notes, sensuous woody scents, musk 
@ Peony:  romantic, powdery, floral
@ Rose: highly revered, rose oil helps stop collagen breakdown. Prevents scarring, promotes healing, increases circulation, best oil for your skin
@ Sandalwood:  protective UV agent, skin regenerative, anti-infectious, anti-tumor, a natural tonic, astringent

​Make Your Own Linen Water!

  • 2 1/2 cups mineral water
  • 5 ml essential oils, of your own choice (approx 100 drops)
  • 1/8 cup vodka
In a small dish mix vodka and essential oil. Add to distilled water and pour in spray bottle. For travel, remember 3.3 ounces for TSA. Use on the plane to de-frag.  Shake before use.

Best & Worst Water To Buy


Tiny Travel Accessories

- USB Drive: go paperless. A flash drive discretely holds 4-8 gigabytes for documents, passport info, presentations. Get water/scratch-resistant.
​​​- Lip Balm: more than one, in change purse below
​- Mini flashlight: add to keychain or luggage  zippers, you'll be glad you did.
​- 
Hand Sanitizer: on-the-go, must for cruise, airports, planes, everywhere, alcohol-based-60 percent. 
- Change Purse: Have change, money, a credit card, stash for  small items
- Pen(s): a must, at least 2, customs lines.
​- 
Multi-Use Tool: not carry-on, be prepared w/scissors, tweezers, bottle opener
​- Speaker: it's your party, a tiny speaker for your smartphone! Relax, turn a trip to the beach or airport layover into a dance party!

 Because everyone's dreams are different!  503-260-0557


Pre-Departure Travel Tips

 Changing time zones makes your body's sense of timing tip. Being little miss sunshine means using light to catch up with your brain. (even if you thought you already lost it)

- Trade in some nights for going to bed later or get up earlier to match the time zone you're heading to.  
- And for your eating schedules, you need your body to be your friend traveling.
- Avoid alcohol a few days before you head to that dreamy destination wedding or massive conference - after all, you know the bars and tropical concoctions are waiting for you, they won't run out of rum, wine or beer before you get there. ON the other hand you may run out before you leave or even finish business.
- If we've reserved an all-inclusive getaway for you, awesome!  You won't make it to your room without champagne or a rum punch welcome. If you have never flown with a hang-over, you will probably only do it once.
- Eat light meals during the day, get up and exercise, stretch. You are going to need your mind and body. Fresh fruit, vegetables, less deep fried and prepared food will help your time zone transition.

PJ's MUST Accessory

 A Square Yard of Flannel, soft, quick folded edge, folds and rolls to almost nothing in your carry-on. Make a few to match outfits, playful, your talisman, an expression, your personality (no words to PO the airlines) and keep your body heat in when it's cold up there in the blue.  Take a little bit of home with you.

Find flannel in preferred colors, designs, bridal patterns, flashy flowers, nature, wolves, starfish, it will be your best friend forever!

Airlines & personal item
Airline & Under-Seat Luggage Dimensions


Alaska Airlines:  no max under-seat luggage size
. Alaska Air Boeing 737-800 under-seat size 14 x 12 x 9 inches.  Contact Alaska Airlines for flight-specific sizes.


Allegiant Air: under seat dimensions measure 16 x 15 x 7 inches.

American Airlines: 18 x 14 x 8 inches

Delta Airlines: under seat luggage size based on equipment. The Bombardier CRJ200 under-seat 18 x 16 x 10.5 inches; the Embraer 175 under-seat dimensions 17 x 16 x 7.8 inches. Contact Delta for flight specific size.

Frontier Airlines: restricts personal item size 18 x 14 x 8 inches. Beware, measuring boxes in airports to determine if personal bag meets their dimensions.

Hawaiian Airlines: no sizes for under-seat luggage. Contact Hawaiian for flight-specific size.

JetBlue Airlines: 17 x 13 x 8 inches

Southwest Airlines: 18.5 x 13.5 x 8.5 inches

Spirit Airlines: 18 x 14 x 8 inches
​

United Airlines: 17 x 10 x 9 inches

Hide Your Money 

 ​This trick for hiding money while you travel is a good one. Stash an emergency bit of cash inside a lip balm tube and keep it with you. (your wallet is the usual target.)

Take a tube of lip balm laying around the house. Turn up and remove excess lip balm, fold your bill(s) in half length-wise, choose your bills and amount, tuck it in!  Want a video on this? Click Hide Your Money title above!

8 Best Travel Chargers

Charging your phone at the airport is a huge security risk. (When outlets work)

To keep powered up when you’re on the go use a charger or powerbank built for stealth and power, one you control, drop in your pocket or a bag with charger built in. 

​Amazon currently offers 3000+ results for “portable power banks,” so how do you choose the right one for your phone/laptop/camera charging, etc.  Click above for (8) eight travel chargers and power banks that serve specific purposes, versatility to quickness for your survival.

​Yin & Yang Color Packing Tips

Yin energy: passive, to calm, soothe

Relax:  
black, blue, purple, pink, white, green​

Yang energy: not passive, colors to balance your life:  
beige, brown, tan, red,
maroon, mauve, lavender, gold,
 orange
, yellow

Insect-Proof
​Clothing & Gear

We love the jungle, we love the rainforest! Waterfalls, hiking, trekking, gardens, onn and just off the beach, caves, ruins and tours are some of our favorite parts of your vacation! Getting a bug bite is an itchy nuisance for a few days, we want you to avoid possible exposure to any serious disease. That means common mosquito-borne illnesses or ticks and what they can carry. 

To protect yourself, packing insect-repellent clothing and other gear on hiking trips, tropical vacations, or any trip where you might be at risk of bug bites. Click the title above for examples of clothing and gear.

Travel Defrag Scents

Pack essential oils, extracts of flowers & plants  to enhance any travel. Suggestions: mimosas, jasmine, lavender, cherry blossom, verbena. 
Green Tea: subtle complex, fresh, uplifts your mood, invigorating. Create well-being.
Labdanum: wild/hardy, replenish, protect against summer heat. Rich resin, warm, sensual scent.
Cherry blossom: fresh, floral, magical scent/feel. Relax, enlighten, inhale. 
Lavender: calm, soothes your senses. Soap sheets, lotions, bath gels, candles
Mimosas: unforgettable, hues of gold, "Winter sun" a mood lifter.

**We recommend Young Living's Essential Oil Products.

* The genus Helichrysum consists of an estimated 600 species of flowering plants in the sunflower family. The type species is Helichrysum orientale. They often go by the names everlasting, immortelle, and strawflower. The name is derived from the Ancient Greek words ἥλιος and χρῡσός.

** Fragonard's Parfumeur: France, perfume, fragrance, skincare, face, body, fashion. Women & Men

Adventure travel experiences with Wild Side Destinations
Adventure travel experiences Destination Weddings.Travel PJ, DWHSA Charter Member.
Adventure travel experiences at a wedding event with Destination Weddings.Travel
Adventure wedding experiences by Destination Weddings.Travel , IADWP member and events.
Adventure travel romance experiences with PJ, a Palace Pro Agency.
Adventure travel experiences, PJ is a Certified Romance Specialist.
Adventure travel experiences, destination wedding experiences on Fiji with PJ, Wild Side Destinations and Destination Weddings.Travel
Adventure travel experiences, Wild Side Destinations is evaluated and endorsed by Safer Tourism.
Adventure and Romance travel experiences Certified Sandals Specialist CSS PJ Destination Weddings.Travel
Adventure travel experiences, destination wedding creations and unique destinations, The Knot.
Adventure travel experiences, romance experiences on Hawaii's Oahu with Wild Side Destinations.
Adventure travel experiences, destination wedding experiences on Hawaii Island with PJ, Wild Side Destinations and Destination Weddings.Travel
Adventure travel experiences, destination wedding experiences on Hawaii's kaua'i with Wild Side Destinations and Destination Weddings.Travel
Adventure travel experiences, destination wedding experiences in Hawaii and island hopping with PJ, Wild Side Destinations and Destination Weddings.Travel
Adventure travel experiences, destination wedding experiences on Hawaii's Maui with Wild Side Destinations.
Adventure travel experiences, destination wedding experiences in Cancun, Playa del Carmen, Costa Maya with PJ, Wild Side Destinations and Destination Weddings.Travel
Featured Expert, Pamela PJ Ott, Official 2015-2016 Destination Wedding & Honeymoon Directory
Wild Side Destinations &
​DestinationWeddings.​Travel
​
​[email protected] 
(503) 260-0557
Picture
Picture
Picture
​Mon-Fri 8-6ish 
​Sat/Sun: by Appt

Destination Weddings.Travel
Tahiti Destination Weddings 
​ Fiji Destination Weddings
 
Destination Divaz Travel

​All Weddings Allowed 
​Linkedin: Pamela-Ott
Instagram: wildsidelove
Twitter: The Wedding Fairy
Pinterest: Wild Side Travels

​​
 Managed by Voyager Websites