Packing Tips for Travelers

Ski trips present quite a packing challenge. This photo was taken 14 years ago, when the fam and I were all a bit younger, and a few pounds lighter. Geessssssss, it was even before gray hair. sigh

Packing a necessary evil of any and all trips. What to take, how much to take, how much does it weigh, will it wrinkle. First thing to consider is are you driving, or flying. If you're flying that bumps up the difficulty factor. If flying you have to think about weight, how to protect items, how to keep clothes presentable and still have all you need.

Our method of packing for ski trips was a clean turtleneck a day. After skiing, showering for dinner the clean turtle neck for dinner was the one you wore to ski in the next day. 2-3 sweaters was enough for the whole week and maybe 2 pair of jeans. Remember packing your ski equipment takes space so it gets the priority. And, you're wearing your ski clothes the bulk of the time, so you whatever else you're wearing are items used for a short period of time.

Pack ski socks and long johns, which are bulky items in your ski boots, and around your skies. It saves space in your suitcase, and protects your equipment.

**Always pack lots of lip balm, and cloth handkerchiefs/bandannas. Paper tissues don't hold up well outside and can't be used to protect your face or neck.

Folding your dirty clothes for the return trip will make packing easier too. Put them in a plastic bag, but folded gives you the same space you had when you packed the first time. If you have undergarments that are on their way out, you could through them out instead of packing them for the return trip; which frees up space for items you purchased on the trip. Personally I've not used the throw away method; but know several people who have and it worked well for them. People tend to buy new things for a trip and they did just the opposite. Took old stuff, wore it, pitched it instead of packing it to bring home.

Sedona, Arizona

Sedona Arizona lies about 2 hours north of Phoenix. It's known as "Red Rock Country". No wonder as you look around. There's much to see and do there. You can tour by car, rent a jeep (guided), walk, hike, bike and enjoy the history and archaeology in the area. The town itself is quaint, artsy and a bit pricey. Layer, layer, layer. It maybe warm in town; but even then there's a strong wind as you walk around. People will have shorts on; then pull out a heavy fleece 5 minutes later. Be prepared. Hubby and I are pretty bundled up and were still a bit cold. We took the famous Pink Jeep Tour, and in an open jeep it gets pretty cold. Petroglyph's have always fascinated me, so we opted for The Ancient Ruin Tour, though there are others to pick from. Each tour varies in cost and time. Believe we paid $70.00 a person for our pink jeep tour, which includes a knowledgeable tour guide. Though once you add a tip at the tours end, it's even more costly. Our tour was one of the shorter ones, between 2.5 land 3 hours.


Scenery is breathtaking. The area we toured was a 700 year old Sinaguan Cliff Dwelling. You hike a bit once the jeep get's you there so good supportive boots/shoes are necessary. If you're not the outdoor type, you might enjoy the shopping in town which includes lots of art galleries.

This is not an area to rush through, take your time and really experience it. Some of the hiking might be too difficult for families with small children so pick your activities carefully.