Going to Hawaii is often an exercise in rest and relaxation, full of beaches, good food, and beautiful weather. Somehow, we've discovered yet another reason to visit the islands, one that can help bring you some spiritual healing and inner peace. Our newest festival of the season is the Lantern Floating in Honolulu, Hawai'i, a yearly celebration that honors people who we've lost, giving attendees a chance to reflect, remember, and heal.

Happy March!

Nothing beats being in front of a work of art. Sometimes these works travel to you, in exhibits and to museums nearby. Other times, you've got to travel to the work itself, which is definitely the case when it comes to the work of Richard Serra. His over-sized works made of steel are often site-specific and their installation alone is labor intensive. These aren't works that travel and that's ok. Because, after all, it's a good excuse to get out there in the world and see it for yourself. Serra can give you an excuse to travel to Spain, the Hudson River Valley, Qatar, or, in this case, my latest Serra sighting was in Los Angeles at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art when I came face-to-face with Band (2006).

Enter the airport security line. Sweater off. Shoes, laptop, and boarding pass tucked carefully into a gray bin. Now where's that bag? You know the bag, it's the one bursting at the seams. The one that's holding three ounces of every liquid you hold near and dear, and you're hoping makes it into the bin without destroying the seal. Ever since the liquid ban, that bag has frustrated me. Frustrated that I have to keep half of my toiletries in a separate place, and worried that I might forget to put that tube of toothpaste in its proper, TSA-approved home rather than where I carried it for years in my toiletry bag. It's that bag, alone, that often makes me want to check my bag. So, I decided to simplify and went solid. Fewer liquid products means I can put things where they should go and forget about it. It also means that bag has never been bursting at the seams again. If you can't change the system, you can at least beat it. Carry on reading to discover some products that will make you carry-on ready for your next trip.

What's a pickle to a traveler? Is it merely a snack, or an accompaniment to a great meal? Pickles are, in fact, much more than that. From vinegary pickles to preserved lemons, they are the oldest method of preserving food, a showcase for local food culture, and they reflect what's abundant and loved in an area. They also play the perfect companion to meals of all sorts, calming spicy curries, adding a crisp bite to a sandwich, or acting as a palette cleanser between bites. To help you find your perfect pickle when you're on the road, we're going to take you on a quick world tour of pickles, to help you know how to find a pickled treat no matter where you are.

2013 just may be the year of David Bowie. Not only does he have a new album coming out, but he also has a retrospective this year at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London. If you're a fan, you may want to book a trip to London this spring or summer to immerse yourself in all things Bowie. But don't hesitate, the exhibition David Bowie is, featuring over 300 objects from the David Bowie Archive, is only open until July 28, 2013.

Forget Mardi Gras, May is the prime time of year for visiting Louisiana. The weather is heating up, snoball stands are open, farmers markets are in full swing, and crawfish are at their peak. With crawfish season, comes the mother of all crawfish festivals, the Breaux Bridge Crawfish Festival in Breaux Bridge, Louisiana. Held the first weekend every May, it's a three-day celebration of crawfish, cajun food, and culture. On our vist, we throughly enjoyed feasting on a variety of cajun cuisine, as well as taking in the spectacle set to the soundtrack of zydeco music and want to share why it's well worth planning a trip.

When it comes to travel, traditional guides offer little value to the niche interest. They won't tell you where to find all the record shops in San Francisco, or where you might find a letterpress print to add to your collection, and they certainly won't tell you to bring hot sauce home as a souvenir. And that's ok, because honestly, you don't want a guidebook's suggestion for something they're completely unable to provide. You want someone who's interested, plugged-in, and just as obsessed as you are. You want a nerd. We've decided to help you out every month by featuring a different theme and a selection of our favorite inspiration from around the web with ideas for travel in mind.

This month, we've gone with the topic of design and we've found experts that will help you find where to go shopping for home goods in Melbourne, discover the perfect graphic installation to photograph, footsteps to follow in Paris, and a blog that will keep you exposed to all aspects of Japanese design. Be prepared, however, because after reading any of these sites, you might just start planning a trip.

Before planning a trip to the pyramids, lovers of ancient Egypt should instead consider a trip to Berlin. This spring, the city's beloved Egyptian, Nefertiti, is having a special celebration. Until April 13, 2013, the Neues Museum is honoring the 100 years since her discovery in Amarna with a special exhibit, In the Light of Amarna. 100 Years of the Nefertiti Discovery.