austin's blog

Los Angeles, California is a huge city. It's hundreds of square miles of neighborhoods, highways, and beautiful sunshine. It's also home to countless foodies, music fans, taco trucks, and relentless lovers of their home city. To help you plan your next visit to the city of Angels, I've researched and found some of the best food, neighborhood, and culture blogs that the city has to offer (plus some other useful sites that you won't want to miss.)

CES, the yearly technology extravaganza in Las Vegas, offers the gadget and gear lover an almost endless array of new toys to drool over. This year seemed focused on thin laptops, sleek tablets and smart TVs. But what about tech for the traveler, especially ones who already have all the laptops and tablets that they could want? I went searching through the products released at CES and found a few that could help keep your devices powered and connected while you're on the road, even better than ones I've seen in the past. Keep reading to see what I found.

Sometimes even the most promising travel photos turn out badly. Some of the most frustrating ones come out blurry, and unless you are experimenting with creative photography techniques, that's probably not what you were hoping for. Unfortunately, you can't just crop out the bad part or work some quick magic to regain your lost clarity. And to make matters worse, it is highly unlikely that you can easily go back and retake them. You may think that these blurred photos are a lost cause, but I've got a few suggestions to help keep those shots out of the trashcan. While salvaging may be what you need right now, I've also got some tips to help you take better, non-blurry, photos on your next trip.

This gift list won't talk about traditional travel gear and it wont tell you to get an iPad. You already know about that stuff or we've covered some of it in past. (Those old lists, they are still really excellent, by the way. In 2008 we tackled gifts for first time travelers, backpackers, urban seeks and diy options. In 2009, we kept it quirky with guides to two of our favorite sources for offbeat goods, Fred Flare and Etsy. And last year, we rounded up some more favorites in our 2010 guide.) But enough about the past, let's move onto the present and show you some of the things that have caught our eye this holiday season.

Ever since I got my first smartphone, I've more and more frequently run into the situations where I'm out on the road and my phone is dying. Or, I've been part of the growing masses of people in the airport, frantically searching for a free plug to give their phone or tablet a charge. It's a frustrating situation and I'm guessing you've been there. I recently had the opportunity to test out a backpack that was made to alleviate these stressful situations - the Powerbag. It's a backpack designed with a charging system built-in, which allows you the charge your phone or tablet while you're carrying it around. No more hunting, no more plug stalking.

No matter where you travel, it's easy to get overwhelmed by the amount of information available. Where do you eat, what will you do when you get there, what's worth seeing in the short amount of time you have? Finding good resources takes a lot of time and effort, which might lead you to opt for a pre-packaged guidebook to save yourself a headache. To save you from suffering through a mediocre travesty of a guidebook, I've found some great blogs and resources for everyone looking to enjoy the great city of Boston, all made by locals, no less. Keep reading to discover some great resources for your next trip to Beantown.

Are you planning on heading to an art museum on your next trip? Will you be carrying your backpack with you, complete with a laptop and a camera? I've got a few tips for you that will help you avoid any surprises at the coat check.

On my most recent trip to New York City, I was lugging a full backpack around the city for an entire day, with no place to rest; a tiring proposition at best. I saved a visit to the Museum of Modern Art for the early afternoon, when I would need the break from my pack the most. Ah coat check, you were to be my savior. But when I reached the counter and handed my backpack to the checker, he asked if I had any laptops or cameras inside. Why, yes, I did. "Well, you'll have to carry those yourself," he said. It turns out that to avoid liability for expensive items, MOMA requires you to hold onto these items for yourself while you're perusing their collection. Good for them, but for my tired and worn out self, it was quite a physical burden. Luckily my camera had a strap, so I could wear it around my neck. But I had no such help with my laptop, which at several pounds, quickly grew to be a little too much for me to carry around. Somehow, I made it through my visit without dropping and breaking my precious gear, but I want to help you avoid my sad situation with these helpful tips for your next museum visit.

When it comes to travel skills, finding a good place to eat is one of the most essential. But, when you're on the road, especially in a foreign country, making a good choice can be harder than you think. After all, when you don't speak (or read) the local language, menus and signs are less than useful. I've got a few tips and tricks to help you make better restaurant choices on your next trip.

On our recent roadtrip through the southern United States, we made sure we spent a few days in New Orleans, home of po-boys, funky jazz, and perfect beignets. Our temporary home in the Big Easy was the Chimes Bed and Breakfast, a wonderful old house tucked near the Garden District and the St. Charles Streetcar line. We chose Chimes for it's location, but soon discovered oodles of other reasons it's a great place to stay. From well designed rooms to an affable host, it left no question in my mind that the Chimes is where I'll be the next time I'm in town.

There's a meme going around where travel sites share seven themed links from their past. We were nominated to share some of our posts by the awesome guys at No Vacation Required and Mary Alice of Dog Jaunt fame. Since we've got almost 5 years of posts laying around, we were only too happy to dig in and share.