PortaPocket Notebook
Women who Inspire Us: Donna Cooper, Founder of Tubular Travel (creator of the tube travel pillow)
How to avoid pickpockets when you travel in Europe (& beyond!)
have more confidence & peace of mind!
Introducing the Tube!
We're excited to announce we've added our first neck pillow to our assortment.
It's a super cool innovation called the Tube, created by Donna Cooper of Tubular Travel
in Jacksonville, FL.
The Tube is the only neck pillow you stuff with clothes so you get extra storage space
when you fly, along with a handy device for neck or lumbar support to make your
flight experience more comfortable.
Check it out here, and be sure to take one along on your next adventure!
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Hidden Gems in Travel: Lauriston Castle
Do you love uncrowded, off-the-beaten-path castles?
If so, this small castle-like manor house is a MUST DO if you're ever in Edinburgh!
We happened across this Scottish charmer while booking with our airbnb host in Cramond Edinburgh and were very excited to be staying in a place just a few blocks away. This 16th century country house (complete with towers) is in a walkable, residential neighborhood, within 1.5 miles of the turreted Whitehouse Road home of Harry Potter author JK Rowling...and every bit as intriguing to visit.
With high season in mid August and the popular Scottish fringe and tatoo festivals underway, boisterous crowds turned our effort to see Edinburgh Castle into a standing-room affair. With discomfort a certainty, we happily aborted our mission to the vast landmark and enjoyed a peaceful soujourn to Lauriston, instead. Its more human-scale and quiet grandeur is a delight and the small group tours (ours was about 8 guests) allow a much more personalized approach, no reservations required.
On a scale of 1 to 10, I rate this experience a solid 9+
Fast facts:
Location: 2A Cramond Road South | Davidson's Mains, Edinburgh EH4 5QD, Scotland
Hours: Tours of Castle, April 1-Oct 31:Mon - Thurs at 2p (closed Fri)
Sat or Sun at 2p, 2:30p, 3p, 3:30p
Grounds open daily, 7:30am to 8p
Cost: Adult £8, Concession £6 (under 5 free);
Grounds are Free to explore
Notes: free parking on site; website here
a STEP ahead :)
some helpful info if you're planning to travel abroad...
STEP can be a useful tool to know about when you go out of the country.
See more about it, here.