Fly the Friendly Skies.....

Wasn't that a slogan for one of the major airlines years ago? Fly the friendly skies. American Airlines? United Airlines? It just sounds so familiar, but I can't place the slogan with the airlines.

One thing is for sure...... there isn't an airline these days who would be willing to use that slogan now. I was on the phone with the airlines the other day, asking them what items can be taken on the plane in carry-on luggage. Nothing liquid, nothing water-based. That means no toothpaste, no nail polish, no shampoo, no hair products, no mouthwash, no lotions, no gels. If you want to bring those items with you, then you have to pack them in baggage that can be "checked through to your point of final destination." That sounds so.... final.

We haven't checked luggage with any of the airlines in the longest time. We always travel with carry-on baggage. Sometimes just one carry-on for each of us, plus a small cosmetic carry-on for me. (I've learned to pack like a guy..... how scary is that?)

We'll be going to Hawaii for seven days.... my husband has a conference there. A three-day conference that he needs to attend for just one day. I get to shop while he attends the conference for that day (and my husband is thinking How scary is that?!)....... and then we'll play tourists for the other days.

My husband does a lot of computer research before we go anywhere. He makes a list of what to see, where to go, which restaurants are best.... we travel with a full printed-out schedule of everything we'll be doing once we get wherever we're going. Our vacations aren't that relaxing, since we're going from place to place trying to see as much as we can--- as in Maine, where he drove the rental car 1500 miles and we saw 22 lighthouses in seven days.

My only restriction for Hawaii is that I wouldn't take a helicopter between the islands, nor would I take those tiny planes to go "island-hopping," as they call it. I told him to pick the biggest island and there should be enough there to keep us busy for six days. We may travel more than the average couple, but I'm the most reluctant traveler, I swear. I'm not adventurous, and when I try to be (like going on that whale-watching boat).... it never works out in my favor.

We've traveled quite a lot this year.... out west to Vegas, down south to Savannah, up east to Maine, plus countless trips west into the Hill Country of Texas and around the lakes of East Texas. And just where is the best place to be...... home. Either right here, or up at Mayberry, watching the lake.

And being here, or going to the cottage, is very easy........ you don't have to worry about water-based and liquid products going into carry-on bags because down here, the skies really are friendly.