Extra, extra, you need to read all about it.  "It" being the World's Largest Girlfriend Getaway.  Here are the deets.  The location is oh-so-fab Miami.  The host is the ultra-luxe and newly renovated (might we be more specific here, that's a whopping $50 mil reno to be exact) Lowes Miami Beach Hotel.  The date is April 16-18, 2010.  Festivities include:  two night stay in a deluxe room, daily breakfast for two, complimentary happy hour, a group salsa lesson, beach yoga, Elemis spa specials, and complimentary use of the fitness center.  The cost starts at $399 per person.  The other party members will be get-away gals celebrating anything from bachelorette parties, college reunions, moms and the overworked in need of a break, and girls who just wanna have fun.  The premise is girls rule.  RSVP ASAP. 

 It’s time to rekindle your childhood fantasies of being a princess.  While we like to think we are working our way to royalty status, something’s missing.  Palaces and jewels perhaps?  A knight in shining armor?  Definitely.  Whisk yourself away to Dresden for a week and your fairytale will certainly feel a little closer to reality.  The city is filled with palaces and hosts a fabulous collection of former crown jewels.  Waltz around the open-air festivals, concerts, and museums to explore the rich culture of this dreamy setting.  Dresden, also called the “Florence of the North,” is full of fine arts, so be entertained by the local talent and consider adding a piece to your fab fine art collection.  Soak up the sophisticated culture while enjoying a day courtesy of your “ladies in waiting” at the spa or drift down the River Elbe on a relaxing boat ride as you perfect your Diana wave.  End the night with a glass of wine and lose your breath looking over the beautiful landscape all the while keeping your eyes peeled for your knight.  He’s out there somewhere and Dresden’s the perfect place to look.

If you want to feel the magic of Peru’s ancient and modern civilizations blending together, why not stop in Lima, the heart and capital of the country?  You can admire the remains of early civilizations in the morning and then pass the afternoon shopping in one of the contemporary shopping malls dotted around the city.  Situated next to a sweep of white sand beaches, the atmosphere of Lima is total chill.  Go between the months of December and April to catch the city in its sunny season.  Unfortunately, Lima has suffered from overpopulation so beware of pickpockets in the main plazas.  Lima boasts a cornucopia of entertainment, culture, landscape, cuisine, and shopping.  From the pristine beaches, bustling nightlife and historical museums to the open marketplaces and renowned restaurants, there is sure to be something to satisfy your craving.
 

As victims of the spontaneous need to jet off to a warmer location to escape the winter blues, we know how frustrating it is to find a cute pair of swimmers in the middle of winter.  Going off to your favorite store and sifting through racks of thick coats and scarves when all you want is a cute summer dress to frolic in on the beach kinda takes away from your dreamy beach breeze mood.  Lucky us, Banana Republic has got our back.  They are launching a capsule collection of resort wear to be sold year round. With 40 pieces, including swimwear, tunics and other warm weather pieces, the new line dubbed Luxe Leisure, is the perfect answer to those winter-wear shopping woes.  The pieces cost about the same as other Banana Republic pieces, ranging from $30 to $110 with line set to drop in late March.  With no spring thaw in sight, what more motivation do we need to book a weekend trip to Florida…or the Caribbean…or Fiji…?  We’re counting down to the March launch and will be ready to start packing!

Where do you go in the Caribbean to get away from it all…like seriously get away from it all and enjoy untouched beauty, history and charm?  Please meet St. Kitts & Nevis.  This lovely duo will treat you to absolutely blissful beach life, magnificent mountain landscapes, amusing activities, tasty treats, and captivating culture and history.  We're sure you'll get along just fine.  St. Kitts is the bigger of the two with the bustling Basseterre, resorty Frigate Bay, plenty of plantations, and the magnificent Brimstone Fortress.  Hop on a ferry to Nevis and you will experience the quainter of the two.  There’s one main road that circles around the island in less than two hours and the charming Charlestown’s Main Street that can be strolled in less than 15 minutes.  It’s breathtaking, nature-filled, history-focused and laid-back.  The St Kitts & Nevis combo is definitely the Caribbean at its finest.  Now, we're sure you'd love to get to know each other much better.  We'll leave you to it.  

Are you familiar with that awful sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach right before you leave for an awesome vacation, that nagging sensation that you’ve forgotten something?  If you are nodding your head yes, then this website may be your saving grace.  Whether it’s your passport, that gorgeous sun hat you bought last week, or the name of that delicious restaurant your friend recommended, the key to a great vacation is having everything you need before you leave...and remembering it!  The Universal Packing List generates a custom packing list specifically for you.  Who knew there were people out there who cared so much about our travel excursion happiness?  UPL will remind you of everything you think you need, plus those random things you didn’t think of!  From the vaccinations you should get to safety pins and Ziploc bags, this website will help you become the ultimate prepared traveler.  Play around with the settings and you’ll find you can choose any luggage size from “I’ve hired sherpas” to “extremely small.”  It will even remind you to empty the perishables out of your fridge!  Answer the few questions about your trip details, print it out the list, pack your heart out and leave the sinking “afraid ya forgot feeling” at home. 

Nothing is worse than desperately trying to think of the "perfect gift" to buy someone.  The whole gifting routine is similar to the movie rental phenomenon.  When you aren’t looking for a movie, you could name ten that you want to see (and you remind yourself a million times not to forget the titles when you go to Blockbuster), yet when you cross the movie store threshold, you blank.  You can’t think of one darn movie if your life depended on it.  And browsing the shelves for inspiration or to jog the memory doesn’t help.  So annoying.  Same thing seems to happen with gifts.  You run across the “perfect gift” for x person in your life then remind yourself to buy next holiday.   Said holiday rolls around (equivalent of movie store threshold moment) and you experience total brain fart.  Why, oh why does this happen?  Well, if you happen to be shopping around for the “perfect gift” for a travel junkie in your life, we’ve got it.  Check out the Travel Guides Box Set ($125) from Tumi.  In typical Tumi style, the books are packaged in a slick nylon case and cover eight dreamy destinations:  Berlin, Buenos Aires, Dubai, London, Milan, New York, Paris, and Tokyo.  They are perfectly gift-able.  So, if you aren’t looking but have someone in mind, try not to forget this one!

While it’s not quite as refined or cosmopolitan as its neighbor Dubai, Abu Dhabi is also experiencing phenomenal growth and advancements at record
pace. As the more laid-back of the two, Abu Dhabi still offers a fantastic dose of Arab culture and has been dubbed by some as the “richest city in the world.” With lovely gardens and parks, the city is
surprisingly green. Stroll through Khalifa Park and stop in Sheikh Zayed Mosque. While it’s uber touristy, take a desert safari that includes climbing colossal dunes and riding on a camel’s back. The
shopping and eating are both plentiful. Don’t think it’s weird if the sales clerks follow you around the store. And, if you visit during Ramadan, be sure to plan your meals accordingly. Otherwise, enjoy what
this fantastic city has to offer. 

It might not be the best thing to admit, but if we think about it, wine plays a rather large part in our travel lives (and let’s be honest, our everyday lives at that).  Whether taking an actual wine focused trip to the California vineyards or simply experiencing the Italian culture, swirling and sipping a glass of vino makes us feel cultured, cool and relaxed.  Panic, however, can enter the equation when you stumble upon a delicious wine that you are convinced you will never be able to find at home.  You study the label.  Perhaps you even write it down on a random piece of paper and stick in your wallet because you will look for it at Whole Foods, you swear.  Sometimes we go so far as to shipping an entire case home.  Occasionally, we are smart and calculated; we purchase a bottle or two so we can remember and savor the moment when we return home.  While it seems like a clever idea, we end up a) stressing the entire flight because the potentially broken wine bottle will certainly wreck havoc on your suitcase, or b) attempt the security sneak-through, which inevitably ends up in confiscation and a bit of embarrassment.  Alas, your wine smuggling woes are over.  Meet WineSkin, the bubble-wrap bottle bag that seals and prevents breakage and leakage.  Genius!  Now, even after the trip is over, you can have your wine and drink it too.

Surrounded by mountain peaks reaching for the sky and pristine lakes, you are sure to feel as though you are in a postcard setting just waiting for the photographer to capture the picture-perfect moment. That’s Bariloche, aka- San Carlos de Bariloche, for ya. Once you finally pick up your jaw, you’ll be able to enjoy the many fun and engaging activities on offer. The big question is, do you go for the warm weather or cold? It’s a tough one. If you go during the summertime, climb the hills, hike the trails, fish the streams, bike the mountains and ride the horses. Should Bariloche’s winter wonderland be the winner, ski and snowboard the mountains and enjoy the many other cold weather activities on hand. Whichever time you go, indulge in the delicious chocolate, as this is Argentina’s chocolate capital, and Bariloche sure is all around sweetness! 

As we start tuning our GPS to the Pacific Northwest (hello Winter Olympics), packing for the weather in that neck of the woods can be a bit of a downer.  While Vancouver is very pretty, let's be honest, it's rainy ladies.  Fret, we shall not.  We have found the silver lining, or rainbow in this case.  First, get yourself a Davek NYTraveler Umbrella stat.  Aside from being ultra chic and petite, the Traveler is robust.  This baby is the product of a 96 step creation and is reinforced, microweaved and comes with an unconditional lifetime guarantee.  The latter may explain the rather steep $95 price tag.  "But it's just an umbrella," you exclaim.  "It's more," we assure.  And it's worth it.  It's the last brolly you will ever have to buy.  Forget the embarrassing inside out flip up when the wind blows and arm yourself with a Traveler.  Once you got the top half covered, slip your feet into the uber hip Hunter wellies.  While we didn't think it possible, these tall comfy rain boots actually allow us to achieve a level of stylish practicality.  Pack these two rain coping accessories and you will be fashionably singin' in the rain whether it's in Vancouver, London, San Fran or another ify weather city.

Ah, the world of tweeting.  What type of tweeter (or twitterer?) are you?  Selective or slutty?  Do you follow everyone and anyone in hopes of more followers, or do you pick and choose so you are not littered with irrelevant tweets?  In the wide world of travel, we have some twitter faves we thought we would share with you.  Whether they are useful or just entertaining, the following get GGTTW’s seal of approval for being worthy of your twitter follow:  worldhum – inspiring travel blog chalked full of stories and beautiful photos, travolution – groovy site merging technology & travel, brillianttips – you guessed it, lots of great tips and trends, Gadling – a best all around follow, nytimestravel – obvi excellent US newspaper travel journalism coverage, deliciousbaby – the low down on how to travel with kids, EverywhereTrip – a “one man National Geographic”, niltiac – well-written reads on travel, food, environment, media and life, Wanderluster – a woman’s travel report from Wanderlust and Lipstick.com.  And, last but not least, GGTTW – your scoop on what to know before you go!

 Put on your blue suede shoes and board the plane.  Once you touch down in the land of the Delta Blues, let’s just hope it’s not in the middle of the pouring rain!  When you are walking in Memphis, you’ll have heaps to do.  The two priorities are music and bbq.  What a combo!  But, there’s no other place that does it as well as Memphis, so dig in.  Head to Beale Street “The home of the blues” and definitely do Graceland.  Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash and Roy Orbison will be smiling down on you from posters on the walls.  Saxophone sculptures, keyboard staircases and non-top jukeboxes will entertain you.  And when you’re done, you will surely have a lot of bbq in your belly and a tune in your head. But, that’s what it’s all about.  As it can get brutally hot and humid in Memphis, plan to rock the blue suede shoes, board the plane and see the ghost of Elvis outside of the summer months.

Are you looking for help booking?  For one reason or another, we don’t normally showcase travel agents.  But, that doesn’t mean we won’t and here is one very worthy exception.  After our initial intrigue at their name – The Trip Chicks – and then further investigation of their self-description, “Ok, we'll admit from the get-go that we are a bit, shall we say, ‘unorthodox.’  Some of our clients even might say we're more than just slightly ‘off-the-wall.’  But after all our years in the travel industry (we've worked with the airlines too), we know travel inside and out.  And besides....There aren't too many travel agents who like to brag about finishing dead last in the Berlin Marathon, swimming in a volcanic thermal crack with three cute Icelandic naked guys, wandering into a drug raid in Old San Juan, tracking howler monkey poop with biologists in the jungles of Belize, getting tear-gassed in curlers outside a Seoul Korea beauty salon, or hitching a ride with an Amish family in a horse and buggy, to name few of (mis)adventures,” we instantly wanted to be BFFs.  Dare we mention the ridic organized trips they have on offer for 2010?  Tuscany & Rome, Bike-Hike Bulgaria, Iceland Horseback Farm, Bike & Sail Greece, Bike Tuscany & Umbria, Bike & Boat Croatia, Best of Peru….um, yes, put us down for ALL of them.  They’ve been on the “Front-lines” of the travel industry since 1983, so there isn’t much you can throw at them that they can’t handle.  Their travel mantra is “too many places, too little time.”  We couldn’t agree more.       

Glistening sand, azure water, tropical foliage, and a beach breeze.  Sounds just terrible, doesn’t it?  Ha.  This slice of paradise is only a hop, skip and a jump from Miami and goes by the name of Turks & Caicos.  Divers and beach lovers, you will rejoice in the remarkable sea life, calm warm waters, and secluded bays and islands.  If you are overworked, overstressed, or just plain over it, T&C is the place to go for some serious R&R.