Hotels for Families

Light Suitcase Traveler has been away traveling with three young children and is still in recovery mode.

While away, she discovered the wonderful new concept from Marriott: TownePlace Suites. These hotels have joined Embassy Suites as the first place I look when traveling with my family. We stayed in a suite with two bedrooms, a living area, full kitchen and bathroom for $159/night. This included breakfast for a family of five and allowed my husband and I to get a good night's sleep without children night noises. Check them out.

When Travel Gets Dangerous

I've given a lot of thought to what to do if things go wrong when I'm traveling. I'm a worrier by nature and I have no trouble with scenarios that involve things erupting, terrorists attacking, and various weather catastrophes. But a few stories have given me further pause. I'm not interested in visiting Arruba. Iran was pretty low on my list before they imprisoned three American hikers. And while I'm not willing to swear off Italy, after the Amanda Knox trial, I am not too certain about their criminal investigations.

So what is a traveler to do?

• If you are going anywhere outside the United States, be sure you check out the State Department's travel alerts and warnings. And be sure to carry the name and address of the nearest U.S. Embassy should you get into trouble.
• Take a few minutes to enroll in the free Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP), a service of the State Department that helps them notify you in case of an alert and makes it easier for you to have embassy access. (Embassy are high security operations. You don't just walk in.)
• Also leave copies of your passport number, credit card information, and full itinerary with someone at home just in case you leave in a hurry. Or worse. 

Stay safe.

Tipping, Oh Tipping

I go into a virtual panic when it comes to tipping. I'm pretty secure on what to tip the waitstaff; I paid my dues as a waitress and I know when I'm getting good service and when I'm not. I can usually tell when my waiter is doing poorly because of bad management (too many tables, covering for someone who isn't being responsive) and when they really aren't focused on the job.

But tipping the taxi or shuttle driver? My hairdresser? The maid at the hotel? I get flummoxed trying to decide what's cheap and what's over the top. Especially when I do tip and come back to my made-up hotel room to find my tip still there.

So I happily anticipated Bankrate.com's A cheat sheet on tipping do's and don'ts. And it was helpful. And overwhelming. There is enough information here to require me to carry a cheat sheet at all times.

Here is my guide: When someone in the service industry goes out of their way to help you out, tip what you can and think is appropriate. I try to keep in mind that most in the service industry are not pulling big salaries; most are trying to pay the bills and might dream of sending a child to college. If they are doing good work, a moderate tip is appropriate. If they are doing great work, well, be prepared to tip accordingly.

Making sure you have the right change is a whole other problem.

Places: Jacksonville, Oregon

Jacksonville, OR

Few out of the way places are as quaint as Jacksonville, Oregon. Just a few miles out of Medford, Jacksonville was the place to shoot westerns in the 1980s. The town figured out that its western storefronts were a perfect place to shoot and took out the telephone wires so all that had to be done was to throw dirt down on the pavement. They don't make as many movies there these days but you can still wander Jacksonville's streets, visiting some great restaurants and getting your fill of antiques.

For a sit-down meal, check out the Bella Union. If you want a tasty sandwich and some amazing gelato, visit Mamma Mia Gelateria. Where else are you going to find a Proscuitto, Fig & Brie sandwich?

For a true Jacksonville lodging experience, check with the Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce for a great bed and breakfast.