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.

For Control Freaks Everywhere: Room 77

If you hate being too close to the elevator, want to be on the top floor, and want a good view, Room 77 is for you. Room 77 has floor plans for more than half a million hotels in 32 cities and will give you room recommendations based upon your personalized preferences. You can link straight to hotel websites to make reservations. Keep in mind that while you can always request a specific room, most hotels will not guarantee you will get it.

Where's Your Favorite Place to View Fall Colors?

Every fall, I long for New England. A former job took me to Maine during the last week of September three years in a row and I've never gotten over it. Each time, the locals told me I had missed "peak." But it was lovely.

So when fall rolls around I have a serious case of nostalgia for other places.

So it brought me up short to see that AAA's Top Ten Places to Enjoy Fall Colors included three Northwest spots: SunRiver, Oregon, Leavenworth, Washington, and Penticton, British Columbia. These three are wonderful places. But with all the buzz about New England fall colors, I have never given the Northwest its proper due in my rank of autumn leaves.

Where is your favorite spot to view fall colors?

Columbia Gorge Astronomy Night- September 30

So how is this for a romantic fall getaway?

Head to the Columbia Gorge and catch Columbia Gorge Astronomy Night at the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center and Museum in The Dalles, Oregon. The event runs from 6-9pm on Friday, September 30th, 2011. Astronomer Dan Gerhards will lecture on the sky and space and show a slideshow. Participants can view the night sky through the museum telescope. For info go here.

Then stay at beautiful Skamania Lodge across the Columbia in Stevenson, Washington. Catch this special: for $169 you get a one-night stay, $25 resort credit, $30 breakfast credit and a bottle of wine. To learn more or to buy, go here.