A 2023 Traveler’s Gift Guide

From the Practical to the Splurge-Worthy in No Particular Order:

• Gift cards to the resort/hotel of your choice. These are perfect for someone who has picked out their next travel destination but can’t figure out when to go. Think of it as a down payment while you finalize your dates! I have my eye on a Kennebunkport Resort Collection gift card. Gift cards to the Graduate Hotel chain are perfect for the relative or friend with a full line-up of college visits next summer.

• Air Tags! These are practical, cheap, and last for one full year. Air Tags are great to place in your luggage or in your rental car for those who always forget where they parked!

• A Medjet membership is a great gift for the avid traveler in your life or a great gift to yourself. It’s one of those things where it’s good to have but you hope to never have to use it! I should turn that into a riddle…

• Are you a fan of vintage vibes? Check out Campy Goods’ Texas State Park Checklist art. My sons love it. We are also a fan of their T-Shirts!

• Need new undergarments? For the ladies, check out Zellas sport bras. As someone who has tried bras from Lululemon and Alo to Outdoor Voices and Champion, my new favorite are Zellas. They have plenty of support, removable pads, and come in a variety of colors. For the fellas, SAXX underwear is a gamechanger (or so I’m told)!

• Luggage. You frequent travelers will notice your luggage getting beat up over the years, and duct tape can only do so much! My go-to luggage brand is Away. I have limited storage space, and I love that the carry-on, medium, and large suitcases all pack together like Russian nesting dolls.

• Some of us are big on supplements or have a variety of prescription meds, and for that, I am grateful for the variety of pill organizers available for travel. My current favorite is Dosey.

• Headphones are practical and teen-approved. My current favorite pair are the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones.

• There is nothing better than giving trip experiences. Colorado Wilderness Rides and Guides offers gift cards for everything from snowshoeing to ice climbing and mountaineering. If you’re looking for simple and cheap, then just give a relative or friend a weekend hiking outing with you in a nearby state park. If you have teenagers and live in the Austin area, consider a gift card to the Max Factory for a dirt bike lesson in a safe environment!

• Give the gift of an annual National State Parks Pass or a Texas State Parks Pass.  

• Books set in travel destinations you want to visit or have already visited. New releases I have my eye on are:
  • The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins (A couple returns to their family’s North Carolina estate to claims what’s theirs after the matriarch dies)
  • The Fury by Alex Michaelides (A group of famous friends find their spontaneous trip to a private Greek island upended by a murder)
  • The Things We Didn’t Know by Elba Iris Perez (Explores a young girl’s childhood between 1950s Puerto Rico and a small Massachusetts factory town)

In Summary:

While I love surprising friends and family with what I hope are gifts that will be well received, I still believe the most meaningful gifts are not wrapped in ribbons but in moments and memories. Let’s celebrate the New Year with a curious mind and a sense of adventure no matter if your travel is across the globe, across the street, or experienced through a book!