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Looking for a Valentine's gift for those who love to travel? Check out my list at jaimesays.com

Life and Links, Quiet Travel, Tips and Tricks, Winter

4 February 2019

Valentine’s Day Gifts for Those Who Love to Travel

Last Updated on January 2, 2021 by JaimeSays

February is here, and that means Valentine’s Day is fast approaching.  I know some people think it is just a Hallmark holiday, but I like showing my loved ones that I’m thinking about them.  For my girlfriends, I sometimes send cards or girly trinkets, usually flowers for my mom, and something useful or experiential for my significant other.  As this will be my fifth Valentine’s day with Eddie, we are pretty good at anticipating what eachother wants or needs. Most of our gifts end up being centered around something travel related, be it international cuisine, quick getaways, or things needed for an upcoming trip.  If you happen to be like us, you too may be interested in gifts for those who love to travel.


A Valentine’s Day Getaway

I love trips as gifts, especially when they are a surprise! I know I am not alone in this as my mom was quite over the moon when we took her to Montreal. You could also provide a bucket list trip to find out if New Orleans is cursed. Because many people have Presidents’ Day off from work, it’s a great time to try a three-day trip out of town. Be it a flight away, a car ride away, or a staycation, you don’t have to spend much on one of these gifts for those who love to travel.


Play Tourist in Your City

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Until recently, there were a boatload of popular activities in Chicago that I had never done.  I hadn’t gone to the top of the John Hancock center, nor had I visited the Museum of Science and Industry as an adult.  A day playing tourist at home is a gift for those who love to travel that allows someone to rediscover why he/she loves home.

If you plan on spending a single day exploring your city, consider waking up early to be one of the first in line at a major tourist attraction.  If you plan on spending more than two days in a location, your best bet is to give the CityPASS a try. With partnerships in twelve major U.S. markets like Chicago, New York, and San Francisco, you can save upwards of 50% on popular museums and attractions. You can read about my experience with CityPASS here, here, or here.


Walking into friends’ apartments, I can’t help but notice that the scratch off world map is having a moment.  This large format map is one of the perfect gifts for those who love to travel. It’s simultaneously a piece of art, a memory, and a conversation starter.  I’ve yet to walk into someone’s home and not comment on their map.  Click on the photo above if you are interested in purchasing one of these maps!


Recreate a Favorite Meal

Eddie recently asked me what was my favorite meal that we’ve shared since we began dating.  To be honest, I really struggled pinpointing anything in the city.  After much thought, it was the Cotton Duck in Wicker Park, a restaurant that no longer exists.  When we think about the meals we’ve shared on vacation however, it is so much easier to recall the details.  Bacalao in Lisbon, pot de chocolat in Paris, even rabbit stew in Kohler, Wisconsin is so simple to remember.  Each of these meals were so perfect in the moment, I’ve started trying to recreate our favorite vacation dishes at home.

Chefs always talk about how the best dishes start with great ingredients.  I can’t tell you how much of a game changer this Greek EVOO is.  It cuts out so much salt and flavor fillers in some of our recent fish dishes.  It’s just divine.

As we have registered for various items for our wedding registry, one item we did not have to register for was a Vinostream. I love having ways for saving my wine for later.

Real talk: I don’t particularly like garlic.  It’s fine if I can’t pinpoint it in a recipe, but anymore than that is a dealbreaker.  I love using different spices, but sometimes I experiment a little too much.  Harmonious mixtures like these Asian spice blends and Herbes de Provence are perfectly balanced to incorporate compatible flavors.  Consider something exotic as one of your gifts for those who love to travel.


Essential Gifts for Those who Love to Travel

There are some things that you can’t leave home without making sure they are in your bag. Snacks. Identification cards. Phone chargers.  Four years ago, I began dating a man who really didn’t like to travel.  Under my tutelage, he’s explored new states and countries, and along the way, had to pick up some travel essentials.

The Trtl Pillow is the biggest game changer for getting sleep on a plane.  A velcro scarf with a cradle for your head, your head won’t bob forward as is common with many “u” shaped pillows.  I use if on all of my long haul flights in economy class.

You could spend around $80 for the Apple branded battery charging case, but why?  This $25 case makes the battery last for hours.  My mom often used it all day in her chemo suite without having to plug in her phone.

I try to avoid bringing something that requires a charge on a plane.  While many of the newer planes have electric plugs for charging, you can’t count on it 100% of the time.  I like these small, wired headphones for noise canceling.  I used to have a larger muff pair, but they would hurt my head and ears after a while.

We just came back from a delayed anniversary trip to Ottawa. It was a blast visiting over Winterlude, but my hands never felt more parched. After one full day outside in the elements, I ran to Kiehl’s to pick up extra hand cream as I’d quickly ran through mine. Trust me, if your special someone is traveling somewhere cold, he/she will need some extra salves.

Bananagrams is a great game to travel with and is a good gift for those who love to travel.

Bananagrams is a great game to take with you when you travel.  Like Scrabble® without the board, it can be played anywhere, and it doesn’t take up much room in your bag.

Everyone has a deck of playing cards lying around the house, but waterproof playing cards?  These are smart to have when traveling in the event that you are on a boat, in a hot tub…any number of situations.

Eddie and I really enjoy playing chess.  We go on spurts of playing it weekly and sometimes bring our travel chess set to cafés and lounges around Chicago.

These are just some of my gift recommendations for those who love to travel.  There are boatloads of others, but obvious items like luggage and winter coats are a little bit over budget so soon after Christmas.

Trying to find a Valentine's day gift for those who love to travel? Look no further than this Chicago Travel Blogger's recommendations.

This post contains affiliate links.

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JaimeSays
WSET Level 2 Certified Wine Lover, DuPage County Brand Ambassador. DME + Orthotics By Day, Adoring Home Life and Travel by Night.
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Comments

  1. Agness of a Tuk Tuk says

    February 7, 2018 at 11:57 am

    Such an exceptional list of gift ideas, Jaime! That visual art map seems like an ultimate gift which I would definitely love to receive! 🙂

    Reply
    • JaimeSays says

      February 8, 2018 at 6:21 pm

      Yeah, I have been dropping hints myself ! 🙂

      Reply

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Cocktail vs Mocktail Round Two! Is the cocktail in Cocktail vs Mocktail Round Two! Is the cocktail in the rocks glass or in the coupe?  Would you believe that other than the additional of a clear spirit, the only difference in these two drinks is that one is shaken and one is stirred? Seriously! The composition is the exact same, just one uses the non-alcoholic parts as a base and the other makes it the main event.  What are your guesses?  -3.5 Oz @lacroixwater Limoncello
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-1.5 Oz @catanpisco (optional) #catanpisco is the first Female Owned Chilean Pisco brand in the US! Available at @target and @binnysbev, this #pisco is 100%  Pedro Ximenez grapes and, at 40% ABV, falls under the Pisco Reserve umbrella.  I added the liquor and ice to a shaker and strained out the final product into the coupe glass. It’s fresh, vibrant, with a floral note  and buttery mouthfeel that plays well with the fresh, hardly sweetened, Raspberry Syrup.
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Cocktail vs Mocktail Time! As you may have been ab Cocktail vs Mocktail Time!
As you may have been able to glean from my stories, I am using this month as a #dryjanuary.  First up, here is a cocktail vs mocktail recipe.  The White Cranberry Mimosa comes from Moersch Hospitality Group, the folks behind #SouthwestMichiganWineries like @taborhillwinery, @roundbarnwdb, and @freeruncellars. The mocktail is my alternative.  White Cranberry Mimosa:
1.5oz white cranberry juice
5oz Tabor Hill Sparkling Demi-Sec
Cranberries for Garnish  Cranberry Mocktail:
5 Oz Sparkling Water or Lemon-Lime Soda, depending on your preferred level of sweetness
5-6 Dashes @Feebrothersbitters Cranberry Bitters
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I finally got to make a Riesling Holiday Punch wit I finally got to make a Riesling Holiday Punch with a Pear and Cranberry Ice Float for Christmas! 10 point deduction for waiting until it had been out a couple of hours and the perfect ring started dropping some cranberries. A great way to be festive if you’re having a pod NYE party: it’s low alcohol, tasty, and the recipe is in my 5 Ways to Enjoy Riesling Holiday post! •
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IF YOU LOVE CHOCOLATE AND LIVE IN #chicago, have I IF YOU LOVE CHOCOLATE AND LIVE IN #chicago, have I found a CANNOT MISS for you. If you are looking for a place to fill the gap of #mindyshotchocolate #drinkingchocolate, I have also found the place for you.  This evening, I had the pleasure of participating in a Chocolate History and Tasting  @northwesternalumni event hosted by @kelloggschool alumna and owner of @cocoaandcochi, Kim Hack. A former member of the #wine industry and certified #somm, her hourlong class was delightful and worth every penny.  I loved how she likened the craft of cacao harvesting to that of a grape harvest, and couldn’t believe the #chocolateknowledge she shared. As #sommeliers, We’re so used to genetic twins and identical fruits in a cluster, but chocolate is unbelievable. Each seed within a piece of fruit is genetically different from one another, based on whatever single speck of pollen was on a gnat when it pollinated the tree. It was absolutely fascinating and I highly recommend looking into a webinar or simply picking up some exotic chocolates for your loved ones.  Of everything we tried, the @manoachocolate Goat Milk Chocolate was my favorite, probably because it was a #darkchocolate that hits like a #milkchocolate. The @amedeituscany was a close second bc of the mouthfeel and finish, while the @marouchocolate and @amanochocolate were both incredibly creative and unexpected delights.  I pulled out @masiwines Amarone, @chwinery dessert wine, and @bodegasanvalero Grenacha for pairings, and I chose the #elbombero Spanish Wine as the ideal pairing. The high alcohol, rich dark fruit, and middling tannins did well with the first two chocolates, and I elected not to pair with the fruity and chili pepper chocolates because I’m not a madwoman! 😆•
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