The Washington Post - USA (2020-11-22)

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 22 , 2020. THE WASHINGTON POST EZ EE E19

The coronavirus pandemic has disrupted travel domestically and around the world. You will find the latest developments on The Post’s live blog at http://www.washingtonpost.com/coronavirus/

Holiday gifts to go

After a year when any t ravel felt like aspirational travel,

these items speak to our desire to get back on the road.

ACTIVE ROOTS

Allsop: Gekkostick Flexible

Smartphone Selfie Stick

$19.99 | Need another set of

hands when you’re doing it for

the ’gram? In addition to serving

as a one-size-fits-all tripod, this

pliable silicone phone mount can

be twisted around or hung from

virtually any stationary object.

Available from Amazon

RapidX: X5 Car Charger

$24.99 | “Don’t make me stop this

car!” With five USB ports, this

slim, colorful charger can keep

you and your travel companions

powered up — and on their best

behavior — on even the longest

road trips. Available from Ama-

zon

Lug: Undercover Bear

Travel Pillow and Blanket

$29.99 | For kids in transit, this

cuddly fleece blanket-and-inflat-

able-pillow combo combines the

practicality of a washable travel

blanket with the comforting pres-

ence of a favorite stuffed animal.

Available from the Container

Store

Hydaway: Hydration Travel

Pack

$34.95 | Say bon voyage to dispos-

able water bottles with this eco-

conscious upgrade. The collaps-

ible 17-ounce bottle packs flat and

fits into a slim carrying case that

clips onto a belt or bag. Available

from Amazon

Accidentally Wes Anderson

By Wally Koval

Little, Brown & Co.

$35 | Like the Instagram account

that spawned it, Wally Koval’s

book brings together stunning —

and often hilarious — photos of

locations around the world that

capture the director’s offbeat aes-

thetic. Available from Amazon

Chasing Threads: Stitch

Your Travels Leather

Passport Cover

$35 | A stylish alternative to

scratching countries off your

bucket list with a ballpoint, this

perforated leather passport cover

allows crafty travelers to embroi-

der a record of their travels.

Available from the Grommet

Active Roots: Double Camping Hammock With Tree Straps

$39.99 | Vacation or staycation? Hedge your bets with this lightweight

hammock you can string from tree to tree, whether you’re exploring the great

outdoors or roughing it in your own backyard. Available from Amazon

K9 Sport Sack: Trainer

Dog Backpack

$54.95 | Think of it as a canine

Baby Bjorn. Whether you have a

puppy, senior dog or short-legged

breed, this backpack-style carrier

makes it easy to hit the trail with

Fido or Fluffy in tow. Available

from Amazon

Skyroam: Solis X Smartspot

$179.99 | Never has the Internet

been more central to our daily

lives. Whether you’re a newly

minted digital nomad or a WFH-

er struggling with an erratic sig-

nal, this portable hotspot will

keep you connected. Available

from Skyroam

ALLSOP

CAVALLINI & CO.

LUG RAPIDX

HYDAWAY

CHASING THREADS

LITTLE, BROWN AND COMPANY

K9 SPORT SACK SKYROAM

Cavallini Papers & Co.:

National Parks

Vintage Puzzle

$22 | Celebrate the country’s na-

tional park system — or pass the

time at home until you can visit

one — with this puzzle composed

of vintage posters from the gold-

en age of travel. Available from

Barnes & Noble

On Mondays at 2 p.m., the
Travel section staff hosts Talk
About Travel, an online forum for
reader questions and comments.
The following is an edited excerpt
from recent discussions.

Q: I ’m hoping to travel again this
summer and would like to take
my teenage daughter to
Germany. Where do you suggest
we start as first-time visitors,
assuming we have two weeks at
most and a midrange budget?
A: My perfect week in Germany
would be to fly to Frankfurt and
then either take the train to
Nuremberg and Munich or to
head north to Leipzig and Berlin.
I would definitely want to stop in
the Black Forest. But there’s so
much to do, it would take much
more than a week.
— Christopher Elliott

Q: Are hotel rates now going to
rise in Rehoboth Beach, Del.,
since President-elect Joe Biden’s
summer home is there?
A: Not likely, since Rehoboth has
been a popular summer
destination for many

administrations. And rates in

Chicago and Hawaii didn’t go up

after Barack Obama was elected.

But the Delaware tourism office

has created a tour of Biden sites,

so the state might become more

popular because of the

president-elect. — Andrea Sachs

Q: Since the Centers for Disease

Control and Prevention has

finally lifted the “no sail” order

for cruise lines, do you think the

cruise industry will rebound for

the holiday season? Or are we

looking at spring 2021?

A: No, not in time for the

holidays. Cruising is still not

entirely safe, as evidenced by the

SeaDream ship that recently had

a covid-19 case. I would not book

a cruise until late spring, at the

earliest. — C.E.

Q: Any chance that the United

States will extend the Global

Entry cards because of the

inability to travel?

A: T hey should, but I doubt they

will. Giving everyone a free year

is something the federal

government is probably not

inclined to do. — C.E.

Q: I ’m taking my nuclear family

to the beach for Thanksgiving. I

couldn’t find anything on the

Delaware websites that requires

any special steps coming from

Maryland. Am I missing

something?

A: Unlike, say, N.Y. and Hawaii,

Delaware is not requiring

visitors from states with a high

covid rate to quarantine or

submit a negative test. And

Maryland’s most recent travel

advisory does not include the

neighboring state to the north.

But check both states’ health

advisories right before you go, in

case the rules change. — A.S.

Q: Do you have any tips for

holiday travel with two toddlers

who like to touch everything and

just can’t seem to keep their

masks on? My in-laws live in

Orange County, Calif., and we’re

in Miami.

A: I f you’re in Miami, I would ask

your in-laws to postpone any

visit with you until the latest

wave of the pandemic has

abated. Two toddlers who touch

everything and can’t wear a

mask just sounds like it could be

problematic, in terms of disease

transmission. But once the

vaccine becomes available, you

might want to take the kids up to

one of the theme parks in

Central Florida and ask the in-

laws to join you. Legoland is

perfect for two-year-olds. But

give it a little time, please. — C.E.

Q: This has been the subject of

heated debate in my household

lately: What’s the current norm

for tipping bellboys in hotels?

A: I t is typically $1 to $2 a bag, or

more if you have oversized

luggage or a ton of bags.

Honestly, with hotel employees

really suffering from the drop in

occupancy during the pandemic,

I might round up to $10 or $15.

— A.S.

Q: I ’m dreaming of traveling

again like everyone. Our time for

a family vacation is usually mid-

May. Putting aside the virus,

where would you travel in May?

A: May is a great time to travel

because it’s shoulder season in

most places. Not quite spring

break, and the summer travel

season starts Memorial Day.

Personally, I love the mountains

— maybe Breckenridge, Colo., or

Jackson Hole, Wyo. May is also a

nice time to be in Europe before

the crush of tourists arrives,

which they will for sure in 2021.

— C.E.

Q: A vaccine is coming! But my

passport will expire in March.

Can I get it renewed anytime

soon? Ditto for my TSA pre-

check. As soon as I get that

vaccine (double dose and waiting

the appropriate amount of time

for it to be effective) I am

heading right to the airport.

A: Y ou and everyone else! Yes,

apply for that passport and for

TSA PreCheck or Global Entry

now, before things get busy. You

should have everything by

March. — C.E.

Planning a dream week in Germany: So much to do, and so little time

ISTOCK

One recommendation would be to visit Nuremberg, where

you can find the Frauenkirche, or the “Church of our Lady.”