If I could spend a day going all over the US, with instant transport from one place to another and an unlimited budget, here is where I’d go and what I’d do in 2012….some of these places I discovered in 2011, others I’ve known for a long time and one I’ve never visited….

Morning

Wake up at:

• The Down East perfection of the Pentagöet Inn, Castine, Maine or
• The homey Library Suite at the Prairie Moon Bed & Breakfast, Hutchinson, Kansas or
• A Southern grande dame, the King Edward Hotel, Jackson, Mississippi or
• A giant of literary history at the Algonquin Hotel, New York City

Breakfast at:

• Bah’s Bakehouse (muffins! scones!) near the Castine waterfront or
• Billy’s Downtown Diner (omelettes!) in downtown Bethlehem, Pennsylvania or
• The Homemade Cafe (pecan waffles! home fries!) in Berkeley, California

Spend the morning:

• Thinking and learning at the National World War I Museum, Kansas City, Missouri or
• Bodysurfing on the Na Pali Coast, Kauai or
• Marveling at musical craftsmanship at the American Banjo Museum, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma or
• Stepping back into the Revolution at Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia

Lunch

Feeling seafood-ish for my midday meal at:

• Paia Fish Market, Maui (or these other places to eat in Paia) or
• Pike Place Market, Seattle, Washington

Afternoon

Afternoon spent:

• Shopping in gracious Savannah, Georgia or
• Heating up in a mud bath at either Dr. Wilkinson’s in Calistoga, California or the Bath House in Jemez Springs, New Mexico or
• Taking a Chicago Architecture Foundation docent-led river cruise past incredible buildings in Chicago, Illinois or
• Going for a swim in Wekiwa Springs, Florida or Barton Springs in Austin, Texas or the spring-fed pool at Balmorhea State Park in western Texas (I’ve always wanted to see Balmorhea.)

Mid-afternoon snack:

• Garrett Popcorn in Chicago (The Chicago Mix flavor, of course) or
• A Ted Drewes frozen custard at the original stand on Route 66, St. Louis, Missouri

Evening

Sunset:

• Key West, Florida or
• Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, California

Dinner at:

• Brady Tavern, Tulsa, Oklahoma or
• The Old Lahaina Luau, Maui or
• Really, any BBQ joint in Memphis, Tennessee

Wrap it up with:

• WaterFire in Providence, Rhode Island or
• YOUR recommendation down in the comments! Give us some ideas, from anywhere in the US, for an evening activity.

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Looking for a Christmas gift for the traveler in your life?

Want a practical gift that’s small enough to fit in a backpack or suitcase?

But also a fun gift that will have them smiling all the way to the airport?

Here’s 6 Christmas stocking stuffers might just do the trick.

Designer Duct Tape

Smart travelers know that a roll of a duct tape is worth its weight in gold, capable of fixing and personalizing luggage, plugging up a sink, repairing books and hemlines, and even baby proofing a room.

Crumbled Maps

Crumbled maps can be folded or simply screwed up and stuffed into a pocket, backpack or carryon without damage. Guaranteed wrinkle resistant and waterproof, the crumpled map is the perfect companion who still prefers a real map to an App.

WiFi on a keychain

This little gadget is designed to make finding a WiFi hotspot a breeze.  Instead of wandering around, laptop at the ready, all you have to do is pull out the keychain and click the button to turn on the mobile signal locator.

A Gorillapod

Flexible and light, these mini tripods are perfect for both amateur and professional photographers. Able to be wrapped around any surface – fences, tree branches, wine bottles, and even arms – these rugged and highly flexible tripod making taking photos easy. And there’s even a ‘gorillamobile’ for iPhones.

Whimsical luggage tag

Add a little humor to your luggage with a whimsical luggage tag from Anne Taintor (left)  or Pamela Barsky (right) that might just entertain everyone from the luggage handler to your fellow travelers.

A gift of giving

Of course, some travelers may have already packed their bags and don’t want anything new. For them, the perfect gift might just be the gift of gift of giving through the Passports With Purpose.

I’ve just returned from an action-packed trip to Toronto, where I learned to make hats, decorate cupcakes, and mix cocktails; where I tasted locally-brewed sake and oysters from all over the world, where I took a curator’s tour of one of my favorite museums anywhere — The Bata Shoe Museum — and even got to poke around in their artifact room! I attended something called a Literary Death Match, and then lost a great deal of unneeded dry skin during a sublime scrubbed with local herbs at the Ritz-Carlton spa, which is also where I stayed.

And I did it all for you.

This was part of a project with Canadian Tourism, American Express and Travel+Leisure , in which three bloggers helped to design dream itineraries to serve as a prize in a sweepstakes. The sweepstakes winner gets the itinerary, all expenses paid.

So there’s me, in Toronto, getting my cultcha (and cupcakes) on, there’s Mike Richard of Vagabondish in the national parks of Québec, and there’s Matt Armendariz of Matt Bites eating his way through Vancouver.

I’ll have more to say about my trip in the coming weeks, but in the meantime, enjoy a few images from the trip you too might take, and enter to win.

In the continuing search for carry-on packing tips and items that will get me around liquids restrictions, may I present….solid perfume.  This is the solid version of Miller Harris Geranium Bourbon and yes, I confess the name almost compelled me to buy it (but it smells good, too.)

I first found Miller-Harris fragrances in the famous Liberty of London store a few years ago, and heaven knows what I really paid for some small bottles, given the exchange rate.  You can find them now in the US at upscale stores like Neiman-Marcus – they are not cheap, but the unusual scent combinations are irresistible. When I found some solid perfume versions of their products, I knew they’d be perfect for travel.

The Karma solid perfume from LUSH is one of my favorites, too, but it is pretty distinctive so people either love it or, well, they hold their nose around you.

There are many alternatives to liquid toiletries, so don’t feel that you have to give up those little pleasant luxuries. Solid perfume lets you have your fragrance while making more room for, um, toothpaste.

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One of the first things that jumps out at friends and family who visit Bangkok for the first time is all the food. It’s true, there’s a ton, something like three vendors and five restaurants for every one of the city’s 9 million residents. The other thing? They can’t believe how modern it is.

Traditional Bangkok is, obviously, an essential part of the city and one that’s more immediately fascinating and foreign for travelers who’ve never been to Thailand or Asia before. Old Town is so fun to explore. Still, writing off the glitzy malls, the trendy nightlife, and the other hyper-modern parts of the city is just cheating yourself. (You’re also cheating yourself if you linger at Khao San, but that’s another story for another post.)

I live in Pratunam, the eye of the city’s commercial center. Right around the corner is CentralWorld Plaza, the largest lifestyle complex in Southeast Asia. Since extensive renovations were finished in 2006, CentralWorld has endured as one of the most spectacular showpieces of modern Bangkok. What exactly makes it a “lifestyle complex”, and not just another megamall?

Because it’s so much more than a mall. First and foremost, with somewhere around 100 restaurants, including a new branch of Taiwan’s Michelin-starred Din Tai Fung, it’s a foodie’s heaven (or nightmare, if you’re on a diet). I eat here more than I’d care to admit, but hey, you would too if it were only a few minutes walk away. At CentralWorld, you can also…

Stock up on groceries, baked goods, fresh seafood/fruit/vegetables, and liquor at the high-end Central Food Hall, which has become increasingly obsessed with Japanese products (perhaps because of the profit margin?). It also has a few street-food style stalls, a handful of small restaurants, and of course a fantastic food court. Right next door on the seventh floor, you can also…

See a movie in style at SF World Cinema. The “regular” theaters here are amazing in their own right and make the overpriced cinemas back in the States look like hell holes, but for a little bit extra moviegoers can upgrade themselves into silly territory. The Happiness cinema offers seating on cushy recliners, day beds, or bean bags, while the First Class Cinema ups the ante with a welcome mocktail, pre-show buffet of light bites and drinks, unlimited flavored popcorn and drinks during the movie, and service at the touch of a button from a plush recliner. It gets chilly in there, so blankets are provided too. It’s like having your own personal movie theater.

During the cool season (November – December) and for occasional special events from January to June, you can also head to CentralWorld to…

Get drunk and listen to live music at one of four outdoor beer gardens. Singha, Chang (my favorite), Tiger, and Federbrau all set up their own dining areas and performance stages on the massive plaza in front of CentralWorld’s main entrances on Ratchadamri. Each one has its own vibe and its own theme, and though Singha and Chang tend to be the busiest since, well, they have the best beer, all four do brisk business on a nightly basis. Food is reliably good and affordable, and the three-liter towers pictured here, which have an ingenius enclosed tube of ice down the middle to keep the beer cold, are very popular with the communal-oriented locals.

Back inside the building, you can strap on some skates and…

Shred some ice at The Rink. Located on the first floor, the ice rink opened in September 2010 and provides some great people-watching opportunities; something about Thais twirling around on ice skates is absolutely mesmerizing. It costs 250 baht for 30 minutes, and yes, hockey sticks are available to accommodate the Thais’ feverish obsession with the sport. Seriously though, there are hockey instructors available for hire, including Thor, the Challenge Cup U.A.E. MVP, and Nui, who won Hardest Shot, Woman Division, in the 2008 Hong Kong Tournamet.

There are also super-cute plastic penguins (on skis!) for beginners to skate around with and hold onto. Not that, er, anybody I know, uh, needs to use one. Finally, it wouldn’t be a real lifestyle complex if you couldn’t…

Address balding patterns, zap skin blemishes, or, at the Slim Up Center, “care and solve body shape problems for those who get weight and body proportion problems, by using advanced technology to help one who wish to lose weight and firm up bodies.” Oh, CentralWorld: you’ve thought of everything!

_{All photos copyright Brian Spencer}