I've had travel on the brain, which you will see reflected in this post and likely another one or two in the future. We are also on the cusp of "Wedding Season" so I wanted to offer an alternative gift idea to the standard registry fare. This gift was inspired by one my husband and I received from some dear friends when we were married - a personalized large boat tote with two large, fluffy beach towels. As active boaters, this has been invaluable and used year after year and so I used the "boat tote" concept as a base for a fun, travel-related gift that can be customized based on the recipient and their lifestyle.
Just a few elements that would make a wonderful travel-related gift - courtesy of my Olioboard.
It seems that most everyone either heads to the beach, lake or mountains for a vacation at some point during the year, so start with these items as a basis for your gift:
- A sturdy tote bag - my favorite is from LL Bean.
- Add some good beach towels for those that enjoy the water.
- Make sure they stay hydrated with a good water bottle or two. I like the fun colors and designs of the Swell bottle.
- Sun safety is very important so throw in a bottle of sunscreen suitable for the outdoors.
- Treat your recipient to a great pair of locally-made (in Nashville) flip flops by Southern Polished.
- Wildsam Field Guides or any local interest guide would make a great addition to your gift.
- Lastly, make sure they have travel snacks for their journey by providing some yummy, local goods like this gift basket by High Note Gifts.
Are your idea wheels turning yet? The beauty of this gift idea is that you can customize to fit your budget and/or your recipients lifestyle. In closing, I leave you with this little story...
Several years ago I had the honor of attending our former exchange student's wedding in France. I wanted to gift them with something unique from the U.S., so I had a large LL Bean boat tote personalized for the bride and groom and also gave them some Nashville treats. The gift was a hit with the French newlyweds as they frequently visited the French coast and I will never forget the bride's new obsession with the "Goo-Goos" (insert cute French accent here).
Happy Gifting!