3 Things You Should Not Forget...for your next vacation

I just got home from 3 weeks of personal travel. I wish I could tell you that I traveled to the Galapagos Islands or Easter Island and brought back some amazing photographs.

Alas, I was in the mid-west visiting my wonderful family in Missouri and then a vacation with my little household to visit the KING in Memphis, eat loads of BBQ, play in the river in Hot Springs Arkansas and just have a good ole hillbilly time. So, 3 weeks on the road staying in our little camper with 2 little boys with smelly feet, one Colorado Beagle that is not adjusted to humidity and ticks you can imagine I learned a few things. I thought I would share so you will be prepared for your summer adventure this year.

1. Bring more underwear and socks than you need. Ok, didn't all of our mother's tell us this growing up. Some folks say... just wash a pair in the sink. This may work in dry and arid Arizona but in Missouri and Arkansas they are just damp and never dry. Really -- never dry. Rest assured, I didn't have any major mishaps but I was always wondering if I was going to run out of personal undergarements for someone on the trip. I'm just sayin' pack 1 more than you think you need -- maybe 2.

2. More memory for your memories! When I was a kid (you know when we all used that stuff called film) and we would run out of the huge supply we purchased at Wal Mart before the trip we would just buy more. Now, Dad hated buying it in Yellowstone because it was always triple what Sam Walton charged
  us but we could get it easily. Now we all shoot digital and when you turn that camera on and see that you have space for 445 pictures you think... NO WORRIES!!! Yes, you will and probably should shoot more than that. So you have a few options. On the trip you can delete images to make room -- ahhhh how sad. You can buy an extra memory card before the trip. OR you could bring your laptop and download the pictures on to your computer or thumbdrive making room for more glorious photos of Graceland, the neon lights on Beale street, or your children playing in the river catching crawdads. Just make sure that like the undergarments you have more than you think you need.

3. You will not be charged if your camera runs out of "juice" so bring extra batteries. My camera takes a special rechargable battery from Pentax and I not only have an extra but I keep it charged and ready to switch out. It WILL make you very sad if you are whale watching in Hawaii and your battery goes kaput. Sad, very sad. Also, remember your charger. Those darn things are so bulky most of us probably don't keep them in our camera bag but put it on the packing list and don't leave home with out it.

If you remember to pack extras of these 3 things your vacation will be packed full of photographic memories that will have you charged so when you get home you can sit in your office cubicle and bask in the joy of a successful vacation.