Are you sitting down? Because I have some sad news to tell you. Lonely Planet and I broke up. Now, now. Don't worry. I'm going to be fine...in time. It was for the best, really. We'll be happier now. I'm ready to play the field again, see what's out there.

What happened? Well, we got in a bit of a row while I was in Thailand. You see, LP mentioned in passing that we might experience "high winds" in Koh Samui in November. I live in San Francisco! High winds are nothing! I laugh in the face of high winds.

Is it terrible to be a tiny bit thankful for global warming? We've had near perfect weather here in San Francisco, an unusual occurrence for a time of year that typically leaves fog and dreary skies hanging over the city. I've been able to enjoy lunch in the sun and walks through the park that actually left me a little pink on the nose. Now, I'm no scientist, but I chalk this incredible weather up to global warming. I suppose there's a silver lining in every gray cloud.

Today I'm stopping by The View from the Bay to do a round-up of the best summer travel gadgets. Savvy Window Seat readers already know about a few of the gizmos I'm going to talk about, but here are my top five (in no particular order):

Not all gadgets were created equal. Some are frivolous like the Mind Relaxer, some are awesome but expensive like the Amazon Kindle, and some are just right like X-ray-friendly laptop bags. If I had to recommend one travel gadget to frequent flyers, this is it.

Sorry to gloat, but I have a much-needed two-week vacation coming up and I’m starting to think about how to pack for the trip. My suitcase, you see, isn’t very big. In fact, it’s what you might call downright small. For the first part of my trip I’m going to be moving around from one place to the next, and so I want something light and versatile, that’s easy to carry up and down steps.

So how to pack two week’s worth of stuff into my small but well-worn suitcase? I’m going to have to be creative—and just accept that I’ll be doing laundry once or twice while on the go. Since I don’t know when or where exactly I’m going to be able to find access to a laundromat, though, there are two areas where I’m definitely not going to skimp: socks and underwear.

As for the rest, my motto’s got to be, “less is more.” I plan to employ the following strategies:

So Uncle Sam gifted you a huge refund and you spent it on a ticket to Coachella? NICE. After six straight months of grim economic news you’ve more than earned a chance to blow off a little steam. But don’t space out yet. There will be plenty of time for that once My Bloody Valentine starts their set.

Here are some tips to make your Coachella experience rock.

Glowing is for Glowsticks:

When I travel, I can count on having as many guidebooks as fellow travelers. That’s because I travel with the friend who loves the photo- and map-heavy guide; the one who relishes reading about our destination’s history and cultural climate; the traditionalist; and the trend-spotter. Then there’s me, a wild card who hasn’t committed to a particular publisher’s philosophy and shows up with a different book every time.

Baseball fever is in the air and in just a few days Major League Baseball will be kicking off opening day in the City of Brotherly Love, where the World Champion Philadelphia Phillies will play against the Atlanta Braves.

And if there's one thing is for sure, die-hard baseball fans will be traveling miles away, braving the rainstorms, humidity, cold, or the extra long ball games (you know, the ones that goes into extra innings and neither team scores a run until the 12th inning) to cheer on their teams.

Last season, as a compromise with my significant other over baseball and shoe shopping, I accompanied him to three baseball games across the East Coast from Boston to Philadelphia to follow his New York Mets team and suprisingly, I had a wonderful time!

I get absolutely giddy with joy around spring time.  As an avid whale watcher, the spring season means that humpback and gray whales make their annual 12,000-mile journey from cold Alaska waters to breed in the warm waters of the Pacific Ocean further south.

Starting now through early April, state parks, recreation departments, and beaches throughout the West Coast have set up a string of whale-watching sites for visitors hoping to catch a glimpse of a humpback or gray whale diving, jumping, or gliding over the top of the water.  Volunteers are usually on hand to guide visitors, too.  In Oregon, the parks and recreation department has volunteers stationed at 28 different locations to help curious seekers find good whale-watching spots.

A year ago, my grandmother passed away very suddenly. I already had a trip planned and had to immediately re-route my flight to get home for her funeral. I briefly attempted to figure out how bereavement fares work, but I was too upset to wade through the barrage of information. Instead I ate huge rebooking fines and tried to put the exorbitant cost out of my mind.

This week, a friend of mine is in the same place and asked for help--and what my research for her uncovered was a little surprising. Bereavement or compassion fares aren't always the best option for those traveling at the last minute. Let's weigh the pros and cons.