Ask Adriane
Q. This is a question that dozens of you have asked me. How Do You Pack for long trips?
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A. Full disclosure. I struggled with this also. I will be packing for a 10-day cruise this week. I will hit three climate zones, plus I am speaking four times on the cruise. Luckily, I had the honor of awarding the Journey woman Solo Travel Award (I Won Last Year) to Katherine Leamy, the 5 Kilo Traveler. Her mission is to help you pack light.
Here is my adaptation of Katherine’s advice for non-backpackers like me, who dress fancy and mix business and pleasure:
I take out everything I think I need and pile it up on the bed. I leave the shoes on the floor. I take my TRIPPED packing cases (Use that link for an Ageless Traveler Discount) and spread them out on a different part of the bed. I sort clothes, underwear, and evening dresses, making neat piles.
I then walk away, water the plants, or do something distracting. I walk back and eliminate at least 25% of what piled up. I then take the bulkiest sweater, coat, and hat and wear them on the plane. I select one pair of fancy shoes, one pair for walking, and one pair of beach sandals. I pack in appropriate-sized Tripped cases. Get out my suitcase… and see if it fits. If not, I start to eliminate right from the packs.
To change my outfits, I put costume jewelry and different lipsticks in a mesh bag. I take lots of face cream in the travel packs. I take toothpaste and other stuff in travel size. My pills fit into a long blue pill box every week.
That's my way…I’d love to hear yours. Send me a text or a voicemail.
Reinventing the Catskills
I spent every summer in the Catskills from the age of four to ten. My family packed up from Brooklyn and headed for the mountains. We stayed in famous, fancy hotels like Grossinger's Catskill Resort Hotel and The Concord Resort Hotel. The Italian Alps and the Jewish Alps—that’s what people called the Catskills. Everyone was escaping the city heat, playing cards, dancing, eating too much, and having the time of their lives.
Sadly, the big hotels closed, the bungalow colonies emptied, and the once-glamorous resorts became abandoned relics of another era.
But here’s the good news: the Catskills are back with farm-to-table restaurants, spas, wellness retreats, skiing, hiking, and outdoor adventure.
Here are a few reinvention superstars:
Windham Mountain Club, you can ski and in summer hike along Windham Path, or to nearby Kaaterskill Falls—the highest two-tier waterfall in New York State. Eat at Matilda, the celebrated restaurant inside The Henson.
In Livingston Manor, you’ll find The DeBruce, where chefs build menus around seasonal Catskills ingredients. The nearby Kaatskeller is a local favorite for wood-fired cooking and craft beer. Stay at Arnold House for cozy rooms.
Hunter Mountain offers skiing in winter and scenic sky rides in summer, while hikers flock to the trails around North-South Lake for sweeping mountain views. Stay at Scribner's Catskill Lodge for stylish modern rooms, Hotel Lilien for European-style alpine charm.
Phoenicia is for families, with tubing down the river with Phoenicia Tubing. Stay at Emerson Resort & Spa, a family-friendly property with mountain views, or Urban Cowboy Lodge for a playful Western-style lodge.
For wellness retreats, there’s the Shandaken Inn’s yoga weekends, and Callicoon Hills blends farmhouse charm with spa treatments, outdoor pools, and wellness programming.
