By Margot Black
With COVID-19 vaccines now readily available to youngsters, families who love to travel are gearing up again for their next adventure. Whether you plan on getting on the road, catching a flight, enjoying a staycation, being a great houseguest or simply want to remember a past adventure, here are a few great gifts for travelers of all ages on your list this year. You might even want to snag a few items for yourself.
A perfect gift for those who love to get away, Tinggly takes the art of gift-giving and elevates it to a memorable experience. Their online catalog offers adrenaline-pumping adventures, culinary tastings, romantic getaways, travel experiences and more. Experiences are available throughout the United States and the world. You give the gift box and let the recipient pick the experience or getaway. According to their website, Tinggly vouchers have no expiration date: www.tinggly.com; prices start at $85.
What’s better than a well-told travel story over a frosty cold drink? Let your recipients enjoy their cocktails while relishing the memories of their last vacation with Well Told’s custom-etched drinkware. Well Told’s drinkware features signature map designs. Choose from college towns, hometowns, cities and topographies around the United States and the world. Available in pint, wine and champagne glasses as well as sturdy take-everywhere water bottles, these are guaranteed to start a conversation: www.welltolddesign.com, $18.
Another good gift for traveling families to give or receive is Global Grub. Each box inspires cooking, traveling and culinary curiosity. These unique DIY globally inspired cooking kits let you experience the world without leaving home. Gather your family to make the dish and then eat it when it’s complete. Each kit includes the essential ingredients and special cooking tools for the recipe. Home cooks just need to add their favorite fresh or basic items to customize to their tastes. Available boxes include kits for making Italian focaccia, sushi, fortune cookies (includes prewritten fortunes, or write your own), mocha and seasonal tamales: www.globalgrub.com, $27.
Picnickers will enjoy Pirani reusable cups, which are a great alternative to plastic and come in a variety of captivating colors. For use while traveling, boating, camping or on the beach, these classy reusable tumblers are a great fit for time outdoors. Pirani tumblers hold 16 ounces, are stainless steel, triple-insulated and keep drinks cold for more than 12 hours and hot up to six. They come with a lid to avoid spills while the recipient is on the go. These sensible, stylish and environmentally friendly containers are certainly worth raising a cup to: www.pirani.life, $24.99.
Color My Cookie is the way to decorate cookies like a pro but without any of the hassle. The all-in-one decorating kits enable you to jump right to the fun part — decorating your cookies (and, of course, eating them!). You can easily create edible art in the comfort of your own home or bring them as a gift to be the hit of any party where children are among the guests. These paint-your-own tasty cookie sets from Color My Cookie come pre-frosted with edible watercolors and sprinkles, making them the perfect canvas for your creativity. Seasonal themes also available include Christmas, Hanukkah and Valentine’s Day: www.colormycookie.com, $39.
Raising the bar on a few travel essentials offers everyday luxury in situations where it will be most appreciated. Traveling can be tiring, so indulge yourself or loved ones with pure mulberry silk from Silken Pure Face Masks and Sleep Masks. Face masks protect, and once on the plane, sleep masks cut out the light. Silken Pure products are made from pure mulberry silk with non-toxic dyes and natural fibers: www.silkenpure.com, from $26.
Showcase what makes your town or your last vacation memory great by giving it a place in your home or office. Native Maps are premium artist-quality maps in minimalist styles that will make your wall proud. Each map is vetted by a team of locals and includes all neighborhoods within the city boundary: www.nativemaps.us, $40.
Ellany belts are elastic, adjustable and don’t require buckling — which makes them easy to slip on and off when going through airport security. Once at your destination, the belts will go with most everything you’ve packed as they’re available in a wide variety of solids and patterns. They’re also comfortable: no buckle bulge, no gap in the back of the pants, ultra-comfy and machine washable. Sizing goes from 24 inches to 65 inches: www.ellany.com, $45.
A gift from Global Grub will enable recipients to make their own fortune cookies. Photo courtesy of Global Grub. 
With glasses from Well Told, travelers can easily remember their earlier adventures. Photo courtesy of Well Told. 
If your travels only extend to friends’ homes this year, be the most popular guest with customized cookies from Color My Cookie. Photo courtesy of Color My Cookie.
Margot Black is a freelance writer. To read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.
