Category Archives: Budget Travel Magazine

Budget Travel: 15 of America’s Favorite Regional Sweets

America, Budget Travel Magazine, Sweets

When traveling, it’s always fun to try local foods. People are usually surprised at some of the things I’ve tried since I am such a picky eater. I feel that when you travel, you are taken out of your comfort zone and are more likely to do and try things that you wouldn’t usually do at home.

Here is a list of sweets that probably has something for everyone on it! Who doesn’t like sweets and junk food! The list is from Budget Travel Magazine:

  1. Idaho: Idaho Spud: coconut- flecked dark chocolate surrounding a springy cocoa-flavored marshmallow center
  2. Hawaii: Chocolate Covered Macadamia Nuts– self explanatory
  3. California: Turtles– soft vanilla caramel and chocolate poured over toasted pecans
  4. New Mexico: Bizcochito– “the cookie that grandma makes”-  anise and cinnamon combine with a touch of wine or brandy in these Latin-inflected shortbread crumblies
  5. Wisconsin: Candy Raisins– odd little gumdrops, yellow-tan with a wrinkly top, tastes are floral or honey ginger. The name is a mystery as there are no raisins.
  6. Florida: Coconut Patties– chocolate covered coconut squares come in a variety of flavors- plain, key lime, orange, mango, almond, or piña colada.
  7. Virginia: Peanut Brittle– one of America’s oldest treats, brittle is flat broken pieces of hard sugar embedded with nuts
  8. New Jersey: Salt Water Taffy– chewy, pastel colored candy wrapped in wax paper
  9. Vermont: Maple Sugar Candy- maple sugar sap is boiled & compressed into leaf shapes
  10. Pennsylvania: Peanut Chew– the original Power Bar, created as rations for the war- molasses & peanuts covered in dark chocolate
  11. Maine: Whoopie Pies– two round chocolate cakes with a sweet, creamy frosting in the middle
  12. Tennessee: Goo Goo Cluster-“chocolate covered sugar bomb of caramel, marshmallow & peanuts”
  13. Louisiana: Pralines– sugar cane & pecans with cream added- similar to the consistency to fudge
  14. Ohio: Buckeyes– peanut butter mixture partially dipped in chocolate
  15. Washington: Aplets & Cotlets– walnuts jellied with apples & apricot juice, similar to Turkish delight

I’ve only tried a few items from this list. I love whoopie pies and first heard of them while at a Lobster Shack in Maine. I also love peanut chews. I never realized that they were a regional item until about a year ago. They were just another candy option at the store but now seem to be harder to find.
I definitely want to try some Goo Goo Clusters if I ever get to visit Tennessee.

To read the Budget Travel article click here

10 Hot New Travel Gadgets

Budget Travel Magazine, Gadgets

Budget Travel Magazine went to the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas and made a list of 10 hot new travel gadgets. Some of the items are really interesting and useful, others not so necessary.

Here is the list:

  1. The Sony P.- a tablet that weighs .5 lbs. that folds in half and has dual 5.5 inch screens
  2. The Power Bag– bags that charge your iPad, iPhone & iPods while you walk
  3. Jawbone UP– wristband measures activity, sleep & nutrition and sends data to phone
  4. Q i-wear– shatterproof sunglasses with iPhone earbuds that lets you take calls too
  5. FOXL v2– pocketsize speaker system, streams music via bluetooth
  6. Polaroid Z340– zero ink, 14MP camera that keeps a copy of the pic in it’s memory
  7. iLuv Dream Traveler– combo power strip w/ surge protector & USB charger for 6 devices
  8. Cloud Camera 5000– keep an eye while you are away, you can set motion sensors triggers that e-mail you
  9. ViewerMate– stand that locks onto up and locked tray table or attachs to car visor for hands free conversations & GPS use
  10. Perch– chirps when you pull out your electrical device so you don’t forget your charger

My favorite gadgets on the list are the ViewerMate and iLuv Dream Traveler. Both items definitely sound useful. The ViewerMate is priced at $29-$34 which seems fair for a useful way to hold your smartphone to watch movies on a flight. The iLuv Dream sounds really nice too but I think it is very pricey at $69.99. I currently use the Monster Outlets to Go (about $12 on Amazon)

The Power Bag might be useful for some but I find it a bit silly. The idea of a bag that can charge my gadgets does sound great but I am not sure that luxury is worth $139-$249.
The Q i-Wear also seems a bit pricey and unnecessary at $299. I know Oakley has made bluetooth headphone sunglasses but have rarely seen people walking around with them. I am not sure if these are so much better.

To find out more about all of  the gadgets, check out the Budget Travel Magazine slideshow