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Newport Beach, CA


Destination: Newport Beach, California

In this episode: Should I check my bag or carry-on?

Today’s Destination is: Newport Beach

Today’s Mistake-Time zone mayhem

Travel Advice:  See the Sherpa travel website.



FAQ: This question gets asked a lot: Should I check my luggage or carry-on?

Answer: Short flights, no.

Long flights, it depends on the time you are willing to wait for baggage, the size of your suitcase, if the plane has space for more bags, and personal preference.

Now, personal items are allowed, but you may need to pay for your carry-on bag. Always check with the airline before you head out to the airport. You may be happy you asked.

Today’s destination: Newport Beach, California

Newport Beach, south of Los Angeles, is famous for its boats. The harbor has thousands of them. Balboa Peninsula has two piers, the Newport Beach Pier and Balboa Pier, plus the Balboa Fun Zone. The Orange County Museum of Art exhibits modern and contemporary pieces.

The Wedge surfing spot is known and even famous for big waves.

I recently saw an RC surfer here. Made by ProBro from South Africa. See show notes for some videos from Radio Controlled surfing here. It’s so close to the beach you can really enjoy it.

https://www.visitnewportbeach.com/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24te24Rnlgk

 

At the wedge, waves were 8 feet tall on my recent visit, but can be 20 feet. When the waves are very high, there are a lot of visitors, so parking is hard to find.

There is no fee to park in the neighborhood. Bring your picnic lunch and hang out.

Balboa Peninsula Point has a lot of nice homes and a beautiful quiet beach near the wedge inlet. Streets are named after Alphabet letters, so it’s easy to navigate.

Today’s Mistake: Time zone mayhem

I’ve struggled with the right time zones for meetings and travel. Synching devices and software don’t work. If you frequently change time zones, you know how challenging it is. I arrived late for a big meeting. I arrived an hour ahead of time on another day. Remember to adjust for the time difference. Don’t be like me and get the right time.

Today’s Travel Advice- See the Sherpa travel website.

Yes, a sherpa is a name for a guide or a porter. It’s also a travel website that has been recommended to me by other travel experts. I’m looking forward to doing a more in depth review of the services they offer for eVisas and for ESTA cards. They are a virtual company, based in Canada.

https://apply.joinsherpa.com/

 

Sherpa is a website that gives you detailed government information about travel.

Look up what’s open. Look up what’s required by country.

What restrictions would there be?

For example, I’ll be traveling in 2023, so I will be checking this website to make sure I will be able to visit these countries.

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