Souvenir Sunday

Souvenir Sunday – all the time

March 1, 2011Harriet BaskasAirport shops, Shopping, Souvenir Sunday, SouvenirsAirport shopping

Each Sunday, StuckatTheAirport.com celebrates airport souvenirs that are inexpensive, offbeat and “of” a city or region

Favorites include the lobster cap for sale a Boston Logan Airport

Gebra models lobster cap for sale at Logan Airport

The chocolate hockey pucks for sale at Pittsburgh International Airport

And the Space Noodles for sale at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport

Now some other people are embracing the airport souvenir.

Jeffrey Tucker writes “In praise of the airport tourist trap” in a Christian Science Monitor blog and the folks at Sherman’s Travel put together a list of their Top Airports for Shopping.

Souvenir Sunday at Kona International Airport

February 20, 2011Harriet BaskasAirport shops, aviation, Aviation history, Exhibits, family travel, History, Souvenir Sunday, Souvenirs, SpaceChallenger Mission, Ellison Onizuka, Kona International Airport, Space, space souvenirs

It’s Souvenir Sunday, the day StuckatTheAirport.com celebrates the fun, inexpensive items you can find in airport shops.

This week our souvenirs come from the souvenir shop at the Astronaut Ellison S. Onizuka Space Center, which is located right next to the charming, open-air terminals at Kona International Airport.

The center is part museum/part education center and is dedicated to the memory of Ellison Onizuka, who was Hawaii’s first astronaut and one of the crewmembers who perished aboard the Challenger Mission on January 28, 1986.

The Onizuka Space Center is jam-packed with hands-on activities that explain space and space concepts as well as a wide variety of displays that include a piece of a moon rock, an Apollo 13 space suit and memorabilia that includes the freeze-dried macadamia nuts and Kona coffee NASA developed for Ellison Onizuka so that the Hawaiian astronaut would feel at home in space.

The museum is just a 30-second walk from the main part of Kona International Airport and is a much better way for you and your kids to spend your time than sitting out in the sun in airport’s post-security area.

Even if you don’t want to explore the space center’s exhibits, consider stopping in to check out the gift shop. It’s has a carefully selected assortment of space-related books, games and space-related souvenirs.

That’s where I picked up these cool, inexpensive and easy-to-carry fashion accessories: glow-in-the dark, Space Shaped Rubber Bands.

If you find a great souvenir while you’re stuck at the airport, please snap a photo and send it along.

The favorite souvenirs here at StuckatTheAirport.com are inexpensive (around $10), “of” the city or region and ideally, a bit offbeat. And if your souvenir is featured on Souvenir Sunday, you’ll receive a special airport or airline-related souvenir.

Souvenir Sunday: snus at Stockholm Arlanda Airport

February 13, 2011Harriet BaskasAirport shops, Smoking, Souvenir Sunday, Souvenirssmokeless cigarettes, smoking in airplanes, smooking at airports, snus, Souvenimr Sunday

There were stories in the news this week about the Department of Transportation (DOT) clarifying whether or not the ban on smoking on airplanes extends to smokeless electronic cigarettes.

It does.

And according to this story, to make sure there are no ifs, ands or, yes butts about it, this spring the DOT will issue an official ban on the use of those electronic devices on airplanes.

The story reminded me of another alternative nicotine-delivery-system I saw in mass quantities at Stockholm’s Arlanda Airport: snus.

In 2009, Arlanda opened a duty-and tax-free store featuring the world’s first “snusidor,” which stocks and displays dozens of different brands and flavors of snus, which is a traditional Swedish smokeless tobacco that, unlike American-style chewing tobacco, doesn’t involve a lot of spitting.

I can’t tell for sure if I’ve ever sat next to a snus user, but I do know that snus is a truly popular Swedish souvenir.

Souvenir Sunday at Fairbanks International Airport

February 6, 2011Harriet BaskasAirport shops, Souvenir Sunday, SouvenirsFairbanks International Airport

On Sunday here at StuckatTheAirport.com we pause to take a look at some of the inexpensive, unusual and unique-to-the-place souvenirs for sale at airports.

This week’s treats are from Alaska’s Fairbanks International Airport, courtesy Deb Hickok at the Fairbanks Convention &Visitors Bureau.

First up: buttons made from caribou bones, for sale at the airport for about $2.50 each

Next – and my favorite – what Hickok describes as “Eskimo-style pin cushion.” A bit over our $10-per-souvenir budget, but charming and, like the caribou buttons, made in Alaska.

Next time you’re stuck at the airport, please take a look around. If you find a souvenir that’s inexpensive (around $10), offbeat and “of” the city or region, please take a photo and send it along. If your souvenir is featured on Souvenir Sunday, I’ll send you a special airport souvenir.

Souvenir Sunday: Indianapolis International Airport

January 30, 2011Harriet BaskasAirport shops, Events, Exhibits, Food, History, Museums, Shopping, Souvenir Sunday, SouvenirsIND, Indianapolis International Airport, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, New Day Meadery

During a few jam-packed days in Indianapolis this week, I got a crash-course in racing from Donald Davidson, the historian at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame Museum

The collection of winning cars on display in the museum is quite thrilling and as part of this year’s centennial celebration of the Indianapolis 500, fans are being asked to help choose the greatest 33 drivers of the race’s first 100 years.

While in town, I also got schooled on mead – which is wine made from honey – during a fun tasting with Brett Canaday who, with his wife Tia Agnew, operates New Day Meadery, Indiana’s first and only meadery. (If you go, be sure to taste the mead made from blueberries)

And, of course, I spent a few hours poking around Indianapolis International Airport in search of souvenirs to share with you on Souvenir Sunday, a day that celebrates the fun, inexpensive and local items for sale at airports.

IND doesn’t disappoint.

After I tore myself away from Just Pop In, a store that sells popcorn with unusual flavors,

I found some fun Indy 500 race souvenirs

Do you shop for fun stuff when you’re stuck at the airport? If you find something that’s inexpensive (around $10), “of” the city or region and, ideally, a bit offbeat, please snap a photo and send it along.

If your souvenir is featured on Souvenir Sunday here at StuckatTheAirport.com, I’ll send you a special airport souvenir.

Souvenir Sunday: Will Rogers World Airport

January 23, 2011Harriet BaskasAir Travel, Airport shops, Shopping, Souvenir Sunday, SouvenirsWill Rogers, Will Rogers World Airport

The airport in Oklahoma City is called the Will Rogers World Airport, in honor of Will Rogers, a cowboy who became famous in the 1920s and 1930s as an actor, columnist, humorist, vaudeville performer, and world traveler who died, with his buddy Wiley Post, in a plane crash near Barrow, Alaska in 1935.

I like that the airport is named for this Oklahoma native and I’d like to think that he’d get a kick out of the souvenirs Clark Massad found for sale last time he was in town.

Massad told me he was looking for the Oklahoma Rose Rock that used to be sold at the airport, “but apparently they’ve mined them all and sold them all off.”

Instead he found “delicacies” – chocolates and candy – with classic names such as Oklahoma Cow Poop, Oklahoma Cow Patties, Oklahoma Oil and Tornado Seeds.

“I even managed to come across real Oklahoma Dream Catchers made by one of the local tribes.”

Next time you’re stuck at the airport, please take a moment to poke around the shops. If you find some great souvenirs that are inexpensive (around $10), “of” the city or region and, ideally, a bit offbeat, please snap some photos and send them along. If your souvenirs are featured here on StuckatTheAirport.com, I’ll send you a special aviation-related souvenir.

Souvenir Sunday: ice from Edmonton International Airport

January 9, 2011Harriet BaskasAir Travel, Airports, Art, Events, Exhibits, Souvenir Sunday, SouvenirsAirport art, Edmonton International Airport, Ice on Whyte, ice-carving, Ice-carving festival, snow scultpures

It’s Souvenir Sunday, but this souvenirs would be difficult to put in your pocket.

On Friday, a mysterious 8 ft. by 4 ft. box filled with a 4,500 lb. block of snow was deposited outside Canada’s Edmonton International Airport.

What's in that box?

Who sent it? What was it for? And who would come and claim it?

Saturday, the mystery was solved.

During a raging snowstorm, four Chinese sculptors armed only with hand tools ( no chain saws…) showed up and spent their day transforming the block of snow into a work of art featuring images from the Beijing Opera.

Turns out the sculptors are from Harbin, China, which is Edmonton’s sister city, and the snow sculpture was created to kick off Edmonton’s Ice on Whyte ice-carving festival, which runs through January 23^rd.

This year’s festival has a Chinese theme and nine ice and snow carvers from Harbin, China (famous for hosting the largest ice-carving festivals in the world) will work with Canadian artists to fill a local park with ice and snow creations that include a Giant Ice Dragon Slide, Ice Pagodas, a Great Wall, a Children’s Play area and more.

Bundle up and go!

(All photos courtesy of Edmonton International Airport)

Souvenir Sunday: Eiffel Tower Pasta from Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG)

January 2, 2011Harriet BaskasSouvenir Sunday

It’s Souvenir Sunday – the day we celebrate the fun, offbeat and inexpensive items you can buy when you’re stuck at the airport.

This week, we’ve got another great airport souvenir discovered by Clark Massad, who sent us the great souvenirs from Copenhagen Airport featured last Sunday.

For this week’s Souvenir Sunday pick, Clark sent us this photo of a classic souvenir he found at his home base airport: Charles de Gaulle International Airport

Thanks, Clark!

Souvenir Sunday at Copenhagen Airport

December 26, 2010Harriet BaskasAir Travel, Airport shops, Layover, Shopping, Souvenir Sunday, SouvenirsAirport shopping, Copenhagen Airport, Little Mermaid

Now that Christmas is over we can turn to another important holiday: Souvenir Sunday.

Lucky for us, this holiday comes around every weekend and gives us the chance to shop for and celebrate fun, offbeat and inexpensive souvenirs we can find when we’re stuck at the airport.

And you just never know when you’re going to be stuck at an airport.

A few weeks back, Clark Massad got stuck at Copenhagen Airport for a few hours as he was trying to make his way home to Paris from New York. Massad had been in New York for the reception of the world’s first in-flight gay and lesbian weddings, which were held on an SAS flight originating in Stockholm. (I was on that flight and you can read my report of that historic event here on StuckatTheAirport.com.)

But, good traveler that he is, Massad went souvenir shopping while he was stuck at Copenhagen Airport

Here’s his shopping report:

“These hats were not technically for sale, but I found them to be quite funny and good photo subjects so I discreetly snapped them.”

“These felt coasters and trivets in beautiful, bright colors were only 4€ each! [About $5.25].I bought six of them to scatter around the house or on the table for parties. Unfortunately, I later realized they are German made, not Danish…”

“These guys were just cute and I love the way they are arranged on the shelf.”

All wonderful souvenirs of course…. but thank-goodness Clark found these: Copenhagen’s “Little Mermaid” statue.

Thanks, Clark, for sending along these great Souvenir Sunday finds!

Do YOU look for great souvenirs when you’re stuck at the airport? If you find something that’s inexpensive (around $10), fun, offbeat and, ideally, “of” the city or region, please snap a photo and send it along. If your souvenirs are featured on Souvenir Sunday you’ll receive a special airport or airline-related souvenir.

Souvenir Sunday: best airport souvenirs of 2010

December 19, 2010Harriet BaskasAir Travel, Airport shops, Airports, Shopping, Souvenir Sunday, SouvenirsBoston Logan International Airport, Eastern Iowa Airport (CID), FLY SUX, London Heathrow Airport, Pittsburgh International Airport, Sioux Gateway Airport, Tokyo Haneda Airport

Each Sunday here at Stuck at the Airport is Souvenir Sunday – a day to celebrate the fun, inexpensive and offbeat items you can find at airports.

Today we take a look back at the some of the best airport souvenirs featured this year; a reminder that there’s still time to do your holiday shopping at the airport.

At London’s Heathrow Airport these bus banks were adorable;

But I came home with several of these Beatles tote bags, although no one can convince me that’s Ringo.

Meet the (scary-looking) Beatles

At Boston Logan International Airport, I found lovely lobster hats – and a shop clerk willing to get her picture taken as a model:

Gebra models lobster cap for sale at Logan Airport

At the new international terminal at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport, I spent way too much time at the store entirely devoted to Hello Kitty:

And at Pittsburgh International Airport, I scooped up a (yummy) chocolate hockey puck:

Corny Cob – a big seller at the Eastern Iowa Airport in Cedar Rapids – definitely makes the list in this year’s Souvenir Sunday favorites:

But my favorite airport souvenir remains the line of SUX souvenirs from the Sioux Gateway Airport:

SUX post card from Sioux Gateway Airport

Greetings from SUX

Do you shop for souvenirs when you’re stuck at the airport?

If you find something that’s inexpensive (about $10), offbeat and “of” the city or region, please snap a photo and send it along.

If your souvenir is featured on Souvenir Sunday, you’ll receive a special airport souvenir.