Souvenir Sunday

Souvenir Sunday: SUX Souvenirs from Sioux Gateway Airport

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Airports everywhere are scratching about for new sources of revenue, but few have gone the route of marketing a line of airport-specific souvenirs.

And who can blame them? Most people just wouldn’t pay good money for a memento to remind them of time spent stuck at the airport.

SUX post card from Sioux Gateway Airport

Greetings from SUX

But for several years now the Sioux Gateway Airport in Sioux City, Iowa has been doing a brisk business in t-shirts, caps, mugs, luggage tags, sweatshirts, pins and other airport-branded memorabilia.

Their secret?  Their airport code: SUX

SUX Bumper sticker

I featured some of these items on Souvenir Sunday more than a year ago and back then, the Fly SUX balsa wood glider, the Fly SUX t-shirts and the Fly SUX caps were at the top of my shopping list.

But looking back again this week, I noticed a few other items available for under $10 (our Souvenir Sunday limit) that I want to add to the ‘must have’ list:

This FLY SUX Winged Lapel Pin ($3)

And this Joy of SUX mug:

Have you found a great souvenir while you were stuck at the airport?  If it costs around $10, is “of” the city or region and is, ideally, a bit offbeat, please snap a photo and send it along. Your souvenir may end up featured on a future edition of Souvenir Sunday. And if it is, we’ll send you one of our favorite souvenirs.

Souvenir Sunday: Socks and pet services

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Yesterday’s Snack Saturday feature served up Tastycakes and other Pennsylvania-made treats for sale at Harrisburg International Airport’s (MDT) Perfectly PA shop.

Tastycakes, made in Pennyslvania

That same shop is where you’ll find one of this week’s Souvenir Sunday picks: socks decorated with an Amish horse and buggy scene.

Novelty socks

Novelty socks for sale at MDT Airport

I’m sure there’s a shop or two over at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport that stocks novelty socks as well. (Moose anklets, anyone?)  And it’s a good bet there’s a coupon in the airport’s summer coupon book that can be used towards that purchase.

Don’t need any socks? It’s still a good idea to download the coupon book from the MSP website or pick up a copy at an information booth inside the airport. There are dozens of two-for-one and free-with-order drink and meal deals in there, along with discounts and gift-with-purchase deals in many airport stores.

You should also pick up the MSP summer coupon book if you’re a pet owner. MSP has a 24-hour pet boarding facility – it’s called Now Boarding – on airport property and there’s a coupon in the booklet good for a free bath or nail trim for pets staying overnight.  That seems like a great airport souvenir for pets – and their people.

Now Boarding - pet boarding at MSP airport

Did you find a great souvenir last time you were stuck at the airport? If it’s under $10, “of” the city or region and, ideally, a bit offbeat, please snap a photo and send it along. Your souvenir may be featured on a future edition of Souvenir Sunday on StuckatTheAirport.com.

Souvenir Sunday at Spokane Int’l Airport

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Toaster plane at Spokane Airport

Traffic was slow heading into Spokane International Airport on Friday because most drivers had their eyes on the sky.

I don’t blame them: the USAF Thunderbirds and other military flight demonstration teams were practicing for this weekend’s Skyfest 2010 at Fairchild Air Force Base.

Skyfest 2010 Fairchild Base air show

Inside the airport, flights were delayed while practice flights took place. So there was plenty of time to shop for souvenirs.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t in the concourse with the Simply Northwest store, which is filled with a wide variety of local and regionally made items such as wine, chocolates and Bumble Bars.

Bumblebars at Spokane International Airport Simply North shop

Nope, I was in the other concourse. The one with just a small souvenir section in the newsstand.

But, lucky for me, there was a shelf filled with one of our favorite Souvenir Sunday categories:  Candy “poop.”

I’m really not sure what makes this an appealing food or souvenir item, but we’ve seen Cardinal Poop (Indianapolis), Pelican Poop (Fort Myers, FL) and Armadillo Droppings (throughout Texas).  So it’s no surprise that at Spokane International Airport, there’s an entire shelf of Moose Poop and Bear Poop.

Souvenirs at Spokane Int'l Airport

Next time you’re stuck at the airport, check out the souvenirs. If you find something that’s about $10, is “of” the city or region and is a bit offbeat, please snap a photo and send it along. Your souvenir may end up featured on Souvenir Sunday at StuckatTheAirport.com. And if it is, you’ll get a fun souvenir from us.

Souvenir Sunday: Flat pennies from Indianapolis Int’l Airport

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A lot of people collect flat pennies – or elongated coins – and you’ll find machines to make these souvenirs at plenty of tourist destinations.

The only place I’ve seen one of these machines at an airport was at the Brickyard Authentics shop at the Indianapolis International Airport.

Put a penny – and a couple of quarters – in the slots and you can have your choice of one of three souvenir pennies.

It’s a great – and at 51 cents – a truly inexpensive airport souvenir, and our pick for this week’s Souvenir Sunday gift.

Have you seen one of these machines at another airport? If so please snap a photo and send it in so we can feature it on a future edition of Souvenir Sunday, when we highlight fun, locally-identified, inexpensive souvenirs you can buy when you’re stuck at the airport.

Souvenir Sunday: cherries & more from Mineta San Jose International Airport

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Each Sunday at StuckatTheAirport.com we take a look at some of the fun and inexpensive souvenirs you can find at airport gift shops.

This week’s treats come from Mineta San Jose International Airport (SJC), which just opened its new high-tech Terminal B to the public.

Souvenir motherboard magnet

At SJC, there’s free wireless Internet access throughout the terminals, but in the new Terminal B, 25% of the seats are equipped with AC outlets and USB ports. So re-charging your electronics shouldn’t be a problem. But when you plug in, pay attention: I thought I was charging up my cell-phone only to look down a half hour later and discover that I was plugged into a bank of chairs that wasn’t ‘turned on’ yet.

San Jose Airport power port chairs

But let’s get back to Souvenir Sunday. I spent last Wednesday – the entire day – touring the new Terminal B at San Jose Airport.  So I had plenty of time to poke around.

In the San Jose store, which promises local souvenirs and memorabilia, I found shirts, caps, and water bottles branded with the San Jose Sharks hockey team logo, but all that stuff was more than $10.

San Hose Sharks Hockey team - souvenirs

The recycled motherboard notebooks and cute little frames made out of recycled keyboard letters seemed very Silicon Valley, but a store clerk said she was pretty sure those items were all made in China.

San Jose Airport souvenir recycle motherboard notebook

Moving on, I found a branch of C.J. Olson Cherries. For more than 100 years, this family-owned farm has been growing cherries and operating a fruit stand in Sunnyvale, which looks to be about a 15 minute drive from the San Jose Airport.

The airport shop is small, but it sells fresh cherries and other fresh fruit as well as dried fruits, nuts, fruit-flavored candies and cherry accessories.

C.J. Olsons cherries sign

For my Souvenir Sunday pick, I got a small container of fresh cherries.

C.J. Olson cherries

The cherry-themed apron fell outside my $10 Souvenir Sunday limit, but I found a plenty of cherry-flavored treats that fell well within my  budget.

chocolate covered bing cherries

Have you found a great souvenir while you were stuck at the airport? If it cost around $10, is “of” the city or region and is, ideally, a bit offbeat, please snap a photo and send it along.

Your photo may end up featured on a future edition of Souvenir Sunday.

And if it is, I’ll send you a special souvenir.

Happy Souvenir Sunday from Des Moines International Airport

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Each Sunday at StuckatTheAirport.com is Souvenir Sunday, when we take a look at some of the fun, inexpensive and offbeat souvenirs you can buy at airports.

This week’s souvenir comes to us from Twitter buddy, @Cassivella (Melissa Odom) who sent along a snapshot titled “Evil Corn” found for sale at Des Moines International Airport (DSM).

Corn souvenir Des Moines airport

Bundled all together like that, I can see how they can look a bit evil.

But as we learned a while back from Pam Hinman at Eastern Iowa Airport in Cedar Rapids, the 6-inch tall Corny Cobs (yes, they have a name) are big sellers.  And when on their own these little guys look, well, just corny, not evil.

Have you found a great souvenir while Stuck at The Airport? If it’s around $10, “of” the city or region and, ideally, a bit offbeat, please take a photo and send it along. It may end up featured on a future edition of Souvenir Sunday. And if it is, I’ll mail you a souvenir from StuckatTheAirport.com.

Souvenir Sunday: collectible NWA airplane toys

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On Sundays here at StuckatTheAirport.com we look at some of the souvenirs you can buy at airports. Our favorites are the items that are inexpensive (around $10) and a bit offbeat.

Last week, Seattle-based traveler Jon Douglas spotted this tiny Northwest airplane for sale at Raleigh Durham International Airport (RDU).

Northwest Airlines planes are no longer flying, so this is definitely already a collectible. And Douglas was a bit sorry that he didn’t buy this toy when he had the chance.

No worries, Jon! Look what we found for sale in the gift shop at the Future of Flight Aviation Center in Everett, WA:

This cute stuffed NWA toy –

And this tiny NWA keychain that not only flashes red lights but emits take-off sounds when you push a button.

(Keychain courtesy Sandy Ward)

Have you found a great souvenir while you were stuck at the airport ? If it’s under $10, “of” the city or region, or just cool and bit offbeat, please take a photo and send it along. Your souvenir may end up featured on a future edition of Souvenir Sunday.

Souvenir Sunday: horseshoes and cigars from Lexington’s Blue Grass Airport

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Each Sunday at StuckatTheAirport.com is Souvenir Sunday – the day we look at some of the fun, inexpensive items for sale in airport gift shops.

This week’s souvenirs come to us from the Blue Grass Airport (LEX) in Lexington, Kentucky.

The Aviation Museum of Kentucky is on airport property and last weekend (June 13, 2010) 15,000 area citizens showed up at the airport to walk, run, bike, skate and play on the new general aviation runway as part of the city’s 2nd Sunday initiative, which encourages people to be active.

That sounds like fun but, but this is Souvenir Sunday. So we sent the airport’s Amy Caudill into the airport shops in search of items that cost around $10, are ‘of’ the city or region and are, ideally, a bit offbeat.

She came up with some winners, including this cute stuffed horse –

And these handmade Maker’s Mark cigars, which have filler seasoned with Maker’s Mark Bourbon.  Each cigar is sealed in a glass tube and hand dipped in sealing wax, just like all those bottles of Kentucky-made Maker’s Mark bourbon.

A box of four bourbon ball chocolates sells for under $10

And these “Authentic racing horseshoes with track dirt from Churchill Downs” sell for under $6.

Did you find a great souvenir last time you were stuck at the airport? If it’s priced around $10, is ‘of’ the city of region and is somewhat offbeat, please snap a photo and send it along. Your souvenir may be featured on a future edition of Souvenir Sunday.

Souvenir Sunday from Indianapolis Int’l Airport – again

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Each Sunday at StuckatTheAirport.com is Souvenir Sunday – the day we look at some of the fun, inexpensive gifts you can pick up at airport shops.

This week, it’s (more) stuff from Indianapolis International Airport (IND).

While these popcorn-ready ears of corn make sense to me,

I’m still not sure what to make of all the cow-tipping memorabilia.

And while I don’t quite get why anyone would wear an ear of corn as a hat – I must choose these foam ears of corn as my pick for Souvenir Sunday.

I just wish that I’d been able to find someone willing to model one in the store before the clerk on duty forbid me from taking more pictures.

Did you find a great souvenir last time you were stuck at the airport? If it’s around $10, “of” the city or region and, ideally, a bit offbeat, please take a photo and send it along. It may end up featured on a future edition of Souvenir Sunday.

Souvenir Sunday: Pineapple presents from Honolulu Int’l Airport

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Sunday here at StuckatTheAirport.com is Souvenir Sunday – the day we take a look at some of the inexpensive and sometimes wacky souvenirs many of us end up buying when we’re stuck at the airport.

This week’s souvenirs come to us courtesy of Pam Mandel, a lucky Seattle gal who just returned from an adventure in Hawaii. (Am I jealous? No way. I love cold, rainy June days in Seattle. Really…)

(Photo courtesy Pam Mandel)

You can read about Pam’s journey – and see some truly lovely photos – on Pam’s Nerd’s Eye View blog, but I caught up with her – via Twitter – when she was hanging around Honolulu International Airport.

It’s always hard to end a vacation. Especially one in Hawaii. But the Honolulu airport softens the transition with plenty of open spaces, art and history exhibits celebrating Hawaiian culture, and a trio of tranquil cultural gardens – Japanese, Chinese and Hawaiian – that can almost make you forget that you’re at an airport.

(Photo by Harriet Baskas)

But this is Souvenir Sunday – which is all about shopping.  I asked Pam to look around the airport shops for something under $10, “of” Hawaii and, ideally, sort of offbeat.

This pineapple slicer caught her eye – but at $13, it was a bit outside our Souvenir Sunday budget.

(Photo by Pam Mandel)

Plus – hello, TSA – wouldn’t a pineapple slicer need to have something built in – like a blade- that can actually slice a pineapple?

So instead we’re settling on these cute pineapple magnets.  Cute as a button, under $10, and a great choice for this week’s Souvenir Sunday.

Thanks Pam, for sending along these photos!

(Photo by Pam Mandel)

Have you found a great souvenir while you were stuck at the airport? If it’s $10 or under, “of” the city or region and, ideally a bit offbeat, please snap a photo and send it along. It may end up featured on a future edition of Souvenir Sunday.