souvenir

Sleepless in Seattle vs. Fifty Shades of Grey

What becomes a classic?

The 1993 move Sleepless in Seattle was a big hit. So big that, even at $31.99, Sleepless in Seattle nightshirts are still a big seller at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.

Sleepless in Seattle

So, twenty years from now, will Fifty Shades of Grey souvenirs still be front and center at airport gift shops? I doubt it – but we’ll see….

50 Shades of Grey

Souvenir Sunday: Flat pennies from Indianapolis Int’l Airport

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: Pineapple presents from Honolulu Int’l Airport

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.