Father’s Day around the corner, and this one is a bit interesting for me: Laura’s pregnant, and due in about a month. We announced this back in February when we wrote a “Letter to My Unborn Child” sharing what we hope he might gleam from his own travels, 9 countries he’s joined us in, all before he’s ever born.
But days like Father’s Day are always fun, because we’ve all got someone we can recognize and honor. Could be our own dads, a person who served as an unofficial father figure, or a brother, cousin, or dear friend who is a new dad. And so what better way to honor the important dad in your life than with a cool travel related gift. If you haven’t figured something out, fear not, we’ve got 5 unique gifts for the traveling dad we can’t wait to share with you!
1. Starwood Moments
It’s a travel blog, and if many of you are active in the points and miles game, you probably have some Starwood points. Super valuable, and you might be thinking about what hotel you might redeem them at or what hotel you can transfer them to, but I’ve got an even better idea: Look into Starwood Moments. Soccer fan? Why not get dad some of the best seats in the house at the the semi-finals of the COPA America Semi-Final in Santiago. Two category 1 tickets, two night stay, oh, and transpo to and from the stadium as well as pre-game festivity access. I also like the idea of seeing AND meeting John Legend in LA or meeting the Zac Brown Band in Denver. But my absolute favorites have to do with my favorite sports team, The Chicago Cubs. Your kid could be an honorary manager at a Cubs game, or you can just redeem points to check out the Cubs vs. White Sox.
I love these Starwood moments. They’re unique and to me, worth spending the points and this is just a small sample of the many opportunities you have to redeem them for events around the world.
2. MyCharge All Terrain Portable Charger
Everyone knows portable chargers are life savers nowadays. Phone batteries are getting better, but not fast enough. And so why not get dad the best portable charger out there? This one is water proof, dirt proof, temperature proof, (insert word of your choice) proof, and all for $39.99!
3. Wireless noise canceling headphones
Kids make a lot of noise, this I am told. I’ll report back in August but I have every reason to believe it’s true. If you’ve got the money to spend, get pops the best host. Boise wireless noise canceling headphones. They’re not cheap but I’ve played with them before and one thing is for certain: They’re damn good.
4. Carved Cell phone cases
Dad’s aren’t usually known for making positive fashion statements. At least, last I checked the phrase “Dad jeans” has never been meant as a compliment. And so dad needs all the help he can get, and there’s one place the traveling dad can make a simple fashion statement: With his smart phone. Cases are everywhere, and most of them are boring or too childish. Enter Carved, a small company that makes all their wooden cases by hand in Indiana. The cases are beautiful, a good price for the quality of the product.
If he’s already got a great phone case and uses his phone and you need a back up, what about a nifty 4-1 lens for his iPhone 6 or 6 plus? Olloclip sells a cool add-on if he’s photo crazy on vacations!
5. Entertainment while he travels
My last international flight I reached a pathetic dilemma: I ran out of movies to watch on the in flight entertainment. I’ve flown a lot since January 1, about 85,000 miles. So this is certainly a unique problem but the truth was this: I spent so much time on the road as of late, that the entertainment offered had all been swallowed up. And so we’re always advocates of gifts to keep the traveling dad entertained. Maybe it’s just a gift card for Amazon or iTunes. Maybe it’s a book (or two or three), or you could do something really unique. Is dad a huge baseball fan? Why not get him an MLB TV subscription? Don’t have cable? Get dad (and everyone else in the house) a Sling TV subscription. Say goodbye to overpriced cable and get a basic package of cable with live viewing of ESPN, CNN and more that works for only $20! Of course if you’re a savvy miles and points nerd and chase a Chase Ink, go to your nearest Staples, buy a few Spotify gift cards, and get him an ad free subscription to Spotify!
