Sanuk Standard Checked Out Sidewalk Surfers - Travel Gear Review

Stylish sandals for surfers and slackers

Should I feel guilty that I’m attracted to Sanuk shoes sandals? Afterall, I’m not a buffed and toned surfer. I’m a travel writer. I believe that comfort trumps fashion in footwear. But there is such a thing as fashionable AND comfortable footwear and I have found it in Sanuk Sidewalk Surfers.

You may want to call these Sidewalk Surfers “shoes,” but don’t. The folks at Sanuk want you to know that “These ARE NOT shoes.” (They’re sandals.)

Sanuk’s colorful canvas palette

The Sidewalk Surfers feature really flexible and lightweight “Vulc-Lite” construction with a canvas sock liner of AEGIS antimicrobial additive to combat odor and foot fungus.

If you prefer your footwear to be vegan and vegetarian, these sidewalk surfers qualify. I like them because they are crazy comfortable. They may be worn with shorts or long pants and the woven checker pattern is cool. The company offers all sorts of colorful patterns to choose from in the women’s line. What else would you expect from this hip Southern California-based company?

Sanuk's Checked Out Sidewalk Surfers are great at the pool or the beach - read the review

Sanuk goes social

You may follow Sanuk on Twitter @SanukFootwear and follow Travel Writer Nancy D. Brown on Twitter, too.

If You Go:

Pack your Sanuk footwear. The Standard Checked Out Sidewalk Surfers pack flat and don’t take up much room. Better yet, wear them on the airplane. They slip on and off easily going through airport security.

Article written by and photos courtesy of  Travel Writer Nancy D. Brown of What a Trip, Travels from Northern California.Sanuk supplied me with these Standard Checked Out Sidewalk Surfers for review. Suggested retail $60.

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Travel Gear Review of Sanuk Flip Flops, Beach and Surf Sandals

Evan and Kendall Brown ready to toast marshmallows in the backyard

The smell of smoke on the beach. The taste of sweet, gooey marshmallow, combined with melted chocolate and the crunch of crisp graham crackers make the s’more the quintessential treat at the beach or on camping trips.

We recreated this summertime classic in our backyard last night. True – we were not at the beach, with pounding waves competing for attention, along with the snap, crackle of the campfire. We were experiencing a family moment that didn’t require any time in the car, pre-planning check list or moans from the teenagers.

Watching the fire - waiting for s'mores

We had cracked open two small Duraflame Campfire Roasting Logs. Set them, criss-cross, in the Weber BBQ and lite a match. Next to the fire stood two teenagers, a dad – who specializes in building roaring campfires where ever he wanders -  and a Labrador Retriever, ever hopeful for dropped crumbs.

Duraflame is about to unveil one of the biggest innovations in the company’s history since the creation of the firelog: duraflame Campfire Roasting Logs.

The company sent us a couple of logs, along with a s’mores kit, to test drive the new product.  I’m happy to report that the logs went out in a blaze of glory. Perhaps that’s because they came with their own happy pack of sugar deliciousness, but the teenagers bonded with their parents for a few precious moments over open flames in the backyard and no one got hurt. What more could a mother ask for?

Roasting marshmallows in the backyard

Duraflame Campfire Tips:

Unlike a traditional wood burning fire, don’t wait for the embers to die down before you start roasting your marshmallows (or you’ll be waiting for about 45 minutes). These Duraflame logs deliver a consistent flame, great for no fuss fires. Sidle up next to the fire pit or bbq and start roasting as soon as the fire ignites.

This firelog was designed specifically for campfire roasting. It is formulated with real wood charcoal and tested for safe cooking so no need to worry about food safety.

Don’t forget your roasting sticks; marshmallows, chocolate bars and graham crackers. Our kids set the bbq rack half way across the grill so they could melt their chocolate and warm their graham crackers by the heat of the fire, while roasting marshmallows at the same time.

What are your favorite campfire memories?

If You Go:

Duraflame

The four-log bundle is available for a suggested retail price of $5.99

Related Post:

Selk’bag Sleeping Bag Review

Duraflame supplied me with these duraflame Campfire Roasting Logs.

Travel Toy Brainstring Advanced is for all ages - a Travel Gear Review

Brainstring Travel Toy

Looking for unplugged entertainment for on-the-go travel? Tuck away the headphones, put down the Kindle or iPad, and engage in old-fashioned travel toys introduced before electronics entered the scene. On a recent road trip to Carmel, I put the Brainstring Advanced in the backseat with our two teenagers.  While the toy is geared for ages 8 and up, my 19 year old likes puzzles, Sudoku and Rubik’s cube, so I thought the Brainstring Advanced might capture her attention. In fact, both the 19 year old and our 16 year old son played with the toy for about a half hour each.

Figuring out this challenging brain teaser will stretch your puzzle-solving skills to the next level and keep travelers entertained while on the road. Touted as the “Rubik’s cube of the next generation,” the Brainstring Advanced makes a good travel toy whether on a bus, flying on a plane, or riding in the car. Personally, I am not a Rubik’s cube kind of gal. If I saw this toy on a coffee table, I’d ask how you play it, and then I would pass it to my game-playing, high IQ achieving daughter.  Neither of our teenagers solved the Brainstring Advanced, so I do wonder how an 8 year old would fair with this toy, but like travel, it’s about the journey, not necessarily the destination, right?

How to Select the Best Travel Toys

For car and airplane travel, I feel the best travel toys are ones that don’t make noise and don’t have small pieces that will fall under car and airplane seats. While my children are no longer in the tween and under age group, my teenage son and his carpool buddies still reach for the old-fashioned Etch A Sketch and Mad Libs when we travel to sports-related tournaments.

What are your favorite travel toys and best kids apps?

If You Go:

Brainstring Advanced

Suggested retail of Brainstring Advanced $16.95

Recent Toys USA supplied me with this product for review.