Nan Lyons,
Best-Selling Author


Just a few words on myself and somewhat "checkered" background. I started out as a voice major, in school, and to pay my bills became a religious singer in the city going from church to church and occasionally a synagogue added professional support to their choirs. I met my huband and future writing partner when he interviewed me for an article in "Show Business". Since they paid me by the inch we spent an awful lot of time together. After we were married we decided in lieu of a summer vacation to write a book. That book turned out to be "Some is Killing the Great Chefs of Europe" and to our amazement, people seemed to really like it. The book was translated into eight languages and was made into a film that had a great success.

Since that went so well we wrote 4 more novels and countless travel articles and travel guides before Ivan died.

My latest book, is "Around the World in 80 Meals" and follows the route that Jules Verne had Phileas Fogg take as he went from country to country, in 80 Days. My own journey also includes some "delicious" detours that Fogg had to skip because of his schedule.

Not only does the book cover 80 restaurants, all over the world but travel information and some memories of "travel past" from me. It was nothing but fun to write.

Susan Foster,
Travel Author

Packing and living out of a suitcase is more than a once-in-awhile thing for Susan Foster. It has been a learn-as-you-go experience for her during the past 30 years! "I shudder now to think of the days when I traveled with two enormous fifty-pound suitcases," she reminisces. "Today I manage just fine with a 22-inch roll-aboard case," she proudly states. "If I want to bring items I can't carry on (like beauty potions and lotions!), I will check my bag but still limit it to the 22-inch case."

Foster guesstimates that over the past 30 years, she has packed and unpacked more than 5,500 times — and counting! From sports-filled weekends to combination business/pleasure trips across the country and around the world, from cruises to driving jaunts, Foster has learned to pack efficiently. She's been from New York (for business) to Los Angeles (to play), from Idaho (to ski) to Arizona (to visit her 91-year old mother), from Vietnam to France, and many places in between. Foster admits she learned the hard way the do's and don'ts of packing smart, whether for short business trips, long vacations, or a combination. But now believes she has it down to a science.

As a consummate outsider/insider of the travel industry, Foster has become an authoritative media source regarding the ever-changing airline and TSA rules and guidelines as well as packing in general for almost any occasion. In November 2007, Foster hosted the "Dodge VANtastic Holiday Voyage" challenges in Charlotte, NC and Minneapolis, MN offering simple tips for families, showing them how to pack more efficiently so vehicle travel can be more enjoyable for everyone. She is also a past spokesperson for Johnson & Johnson, and a popular professional speaker.

In 2000, she assembled her tips into a fact-filled, well-illustrated book, Smart Packing for Today's Traveler. A revised and expanded edition was released in early 2004, and the newly updated Third Edition was released in April 2008. For the past few years, her website, SmartPacking.com, has offered additional aid to travelers and media researchers with information about the travel industry's latest rules and policy changes.

Foster loves sharing her packing ideas/advice in presentations and through the media. Foster has been regularly quoted by Associated Press's travel editor, in the Los Angeles Times, the New York Times, The Washington Post, National Geographic Traveler, Real Simple Travel, and in many other newspapers and magazines; her articles have appeared in numerous magazines, and can be found in many places online; she has also been interviewed on many radio show (including several where she is a fairly regular guest), and on TV shows.

Foster and her husband plan their travels from their home in Portland, Oregon.

Susan's Luggage Laws

1. When you most need help with luggage, these is none.

2. If you can't lift and maneuver your gear by yourself after you've packed it all, edit the contents down to to the amount you can manage alone.

3. Two smaller bags are usually easier to manage than one big one.

Nine Ways to Pack Less

1. Pack versatile pieces

2. Plan everything around a basic color.

3. Plan to wear each item several times during the trip -- and no whining!

4. Pack fewer pieces if you will have access to a laundry facility.

5. Double up with clothing.

6. Take more tops than bottoms.

7. Choose thin items over bulky ones. You can layer.

8. Select simple, narrow and shorter pieces.

9. Take no more than three pairs of shoes. (Yes, that's right. Choose your most comfortableshoes first, and plan your wardrobe around them.