Shereen Travels Cheap

Traveling to Celebrate AAPI Heritage Month

2026-05-16T06:00:00.000-07:00

May is AAPI Heritage Month, where we try to learn more about those people who helped build the country that we live in. Knowing who correctly contributed to music and architecture and food is so important to understanding our country as a whole. I have finally made it to another Japantown and will be making another visit on my next trip to LA, because I feel like there's so much I didn't see in the short amount of time I was there. I'm interested in taking my time to see more artwork and read more plaques and maybe also staying long enough to have a great lunch.

Eric and I in Little Tokyo in Los Angeles

I frequent a handful of AAPI-owned businesses just in the town where I live, but I try to find others in greater Portland and also when I travel, because when minority-owned businesses are uplifted and thrive, the whole community benefits.

Here are some places to visit on your travels to celebrate and support the AAPI people there:

Chinatown in Vancouver, BC

Chinatowns

Most large cities have a Chinatown, but there are some that aren't that well known that are steeped in history and have amazing food that should be on your radar:

Las Vegas - Believe it or not, amongst all the other crazy things in Vegas, you can visit a completely separate Chinatown that's not on the Strip. It has over 150 restaurants and is home to 6 supermarkets. This has been on my list for over a year, and I hope to spend some time here on my summer trip.
Oakland - Often overshadowed by San Francisco's Chinatown, Oakland can be a bit more chill. It's mostly a neighborhood rather than a tourist destination, but there are 45 restaurants and 9 tea shops, the Oakland Asian Cultural Center, Madison Park, where you can see people doing Tai Chi in the mornings, and Oakland Fortune Factory, where you can customize your own fortune cookies.
Honolulu - Hawaiian/South Pacific culture is different than Chinese culture, and Honolulu's Chinatown is it's oldest and most artistic neighborhood, with an eclectic mix of Asian vendors, from lei makers, dim sum restaurants, the Japanese Izumo Taishakyo Mission Shrine, and Chinese Kuan Yin Temple.
Houston - Although it seems like an unlikely place to find authentic Chinese culture, Houston has a younger, thriving Asiatown, as it brings diversity, instead of just Chinese merchants. You'll also find Malaysian, Vietnamese, Korean, and more within the 6 square miles, including the Hong Kong City Mall and Teo Chew Temple. You can also take a bus tour of this sprawling neighborhood through Asiatown Houston Bus Tour.

Japantown in San Francisco

Japantown

At one point there were many Japantowns, like Chinatown neighborhoods, but they got pushed out of towns, so now there are only three: San Francisco, San Jose, and Los Angeles. There is also a Japantown in Vancouver, BC. I've had a goal to visit more than just San Francisco, and we made it to Little Tokyo on our recent trip to LA.

We bought some cute gifts, had an amazing breakfast burrito and Japanese pastries at a very popular coffee shop, had fun perusing the machines in the goshapon "stores", and then had to hit up Dave's Hot Chicken for a drink in order to use a bathroom, because there are no public restrooms there for some reason.

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Portland used to have a Japanesetown, but it has been pushed out, so now we just have the Japanese American Historical Plaza with a few statues/art pieces and these wonderful cherry blossoms that were gifted to us by Japan. It is right next to Old Town Chinatown though, which has some great restaurants and the Chinese Gardens. Further away, Portland also has a Japanese Garden, which is pretty sprawling. They have cherry blossom trees as well. The people of Portland turn out when the trees are in bloom. This year we had some really beautiful sunny days and the crowds were massive.

Toronto appears to have a later cherry blossom season, and I'd love to make it there to see them...and also explore the rest of the city.

Statue in Las Vegas's Chinatown

Museums

I love a good museum and when I can learn about a new culture or heritage (or even my own), even better. There are some great ones that can educate you on the history of Asians in America. Here are just a few:

Wing Luke Museum in Seattle - Located in Seattle's Chinatown, this museum is named after a city council member who was the first Asian American to hold a public position in the Pacific Northwest. Inside you can view paintings, photos, other artwork, and textiles. The museum also offers programming and city tours.
Angel Island Immigration Museum on Angel Island, California - Thought of as the West Coast's Ellis Island, an estimated one million immigrants came through Angel Island, though Asian immigrants were discriminated against, so not nearly as many were allowed in as wanted to come. Now, Angel Island is a state park that is home to a recreated detention center that will show you what life was like for those Asians who were forced into these types of centers due to the Chinese Exclusion Act.
Hmong Cultural Center Museum in St. Paul, Minnesota - You might not think of a large Asian population calling the midwest home, but make sure to visit this museum that tells of the Hmong people from Laos who sought refuge in the US after the Vietnam War. Even know, there are around 90,000 Hmong people living in Minnesota, as they were given help through the University of Minnesota Agricultural Extension Service to set up farms in the Great Lakes area.
Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles is currently closed, but I'd love to check it out next time I'm in town. It covers over 130 years of history and is a Smithsonian-affiliated museum. It collaborates with the Academy Film Archive to care for and provide access to home movies that document the Japanese-American experience.

Me in Little Tokyo (please ignore my Malfoy shirt, as we were on
our way to Universal Fan Fest Nights)

Can't afford to travel and you're not near any of these things? Well, you can always check out your local Chinatown or Asian cultural center, go eat at a local Asian restaurant, coffee shop, or bakery, or you can throw a destination date night or party at home. Here are a few we've done:

Another great idea is to get ready for a future trip by learning a new language, like Mandarin, Japanese or Korean.

Babbel allows you to buy a lifetime subscription at up to 55% off, but you can also just pay for a monthly membership. We plan to travel to a lot of international destinations and I jumped on a really good lifetime sub sale in 2021 as a Christmas present to us.
Pimsleur has been around for a long time and I've used it when they were individual CDs, because I'm old, and that's what was around the second time we traveled to France. Now you can have all their offerings in one spot. Choose one language with Premium Monthly or get access to all 51 languages with All Access Monthly/Annual.
Rosetta Stone is another one I used before everything was online. I still have Spanish CDs from them somewhere. The online RS is much better, because it's easier to use. You can choose from one language with three month and twelve month plans or all 25 of their languages with a lifetime plan.

Previously, I recommended Duolingo, as I used it in a pinch, it was fun, and it can be free, but they have announced that they are going to be using almost exclusively AI, which means, you never know if you are getting the correct language education, so I immediately dumped it from my phone.

Over the course of the next few months, I'll be posting facts on Facebook about Asian and Black history in destinations I'll be going to over the next year, because I think knowing more than just white history is important, even outside of the US.

Do you have a favorite Chinatown, Asian Market, or Museum that you would like to add to this list? I'd love for you to share.

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Why I Still Think TSA PreCheck and Global Entry Are Worth Getting

2026-05-09T06:00:00.000-07:00

If you travel 3 or more times a year, then you know you're spending a lot of time in the TSA line. I don't want to waste time I could be looking at art or eating a meal or browsing in shops. Even if I'm just hanging out at my gate and playing a game, it's better than standing in line for no reason.

I know more people than ever have TSA PreCheck, and a lot of people online are complaining that you are waiting just in long in the PreCheck line as you are the regular line, but in all my experience, I've only waited the same amount once, and that was because the airport just wasn't that busy. There were, literally, 3 people in the normal line.

On the other hand, PreCheck has saved me on a few occasions when the lines have been extra long and I was running late for my flight. Instead of waiting 45 mins, I waited 3, and was able to relax knowing that I had time to spare before boarding. In fact, one trip I got to the airport as my flight was boarding and whizzed through TSA, got to my gate in time to gate-check my bag (I'm absolutely not paying if I don't have to) and walk right onto the plane. Phew! That was a bit stressful, but then I sat down and slept my whole flight home. It was also 5am.

Why else do I think PreCheck is worth the money? ($80)

At some point, they are probably make you start taking your shoes off again. I said it. Research shows that skipping that step is actually very bad for security purposes, and while this administration doesn't care about our safety, the next probably will.
I don't have to take everything out of my bag and then repack it in the 4 seconds before the next person and their bag invades my space on the conveyor belt.
While you still need to adhere to the 3.4oz rule, you don't have to have it all corralled in a bag. At least, I never have.I still keep my liquids separate in my toiletry bag, but that's mainly so any spillage doesn't happen on all my dry stuff.
You don't need 3 bins for your things. Instead, you just empty your pockets into your purse or side pocket of your carry-on, push it/them through, and walk through the metal detector.
Instead of getting "randomly searched" at security 3 out of 4 times on my trips, I almost never do.

Honestly, not having to get to the airport 3 hours early is a blessing, even if I find the airport fun.

Literally, no line.

When should you upgrade to Global Entry? ($120)

If you're taking at least two international trips within your 5-year window, it's worth it. Obviously, if you go more, you get more value, but it's $40 more than PreCheck and that's worth it to me to not have to stand in hours-long lines coming back home. If you like standing in customs lines, that's great. I enjoy talking to people, too, but at the end of my trip, I just want to get home, even if I have another flight to get there.

There have been times where people were waiting for 2 hours to talk to a customs agent and we just walked up to the machines, pushed a button, took our receipt, and walked right to the agent to hand it over. Am I worried about facial recognition? Kind of, but at this point, it's too late to do anything about it, and the government knows where I'm going and when I'm coming back. If you're worried about facial recognition, I get it. It means you'll have to wait in longer lines and do some extra steps at TSA.

The other benefit of having Gobal Entry is that you get an ID card, which can work in place of your driver license, and that means I haven't had to go through the hoopla of getting a Real ID yet. I probably will when I need to renew, but for now, I am not paying an extra $30 to get another thing that works the same as 2 others that I already own (Global Entry card & current passport).

Do you have PreCheck or Global Entry, and if so, do you think it's worth it?

3 Things You Should Take On Every Trip That Won't Fit In Your Suitcase

2026-05-06T06:00:00.000-07:00

There are some things that you should take on every trip you take. Some of them won't even fit in your suitcase, even if you check it. But that's okay, because they are easy to carry-on and make a big difference!

Whenever I travel, I make sure I have the right mindset, because if you don't, when things go wrong or are a bit of an inconvenience, you can just start to spiral. Nobody wants to deal with your crash out when they are just trying to do their job, or are mid-crisis too. So, here are the 3 things you need in your travel arsenal:

This rental car was miniscule, but the actual problem was that I could not
get it back in automatic mode, no matter what, so I just learned how to
shift while driving around France.

Patience

Listen, you're going to wait in lines. You're going to be in places that are more crowded then you would like. There are going to be loud, annoying people. We all hate to endure these things. Maybe the restaurant you chose was understaffed and it took your meal extra long to get to your table. That's life. It's not the wait staff's fault. It's also nobody's fault that you are traveling somewhere popular and crowded, or during a particularly busy time. You're on vacation. You don't have to work and you don't have a time schedule. Just breathe and tell yourself it's okay.

Did I freak out when I was unable to make my train to get to my Stonehenge tour? No. I was disappointed, but it wasn't anyone's fault that the trains were all down due to a freak hurricane-like storm that took down trees all over the city. Did I throw a tantrum because on another trip to London, someone got hit by a train and I couldn't make my breakfast reservation? No. I just figured out how to call the restaurant and let them know what was happening and to give my reservation away. Things happen. You being crazy is not going to help.

Our flight was late getting to Chicago (ORD), so we ran all the way to
our connecting gate, only to find out our next flight was delayed.
Sweaty and tired for no reason.

Kindness

The mom in front of you trying to wrangle her kid(s) and the stroller and her bags all on her own is doing her best. The counter staff dealing with angry passengers whose flights were delayed is just doing her job. The waiter who forgot your straw, because he has twice as many tables as usual, is trying to not fall apart. Being kind to people is the least you can do in almost any situation. Everyone's life is hard sometimes. You don't need to add to it.

Besides, you have the privilege to travel and try new things and eat new foods and meet new people. That's amazing. If you frame it that way, and not like things are happening to you and making your life inconvenient, you'll be a lot more cheerful, even when things go wrong. Sometimes, a smile goes a long way and can help someone else get through and release some stress, too.

Missed a flight, so made the best of it by getting some food and
entertaining ourselves by streaming a movie. The GoDesk is perfect
for use as a table at the airport.

Compromise

Again, not everything is going to go perfectly all the time. Will you miss a connection? Maybe. Will something happen that you can't make it to a dinner reservation? Sometimes. It's not what happens, but how you deal with it. When we couldn't make it to Stonehenge, we went to a local park instead and marveled at that beauty. When we were going to miss our breakfast reservation at a restaurant in The Shard, we just stopped a local breakfast place and had a more budget-friendly, but still delicious meal.

When we had our car window smashed and luggage stolen, we just called who we needed to call to report the crime, then had a very calm conversation with the airline staff person to help us get another flight, since we missed the one we were booked on. Did we have to go a different way and get home later? Yes. Was it the end of the world? No. By the time we got home, w were so happy to crawl into our own bed, though. Life happens, even on vacation. You just roll with it and realize that not everything is in your control, but what is in your control, is how you respond to it.

Don't ruin your own trip by being an impatient jerk. You don't have to smile, but you can be kind, give people grace, be grateful you get to travel when so many don't, and enjoy every win you get.

What would you add to this list?

Last-Minute Travel Gifts for Mom

2026-05-02T06:00:00.000-07:00

I know, I know, Mother's Day is next weekend. This has been a hard year for me, because I actually lost my mom in November, so getting the motivation to post a whole list like I usually do has been rough. I still have moms in my life though, and they deserve the world. So, if you're in the same boat, I'm sorry, because it's not easy, especially this time of year.

My mom and I loved to travel, and I'm so glad we got to travel together as much as we did after I got married and my dad died, because we had fun and I think it's important to enjoy your parents while they're with you.

Some of my favorite travel items right now that your mom might love for her special day, that you can still get before next Sunday, are all less than $40, and most under $20:

Good Molecules Yerba Mate Eye Cream

I adore this stuff. It helps depuff and make you feel more awake. I use it both in the morning and in the evening, especially when I travel. It's affordable and feels good, plus it comes in a very travel-friendly size. You have coffee in the morning, so why not treat your eyes to some caffeine as well? Under $6! I'm also a big fan of their hyalauronic acid for extra moisturizing and their niacinimide serum for plumping up your skin and hiding those fine lines. You could treat your mom to a whole skin system that won't break your budget, or heres when she goes to replace them.

Portable Neck Fan

Summer temps are coming and also hot flashes are no joke. Sometimes, you just need a fan to keep cool (or to waft smells away from you in enclosed spaces, because nobody wants to sit next to someone who bathed in perfume or cologne, Brad!). This little powerhouse fan is rechargable and can be used in several different ways. I love that you can clip it to your waist and have it blow air into your shirt. It comes in a bunch of fun colors and is less than $15!

Tiny, but Mighty Power Bank

I just bought one of these for myself, because I am headed to both Universal Fan Fest Nights and the Travel Goods Show where I don't want to waste bag space with my usual larger power bank and extra cords. This one has an attached cord and while it has half the battery as my larger one, it's great for a day out, even when taking a ton of pictures and putting together reels for Instagram. It's also almost 30% off right now. It comes is colors other than black, can fit in a pocket, and keeps your mom connected.

Travel Jewelry Case

Your mom is probably a stylish lady who likes to look good on vacation, so get her a portable jewelry box to take some of her favorite pieces with her, so she can upgrade her look for nights out. I love this one, because it's rigid and still has lots of room for whatever she wants to take, but still small enough to hide in her carry-on. Plus, if you were thinking of getting her a new piece of jewelry, this is the perfect way to gift it to her. These also come in a bunch of different colors, in case your mom isn't a pink girlie, and most of them are under $10, but look like they cost more.

The Littlest Travel Adapter

Anker makes amazing products, and if your mom likes to cruise or travel internationally, she absolutely needs a travel adapter, but not one of those big bulky ones that take up a bunch of room in her carry-on. This small wall adapter works in 200 countries and is super easy to use. Plus, it's only about $26. A steal, if you ask me. It has a 2-prong outlet, 2 USB-C outlets, and 2 USB outlets. Perfect for charging everything she takes with her. Of course, if she needs a 3-prong outlet, because she brings things like her laptop, this one works in 150 countries, runs a bit less, has a USB outlet and 2 USB-C outlets. (Also, if your mom is a cruiser and needs a little help with her planning, you can download and print or email her my cruise planning guide.

Water Socks

In the last few years, my mom had issue with slippery surfaces, including the shower. She was taking baths in order to not fall down, so I bought her some of these water socks and she said they were the best thing she had, because they were so grippy and she wasn't worried about falling in the bathroom anymore. If your mom also has this problem or spends a lot of time at the beach, pool, or gym, these are a must for gripping surfaces and protecting the bottom of her feet from sharp rocks/shells and burning sand/cement. All styles are less than $15, so you can get her more than one pair, so when one pair is in the wash, she has another pair.

Cube, Wide-Mouth MakeUp Bag

We love a cute and convenient toiletry kit. I have quite a few and most of them are hanging ones, but the best feeling is when you can plot your bag down on the bathroom counter, unzip it, and see everything at once. I know a lot of hotels don't have much counterspace, but this bag doesn't take up much, and can easily be zipped up when you're finished for the morning and stashed underneath the sink, in a drawer, or back in your suitcase. Right now, all colors are just $20 and some change.

Portable, Adjustable Lighted MakeUp Mirror

I love my makeup mirror. It's great on trips when someone is in the bathroom, but you still need to get ready, or the lighting is trash (like, WHY is this such a universal problem?) and you want to actually see your face. This great mirror is a great size, but still folds down flat, and even has a magnifying mirror, because us ladies with old-people eyes need to see what we're doing without glasses in the way. It lights up with 3 different color settings, so we can make sure when we go outside, we don't look like a clown. It's also rechargable. No batteries, no cords. This is the most expensive item on this list, at $36. That's not even on sale! Comes in pink and purple.

I hope you and your mom (or the moms in your life) have the best Mother's Day. Moms are amazing and work so hard, they deserve some time away to relax and enjoy someone waiting on them for a change.

What are some of your favorite travel gifts you've gotten or given?