I am starting to realize that I need to start keeping track of some of the places I go, people I meet and things I do. I've thought about a scrapbook, but what kind?

What do you folks do in terms of documenting the trip, saving the stubs(?) and perhaps including key receipts (nice eateries) or hotel room keys (the plastic cards)?

If its a special trip that's what I do. If I'm repeating a travel destination, I don't usually prepare a scrapbook the second time because it takes a long time. A scrapbook helps you to remember good trips, places and things that after some years you tend to forget. It is useful if you return to a place. I'm going on a cruise in a week and a half with 2 friends. It is the first cruise for one of them and she wants to buy many shore excursions. I checked my scrapbook of a similar cruise and I told her which ones I would'nt be choosing because I already took them.

In terms of documenting the trip, I save almost everything: ie: museums, shows stubs, just the plastic card keys with the specific hotel name (location) not the hotel chain generic ones, etc.

We have been doing this pretty much every trip since 1999. Its pretty fun and even if we repeat trips (often happens), its nice to remember some of the things we did and some of the places we went. We carry a glue stick and used to carry a pair of scissors and tried to update it every night with ticket stubs and receipts.

We bought a nice leather journal near the pantheon in Nov 2000. The journal is nearly full, all European jaunts.

lala

I wish I had time for this. It would be fun. I do have a little travel journal that I write favorite restaurants in and make notes about places I want to go back to ... someday I will do scrapbooks ... and someday I will plant a deer-proof garden ... and clean out the basement ... and ...

I've been trying to figure out how to artfully display all my boarding pass stubs for my gazillion mileage runs to FLL. I had intended to burn them after the last run to 1K and when it finally came time I just couldn't do it.

I always say I am going to put eveything I have saved into a scrapbook, but I never seen to get around to it.

my abbreviated notes go into my Palm: (synchronising/saving everything at home on my Mac).

Originally posted by lalala:
"We carry a glue stick and used to
carry a pair of scissors and tried to update it every night with ticket stubs and receipts".

Good idea: I'll try to this part during the cruise days at sea and then I'll have less to do at home.

I use to do this for my trips.

I would save it all and when i got home I would buy a large photo album. I usually tried to get the kind with the plastic pockets for the pictures and the part down the side where you could write a brief note. Pictures went in the front and ticket stubs, maps etc went in the back.

Unfortunately I have gotten lazy, I haven't even put the pictures from my last trip into an album yet and that was 5 months ago.

Phoebe

For trips to Bali I buy a Marcia Lippman (photographer) Bali Journal, just a blank with lines spiral-bound journal. Available at amazon.com. I get a nice set of about 6 gel pens. I make notes about all sorts of things, like daily activities, how much each spa charges, restaurants, hotels I go look at, Balinese vocabulary, etc. I collect everything, especially hotel spa and brochures, museum flyers, etc. I put it all in a box when I get home and haul it all out when I need a Bali fix or when I'm planning the next trip. Pulled out a laundry ticket (the price list) from my favorite laundry to check prices last nite, all items run 5 cents to a top of 20 cents for a nitegown. Thanks for the glue stick hint, easy to pack along and will fit in the ziplock bag with the journal and gel pens.

In the most of the trips I made...never recorded nothing...but I was mistaken...You probably SHOULD write everything you visit...so you will enjoy your photos or films more...in a few years!

I also keep a detailed journal - with glued in ticket stubs, business cards, etc. I usually write up a trip report when I get home - with the details of each restaurant, site, etc. My notes have become more detailed over the years - I started keep a trip journal in 1993. I probably spend roughly a hour each morning keeping a journal - since I wake up before my husband I don't have any problem finding time to do my writing. A glue stick, a good quality journal (that can take travel, years of use, etc.), pens, and a ziplock bag are the needed tools. The journal also helps me fill in my photo album with notes for the pictures after my trip.

A magnet from wherever I go the first time (and sometimes the second and 3rd).

Ditto, except into a PC. I use a folding keyboard with the Palm because it's faster than grafitti.

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Middle_Seat

I used to keep a journal everyday, but in the past year or so, I've been lazy. I do have a postcard collection, but that doesn't give the details of the trip. I keep stubs, boarding passes, past itineraries, receipts and various brochures in a drawer.

Perhaps it's time to start scrapbooks for past trips, before all the memories fade. It'll help plan the next trip. Most people at work save their money and go on vacation (say, DisneyWorld or Hawaii), thinking "I'm going to see everything right now, because I probably won't ever return since I've already been there." I always know that I'll return.

Linda

This is so cool. I can't even find old stubs that i threw in drawers and I never even take a camera with me. All I have are my memories. I am going to start at least taking pictures because I want to remembe my youth, or the little youth i have left.