Another Great Travel Gift: Local Magazines

We've been traveling a bit of late and I always like to bring back small gifts for our kids and our parents, who watch our kids while we're gone. I wrote in this post that I have several criteria for travel gifts. I try to find things that the recipient will enjoy and that are also:

1. Easy to pack
2. Affordable
3. Not likely to become clutter

A beach towel is one of my favorite gifts, especially for kids. Consumable items are also great, like local candies or coffees. Another favorite that meets my requirements and that I often fall back on is a local magazine.

I check newsstands when we travel, looking for local magazines that match the interests or hobbies of those I'm buying for. My mother, for instance, has an interest in home decorating and she buys and subscribes to many decorating magazines. It's not unusual for me to spot home magazines that are local to the city or region that we're visiting, and will therefore be something new for her.

My father plays golf and I can often find regional golf magazines to take back for him. My son loves visiting the lake and boating with my husband and on a recent trip to Savannah, GA I found a southern boating magazine to bring back for him.

Magazines have other benefits too. For someone like my mother, pairing a magazine or two with the candies or coffee I mentioned earlier can make for a fun, pampering-type gift. And local magazines can often be found in airports. So, if I haven't been able to find anything for someone or if I decide to add just a little extra to someone's gift, I can do that while waiting to board the plane.