With back to school preparations afoot, I hope you’ve all had a great summer so far. I just got back from a two-week vacation to Scotland and earlier in the summer ventured to Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Park, Calif. Along the way, our 3-year-old regularly asked to use our point-and-shoot camera to take photos ranging from plants to trees to the family. We had lots of fun reviewing the photos with her—some were quite good. I plan to make a summer photo book with her using our collective trip photos.

The TravelMuse Cool Kids Trip contest ends Sunday (Aug. 16), so this is a final call for any photos you’d like to submit that were taken by kids, age 16 and under. We’ve had many great submissions already and are looking forward to picking winners, who will receive gift vouchers from $50 to $100 from Shutterfly. The contest also supports the Boys and Girls Clubs of America program Day for Kids.

For contest details, please check our Photo Blog.

I love the images we showcase on our site, and we’ve been fortunate to feature photographers who share their photos on Flickr, under the Creative Commons License. So we’re really excited to announce a new monthly TravelMuse Photo Contest, sponsored by Eye-Fi.

For each of the next six months, we’ll run a different theme, and all you have to do is upload your photos to our TravelMuse Contest group in Flickr. We’ll award one Eye-Fi Explore card each month (value $130 each) to the winner and feature your photos on TravelMuse, where appropriate.

Get started now! Check out the full details. The first theme is “Essence of Place.”

I recently won an Eye-Fi Explore card (in the recent Passports With Purpose raffle, donated by WeJustGotBack)—which was a bit ironic as we were already in discussions for this contest. Anyway, it was a great opportunity to test the product out for myself! The Eye-Fi Explore allows you to wirelessly upload photos to your online photo album, and it automatically geo-tags your photos! I found the card very easy to install on my PC and in my digital SLR (Canon Rebel Xsi). I had to take one extra step to format the card, but that was quick and just involved hitting the format setting in the menu of my camera. I also poked around the Eye-Fi Manager, which you download to your PC or Mac. There is a great FAQ and a forum section. This is a very cool and fun product!

Good luck with the contest, and I hope you have as much fun with this new product as I’m having!!

In October, I traveled to Bucerias (a 30-minute drive north of Puerto Vallarta), Mexico, with my husband, daughter and husband’s parents. I’m a big fan of multigenerational travel as our extended family lives in Scotland, so we only see them once or twice a year. When they do come to visit, we find ourselves trying to return home from work at a decent hour, planning what to cook for dinner and thinking about weekend activities. Taking a trip together allows us all to relax, spend time catching up and hanging out, and enjoying the benefits of built-in babysitting!

Bucerias is a charming, low-key fishing town set on eight miles of gorgeous sandy beaches, which are frequented by locals on the weekend. The charming town center provides a great flea market, local art galleries, great restaurants and friendly locals. Bucerias has seen a lot of property development, with resorts and vacation homes still under construction—go now while it still holds its charm!

Casa Bella Vista, the house we rented, was gorgeous—we really wanted to pick it up and take it home with us! It was an airy three-bedroom house with a swimming pool, offering great views over the town and out to the Bay of Banderas, and situated only two blocks from the beach. The maid came a couple of times while we were there, and although there was an option to hire a chef, we decided to stock up at the nearby Mega (supermarket) or local mini mart and also try the local restaurants.

Our 2-year-old loved the swimming pool, but we did manage to extract her and the rest of the family for a few day trips. Hopping on the local AMT bus, we ventured into Puerto Vallarta and explored the old town and the Malecón boardwalk, noted for its metal statues and sand sculptures.

We also organized a couple of day trips through Vallarta Adventures. We took a family trip to Yelapa, a little village of less than a thousand people, which can only be reached by boat. The trip included a hike to the Cola de Caballo waterfall, time to relax on the sandy beaches, then snorkeling at Majahuitas cove on the way home. The next day, my husband and I left our wee one with her grandparents and embarked on an outdoor adventure in the heart of the Sierra Madre Mountains—move over James Bond! This was a thrill ride from start to finish—a speedboat trip to a secluded beach, followed by an off-road truck expedition, then a mule ride, followed by a series of zip lines through the jungle canopy, rappelling down waterfalls and plunging into pools. It was so much fun and I was most impressed with the professionalism and safety protocol of the guides.

In the evenings, we explored the restaurants of Bucerias, which were excellent. Close to our house were several expat-run restaurants including Mark's Bar and Grill (Asian/Mediterranean), Sandrinas (Greek/Mexican), Espressions (British!), and Rissos (Italian). We also enjoyed Famar (Mexican with fantastic margaritas) and authentic restaurants on the beach near the town square.

We would definitely return to Bucerias. In fact, on our last day I discovered an art gallery where you could sign up for a mosaic workshop and learn to break tile, which I’d love to do with my daughter.

If you consider a trip to Bucerias, here are some points worth noting:

1. October is the rainy season—it rained a few times in the evening, and it was quite humid.

2. People will try to sell you timeshares as soon as you get off the plane. Don’t be fooled by the promise of free trips.

3. Take bug spray—you’re next to the rainforest!

Sometimes I have to think long and hard about what attire I should sport when I travel by plane. Usually, I just roll out of bed and put on the first thing that’s clean so I don’t miss my flight, but sometimes I take the time to plan my traveling outfit. Unless I need to dress nice specifically for an occasion I plan to attend after deplaning, I tend to be pretty casual when traveling via aircraft.  However, after reading an article about Southwest’s past of kicking passengers off due to “inappropriate dress” it seems that dress can now also dictate not just your comfort level, but your travel plans as well. As an avid Southwest flyer, I want to share my hassle-free travel style secrets that have yet to get me asked to leave from any flight.

My first and perhaps most important style necessity are my sandals. I can always be found in a pair of Reef sandals whenever I travel. First, they make the security line ordeal a lot easier; they just slip right off. Sometimes they won’t even make you take off your sandals if they are discreet enough. (Shhh! That will be our little secret). Secondly, they are the most comfortable footwear I own. You will not catch me dead flying in heels, even if I were in first-class. I know that some of you may be cringing thinking about walking on that security line floor, but I’m not a big germaphobe, and I figure as long as I don’t use my feet to eat, I’m ok. How do my poor tootsies deal with the cold, you may be asking yourself? Well, I always carry a pair of socks or travel slippers in my carry-on for just such an occasion. In October, I was lucky enough to enjoy a first-class trans-Atlantic trip (yes, wearing my sandals). On top of one of those great little travel bags with the lotion, shampoo and other travel necessities, I was also given a pair of travel slippers on each flight. Now, a pair is always stuffed into my carry-on bag.

I am not what anyone would call a graceful or coordinated person, by any means. So with the added stress of a crowded airport or waiting area or turbulence, I become what my dear friends refer to as “Spilly McSpillerson.” Many a-time I have been in the middle of a seven hour plus traveling day when—BOOM—turbulence puts some of the cranberry juice that I had been drinking onto my white tank top. I can’t count the times I’ve seen hurried passengers accidently bump into each other, spilling their $4 coffee all over the floor. Instead of bringing a stain pen, I have opted to go for blacks, or generally dark colors, whenever I fly. Darks will at least mask any spills that may occur in the course of your travels. Accidents can happen anywhere and at anytime. What could be worse than having to spend your two-hour layover and three-hour flight, which is a third of your day, with a stain on your light-colored clothes?  Consider bringing a sweater or pull-over in case of a spill. It can also double as an extra layer when the passenger next to you cranks up the air. On top of that, you can never be too sure that your checked bag with your entire trip’s wardrobe will actually show up at baggage claim. Imagine spending your first day in said stained clothes. No thanks!

Ultimately, my chief concern (as with most other people I imagine) is my comfort whenever I travel. That is why I like to wear loose and breathable fabrics. Cotton T-shirts and comfortable jeans are my preferred outfit. If something is too tight, or if it’s not very breathable like nylon, the next few hours of your life in the coach seat is going to be a squirm-fest. Not to mention that airplanes are the most notoriously temperature-manic places your could ever be stuck in. So if you want to look cool and actually feel cool while taking your next aero journey, consider what makes you comfortable, what type of climate changes you may be facing and the hidden dangers that lurk around every corner.

May 21-28 we spent a week at the Melia Cabo Real in beautiful Cabo San Lucas, at the tip of Baja California Sur. The resort had everything we could ask for: excellent food, beautiful rooms, great service, stunning pool, and plenty of cold jugo de piña (pineapple juice) for the kids and draft Corona for the grown ups. If you have kids and are looking for the perfect family vacation spot, this is it. There’s a kids club open from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., and 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., that also has an evening activity planned each night.

We left the resort only a few times, and would have been fine not leaving at all, but wanted to explore the destination a little. We booked the dolphin encounter, which was a big hit with the parents but not super popular with our sons, Owen and Wyatt. It was a windy day, and the dolphin tank was quite cold. I think the boys are smiling like this because they’re glad it’s over.

One morning we took a glass-bottom boat from the harbor out to El Arco (the arch) and Lover’s Beach. This iconic stretch of sand sits is at the very tip of Baja and straddles the Pacific and the Sea of Cortez. It’s kind of an adventure to get to since there’s no dock—you literally jump off the boat at the surf break and run up on to the beach.

On another evening, we had dinner at The Office on the Beach[The Office on the Beach|http://www.theofficeonthebeach.com/]. The restaurant was great and the view of the bay and the arch amazing, but that stretch of Cabo is like stepping onto the set of MTV Spring Break, which made me appreciate even more where we were staying.

Our last excursion was a quick snorkeling trip in Chileno Bay—tons of fish and great water clarity. As good as anything we’ve seen in the Caribbean or Hawaii.

We were all a little misty-eyed to leave the Melia but we will be back!

I’m never happier than when I’m on the road exploring a new destination: learning its history, savoring local cuisine, meeting new friends. There’s something about travel that takes me out of my self yet simultaneously brings me closer to who I am. I travel as often as possible and can’t imagine ever getting tired of it. In short, travel is my passion.

It’s also a passion for all of us at TravelMuse. As an outlet to share our enthusiasm and experiences, along with news and events that don’t quite fit into the usual editorial coverage on our main Web site, we’ve created TravelMusings. You’ll be hearing from the editorial team at TravelMuse, as well as some of our other behind-the-scenes staffers and guest bloggers. We also want it to be a forum for discussions about travel—be it the joy of unexpected discoveries, the frustration of new regulations and fees, recommendations for easing the challenges of family travel or simply something new and cool that caught our eye, or yours.

Now, I understand that this is going to come off as self-promotional, and I apologize for that in advance, however one of the cool new things on the market that I’ve discovered happens to be the TravelMuse Inspiration Finder. Even if I didn’t work for the company, I’d be writing about it. Here’s why:

Back in the 1990s, when the Internet was still a nascent consumer tool, I looked forward to weekly newsletter blasts from airlines and start-up travel companies offering incredible weekend deals—I booked a trip to Charleston, S.C., for less than $100, including hotel, with three-days notice; could decide the day before to fly home and surprise friends and family, for $150; and made plans to visit London for $300 round-trip, the week before departure. It was all about price.

Today, while price still matters, it’s not the most important factor when deciding where I’m going to go next. Exploring new destinations is key for me, as is the type of experience I’ll have. Do I want an outdoor adventure, where I push myself physically with a mountain trek, a kayaking journey or a challenging yoga retreat? A culinary focus, with cooking classes, wine-tastings and trips to local markets? Or do I want an urban adventure, where boutique hotels, museums, nightclubs, top restaurants and shopping rule?

TravelMuse’s new Inspiration Finder helps travelers like me—and, we hope, you—more readily find those places that match your interests. Plug in what matters most to you for your next trip—be it theme, activity, cost, distance—and get back a list of options that match your preferences in a matter of seconds. Some results may be obvious; others could be a pleasant surprise. While the tool is not yet all encompassing, it’s a great start to a new way to think about travel inspiration.

And isn’t that what travel is all about?