You may have heard me complain about travel writing before - I’m not the biggest fan. I’d rather travel than read about traveling. That said, I ran across Mark Twain’s Hawaii yesterday (it originally appeared in the New York Times), and I think it represents the best sort of travel writing that’s out there. In the story, author Lawrence Downes looks at Twain’s letters and other writing done during a four-month stint on the islands in 1866. He uses these tidbits from Twain’s experiences to chart a new route around Hawaii, one that puts more weight in history than in tropical cocktails and hotel perks. It’s a great story - one any avid traveler should check out - and it represents a great way to look at a familiar destination anew.

Cleveland’s Hopkins International Airport has started rewarding travelers who deign to clean up after themselves with $20 coupons redeemable at airport restaurants and shops. The holiday season promo was reported in USA Today’s Airport Check-In column, but neither the blurb or the airport’s web site mentions any details. For example, is the airport staff handing out coupons to random do-gooders? Or is this a much more publicized promotion? The answers, I know them not. And since I’m just a blogger, I don’t really have to get to the bottom of it. HA.

My suggestion, should you be in Cleveland and not averse to trash? Stop by the Cleveland Hopkins International Airport Information Desk for more… like …information.

On their recent visit to Vietnam, Brad and Angie surprised hotel staff at the Park Hyatt Saigon in Ho Chi Minh City by leaving generous tips and specifically asking for no special treatment.

Incidentally, tipping is not required or even expected at most Vietnamese establishments. In the major cities, many restaurants catering to tourists have, in recent years, started adding a 5 to 10 percent service charge onto bills. But this is certainly not the case everywhere. If you’re concerned about how to tip in Vietnam and other countries around the world, consult a travel guidebook or other trusted resource (Googling the country and the word “tipping” will deliver a ton of useful information) before you travel.

On your next excursion into the friendly skies - especially if it’s a long-haul domestic or international one - you might just see a few more of the elusive in-flight amenities of yore. Instead of crappy peanuts, perhaps a muffin or a fresh apple will appear on your tray table during the beverage service. Maybe you’ll have a personal multimedia screen at your seat. If you’re lucky enough to be in first class, warm towels could refresh your hands and face instead of clammy wipes. Yes, after resurfacing from gloomy doomy financial times so prevalent in recent years, airlines are slowly bringing back amenities to shore up customer loyalty and attract new fans.

Personally, I couldn’t care less about snacks or muffins or pillows. My battle cry: bring on the in-flight entertainment. It should come as no surprise, then, that my favorite new in-flight development has taken place at Delta:

Delta in September started adding on-demand digital television, movies and games at every seatback on select longer U.S. flights where it is competing aggressively for customer loyalty. Those flights include ones from Atlanta and New York to cities such as Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Seattle and San Francisco.

My husband and I were lucky enough to end up on one of these x-country Delta flights two weeks ago, and my football-loving better half declared - multiple times - that he would fly Delta exclusively if he was sure he’d get on-demand TV during flights. It seems like a much better perk for the flight staff as well. I suspect there is a direct correllation between in-flight entertainment and passenger moodiness…

Airlines are Restoring In-Flight Perks

Okay, brace yourselves for one of the biggest celebrity mysteries in recent history. Did Paris Hilton get kicked out of London’s Hilton Park Lane after hosting a late night party that disturbed other hotel guests, or did she, as her reps insist, leave of her own accord the next morning? Press reports conflict. Will we ever know the truth?

Paris Hilton Snubs Own Hotel

One of the best things you can pack on trips during the holiday season is a lightweight, collapsible bag. Have more stuff to carry on your way there? No problem. Just stow the bag in your main checked piece of luggage on your way home. Plan to load up on items while you’re there? On your way home, that extra bag will free you from having to pay overweight luggage fees at the airport. Here are some of my favorites:

Baggallini Bagg in a Pouch - These bags are really lightweight, easy to pack and come in an array of colors. They’re made with ripstop nylon that’s durable enough to withstand rough handling.

Patagonia Lightweight Travel Tote - This bag can be worn as a backpack and has mesh exterior pockets for water bottles, etc. When you’re not using it, it folds up into its own pouch.

Eagle Creek Packable Tote - This multi-compartment bag has two outside zippered pockets, exterior mesh pockets and a roomy interior. Comes with its own stuff sack for easy storage within your main checked bag.

Outdoor Products Packable Duffle - This simple black duffle is perfect for the budget-minded traveler and comes with a shoulder strap for easy carrying. Like the other examples, it folds up into its own pouch when not in use.

L.L. Bean Stowaway Healthy Back Bag - This lightweight, one-strap shoulder bag is designed to distribute weight evenly across your back. It stows in its own pocket and comes in five cool colors.

Moleskin City Notebooks are like guide books crossed with travel journals with a hint of the A to Z series thrown in for good measure. Instead of tons of reviews and write-ups of city locations, there are blank pages for you to record thoughts and observations from your journey. But instead of just blank pages, the leather-bound books feature citywide maps and space to create your own personal archive of places, as well as up to 36 pages of detailed city maps and an alphabetical street index.

But here’s the coolest part: you can place one of the 12 clear sticky pages on top of any map and trace your routes and mark specific locations without permanately defacing pages. The books are available for a host of European cities. San Francisco, Washington DC, Boston and New York editions will be available in the spring.

While we certainly hope all your future hotel stays are lovely and without incident, we know that travelers meet with lodging disappointments all the time. Should you find yourself feeling the same way this TravelPoster did about accommodations on recent visit to Lake Buena Vista, FL, may I make a humble suggestion? Upload some photos. When photos accompany a hotel review, it is much easier for travelers to visualize the hotel the way you experienced it - whether it was the hotel of your dreams or an overnight sojurn in Crappile, USA.

You can upload photos of a hotel directly from the hotel’s dedicated TravelPost.com page or by writing a hotel review.

Instead of kicking off your holiday shopping with a visit to the local mall, you might want to head to the nearest post office instead and start filling out your passport application. On January 23, 2007, the Department of Homeland Security will begin requiring all people enterting the U.S. to show passports - even U.S. citizens and those visiting from Canada, Bermuda and Mexico.

Want more info on how to get your passport? Check out the TravelPost.com Insider’s How to Get a Passport.