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SPARE A SQUARE? Each pocket-size Travelon toiletry packet contains 50 wafer-thin sheets that turn into soap, shampoo, conditioner, shaving foam, or laundry detergent when you add water. These are carry-on items that even the TSA could love. irvs.com, $5. CACHE AND CARRY Reef's sandals have a compartment in each heel so you can store your ID, money, and keys while you're at the pool or the beach. They're what James Bond might wear if he ever took a vacation. reef.com, from $46. PORTABLE AIRPORTS Designer Jason Solarek's Air Wear bags depict the codes, latitudes, and cities for 40 airports, such as CDG (Paris-Charles de Gaulle), TLV (Tel Aviv), and even the airport in Solarek's hometown, ROC (Rochester, N.Y.). airweardesigns.com, $35. NO MORE TEARS Not only can Rand McNally's microfiber maps help you find your way in more than 20 U.S. cities, they also double as napkins and as cloths for cleaning your glasses. The handkerchief-size maps are washable and wrinkle-resistant. randmcnally.com, $6. GREEN SCREEN Sunscreen chemicals are bad for coral reefs. Caribbean Solutions' sunblocks use biodegradable ingredients like zinc oxide, cucumber oil, and wild pansy extract. caribbean-sol.com, from $15. PACKING FOR DUMMIES Even the most obsessive packer will have a hard time finding something missing from this master list. Copies of travel documents? Check. Tuxedo? Check. Razor? Nail file? Birth control? Check.... knockknock.biz, $7. CONTAIN YOURSELF Squish these Guyot Designs bowls to fit them into a suitcase, and they'll spring back into shape. The food-grade silicone withstands temperatures up to 400 degrees. guyotdesigns.com, $15 for a set of two bowls. NO SWEAT Made of a suede-like material, this 2-by-2-foot bandana absorbs nearly a cup of water—ideal for serious summer brow mopping or even toweling off in a pinch. kenakai.com, $18. SMART CARD The Eye-Fi is the first wireless memory card for digital cameras. After you install the software on your computer, the card connects to your home Wi-Fi and auto-uploads your camera's photos to your computer. eye.fi, $100. TUNES IN A TUBE As iPods and MP3 players grow smaller, so do portable speakers. SurroundXi, a speaker system by RAPHA International, is encased in a seven-inch-long aluminum tube that fits easily in a beach bag. surroundxi.com, from $50.

Want an Upgrade? Enter here. The upgradees "We're going to Anchorage to watch the beginning of the Iditarod race. We really want to be a part of all the excitement and to experience (briefly) what winter is like in Alaska." —Carroll Melnyk, El Centro, Calif. Using our powers for the good of the people Carroll and Basil Melnyk have spent nearly their entire lives in warm weather—mostly in the Texas Panhandle and then, after retirement, as full-time RVers who pass the cold-weather months outside San Diego. "I've always wondered what winter was like," says Carroll. So they decided to visit the start of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, in which competitors race teams of sled dogs across more than 1,000 miles of Alaskan wilderness, from Anchorage to Nome. The day before the race, the Iditarod committee enrolled Carroll and Basil in a dog-handling course, where they met former Iditarod musher Shawn Sidelinger and held the reins of his friendly, if overexcited, dogs. "They aren't big, but boy, are they strong!" says Carroll. The Melnyks also received VIP access to the prerace events and ceremonial start in Anchorage. "Even the governor didn't have a better spot than we did!" says Basil. They then chartered a plane to visit three of the race checkpoints, where they got an up close view of the mushers passing through. "It was fun because we had met so many of them," reports Carroll. Many thanks to... The Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, whose organizing committee gave the Melnyks VIP access to the prerace events and the ceremonial start. The annual event is held in March; for more information, see iditarod.com.  

Green Leaf: Imagine a Hanoi café crossed with a tiki lounge and you're close to understanding the appeal of Green Leaf, located in the International District. The hour-long wait is instantly forgotten once you've tasted the bucket-size bowls of pho. Good luck trying to squeeze your way out. (Happily, the restaurant is adding a second floor, doubling the amount of space.) 418 Eighth Ave. S., 206/340-1388, entrées from $7. La Côte Crêperie: The neighborhood of Madison Valley has been generating buzz for its French restaurants, including this authentic crêperie. Packed since it opened in January, La Côte uses dense buckwheat in its savory dishes, while sweet options include a tatin crepe made with carmelized Red Delicious apples. Pretty much any of the crepes pairs nicely with one of the hard ciders. 2811 E. Madison St., 206/323-9800, crepes from $4. Smith: Linda Derschang's new venture (she also owns Linda's Tavern and Viceroy) is a lodge–themed bar with 40 different beers. Tyler Palagi's menu includes alphabet soup and devils on horseback (dates stuffed with blue cheese and wrapped in pancetta). 332 15th Ave. E., 206/709-1900, entrées from $10. Kingfish Café: When sisters Laurie and Leslie Coaston decided to open a soul-food joint, they traveled around the U.S. in search of ideas. The result of their quest is a menu of sublime classics: buttermilk fried chicken, fried green tomatoes, and a sweet-potato pecan pie that's baked by the Coaston sisters' mother, Geraldine. 602 19th Ave. E., 206/320-8757, entrées from $11. Elemental@Gasworks: This quirky spot seats only 17 and takes no reservations. Owner Phred Westfall pairs obscure wines with chef Laurie Riedeman's eclectic dishes, including ribs wrapped in a garlic waffle and a bread pudding made with pear and blue cheese. 3309 Wallingford Ave. N., 206/547-2317, entrées from $18. Meskel: Seattle has one of the largest Ethiopian populations in the U.S., and of the many restaurants in Little Addis Ababa, none are as homey as Meskel. After all, it's in a converted house. The generous main dishes—the gomen be siga (beef ribs and collard greens) and the doro wat (braised chicken) are popular—come with stacks of spongy, filling injera bread. 2605 E. Cherry St., 206/860-1724, entrées from $9.

You now need a ticket for the Forum in Rome (the $14 one for the Colosseum and the Palatine Hill will work). To skip the lines, buy tickets at the Palatine box office (via di S. Gregorio 30). On a brighter note, four rooms at the Emperor Augustus's palace on the Palatine have reopened, with restored frescoes.