Ireland from the West Coast is a long trip, but Aer Lingus is making it a mite easier to get your own little Danny Boy to the capital. On October 29, the carrier instituted four roundtrip flights per week between San Francisco and Dublin, with introductory fares starting at $288 one-way. Just in time for the holidays…

[via Travel Weekly]

Here’s some stuff to help you procrastinate your way through the day…

• Just what we needed and long overdue, a TripAdvisor of sorts for the well-heeled set. Enter Extravigator, an online meeting place where members can discuss luxury travel with others who are more likely accustomed to a certain level of service and sophistication than the general populace on TripAdvisor.  Thus far people have chimed in on topics from getting reservations at Babbo to the service at the Mandarin Oriental Miami (uh, not so good, from what we’re reading…)
• Who wants to travel with 1000 bibs? Fashion a bib out of napkins or cloths with kid-o’s kipiis, a cool and simple rubbery gadget that clips onto whatever material you have handy. Very similar to what dentists use, but way cooler – even your pre-Ker will use it. [via Mighty Goods]
• Having children along on your trips should not doom you to experiencing the tourist side of your destination – if anything, it begs for a more authentic trip that the whole family will appreciate. ForbesTraveler.com identifies the world’s Top 10 Tourist Traps, and offers more culturally relevant options.
• If you’re still questing for a fall foliage tour, try any of the spots recommended in the NY Times article, which focuses on lesser-known destinations that offer as much brilliance and fewer crowds.  We can’t vouch for this year’s show in the Northeast what with the unseasonably high temps, so call a business in the area ahead of time to check on the colors.  (As you’ll see in the article, the local chamber of commerce may not be as forthcoming about the trees’ lack of luster…)
• Many exciting places to take your kids have websites that are just as fun – a good way to prep for a visit or keep the excitement going after you’ve left.  This week, pop in to the San Francisco Symphony’s Kids’ Site, which teaches kids about instruments and allows them to compose a tune.

Have some vacay time left this summer? Here are some products/facts/information that you can use before summer wraps up:

• Remember those Reef Stash sandals we told you about a while back? Well, they’ve come up with something more radical: for men, the Reef Dram. If you remember the Stash and know what a dram is, you can take a wild guess at what this sandal does. This is a cool feature at the beach – not so cool, maybe, at airport security. [via Travel Gadgets]
• Over at MSNBC, travel writer Rob Lovitt points you to the best thriller rides around the country as well as the splashiest places (as in wet) to have fun.
• Speaking of gadgets, check out this itch zapper. We’ve always been skeptical about products like these but some fans are swearing this works better than all the lotions in the world. You can find them at Amazon; if it works for you, let us know. [via Trendhunter]
• National Geographic Traveler illuminates the best of San Francisco’s free things to do.  There’s a special section on kid-friendly attractions, but don’t be limited: many of the other spots are just as interesting even to families.
• Although the name alone would make us like The Silly Wagon, this cool online children’s store has, among other things, combo chalkboard/placemats to keep kiddo entertained at restaurants.  Draw on one side, when the food comes, flip it over to eat.  Crayon freaks will also like the rollup crayon holder that flattens into a placemat.