November 11, 2009

TIPS: Plan Ahead For Rest Stop, Road Closures

Posted by Hilary Solan under Tips | Tags: , , , , , |
Leave a Comment 
Closed rest stop

by _rockinfree

It came as no surprise when the Associated Press reported this week that a growing number of rest areas are closing along some of the country’s busiest roads. As state budgets are getting squeezed at the same time there’s an influx of other roadside stops, from fast food joints to gas stations, the rest area is getting closer to becoming an endangered species. Since you don’t want to get stuck between stops during your holiday travels, this is the perfect time to plan ahead.

  • Visit the websites of the department of transportation for the states you’ll be driving through. The state should have a detailed listing of what rest stops are open. If the information isn’t clear, find an (800) number to call and detail your route to find out the best stopping options. For a list of all state DOTs, click here.
  • If you have an iPod touch or iPhone, consider downloading one of the rest stop apps. There are a few options out there, including a free one, and the data found should be up-to-date. You may want to cross-check this information online. Some popular rest stop apps are Rest Area and Rest Area Finder.
  • Look for the blue hut icons in your 2010 Road Atlas to find rest stops—usually with running water, public bathrooms, telephones, and area information—along your route. Additional information is available at RandMcNally.com.

This is also a good time to make sure the roads you plan on taking will be open. Rand McNally’s road construction page has the latest information and provides alternative routes if necessary.—Hilary Solan

 

November 10, 2009

NEWS: Babymoon Joins Travel Lexicon

Posted by Hilary Solan under News | Tags: , , , |
Leave a Comment 
babymoon

by futurestreet

And in the latest addition to travel lexicon, I present to you, blog reader, babymoon.

Babymoon (bā-bē-mün) n. vacation taken before birth of a child.

Looking to take one of your own? Here are some resources:

 

November 10, 2009

NEWS: Coffeeshop To Open in Colonial Williamsburg

Posted by Hilary Solan under News | Tags: , , , , , , |
Leave a Comment 
Colonial Williamsburg

Street scene at Colonial Williamsburg by humbertomoreno

Taking in all the sights and sounds of Colonial Williamsburg is not for the faint of heart, or the under-caffeinated. On my first visit, I was overwhelmed by just how much there was to see. Two museums, dozens of picturesque historic buildings, manicured lawn after manicured lawn—I got pretty tired early on. Thanks to a $5 million gift from the Mars Foundation, opening next Friday will be the R. Charlton’s Coffeehouse, serving complimentary coffee, hot chocolate, and tea to visitors. Not to miss the educational opportunity, costumed interpreters will explain the 18th-century recipes and their place in colonial society to people as they sip from antique cups and sit on period furnishings.

Want to do Williamsburg better than I did? I suggest following one of the itineraries on the living history museum’s website. Itinerary themes include must-sees for first-time visitors and family fun.—Hilary Solan

 

November 9, 2009

PHOTOS: Picture of the Week—Reflecting Lake at Luray Caverns

Posted by Hilary Solan under Photos | Tags: , , , , |
Leave a Comment 
Reflecting Lake at Luray Caverns

Reflecting Lake at Luray Caverns by cloudsoup

Want to submit a shot from your U.S. or Canada travels for consideration as a Picture of the Week selection? Please put a Creative Commons license on it, and add it to our Flickr pool, drop us a line, or post a link to it in the comments.

 

November 6, 2009

NEWS: Before You Book, Map Out Cell Service on New Site

Posted by Hilary Solan under News, Tips | Tags: , , , |
Leave a Comment 
cash

by laser2k

One of the most exciting things about travel is all the things you haven’t planned for. From an unexpected roadside cafe to a museum exhibit featuring your favorite artist or a shop with the perfect pair of shoes, there’s just so much you can’t know before leaving home. But not all of these things are so pleasant, but, as seasoned travelers will tell you, that’s to be expected. For those compulsive types like me, who want to control as much as possible, there’s a new website to ease at least one of your travel concerns: bad cell phone service. At DeadCellZones.com, users submit data about spots across the country with bad cell service. Before you book that week-long stay at a certain hotel, it could be worth the time to check that you’ll be able to use whatever mobile devices you’re attached to.—Hilary Solan

 

November 5, 2009

TIPS: 5 Steps to Help Keep Your Car Germ-Free During Flu Season

Posted by Hilary Solan under Tips | Tags: , , , , |
Leave a Comment 
tissues

by stevendepolo

Flu season—it’s upon us. And if there’s a sick member of your family, you’ve probably spent a lot of time Lysoling all the doorknobs and handles in your home. But don’t forget about cleaning your car! It’s another place where germs can live and be passed on. Here are some simple tips for keeping your car clean during flu season or before a trip:


  • Think about what you touch when you are in your car. Door handles, keys, stick shift, glove compartment, interior trim. All of those things should be cleaned with a car-interior cleaner.
  • Spray the car-interior cleaner onto a cloth and wipe the length of the dashboard gently.
  • Using standard window cleaner, wipe down all windows and mirrors inside and out with a dry cloth.
  • Throw away any garbage, and consider putting a plastic bag in your car for tissues and other waste.
  • Keep a hand sanitizer in each row of your vehicle. Be sure to use it after pumping gas.

—Hilary Solan

 

November 4, 2009

NEWS: Short Cuts—Free NPS Admission For Vets, Olympic Tickets, Lollapalooza Voting, and More

Posted by Hilary Solan under News | Tags: , , , , , , , , , |
Leave a Comment 
Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon by joelh085

A quick roundup of travel-related items:

  • In appreciation of their service and dedication, all veterans and current members of the U.S. military, along with their families, will be admitted to the Grand Canyon and all other national parks free of charge on Veterans Day. To learn more about the battlefields, military parks, and other sites that will be open, visit this NPS website.

  • The final batch of 2010 Winter Games tickets goes on sale Saturday morning for the events around the Vancouver area. Overall, more than 1.5 million tickets will be sold to the Games.

  • Each summer, I’m wowed by just how many people come to Chicago for Lollapalooza. For next summer’s event, organizers are trying something a little different. They’re asking attendees to tell them who they’d most like to see. Voting ends the 10th.

  • Confident that its hometown team will take the World Series, the Philadelphia Zoo is promising free admission, set for the day after the victory. Visitors are asked to bring an item that can be donated to nearby animal shelters.

  • This collection of stills has been edited together to show one man’s journey from Denver to Singapore, complete with stops in Chicago, L.A., and Tokyo. It’s fascinating watching such a long journey be condensed to less than 5 minutes.

 — Hilary Solan

 

November 3, 2009

TIPS: Coupon Code Sites Help Bring Down Travel Costs

Posted by Hilary Solan under Tips | Tags: , , , |
1 Comment 
cash

by laser2k

If you’re planning a holiday trip, you may want to see what deals you can find through coupon sites. Rental car companies, hotels, and attractions have been posting coupon codes to boost their end-of-year sales. Here are some of the sites that have the most travel deals:

If you know of any other good sites, tell us about them!—Hilary Solan

 

November 2, 2009

PHOTOS: Picture of the Week—Steep Grades, Sharp Curves on Utah’s State Route 12

Posted by Hilary Solan under Photos | Tags: , , , |
1 Comment 
Steep Grades, Sharp Curves

Steep Grades, Sharp Curves on Utah’s State Route 12 by Wolfgang Staudt

Want to submit a shot from your U.S. or Canada travels for consideration as a Picture of the Week selection? Please put a Creative Commons license on it, and add it to our Flickr pool, drop us a line, or post a link to it in the comments.

 

October 30, 2009

TRAVELOGUE: Port Gibson, Mississippi: Spared During the Civil War, but Threatened Again

Posted by brettgover under Travelogues | Tags: , , , , |
Leave a Comment 
First Presbyterian Church in Port Gibson, Mississippi

First Presbyterian Church in Port Gibson, Mississippi by Brett Gover

When I was a teenager, my family passed through Port Gibson once on a spring vacation. I remember my mother reading from a guidebook as we drove through the town. We learned that it had escaped destruction during the Battle of Port Gibson in the Civil War because General Grant declared it “too beautiful to burn.”

Ever since that day, I’ve carried around a hazy mental picture of the town: well-kept old brick homes along a quiet, shady street, the late-afternoon sun throwing long shadows and casting a warm glow over the whole scene.

Today, en route from Natchez to Vicksburg, I stopped in Port Gibson. I drove along Church Street, which is also US 61 and almost certainly the street on which my family passed through the town all those years ago. I looked for the place where I had snapped my mental picture, but I couldn’t find it.

But there were other things to see. Thanks to Grant’s clemency, Port Gibson has dozens of pre-Civil War homes and churches, and many of them are located along Church Street. I parked my car and walked a few blocks, pausing to look at the First Presbyterian Church (circa 1859), the Methodist Church (1860), St. Joseph’s Catholic Church (1850-51), and Oak Square (1850), the town’s largest antebellum mansion.

It seemed unfortunate that all of these lovely historic buildings should be located along a busy four-lane street.

And then I noticed that in almost every yard there was a "Save Church Street" sign. "Save it from what?," I asked a woman walking a dog. Her answer shocked me. She explained that the Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT) had announced plans to make Church Street even wider and more expressway-like. She spoke darkly of powerful local timber interests whose only concern was how quickly their big trucks could race through town. She said that the project threatens the beautiful old oak trees that line the street and give it much of its character.

Could all of this be true? Was there more to the story? I couldn’t stay around to find out. But as I drove out of town I was hoping that the townspeople would win this Second Battle of Port Gibson.—Brett Gover

 

Next Page »