Road Trippin'

2009-10-01T07:18:00.000-07:00

If you're familiar with our site, you know we're fans of the National Parks. So, naturally, we've been glued to the TV while PBS is airing it's new Ken Burns mini-series called "The National Parks: America's Best Idea" A lofty title (personally, I think separation of church and state, and the system of checks and balances were pretty good ideas too), but nonetheless, a great show.

Maybe they'll do a follow-up program on the national monuments and other non-nature sites in the NPS; those could use a PBS marketing blitz too.

2009-08-20T07:29:00.000-07:00

$25 to check a bag? That's only one of the reasons why I fly with only my carry-on and no checked bags. Of course, being able to pack a week's worth of clothes and gear into a single small bag is a useful skill for road trippers too. It gives you more room for that cooler full of sodas & snacks, and more room to bring back souvenirs. I recently came across this site; chock full of tips and tricks to help you pack it all in just one bag. Very useful info!

2009-08-13T08:09:00.000-07:00

So driving long distances between cities can be tedious, especially when you do the same route often. And cheap airfare can make flying look like the better option. But is it smarter?

Well, if you figure in travel time to the airport, then waiting the hour before takeoff, does it save you any time? What about price? Can you save money by flying, when you factor in airport parking, taxis or public transportation to/from the airport and of course, the fact that if you're hungry, you have to buy food beyond the security checkpoint.

This article from MSN takes a look at all the costs for two sample trips and tries to figure out when flying is the better option. If you're debating this right now, it might be worth reading.

2009-08-03T10:37:00.000-07:00

If you're a road tripper, you're probably familiar with the good folks at America's Best Value Inn. I've had nothing but good experiences with the chain, and think that it's great they're running this contest. Send them your best story of something wacky you've seen on the road, along with a photo, and you could win a stay at one of their properties - and you can win prizes just by voting too! Hey, maybe we should work with them on next year's eTravelogue photo contest...

2009-07-21T14:38:00.001-07:00

D'oh! I wonder if this means we should all go back.

2009-07-16T06:18:00.000-07:00

I found the second part of an article on MSN I recently mentioned, about weird roadside attractions across the US. This time there's route 66 landmarks, giant woven baskets, and some classics of the road, like the Cadillac Ranch. Some of these should be on the must-see list, like Salvation Mountain for example, and the recently renovated Blue Whale.

2009-07-07T06:22:00.000-07:00

We've talked about foodie road trips in the past, so I figured I'd share this list of regional "delicacies" with you. From muffulettas to provel cheese, there are a lot of regional goodies out there to discover while road tripping.

2009-06-30T06:40:00.000-07:00

So Microsoft recently rebranded it's search engine as "Bing", but you've probably seen the ads for it. Well, I had found an article on roadside attractions on MSN Travel that I wanted to share, but before I could, they rebranded the travel site as Bing too, and in typical Microsoft fashion, broke inbound links to their content. I was able to dig it up though (here), but for older posts that go to MSN Travel, you might have to do a little web hunting (my theory is that they sort of strongarm you into using Bing in order to find your article. Yeah, that's how you win mindshare, how about a browser redirection instead?)

2009-06-25T07:37:00.001-07:00

We always make it a point to stop at some of the region's best food spots when road tripping, but never really gave much thought to taking a road trip just for the food. Recently though, I came across this piece, that sure makes it sound like a good idea. I mean, why not tour some of the best cheese makers in Vermont, or BBQ in any of the country's famous areas... and would it get any better than microbrews in the pacific northwest? (although you might want to figure out alternative transportation than driving for that one).

2009-06-16T08:01:00.000-07:00

I've mentioned before how I am a fan of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, so I figured I'd post about their list of the most endangered historic places. Evey year they publish this list, and even if you're not a fan of their efforts, it's worth a look to see if any of the sites should be put on your "see it soon" list, because as the name suggests, they may not be there much longer.

2009-06-11T06:26:00.001-07:00

Not exactly helpful in planning road trips (although if you pull it off, I want to know), but if you're a map geek like me, you might dig this site. My personal favorite is "The Best Beer in America" - some bizarre stuff.

2009-06-02T09:56:00.000-07:00

With road trip season finally here, I'd bet many of you are looking to visit a national park or two. I found this article recently, with secrets spots in the national parks as picked by the rangers and staff. Seven of the most popular parks are listed and if you're heading to one of these parks during the busy season, you might want to have a look.

2009-05-12T06:36:00.000-07:00

Vegas is a great road trip destination, especially for you west coast folks. After a long trek across the desert, stuffed into a cramped car under the hot sun, wouldn't a little pampering and luxury be nice? Well, I came across this article from Budget Travel about one man's quest to cash in on this economic downturn that has hit Vegas so hard. He tries three different methods to get the most luxurious rooms, meals and services for as little cash as possible. So if you do your research, know where to look, and have a little luck (always helpful in Vegas), maybe you can cash in on some pretty sweet deals too.

2009-04-28T06:53:00.000-07:00

Looking for roadside oddities for your next trip? I recently came across this site that lists the "What's Large Where" by state. Sometimes it's just a name and a city, and sometimes it has more info. For example, the listing for the World's Largest Baked Potato in Blackfoot, Idaho has a link to its website, but the listing for the World's Largest Set of Teeth just says that it's in St. Louis, Missouri. So you might get all the info you need from them, and in some cases, it might be a starting point for more research. Either way, worth a look.

2009-04-14T08:45:00.000-07:00

If California isn't the weirdest state of the 50, it's gotta be close. And I recently found this site, that reinforced my opinion. It's got lots of roadside distractions, haunted sites, and just plain weird things (honestly, a banana museum?), so it's worth a visit if you're planning a trip out that way.

Ok, so maybe California is second to Florida. The keys have some weird, wacky stuff too.

2009-03-26T12:02:00.000-07:00

What is there to do in Cleveland?
Or Spokane?
Or Dulith?

I came across this site not that long ago, and it seems like a site to check - I didn't have the first clue what there was to do in Portland, and they had a quick list of the top attractions. It turned out to be a good starting point for my research. Maybe it will help you too.

2009-03-10T06:09:00.000-07:00

I came across this article on MSN the other day, talking about the newest way airlines are going to nickel-and-dime us: a fee just to buy tickets. Apparently, Spirit Airlines is working on adding a $5 or $10 fee just for buying a ticket by any method other than the counter at the airport. Paying the fee probably makes more sense than buying at the airport - the last time I tried to buy a ticket at the airport was for a free flight credit that I wanted to redeemm, and I ended up paying more for airport parking just to get the ticket than the fare would have been. Sounds to me like just another reason to road trip instead!

2009-02-24T05:52:00.000-08:00

I've always had a dream to cruise the American blue highways in a vintage Airstream. Unfortunately, this is probably going to stay a dream for many reasons, least of which is that I don't exactly have the means to pick up and properly restore a piece of history like a vintage Airstream. But I recently found what might be the next best thing: three KOA campgrounds are adding lodging in Airstreams - that's right, just arrive in your own vehicle and spend the night in an Airstream provided by the campground. How great is that? I hope it takes off and they add this option to all of their campgrounds!

2009-02-10T06:46:00.001-08:00

So I was recently reading this article about the world's "tallest and biggest" travel sights, and thought I'd share it. It's not entirely road trip material, but some of the locations are sure possible on a road trip, like the world's tallest monument (St. Louis' Gateway Arch) or the tallest casino (the Stratosphere in Las Vegas)... might be worth a read if you, like me, try to visit these sorts of places on your trips.

2009-01-19T07:40:00.000-08:00

I recently read this article on Yahoo about zoos, aquariums and parks that are close to shutting down due to rising costs and lack of funds. These "living museums", as the article calls them, are always good road trip stops, especially for those traveling with little ones. I hope this doesn't become a national trend. Perhaps we should make it a point to stop at these types of places on our next trips.

2009-01-08T06:40:00.000-08:00

Happy new year everyone!

Here's something I came across during the election season that I thought would be useful, and with it being transition time in Washington, I figured I'd share it. A big deal was made during the campaign about "earmark" spending, those little hometown projects that get slipped into budgets and legislation. Well, apparently, some portion of those earmark projects are for small, relatively unknown tourist attractions. One author did some research into what sorts of attractions were getting this money, and handpicked a few actually worth visiting. After reading this, I'm going to do some research myself and see if any more are worth a visit (even though they already get my tax dollars).

Here's wishing you great road trips in 2009!

2008-12-23T08:18:00.000-08:00

I was reading this site, a bulletin board type site of great restuarants across the US, while planning a road trip. It's always fun to find those little gems of local eateries when road tripping. Also, you might want to check out these guys, who have lots of restaurant listings for local delicacies, and a bunch of food festivals nationwide. Some of you more seasoned road trippers (heh, get it? Seasoned?) might already be familiar with them, but just in case you're not, I figured I'd share the links.

2008-12-15T07:52:00.001-08:00

Route 66, gost towns of the gold rush, and the American west.... I recently came across this site, which isn't road trip themed, per se, but is all about traveling the historic west. It's full of history, ghost legends, and nostalgia about the old west - worth a look when planning a road trip out that way. Be sure to check out their "roadside attractions" page.

2008-12-09T08:58:00.001-08:00

I was reading this blog post about a new service that lets you plan trip itineraries collaboratively. I thought this was interesting. Have any of you heard about it, or tried using it? I'd love to hear your comments. Supposedly you can plan your itinerary with your traveling companions and directly book your trip together. Sounds promising.

2008-12-02T07:12:00.000-08:00

I recently came across this site when doing a bit of trip planning and thought I might share it. It's a bit heavy on the hotels, and for some states it's a bit light on attractions, but it seems they make their money off reservations and tour companies, so that's not too out of the ordinary. Overall, I thought it would be a good site to visit when doing research.