The Midwest Wanderer: Lessons from the dusty trail

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2013-08-28T14:45:00.001-05:00

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Nashville is a fun town!

2013-04-13T15:33:00.001-05:00

So I find myself in Nashville, TN this week. What an interesting town....especially if you like country music! Broadway downtown us certainly three place to be at night. Hotels are a bit (read ALOT) expensive downtown, but only having to walk is well worth it! If you've never been here, I'd highly encourage you to check it out at least once!

Early morning flights stink!

2013-03-27T06:18:00.001-05:00

It is really nice to maximize my time away from home. But early EARLY morning flights really suck. Especially when you have to drive 90 miles just to check in. Couple that with overly amateur travelers and my annoyance level is high this morning.

I am a bad weather magnet!

2013-03-24T09:13:00.001-05:00

This year on the road has been one filled with treachery and terrible weather. I happen to be in Kansas City only to be sitting in the middle of a winter storm warning and the need to drive 500 miles tonight to get home. Go figure that the one day I need to get home it turns nasty. Well.....I guess that's wandering in the Midwest for you!

When booking your hotel, ask if 5,000 cheerleaders are staying there first!

2013-03-01T21:27:00.001-06:00

So I'm starting at a decent place here in Dallas (the DoubleTree near Market Center to be clear). It is a nice hotel, and DoubleTree's in the past have been great business hotels with all you need while working in the road. But upon my return tonight, I was meet with more 9yr old point tails than I could count and 15 minute waits for the elevator (I'm staying in the 11th floor).

I decided on a temporary escape to the hotel bar to let the lines wear down only to find that all the cheerleader MOMS were in there even louder (thanks to the massive amounts of alcohol being consumed).

Instead of working out for the rest of the weekend.....I'll be taking the stairs!

Aaaahhhhh...the "joys" of commercial air travel!

2013-02-28T09:32:00.001-06:00

So apparently deep cuts in multiple tires is a reason to cancel a flight....after the whole plane has boarded! I think maybe the ground crew should have checked this out sooner....but what do I know?

Thankfully Memphis has a good Delta Sky Club....here's to you and cheers to me!

Airport breakfasts are lacking

2013-02-28T05:21:00.001-06:00

I understand that with all the TSA requirements or there today that actual real silverware is extremely dangerous. But regardless of how good the food might actually be, when you are forced to pay a 50% higher price for a meal them be forced to use plastic knives and forks, it just doesn't taste quite as good.

Good thing it's early...

So I guess they have winter in St Louis

2013-02-21T19:19:00.001-06:00

Just because I'm on the southern edge of what some may consider the Midwest does not mean that winter doesn't rear her ugly head! St Louis is a nightmare today. The problem with winter in central or southern states is that they don't know how to plow, drive, our flat our deal with the snow. Even the airport is shut down!

Multi stop Madness

2013-02-20T14:46:00.001-06:00

Hitting the road again....this time in St Louis, to Louisville, then on to Dallas all before heading back to the Midwest. The problem......getting all the display materials and associated work items all packed into boxes, crates, or suitcases to make shipment easier....AND have enough material to actual do my job.

A side note....Delta does NOT charge much more to fly first class on multi stop tickets than coach. If you're brave/dumb enough to travel like I have to, check first class rates!!!!

People traveled to me this time!

2013-02-01T11:44:00.001-06:00

During this time of year, I'm normally hitting the road pretty hard to meet with our clients and spheres of influence. But this week it is a nice change for me to have so many of our distributors, vendors, and clients travel to Watertown to attend our annual convention. I appreciate all the time and trouble that these people have given to deepening the relationship and goal of mutual success. Thank you!

And the travel season begins.....again

2013-01-14T09:10:00.001-06:00

You would think that after five years of official road warrior status, that I would get used to packing a suitcase and hopping behind the wheel. But yesterday as I was leaving, I found myself packing everything but the kitchen sink, running way behind, and still not remembering everything I needed to bring. The only thing that I can say I have adapted to with work travel is that a 500 mile drive doesn't seem long anymore....

Here is to a productive, profitable, and somewhat enjoyable year on the road to all my fellow road warriors!

Bring Hotel Confirmation Numbers With You!

2012-12-05T07:19:00.001-06:00

So I rolled into my hotel lady night about 1:30am. The doors were locked, and I had to wait about 10 minutes for the front desk clerk to come back to let me in. The parking lot was packed, a sure sign of a sold-out hotel.

Once inside, he promptly informed me that he had no rooms left. I told him that I had a reservation. He told me all confirmed guests had checked in. So...being patient and kind, confirmed I was at the correct hotel and then showed him my confirmation number. He advised I had already checked in. Since I'm standing I'm front of him, and I hadn't remembered to drive the warp-speed work truck, knew he was mistaken. I showed the kind gentleman my confirmation number and he have me a key.

Upon entry into said hotel room, I was convinced that I would be met by an angry husband wondering what I was doing in their room. Turns out, it WAS empty. But the lesson learned here is always have your confirmation number handy.

I use Worldmate, a free app for Android and Apple, that tracks all your travel data, hotels, rental cars, airline tickets, etc on one site. There are a few other good ones out there too, such as TripIt.

But I'll never leave home without my cell phone, and now, my confirmation numbers!

If you can, mix pleasure with work!

2012-11-11T09:03:00.001-06:00

Spending a few days in Texas for work this week and have the pleasure if handing out with my buddy Adam and his family this weekend. It really makes a work trip go by a lot faster when you can kill the down time with good friends and good times.

I learned a few other lessons last night...while at a Counting Crows concert, you cannot reserve a standing only spot. Also...sometimes limos are cheaper than cabs...

Audible.com is my best travel companion

2012-10-18T18:14:00.001-05:00

Earlier this year I signed up for an audible.com membership as I was tired of heating the same songs on the radio, or Pandora, or wherever. And thought I should geta little more well "read". So far, I love audible.com!

I've listened to over 20 books (at an average of 9 hours per audio book). This is roughly 180 hours of listening while on the road...and was just granted Audible.com Novice status...are you kidding me?!? I feel like I should be audio book champ by now. So I looked up what there Expert status required and its almost a year's worth if time. Now that is some serious road time, our that person doesn't have a life.

In spite of my perceived slight, I'll keep listening. Check it out if you hit the road like me. You'll either get smarter or at least be entertained.

Southwest Kansas is REALLY flat!

2012-10-16T17:23:00.001-05:00

SW Kansas its so flat that I saw an Army helicopter squadron coming from 10 miles away. It felt like I watched them for an hour. Later I drove over an ant hill, I think I squashed the highest point of elevation in Kansas.

Last minute travel stinks

2012-10-06T17:41:00.001-05:00

It's not a big surprise that last minute flights and travel expenses are expensive and add up fast. I just booked a flight for Monday to Chicago...and after looking all over the Web, found that empty first class seats could be gotten CHEAPER than the economy seats that were left (i.e. exit row and economy plus seats only)

So if you have to travel at the drop of a hat, spend a little time online and shop around.

Small Towns....at least they have cable

2012-09-30T19:57:00.001-05:00

I find myself in small town Oklahoma tonight. One hotel to choose from...at least they have cable. I wonder what people would do when on the road, in a small town, in the only hotel if there wasn't cable. I know this sounds pretty spoiled, but such is the world we live in...

Schlafly Brewery is a good place to spend a Saturday afternoon

2012-09-29T14:48:00.001-05:00

So I find myself in Saint Louis once again....and I'm finally checking out Schlafly Brewery. What a gray place to spend a warm fall Saturday afternoon... This is about the best way to celebrate Oktoberfest in the US I can think of.

Well, we are in the heart of Oktoberfest...

2011-09-29T16:18:00.001-05:00

So in the last few weeks I've hit the road quite a bit again. And this leads to me inevitably having to tip a few of the local brews with friends, customers, and sometimes strangers. Since we are in the heart of Oktoberfest (which traditionally runs in Munich from September 19th through October 3rd), I figured I'd do my best to put together a truly scientific review of some of the best Oktoberfest brews I can get my hands on. Here's a run down on the last five samplings...

Number 5: Samual Adams Octoberfest

Obviously Sam Adams is one of the bigger names in the world of craft beer. But just because The Boston Beer Company, Inc is publicly traded now doesn't mean they can't crank out good beer still. If you're in need of a little holiday (yes, Oktoberfest is a holiday) cheer and you don't know any other labels in the cooler at your local liquer store, you can't go wrong with this choice. Pretty mild, not too hoppy, and easy to drink!

Number 4: Schell's Oktoberfest

Since August Schell Brewing Company has been in business in New Ulm, MN since 1860, it would make sense that Schell's Oktoberfest has stood the test of time. This is a great beer, a little stronger note on the hops, but is really fun to drink when the sun is shining and the leaves are falling. Just remember to bring a bottle opener!

Number 3: Leinenkugel's Oktoberfest

From the home of hte Leinie Lodge in Chippewa Falls, WI, comes a very good Oktoberfest seasonal beer from the Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company. This is a bit spicy of Leinie menu, but has a very good flavor. The other good news is that you can buy it just about anywhere for about $8.00 a six pack! Great beer...

Number 2: Boulevard Bob's '47 Oktoberfest

A fairly newcomer to the Marzen Oktoberfest lineup, Kansas City's very own Boulevard Brewing Company has come to the table with a very good option for your fall festivity menu! Bob's '47 Oktoberfest is a strong, crisp and tasty choice for any of you who like a little color and zest in your beer. I highly recommend checking this one out.

Last but not least NUMERO UNO: Schlafly's Oktoberfest

If you've ever talked to me about beer before (it's a top five topic in my world), then you'll know that I'm a big fan of Schlafly Bottleworks and The Saint Louis Brewery, Inc.! They put out great beer all year long. But if you happen to find yourself in the St. Louis or Kansas City areas, do yourself a favor and pick up a six-pack of their seasonal Oktoberfest. It certainly is spicy, a little dark, and smooth as silk. This is a great beer to crack open in front of a camp fire and tell fish stories to all your buddies.

If anyone is looking for any resources on this article, I highly recommend http://www.beeradvocate.com/. You can also visit any of these companies through their respective websites. Please note that you must be 21 years of age to puruse their sites. Drink responsibly everyone, but drink well!

It's been a long three months...

2011-04-06T20:32:00.000-05:00

It's been awhile since I've written about my travels. The last three months have taken me all over the United States, through 18 states and over 11,400 miles of windshield time. I've seen lots of painted lines on miles and miles of road. I thought I'd get back on the proverbial blogging saddle by telling you about some of the best....and worst experiences I've had on the road since January.

Top 5 WORST Experiences from the road...

5) Cheap Motels- I don't do this very often, but on two separate occasions, I just grabbed the first hotel room I could find (at 1:00am). In both cases, I got an inexpensive hotel, with a bed, bathroom, TV, towels, and hand soap. But in no way shape or form did I get a good experience. In both cases, I couldn't wait to wake up from the rock called a bed so that I could check out before the drug dealers checked in. Lesson #5- you get what you pay for almost all the time...

4) Fast Food Restaurants- This is really a no brainer, but when you're on the road for 48 out of 60 days, it's probably not healthy to eat at McDonald's (or the BK Lounge, or anywhere else your food is served in less than 3 minutes) for every meal. In spite of this knowledge, I find myself in line at the drive through again. Someone just kick me...

3) Company Fleet Trucks- Now this one could go either way. One could make the argument for this item to be on the "pro" side of the column, since I neither have to pay for the truck nor fuel and maintenance. But since I don't pay these bills, I don't get to pick the level of comfort my chariot provides. Therefore, it's uncomfortable seats, old-school crank windows and manual locks, and virtually no radio reception. This equals a lot of bad singing...

Downtown St. Louis

2) 5:00 Traffic- Now if you don't live or drive through a large city very often, this might not mean much to you. After all, I have yet to find a true traffic jam in South Dakota due to the clock striking 5. However, I assure you that in many metropolitan areas throughout our great nation truly do have a traffic problem. If I lived in any one of these areas, I would learn the term "tele-commuter" quite well.

1) Tornadoes you can't see- I really should say all bad weather. It's no fun driving in a bad rain storm, but it's really not fun knowing that this storm might bite you too! This happened to occur to me in Little Rock, AR. But I again drove in a rough storm outside of Wichita, KS...and there's nothing to stop the storm there! Bad weather makes driving miserable...from blizzards to hail storms, they're all bad.

Now, Top 5 BEST Experiences from the road...

Damn good Pina Colada

5) Free Hotel Upgrades- Many of you know that I stay in A LOT of hotels each year. When you get personal letters from the corporate offices, you know you've paid a few of their bills. But one of the best perks that comes with brand loyalty is free upgrades. I'm almost embarrassed at the size of some of the rooms I've stayed in. Have to say it's nice, since it's my home away from home...but still a bit ridiculous.

4) Invites for home cooking- Please reference #4 worst from my list...I have been lucky enough to develop some good relationships in the areas where I roam. I am very appreciative to those folks that understand my life this time of year and know how much I get tired of restaurants, both good and bad. Nothing beats home-cooking...ever!

Me on Naples Pier- Naples, FL

3) Sunshine and 75- I tell you what, when it's still cold as hell and snowing like a banshee at home, I don't mind having to travel in sunshine and 75 degrees. One major benefit of my territory is nice weather in February and March (most of the time). It just makes you feel better.

2) Productivity- I don't travel that often for pure pleasure. Most of my miles are driven in chase of the almighty dollar. So it's nice to see many parts of our country awake from the deep-freeze of the recession. Lots of people are going back to work...it's good to see!

St. Patrick's Day- Bourbon Street, New Orleans, LA

1) COMING HOME!- The very best, I mean VERY BEST, part of my travels is when I get to come home. Nothing beats the feeling of two little munchkins tackling you as you come through the door.

Top Ten Top Ten Road Trip Songs of All Time!

2011-01-02T07:42:00.002-06:00

Ok, so if you know me, you understand that the new year brings with it the likelihood of some serious windshield time in the upcoming months. I often times log 30,000 to 40,000 miles from the inside of a windshield each year. Much of this travel is by myself. So this leads us to conclude one of three things: 1) I am a lunatic and talk to myself all day (which is true by the way), 2) I don't shower and no one wants to ride ANYWHERE with me, or lastly 3) I fill my time with some killer tunes and sing at the top of my lungs because I'm almost always by myself (ding ding ding)!

In this slightly tardy episode of The Midwest Wanderer, I'm going to drop my Top Ten Best Road Trip Songs of All Time so far. Here goes...

10. The Weary Kind by Ryan Bingham

If you haven't heard of this guy, check out the website for Ryan Bingham and his band, The Dead Horses. Serious soulful roadtrip kind of stuff. You can find them at www.binghammusic.com. This tune is on the soundtrack to the movie Crazy Heart (starred Jeff Bridges as a drunken comeback country artist). This soundtrack was released in January, 2010, but these guys have been hitting the scene for some time before releasing their first album in 2007. Check them out....

9. Highwayman - Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, and Kris Kristofferson

Now just to be clear, this song was first released by another country legend, Glen Campbell in 1979 on the Highwayman record. But frankly, his original version of this song was weak. Johnny, Waylon, Willie, and Kris followed Glen Campbell's record with Highwayman 2 in 1990 and Highwayman Super Hits in 1999, which is when they did the remake of the original. Sometimes the best version isn't the first try. Check this song out on Pandora if you want to get a taste of this album. Time and miles fly when I listen to this.

8. Glory Days by Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band

If you're not a fan of at least some of the Boss' music, then you probably aren't in elementary school yet. This is one of the most popular hits ever released from Bruce Springsteen. This song came out on the Born in the U.S.A. album in 1984. This is the quintessential Springsteen song. Hard to be on a solo road trip and not crank this song.

7. That was a Crazy Game of Poker by O.A.R.

This was a natural choice for several reasons. First, this fun tune was released on the album titled The Wanderer in 1997. Secondly, 1997 was my first year of college, and I'm pretty sure there were several crazy games of poker going on at the same time. Lastly, O.A.R. is a band that has just been making great tunes to jam out to for the last 15+ years.

6. Whiskey in a Jar by Metallica

If you haven't noticed yet, my iPod is a menagerie of genres. I listen to all music that is good. When Metallica released Garage, Inc. in 1998, they hit it out of the park with this one. This is my favorite Metallica road-trip song of all time....and it's even a cover! This is an old Irish drinking song that been covered by about 1000 bands, so giving credit where it's due is a bit tough. But I believe Metallica front-man James Hetfield gives credit to The Clancy Brothers.

5. All Along the Watchtower by Dave Matthews Band

Clearly this is a cover of the late and super great Jimi Hendrix. Jimi's version is stellar, and worthy of the list. But everyone has heard his version. Pretty much everyone has heard of the DMB, but not necessarily their version of this iconic tune. There are many live DMB versions of this song out on iTunes or the world wide web, but my favorite by far is the August 1995 version they recorded at Red Rocks Amphitheater in Colorado. First, if you've never seen a concert at Red Rocks, it's worthy of the road trip no matter how far away you live. Secondly, DMB's version of this song eases you into the song with an almost an a-capela version of the song, then it hits you why this is such a good road trip song...20 miles just went by and you only listened to one killer tune!!! Check out http://www.davematthewsband.com/ and http://www.redrocksonline.com/ just to get the full feel of the song.

4. Head Full of Doubt/Road Full of Promise by The Avett Brothers

If my wife reads this blog, she'll be the first one (and probably only one) who will know that I'm stealing from her. Stealing songs she likes anyway. Sam introduced me to The Avett Brothers earlier this year. They have been releasing albums since 2004, but this great tune comes from their I and Love and You cd released in February 2010. This is a great disc full of tons of great tunes, but this one takes the cake. I will admit that it's a bit melancholy, but what road trip would be complete without a little drama. Check these guys out at http://www.theavettbrothers.com/.

TOP THREE

3. Crosby Steals Nash and Runsby Mel Gibson and The Pants

I realize there might be a good chance you've never heard of this group or this song, but I'm hear to tell you that Mel Gibson and the Pants are for real, and really broken up. It sounds like there won't be any new material for awhile, so check out their 2005 disc, A Mannequin American, for some killer beats and very insightful lyrics. Oh ya, and the front man is basically my brother-in-law (if common-law marriage still existed in Minnesota). Paper Shaper Shifter and Shark Sandwich are a few other great tunes that will put you in a wandering mood.

2. Heart of Gold by Neil Young

It just felt right to me that I would follow up a spin-off of the group Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young with a song from at least one of them! It's hard not to be a fan of Neil Young's songs, and Heart of Gold is definetely one that I am. This was released on the Harvest album in 2009. I think we're all searching for a little gold in everyone's hearts. Great tune for epic adventures! You can find Neil Young's website at http://www.neilyoung.com/.

Last and certainly not least...A TIE!

1. My Name is Jonas by Weezer and Pancho & Lefty by Merle Haggard and Willie Nelson

I realize that a tie for first place is kind of a cop-out, but despite the drastic differences in my co-first place songs, both Weezer and Merle & Willie know how to pass the time with some great road trip tunes!

In the self-titled "Blue Album", Weezer came onto the scene in 1994. My Name is Jonas is hard to not rock out to. I'm not sure what it is about this album, but just about every song on the "Blue Album" is good. One of my all-time favorites.

I think Willie Nelson knows a thing or two about road trips. I thought it would be too cliche to pick On the Road Again, so I picked another Willie song paired with the legend Merle Haggard. Is there anything more to say? These guys just are flat out timeless.

I wish you all the best in your travels in 2011! Happy New Year everybody!!!

Air Travel and Mother Nature...ugh!!!

2010-12-22T22:05:00.000-06:00

So as promised, this week's episode of The Midwest Wanderer is all about air travel. As fellow road warriors, I'm sure you've had your share of stale peanuts, old pretzels, and thousands of miles in an oversized tin can squeezed into a seat that continues to get smaller and smaller.

Today I want to talk about planning for the inevitable (i.e. delays, oversold flights, and overpriced everything), airline mileage programs, and how to negotiate NICELY to get the most you can when you're forced to make lemonade from lemons.

On a recent flight a few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of flying out of my little airport (ATY in case any of you actually want to find Watertown) en route to Oakland, CA. I happen to fly Delta Airlines often, as this is the ONLY commercial carrier that flies in and out of our lovely little airport (think the TV show "Wings"). The flight out went relatively smooth with connections in Minneapolis and Salt Lake City. As usual, my flight from Salt Lake to Oakland was overbooked. If you have any experience with flying the friendly skies, you've most likely ran into this situation yourself. However, when I fly, I plan as much flexibility into my plans as possible so that I can take advantage of opportunities when they present themselves. In this particular case, my potential reward was $400 in Delta dollars to trade my confirmed seat on a 2pm flight for a guaranteed seat on a flight leaving a few hours later (7pm). That comes out to about $80/hour for my willingness to wait. Most of the time when this situation presents itself, the gate agent announces initial compensation that is mediocre. If no one grabs the goodies right away, often this incentive grows as fast as the desparation rises. Play it this way friends....wait a few minutes and/or ask for slightly better compensation...chances are you'll get more than the initial offer.

A few weeks ago, I wrote about hotel rewards programs. You'll notice that most of these programs can be paired with an airline reward program to boost your miles and get you free tickets sooner. As you'd guess, I happen to be a SkyMiles member (email me if you'd like to donate to my account). Each leg of your travel itinerary counts as miles toward your accumulation total. All the major airlines offer such a program. My suggestion is to find the airline that you think you'll fly the most and sign up before your next flight. It doesn't take long before you're answering the question, "cookies, peanuts, or pretzels?" without shelling out a dime. (They'll be the best tasting peanuts ever, promise!)

Mother Nature came into play on the return legs of my trip home. First of all, my flight out of OAK was delayed two hours due to a maintenance issue with our plane. Now it's somewhat difficult to get mad at the airlines for fixing a broken plane. After all, what's worse, a delay or a crash? This particular leg of my trip was on Alaska Airlines. If you've never had the opportunity to fly on Alask Airlines (coach is where I roll), I highly suggest it. There is about 4" more of leg room in coach, and the flight attendants have been overly trained in smiling and being nice (could be worse). The only problem with switching carriers on a trip is that it causes problems if you wish to check your bags...you'll get them back sometime! Anyway, I digress.

Once I finally got to Seattle, my plane was at the gate 30 minutes after my next flight was to take off to Minneapolis. A slight panic set in over the whole plane, which only caused the de-planeing process to take even longer. What was even worse, I had to hop on three different subway shuttles to get from one end of the Seattle airport to the other (that is one interesting airport). Once to my gate, the HUGE mob of angry fellow flyers indicated to me that things weren't quite right in Seattle either. Turned out that my 12:30 flight was delayed until 3:00 due to our lovely Mother Nature (the day after the Metrodome collapsed for any of you who watch the news). Turned out Mother Nature thought that the good folks in the Twin Cities needed to be reminded that it was winter. So one of the main hubs of Delta (like I said, for better or worse, that's my only choice from ATY) was basically shut down. The angry mob at the gate were not the good folks of Delta flight 2114, of which I was a proud member. This lovely mob was comprised of folks that were hoping to get on the 3pm flight to Minneapolis for which they were holding tickets. Unfortunately, we got their plane and they had to wait three more hours for another plane to be flown in from somewhere else.

Once in the air (finally), I determined on flightstats.com that I was going to miss my next flight (and the last flight of the day to Watertown). [WiFi on flights is one of the best things the airlines have done since Orville and Wilber Wright got their glider off the ground in 1900]. Once on the ground in MSP and a mad dash across the whole Lindburgh terminal, I quickly determined that I missed my flight by 4 whole minutes. Apparently begging, pleading, and a few tears from a grown man won't convince a gate agent to move the jet bridge back in place and open the airplane door. Instead, I waved to the pilot and co-pilot as they pushed off. I think one of them might have even flipped me off....but I can't prove it.

Anyway, an overnight stay in Minneapolis and a next day flight eventually got me home a day late. The funny thing is that Delta was bold enough to send me a survey to ensure they were offering the highest level of service. Now I'm a realist. I understand that the powers that be in the Delta organization don't have a weather machine. But I still thought this was an odd touch. So I let them have it in the nicest possible way. In turn, I received a very nice apology letter from one of the Delta marketing staff and was advised that my SkyMiles account had been credited with additional free miles.

In the end, through all the unexpected twists and turns in my most recent adventure in flight, I came out of the deal with quite a few extra miles, all the free Coke products I could handle, and more cinnamon cookies, pretzels and peanuts than I could stand. Next time....I'm calling NetJets!!!

Connect while on the go...My latest take on Netbooks and Tablets!

2010-12-14T16:22:00.000-06:00

Remember the days of old (or last week) lugging that "heavy" laptop throught the TSA checkpoint, having to power up, then having the sweaty guy sitting next to you on the plane reading everything you are?!? Ok, maybe that stuff just happens to me.

The days of bringing the "heavy" laptop are long gone my friends! Introducing the netbook, notebook, and tablet (including the ever-so-proud iPad). The capabilities of such devices are still somewhat unknown. But what is a FOR SURE is that tablets and netbooks offer lightweight connectivity just about anywhere in the world (more on this in a minute). The size of netbooks/tablets allows you to easily pack them in a purse or backpack with fantastic graphics, apps, and standard operating systems such as Windows 7, Windows XP, Android 2.2, and iOS 4 on the iPad.

Netbooks, the Mini Laptop

Samsung N310 Netbook

There are many offerings on the market today in the netbook catagory. These devices look and feel like a smaller standard laptop computer. They offer a standard QWERTY keyboard, great LED screens, in-use battery life from 3 to 9.5 hours (on the Dell Inspiron Mini 10HD), processor speeds from 1.2 to 1.66 Ghz, and hard drives of 160to 250 GB.

All the netbook options offer connectivity via WiFi. Many of these devices today are also offered through wireless carriers (AT&T, Verizon, etc) and big box outlets such as Best Buy Radio Shack with 3G capabilites as well. If you are willing to sign a 2-year data plan contract, you may be able to pick up one of these devices for less than $50.00. The obvious benefit for 3G connectivity is being able to stay connected anywhere you can grab a cell signal.

These devices are not intended for hardcore data crunching or building your next empire. Multitasking is a bit limited on the devices as well. But they offer great option to those who want to stay connected while on the go and like a REAL keyboard!

iPad...ever heard of it?

First of all....if you haven't heard of the iPad yet, I know you have no idea what a blog is!!! Apple created the market with a true tablet that is more than an e-Reader. The first generation of Apple's iPad offers a bright, reactive touch screen that runs native programs such as the Safari web browser, iTunes, and iPhoto (all the same features you will see on your Mac desktop or Macbook). The operating system currently running on most iPads is iOS 4, but version 4.2 is now available for download on Apple's website.

Apple iPad

Some of the critics of the first-to-market iPad complain about the lack of camera, difficulty of connecting external devices (need an adapter for USB connections), doesn't support Flash websites, and is somewhat limited in multitasking abilities (depending on who you talk to). It's my belief that everyone including Steve Jobs planed to roll out next generations of iPads with many of these features built into version 2.0 and beyond just to flat out sell more devices. Who knows...good marketing is what I say.

All in all, the people I've scientifically interviewed who own iPads (i.e. "hey man, you like your iPad?") rarely complain and wish they'd have never bought the damn thing! It's a cool device that offers TONS of apps, cool things like AirPrint (wireless printer connectivity) and AirPlay (stream digital media wirelessly), and frankly an "out-of-the-box" usable device that you'd be hardcore to hate.

Tablets...the second coming of mobile connectivty!

Samsung Galaxy

With the invention of the Android platform, many cool devices have been able to offer similar touch-screen interface as the original iPod touch and now the iPhone and iPad. One of the coolest devices I've been able to get my hands on lately is the Samsung Galaxy tablet. This device is slightly smalthan the iPad (7" screen vs. 10" screen on the iPad), but utilizing the Droid platform, the Samsung Galaxy tablet offers just about everything the iPad can with features such as a forward and rear facing dual cameras, USB connectivity, and frankly, the Android Market (similar to the App Store with Apple) offers an app (or fifty) for just about anything you can think of!

The Samsung Galaxy tablet is basically a larger version of the Samsumg Galaxy S phone that was released earlier this year. The only thing different (other than the obvious size) is that the Galaxy tablet is unable to make phone calls in in the US at this time. It is WiFi enabled, can come with a 3G SIM card for connectivity via cell signal, and can do just about anything that most laptops can.

Keep in mind though, that with both the iPad and other tablets, a lack of a traditional keyboard takes some getting used to. But like anything else, once you get used to it, it's hard to put the darn thing down!

Coming on the horizon....

For all you card-carrying Blackberry users out there (don't worry, I'm one of them too), RIM wants a piece of this action too! The Blackberry Playbook is slated to be released sometime in early 2011. I am apparently not considered to be an "insider tech critic" since RIM didn't send me one of the prototypes to play with. But from what I know, the Playbook will be marketed similarly as the flagship Blackberry cell devices...i.e. marketed to the corporate enterprise user. Blackberry Playbook will come with a 1080p HD video camera and will have dual cameras able to take up to 5 MP photos with the rear-facing camera (only 3MP on the forward facing camera), and will have 1 Ghz dual-core processor with 1GB of RAM for lightning fast processing (that's what they claim anyway!).

The Blackberry Playbook will have a slightly different OS (Blackberry Tablet OS), so it is unclear of interfacing handsets with this tablet, but I'm sure the good folks at Blackberry have something up their sleeves on this one. I can't wait to check it out....hopefully the Playbook is a strong player in this market.

Please note: I did not discuss eReaders such as the Kindle, Nook, and others. Not because they are not valid, in fact they are quite the devices. They just do not offer the computing power that the devices discussed do (and I like the iPad, Galaxy, and Playbook better).

Up for next week: Air travel and Mother Nature...ugh!

Like Willy said..."On the road again..." with our inaugural post

2010-12-08T04:23:00.001-06:00

Welcome to the inaugural blog posting of The Midwest Wanderer! I hope you can learn a little something from the lessons I've learned from the proverbial dusty trail. This blog will be all encompassing on travel, tips, gadgets, hotels, restaurants, construction updates, and everything else that makes travel enjoyable (i.e. horrible).

Daily Topic: Hotel Reward Programs

If you are going to stay in a hotel for five days or more in the upcoming year, SIGN UP FOR A REWARD PROGRAM! You're a fool to not take advantage of some of these programs. Most of the major chains have one, it's free and easy, and they heavily cater to the repeat offenders...I mean guests. I happen to be a member of 4 or 5 of these programs (not every cow town I travel to has the same hotel brand), but certainly have a couple favorites. Chains like Holiday Inn, Marriott, Hilton, Hyatt, Wyndham, and Choice Hotels all have programs that reward frequent visitors with points that can add up to some serious tangible change!!!

You may think that you don't travel enough to make something like this worth while. I'm hear to tell you that modest travel (5-10 nights per year) can add up to free hotel rooms or at least some swag and a suite. Typically these sites (see below) allow for easy sign-up online and don't require credit card information (although I recommend including this information if you want to climb to the upper echelons of Road Warrior-dom). Most of these sites now have mobile versions for ease of use while on the move. This feature alone is a driving force for some of my hotel choices.

All of the hotel reward programs offer a tiered membership arrangement. The more nights you stay, the greater of perks. These perks range from point-multipliers to free rooms and/or airfare. Most of the major programs offer you the choice of earning points towards airline miles or hotel perks. The biggest bang for your point is certainly hotel perks!!! To be honest, I use one program to boost my Delta Skymiles (another blog another time), while I seriously bank points in another to cover lodging and ensure maximum upgrades. Check out these links for some of the program language and contractual details:
                     www.priorityclub.com for Holiday Inn, Candlewood Suites, and Crowne Plaza
                     www.marriott.com for Residence Inn, SpringHill Suites, Fairfield Inn, Courtyard
                     www.hiltonhhonors.com for Hilton, Doubletree, Embassy Suites, Hampton Inn
                     www.choicehotels.com for Sleep, Clarion, MainStay Suites, Econolodge, Comfort Inn

This list is not all inclusive by any means! But this will give you a sampling of what is out there.

Let's get down to brass tacks....WHY DO THIS AGAIN?!? Not everyone travels as much as I do (about 120 days a year), and some travel a lot more. But in one year, I can earn the equivelant of 3-5 extended vacations all while getting upgraded suites, free food and drinks, concierge services, and guaranteed room availabilty.

Next Week: Latest gadgets to make that road trip more productive, more enjoyable, or just plain mo' betta!