TRAVEL TIPS.....on the road

* Teva sandals for rain * Visitors' Centers * beware of asking directions * cell phone/emergency only * gas cards (Wal-Mart, Hy-Vee), small hand sanitizer * the stone deodorant * solar * gas * zip-lock bags * check list for towns * water * emergency phone * sunburn * biking * Dollar Store * buying in small quantities (less is more) * beating the heat (ice cubes and fans) * hanging soap * restrooms * showers * city atlas * making travel easy (phone cards, debit cards, charge cards, e-mail, 800 numbers) * money back-up * getting cash * microwaves * free phones (For tips on food, see the "Food" link.)

TIP #12: TAKE THE BUS. Taking the bus is a great way to see a town. You can take them all or ask about the most scenic route. It saves you the price of parking and all the stress of city driving.

TIP #11: TAKE THE BUSINESS LOOP. I usually take the highway business loop through small towns because it gives me a feeling of what a town is like and takes me back to the highway farther on.

TIP #10: KEY HOOK. I bought a plastic, stick-on hook and placed it by my door. Now I can always find my keys.

TIP #9: CROSSWORD PUZZLES. Is your camper cluttered up with newspapers because you save crossword puzzles? In Laughlin, Nevada, I saw that my friend Lyn cut out crosswords and attached them to a small clipboard. I bought a small clipboard for about $1 and got rid of all those bulky newspapers.

TIP #8: HOLIDAY AND WEEKEND TRAVEL. Don't do it! This is one thing I've learned: NEVER travel or go camping on holidays or weekends! I was camping at the The Great Sand Dunes National Monument the Friday before Labor Day when the traffic started rolling in. My serenity disappeared with each vehicle and noisy camper. The campers next to me had their radios blaring. With as much restraint as I could muster, I said to them, "I came here to get away from all that!" So, when the city came to the sand dunes, I went to the city and spent a very quiet weekend.

TIP #7: VELCRO (revised). I have found so many uses for velcro on this trip. I've already used up two packages of six feet each and have just purchased a third. I buy the kind that sticks to the surface.
1) I've velcro-ed a dark towel to my two camper windows to keep the camper dark in the morning and bright street lights from shining in at night. I ended up sewing the velcro to the towel by hand; so that it would stick.
2) I put a tiny piece of velcro on the wall by the bed, on the wall by the door, and on two chapsticks. Now I can always find them.
3) I also do this with a pen by my bed. No more searching.
4) I made a netting for my door; so the cool can come in and the insects stay out. That took the most velcro because I had to first outline the inside of my door and then velcro the netting to fit the door.

TIP #6: CONSTRUCTION. During summer months (or year round in warm climates), there is quite a bit of highway construction going on. I have learned to turn off my engine right away to save gas. I've found that if I turn the engine off, the wait is short; if I leave it on, the wait is long. I also keep reading and writing material on the front seat. Journal writing often takes place during the wait.

TIP #5: CAR INSURANCE IN MEXICO. Your U.S. car insurance won't cover you in Mexico. You can buy Mexican car insurance at the border, either before you get to Mexico or in Mexico. It's the same price -- less than $4 a day but with a $15 service charge each time you purchase it. Because of the language, I recommend buying it in the U.S. Here's what I learned the hard way: You only need what is called "in and out" insurance. For example, if you're going to Mexico for a week, parked in the same place all the time you're there, you don't need to buy insurance for the whole week. Just buy it for the day you drive in and the day you drive out. Guess how I learned this -- by buying it for the whole week. Once I got to where I was going, my car was parked the whole time; I walked or biked. (All my lessons are either hard or expensive or both; it's how I learn best! Fortunately this was only a $6 lesson. The people in the RV next to me paid more than $100 dollars for a month's stay. "In and out" insurance would have cost them about $20.)

TIP #4: ICE. I try never to buy ice. Every time I buy groceries or gas, I say, "May I have some ice?" I carry my own containers with me in my backpack. I purchased two very large, clear, plastic glasses at Wal-Mart for about $1 each. When I stop at a restaurant, I ask the waitperson for ice when I leave. Even in movie theaters, I say, "I just watched the movie. May I have some ice for the road?" If I stop to ask directions, I ask. Almost every business connected with food has a self-service ice machine. With the many stops I make during the day, I always have plenty of ice. Of course, if I'm in a rural area, or if it's very hot, I have to buy ice. That was the case in Key West (hot) and Tecopa Hot Springs (rural), but ice is pretty cheap (usually 88 cents at Wal-Mart, 99 cents at K-Mart for cubes and blocks, and I even found it at Smart & Final in Key West for 69 cents for about a seven pound bag of cubes). You should never have to pay more than $1 for cubes. Blocks usually cost more and are harder to find, but I find they last twice as long, needing replacement every other day instead of every day.

TIP #3: THE INTERNET. What did we ever do without it? I can't say enough good things about the internet, especially when traveling. Today before I got to Cheyenne, Wyoming, I was able to find out everything I needed to know about the YMCA, the Unitarian Church, and movie theaters (including the movies and times) in the area, PLUS print out maps to all three! I have also used it to make maps of the city before I visit, to locate parks, and learn about current activities. I can even check out the weather in cities I'm thinking of visiting and change my route if I need to. Fantastic! I think of all the phone calls, time, and money the internet saves me. It is like having your own library and telephone directory at your fingertips.

TIP #2: BETTER THAN MILK is instant, soy "milk" powder that can be substituted for regular milk (2 T = 1 c and has 2.5 grams of fat). It is cheaper than milk, needs no refrigeration, lcan be used wherever regular milk is used, and lasts forever. Besides, soy is good for you.

TIP #1: GETTING LOST. Don't be afraid of getting lost. Someone will always find you OR you them. Some of my best experiences have been because I made a "wrong" turn which turned out to be oh soooooo right. (One time I took a wrong turn and landed in Laughlin, Nevada. I liked it so much I stayed two weeks -- free -- right on the Colorado River with a view of the mountains.)

(revised 7/14/03)