I found myself considering what the craziest thing that ever happened to me on vacation was, and the answer was a no brainer. Now realize before reading this that crazy does not mean the same as best. That being said, my trip to New Orleans, Louisiana while I was in high school was the craziest.

It was our first trip to New Orleans. We stayed with an uncle, in his apartment. I do not like bugs, I never have. The apartment my uncle lived in had tons of palmetto bugs. Well that’s what he called them. I found out later that up here in the Northeast we just call them cockroaches. Ewww. Best otc appetite suppressant ever. Anyway.

While there, we were thrilled to find so many things to do in New Orleans. My Uncle was working so he couldn’t take us around most days, so we just explored on our own. We loved the Audobon Zoo, The French quarter and Jackson Square. Some of the restaurants were great. But the thing I remember the most is the day we left.

The day we left New Orleans there was a big storm. I don’t recall if it was a hurricane or not as it was so long ago. But I remember my father’s concern that we needed to get out of the city before the storm got worse because my uncle said there would be flooding. (My uncle had a whole car, an MG, get destroyed when it got covered with water one flood.) So my Dad got us all into the camper and started towards home. As we drove away from my uncle’s we could literally see the water starting to rush behind us, submerging everything. No matter what, I will never forget our trip to New Orleans.

If you have a large family or your extended family does things together such as travel then you know that it can sometimes be challenging to spot each other in a large crowd. My family isn’t all that large and when we al do something together I always feel like I’ve lost someone.  An inexpensive way to minimize that problem is to order a promotional product like a shirt or hat and have a saying or image put on all of them so that you’ll all stand out in a crowd. You could get the typical “Doe family reunion” or go with something a little more personalized like a group photo. I’d love to hear any tips you have for keeping a large group organized.

Are you interested in taking a cruise but find they’re way out of your budget? Or are you one of those people that loves to do things on the spur of the moment? If you make and/or change plans at the last minute then you can save a lot of money on a cruise by booking at the last minute. The cruise lines would prefer the ships to be full rather than not so as it gets closer to the sail date they’ll lower cruise prices. Usually about 30 days before a cruise sails you can find some really great deals. Prices are slashed and cabin upgrades are two things you might find by booking at the last minute. If taking a trip on short notice isn’t an issue for you then call the cruise line and see if they have any deals or just search on the internet on one of the last minute cruise deals websites. Don’t be afraid to ask. You never know what kind of deal you’ll find. Wouldn’t a deal on one of those super European cruises be terrific?

If you know my Mom then you don’t have to be involved in futures trading to know that she sometimes has problems getting where she’s going. Today I came up with an idea that I’m going to tell her when she returns from her trip. It’s an idea you might want to consider using if you’re going to take a trip and rent a car. When you book your car rental ask if it has a gps in it or if one is available. If one is not, consider bringing your gps with you from home. Had my mother done this, she would not have called me from Waikiki today in a panic because she got lost on the way to the airport.

Noone likes to be stuck in traffic. The phone number 866-698-7232 can be called anytime, from anywhere. It’s the phone number for Traffic.com. When you dial in you can give the name of a major city and get a report of traffic delays. Traffic.com also offers a website that powers the phone number I gave you. Listings keep visitors informed of traffic incidents, events and roadwork and monitor traffic hotspots. The site is easy to use but I think it needs to cover more areas to be truly helpful.

Living at the shore I see things that I might not see if I lived elsewhere. Many of these things are related to the beach, the boardwalk and the ocean. While making a trip to Windward Beach last month I saw a beach bicycle. They looked similar to bikes that were out when I was younger, in that they had a big seat and big tires. I used to have a beige Huffy way back when, the big padded seat on that bike was much more comfortable than the hard seats on bikes these days. Wanting to learn more, I hit the internet looking for more information.

One of the places I landed is Beach-Bikes-Shop, a website that carries a number of beach bikes and related products. The site is neatly organized and easy to navigate. The different styles of beach cruisers are separated into different categories so things are easy to find. They also carry accessories such as locks, bells, baskets, pumps and fenders. Electric scooters are also available. All products are accompanied by a brief description and clear, colorful pictures. Easy to understand assembly instructions are available on the site with step by step pictures, so you’ll be able to assemble and enjoy your new bike right away.

Beach-Bikes-Shop carries beach cruisers for women, men and kids, as well as chopper, military and multi-speed beach cruisers. Bicycling is a great way to stay fit and for families to spend time together. They can be ridden at home around town and they can be fun to bring on vacations too. If you’re considering getting a bike to ride in your leisure time, check out Beach-Bikes-Shop.

Seaside Heights is a community sitting on the Atlantic Ocean and the Barnegat Bay and is aobut fifteen minutes from my home. They’re having free movies on the beach this summer. Two special movie events are also planned. Here’s the schedule, copied from the Seaside Heights PR blog.

07/11 -  Back-to-back triple feature Amityville Film Festival, featuring all 3
franchise movies filmed in Toms River: The Amityville Horror, Amityville II: The Possession, and Amityville 3-D The Demon. Raindate Sunday July 13th.

08/16 – Madonna Birthday Party and Film Festival. At 6:30pm cake and refreshments will be served in honor of Madonna’s fiftieth birthday. A special triple feature of Madonna films including Desperately Seeking Susan, Evita and Swept Away will follow. A Madonna look alike contest will be held. In case of inclement weather events will be moved into the Seaside Heights Community Center.

Children friendly nights (Thursdays)
07/17: Muppet Movie
07/24: E.T.
07/31: Uncle Buck
08/07: Annie
08/14: Bee Movie
08/21: Harry Potter #1
08/28: Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory

Kids over 13 night (Sundays):
07/20: Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
07/27: Talledega Nights
08/03: Jaws
08/10: Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure
08/17: Grease
08/24: Apollo 13
08/31: Gone With The Wind

All movies start at dusk at the Hiering Avenue beach. If weather interferes the movie will be rescheduled to a different night as soon as possible if it’s possible to reschedule. Check the Seaside Heights PR blog for updates.

Whether you’re driving across country, taking a train to the Midwest or going on a domestic flight, if you’ve got an illness you need to be prepared no matter where you are. Here’s a few tips for long domestic journeys if you take medications.
Before beginning a long journey check the label on how to store meds. Be aware if meds need to be kept cool, shaded or kept cold before storing them in a bag for a long flight, drive or rides.
Be prepared for delays, no matter how you’re traveling. People always think of flights getting delayed, but road trips can also get delayed for extreme weather. The best way to be prepared is to keep your medications in a carryon or purse.
Be familiar with your medical coverage, and what to do if an emergency arises while you’re traveling.
Store your medication in the original labeled containers. Bring a few more than you need in case of delay or a decision to extend the trip.
Check with your pharmacist about what foods, if any, may have an effect on your prescription. We all tend to indulge a little more when traveling when it comes to foods and beverages.
That’s the tips my family uses. If you have any to share I’d love to hear them.

The time has come for me to plan our annual summer vacation. Typically we go camping in upstate New York for one week, traveling at the same time as my parents. We pull a tiny travel trailer behind my truck up to the Finger Lakes region of upstate New York. While there we camp at the Watkins Glen KOA. This year I’m considering extending our vacation on one end, as well as not taking the travel trailer up. That’s because I want to buy a larger trailer. If I do this, I’ll need to get a hotel room near the racetrack and campground for part of the time. I took a look in the Finger Lakes Tourism site to see what other activities are going on in the area while we’re up there besides the Nascar race, in case there was something in a particular area we wanted to see. Ideally wherever we stay will be in the Watkins Glen – Corning – Elmira area.

There was one occasion that I had to find a hotel room in this area for a trip my husband and father took. Their needs were simple, all that was required was a clean, safe, affordable room for the night. I booked a room at the Knights Inn in Horseheads. That was three years ago and it didn’t end well. When they checked in the door on the room didn’t lock, the television couldn’t be turned on and the toilet was clogged. They had to go back out to the office and request another room, which in the end didn’t turn out to be much better. After they finally got the room problem solved they were hungry. Unfortunately there were no restaurants nearby so they had to have snacks from the vending machine for dinner.

This time around I’m being more careful with my search for a room. After all, the whole family will be in the room and I wouldn’t want anything less than clean and safe for my family. But the accommodations I make will need to fit some other needs we have. I’m bringing my laptop, so I want high speed internet. We like the ability to be able to watch tv in our room. We should be located near a restaurant, or the hotel we stay in should have one. We prefer to be able to have coffee in the morning before we hit the road. I’ve found two that look like they fit our needs and will be our best choices.

EconoLodge, Elmira

This hotel is in an area we’re familiar with and it’s about 20 minutes away from the racetrack and camping ground. My parents have actually stayed at this hotel and said it was very clean. It’s near the mall that my Mom goes to every year, a Walmart, a grocery store and a number of restaurants and attractions. It offers high speed internet, free breakfast and free coffee. I notice that the rooms have been remodeled and now include microwaves and refrigerators, which are terrific for a traveling family.

Super 8 Motel, Ithaca

This hotel is about 30 minutes away from the racetrack and campground. It has free high speed internet and free continental breakfast. It’s near a number of restaurants and attractions. I notice from the pictures displayed that their rooms look like they’re a decent size and they have a free fitness center for guests. It looks like these rooms were just renovated in 2005, so they’re probably in decent shape.

I think everyone will be happy with one of these selections, particularly my hubby and father after the last experience. In case you’re wondering how I found these hotels, I searched on a great site called Hotels Combined. This site can search many hotel reservation websites to find you the best price for rooms in cities all around the world. I looked on the page for cities in New York, and then checked the pages for the cities in the area that we stay in. You can see what I mean by visiting http://www.hotelscombined.com/State/New_York.htm.

Take a look on the Hotels Combined site and see what lodgings are available where you’re going. Their search engine is sure to find you lodging that fits all of your needs and your budget. Happy travels!

If I could give anyone one driving tip it would be to back in when you’re parking. Alternatively, if you’re in a shopping center, pull through to the other side. The goal is to have the nose of your vehicle pointing out. Here’s why. In some residential areas, backing out of your driveway is actually illegal. And it just plain makes sense. It’s a lot easier to see past other vehicles, hedges, shrubs, fences and whatever else may be near your home if you’re pulling out head on and you’ll get a better view of other cars that may be coming. I think it’s easier to get through snow and slush going forward as opposed to backward. You may also find it’s easier to unload your car once you’ve backed into your driveway. Another reason is no matter if you’re home, out locally or traveling, it’s a lot easier to get a jump start from another car if the nose of your car is easily accessible. If you have a certain place or way of parking, what is it and why do you do it?