Hopefully, this will be the first of many travel columns. This first one is timely as winter has arrived and the holiday travel season has begun. This article will address both traveling by car or air.
Driving
This is a great time to check that your vehicle is in good working order. By this I mean check your tires including the spare (tread depth and inflation), all fluids, make sure that your battery contacts are clean, check your wiper blades, and that all your light bulbs are working. You may also be one of the people that chooses to change to snow tires, if so now is the time to do it!
With the above items completed, I start thinking about the things that I like to carry in my car for the winter. Even though I may be just traveling around the county, I like to be prepared for anything. In both my vehicles I carry jumper cables, a tire pressure gauge, windshield cleaner, a shovel, kitty litter or sand for traction, drinking water, a blanket or sleeping bag, an extra coat, hat, and gloves, road flares, a small first aid kit, a tool kit, towels both paper and cotton, snow scrapper/brush, flashlight, some energy bars, a lighter, and spare fuses. When I am traveling further I will put in a small bag with additional clothes, a rechargeable battery charger/air compressor/light, snow boots with extra wool socks, and a cooler and bag of snacks and food.
Other travel items I always carry is an adapter to connect multiple USB devices, these are great to charge your phone, to use a GPS device, or any other USB items that you might have. I also carry a rechargeable USB battery which will allow me to charge my cell phone if need be. I continue to have a AAA membership Plus which gives me up to 100 miles free towing, battery jump, and additional service and support.
In this day and age I like so many other people have gone to smart phones. I use an Apple iPhone. I have added many travel apps, which I found to be really useful when traveling. Some of the apps I use for driving travel include: Colorado Department of Transportation’s Colorado Roads, Waze (which has replaced my TomTom GPS), GasBuddy, Hotel Tonight, Trivago, The Weather Channel, Storm Shield, Snow Cast, and Sunrise & Set. These are the typical apps that I like to have when traveling by car. I also have my hotel loyalty card apps.
Before leaving on my road trip I clean my windshield, head and tail lights. Now I am ready to go.
Check the weather road conditions, and construction before you leave. Allow extra time get to where your destination. You will not be happy if you get pulled over for speeding, getting in an accident with another vehicle or a large animal. Always be aware of your surroundings. Be prepared for changing conditions. Slow down when it is raining or snowing!!! Stay back, allow enough room to be able to stop, and avoid the back-splash from other vehicles. Let the snowplows do their job safely, which includes staying far enough behind them. Turn on your headlights as road conditions change.
Remember, having 4 x 4 drive does not make you unstoppable or invincible. I you are tired you may want to pull over at a truck stop, rest area, or off the road. I also like to get out and stretch my legs, and occasionally will open the window to get some fresh cold air. Depending on where I am going I will carry a thermos for hot coffee along with a travel mug or energy drinks, or shots (check with your doctor). I also try to calculate my gas stops. In the winter, I like to keep my gas tank about a half full or more.
When traveling long distances, I like to plan my overnight stops and book my hotel or motel room in advance. When I get there I take all of my valuables out of my car, as well as my cooler and food. I like to park in front of my room or in a well-lit spot.
From a safety stand point at gas stations I lock my car doors, or stay with my car while filling-up. When I warm up my car I scrape the windows, and remove the snow.
If you get stranded or in an accident stay calm, call for assistance with your cell phone if possible. Stay with your vehicle. If it looks like you are going to be there for a while, run the car periodically to stay warm (see my gas tip), make sure that your tail pipe remains clear of snow. The longer you are stranded the happier you will be to have supplies such as water, snacks/food, blankets, clothes and/or sleeping bag.
Enjoy your road trip and arrive safely!
Air travel
A long time ago well before the terrorist attacks on nine-eleven, air travel was fun, affordable, and easy! A lot has changed as the airline industry has changed and airport security measures have changed the ease of entering the terminals and placed restrictions on what we can carry, air travel has become much more expensive, is often times filed with hassles and delays, and can be just plain uncomfortable. As a seasoned and frequent traveler, I have some tips to help you get the best air travel experience possible regardless of your airline status or which class of service you are choosing to fly.
Hopefully, by now you have your holiday reservations in place. If not there may still be some possibilities. Today, the airlines want to fill every seat on the plane. It is possible that you will have to pay a higher price. Good days at this point for Christmas and New Year’s Day are to fly on that day. Use airline websites, and other search engines such as Expedia, Google Travel, Bing, Orbitz, Kayak, etc… Allow plenty of time to get to the airport, and plan on long check-in and security lines. Check and see in advance if your flight is delayed or cancelled before you leave.
Allowing plenty of time to get to the airport and check to see if flights are delayed or canceled also applies if you are picking up friends and loved ones. There are a number of apps that can help you whether are traveling or picking someone. FlightView and My TSA are two apps that can give you an idea of whether a flight is on time or delayed. Dedicated airline apps can also provide you with good information on their own flights.
In a future column I will look further into air travel.
For now, check the flight status, if traveling, allow plenty of time to get to the airport, and to check-in and go through security. Check the TSA website or My TSA app to see latest news on security and carry-on restrictions. If picking up someone make sure you allow enough time to get to the airport, and give them your cell phone number, and have theirs.
![My grandfather was born in a sod house on the Colorado prairie in 1890. A generation before it had been the domain of buffalo and the Cheyenne, Sioux and other tribes that feasted on them. He was taken while still very young to the nearest town, Sterling. Cresting a ridge, he glimpsed the South Platte River Valley for the first time. What did he see, his elders asked? Cows, he guessed, and lots of them. He had no basis for imagining so many trees. Grandpa somehow found his way to a two-year degree from Colorado A&M, now known as Colorado […]](https://www.fortmorgantimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/STJ-z-wotr-Allen-Best-mug-1.jpeg?w=309 "My grandfather was born in a sod house on the Colorado prairie in 1890. A generation before it had been the domain of buffalo and the Cheyenne, Sioux and other tribes that feasted on them. He was taken while still very young to the nearest town, Sterling. Cresting a ridge, he glimpsed the South Platte River Valley for the first time. What did he see, his elders asked? Cows, he guessed, and lots of them. He had no basis for imagining so many trees. Grandpa somehow found his way to a two-year degree from Colorado A&M, now known as Colorado […]")
