Jul 14th, 2011 at 8:30AM:
One thing you won't find in New York City, at least at my apartment, is a screened-in porch. But in the summer in the south, the porch is the living room, kitchen, dining room and bar, a focal point of a home to rival the greatest of fireplaces. I know because I had the pleasure of enjoying a porch for a couple of days recently in Raleigh, North Carolina. ...Click on a label to read posts from that part of the world.
roadtrips posts
Staying with Friends: On the Porch in Raleigh, North Carolina
Jul 14th, 2011 at 8:30AM:
One thing you won't find in New York City, at least at my apartment, is a screened-in porch. But in the summer in the south, the porch is the living room, kitchen, dining room and bar, a focal point of a home to rival the greatest of fireplaces. I know because I had the pleasure of enjoying a porch for a couple of days recently in Raleigh, North Carolina. ...The Ultimate Road Trip Detour: Go Kart Racing?
Jul 11th, 2011 at 11:30AM:
At the outset of this road trip, I invited friends and readers to jump in the car with me. After more than a month on the road, one of my buddies finally took me up on the offer, planning to meet me in Virginia Beach after I toured Colonial Williamsburg.
I've known Rob for more than 10 years, and while we get along wonderfully, we love competition. So it being a road trip, there was no ...Name My (Sweet) Ride for a Chance to Win a HP Veer phone
Jun 14th, 2011 at 3:30PM:
One of my colleagues once nicknamed his father's 2000 Miata "The Penis Extension". In hindsight, "Extension" could have been changed to "Reduction," but I give him credit for trying. And the guy had a point, anyone with an emotional engagement with their vehicle needs to name it -- it's a way of connecting and making the journey personal, or, if you're lucky a way to win a phone (details ...Inside the WBEZ Studios in Chicago to Learn about the Rust Belt
Jun 8th, 2011 at 5:30PM:
At the outset of my trip, I needed some guidance. A sort of Rust Belt Virgil, willing and able to orient me to the exciting and dynamic and tragic state of the Great Lakes region. With my route passing through Chicago, Detroit and Cleveland, there seemed no one better for the job than Micki Maynard, a journalist now spearheading a public radio project called Changing Gears.
More than just a ...Traveling the American Road: A Video Introduction from Chicago
Jun 6th, 2011 at 10:00AM:
Last week, I kicked off a summer-long road trip around the country, a project we're calling Traveling the American Road. After picking up my ride in Chicago, I set out to see the city, and this video intro will fill you in on the project, a quest to find out how people are confronting change in the wake of the Great Recession and determine the state of the American road trip in an era of ...Lonely Planet dishes out summer travel tips and chance at a Napa Valley trip
May 26th, 2011 at 3:00PM:
Summer is fast approaching and sure to fly by even more quickly than it came. To help Americans get the most out of the summer months, Lonely Planet has launched a special micro-site called "Weekends of Summer" that has 15 free guides for all the weekends between Memorial Day and Labor Day.
The guides reads like a summer to-do list, with suggestions like "pop a cork" and "explore the great ...Traveling the American Road: introducing AOL Travel's Road Trip Across America
May 23rd, 2011 at 11:00AM:
[Editor's note: Paul Brady has replaced Eva Holland as the pilot of the 2011 Explorer due to technical constraints. You can read his intro to the series here!]
There's something powerful about the American road trip. It's a travel tradition that's steeped in history but re-made fresh every summer by families across the country. And it's a standby in literature and pop culture – from ...Summer road trip guide: where's the cheapest gas in America?
May 18th, 2011 at 10:00AM:
Come on, people, sing it with me: "It's the most wonderful time of the year..." The summer road trip season is here – and that means photo ops at scenic viewpoints, snacks melting on sun-soaked dashboards, and nights in roadside campgrounds or fleabag memorable motels.
Unfortunately, this summer season also brings some nasty gas prices with it. So what's the best region for an American ...Summer road trip plans; don't let gas prices slow you down
Apr 20th, 2011 at 4:00PM:
If you're starting to think about that Summer road trip and how much it is going to cost, take another look at gas prices. At about 96 cents above average prices last year, experts say prices could beat July 2008's record $4.11 as Summer driving season demand, speculators and political uncertainty in Libya and the Middle East drive crude oil prices up.
"We're going to see some more ...Exploring Ethiopia's Somali region
Mar 30th, 2011 at 9:00AM:
It's the dream of every adventure traveler--to explore a region that gets virtually no tourism, to see a culture with little contact with the outside world, to be among the first to visit the sights. It can be a thrill, an amazing rush that gives you valuable insights into a foreign culture and its history.
It can also be a major pain in the ass.
To the east of Harar lies Ethiopia's Somali ...Getting to Harar: riding the bus through eastern Ethiopia
Mar 7th, 2011 at 9:00AM:
It's good to be back in Ethiopia again.
I've noticed some changes since my last trip to Ethiopia. More high-rises are going up in the capital Addis Ababa and ATMs have finally appeared. The Internet is faster too, although it isn't the full broadband promised by the government.
Addis is fun, but my real destination is Harar, a medieval walled city in eastern Ethiopia. The whole city is a ...Gas stations: then and now
Mar 1st, 2011 at 3:00PM: Once upon a time, gas stations gave away all kinds of cool stuff, most of it targeted at kids. As a child of the 70's, I clearly recall of our Exxon "NFL Helmets" drinking glass collection, and my miniature Noah's Ark collectible series (What genius ad team decided that was the perfect gas station promo?). The point is, these giveaways worked. My parents would bribe me not to annoy my older ...Gadling's 2011 New Year's travel resolutions
Dec 29th, 2010 at 10:30AM: It's that time of year again. A time when we all make certain promises to ourselves, in an attempt to make our lives more organized, our bodies stronger or leaner. We vow to spend more time with loved ones, give back to others, or ditch that cubicle job. And some of us...well, we just want to keep on traveling, any way we can manage to finagle it.
In the spirit of New Year's, I asked my fellow ...My year in adventure travel: a look back and a look forward
Dec 26th, 2010 at 10:30AM:
Happy Boxing Day everybody! As I sit here stuffed with my mother-in-law's cooking after a traditional Spanish Christmas, I'm thinking back on all my travels in 2010 and looking forward to 2011. One of the best parts about my travel year has been sharing it all with you. I love the comments you've sent suggesting sites to see and trails to take, and was especially amazed by the outpouring of ...Seven reasons cell phones kill people on road trips
Dec 8th, 2010 at 12:00PM: Even though Thanksgiving is behind us, there are still plenty of reasons to road trip before the end of the year. Well, there's one reason, really, and that's Christmas. But, a lot of people are going to get behind the wheel or whine in the back seat. Of course, we can expect a lot of people to be on their cell phones while they're driving about, according to the Insurance Information Institute's ...The Jesse James farm
Nov 24th, 2010 at 12:30PM:
Jesse James grew up both lucky and unlucky. His father, Baptist preacher Robert Sallee James, owned a prosperous farm in Clay County. His slaves cultivated hemp and other cash crops, and Jesse and his older siblings Frank and Susan grew up in comfort. Robert kept a large library and both his sons became avid readers. Frank loved Shakespeare, while Jesse was more devoted to the Bible and ...Road trip truth: women are far more likely than men to ask for directions
Oct 28th, 2010 at 11:00AM: You're on a road trip. Somehow, your directions fall short, and you find yourself not being able to find yourself. Getting lost is no fun, and it's even worse when you know – you just know – you're close. So, the moment of truth arrives: do you stop and ask for directions or poke around a little longer?
Well, we all know how this movie ends: women stop to ask for directions, and men ...Driving from London to Cape Town for charity
Oct 23rd, 2010 at 8:00AM: When it comes to epic road trips, it's tough to beat the one that Mac Mackenney, Chris Rawlings and Steve Mackenney set out on last weekend. The adventurous trio of Brits hit the road in their trusty Range Rover Discovery in hopes of breaking the speed record for driving from London to Cape Town, South Africa. In order to accomplish that feat, they'll need to reach their destination in less than ...Ayn Rand fanatic travels to send GPS message
Aug 16th, 2010 at 2:30PM:
In today's politically polarized climate, die-hards will do anything to get a leg up in the battle for communication. Larger crowds are sought, along with bigger signs, louder voices and greater media play. The days of slapping bumper stickers on random cars are giving way to more sophisticated stunts, and Nick Newcomen just set the bar higher with an unusual road trip.
Newcomen put 12,328 ...Four tips for traveling with dogs - Road trip tips
Aug 12th, 2010 at 11:37PM: Traveling with your beloved pooch often takes the same careful planning as hitting the road with young children. Utilize these tips to ensure a smooth ride:
Give your pup a thorough brushing before loading him into the car, greatly reducing the amount of flying fur.
Pack travel necessities for your road trip like water and a bowl, treats, paper towels, and cleanup bags.
Unless your dog ...
