Search Results for: blog what to know before you travel during hurricane season

Gas Tank Getaway: Six Flags Great America

Don’t let high gas prices keep you home this summer.  There’s no need to sweat it out in your backyard when extreme family fun is less than a tank of gas away. If you live in Wisconsin, Indiana, Michigan or Illinois, a mecca of mind-blowing adventure awaits at Six Flags Great America.  The popular theme park is located in Gurnee, Illinois; less than an hour’s drive from Chicago, Milwaukee, and a host of other major Midwestern cities. Great America’s convenient location is a major timesaver, but the savings don’t stop there.  In addition to banking gas money, you can continue … Continue reading →

SoCal Super Savers

All eyes are on the East Coast right now as Hurricane Sandy threatens to leave millions soaked and in the dark. Meanwhile, on the other side of the nation, California residents are gearing up to enjoy holiday-themed festivities in much better weather. Tourism officials in San Diego County are going all out to tout their upcoming holiday events taking place in the warm and sunny region. If you are looking to escape Old Man Winter, but don’t have a ton of money to spend on your seasonal adventures, consider the following family-friendly holiday events that are fun, fabulous, and FREE: … Continue reading →

Post-Christmas Musings

I was born and raised in Hawaii where retailers live and die by the tourist dollar. As such, on Christmas and New Year’s it’s business as usual across the island chain. All of the local McDonald’s are open and ready to super-size your Big Mac meal on Jesus’ birthday, and if Santa forgot to include batteries with your son’s new remote control snake, don’t fret, you can run over to Wal-Mart to get your AA fix. Such is not the case in the relatively small Northern Wisconsin town which I currently reside. In fact, during the first Thanksgiving I spent … Continue reading →

Summer Road Trip: Tires

Despite gas prices nearing record levels studies show many families are still planning to hit the road this summer. As such I have decided to write a series of blogs providing tips on how you can stay safe while on driving to your summer vacation destination. Today, I’m focusing on car care–specifically tire care. While it is important to remain vigilant about the condition of your tires throughout the year it is especially critical in warm weather because long trips, heavy loads, high speeds and higher temperatures all put additional stress on your tires. Before you head out on the … Continue reading →

Protecting Your Family While Traveling on Wet Roads

April showers bring… hazardous driving conditions, which could lead to potentially deadly accidents if you are not properly prepared. Common sense tells you that the first thing you should do when you find yourself driving in the middle of a spring or summer storm is to slow down. However, there are a few other simple ways you can protect your precious cargo during the rainy season: WINDSHIELD WIPERS Equip your vehicle with a good set of wiper blades. When was the last time you replaced your car’s windshield wiper blades? Car care experts recommend they be changed at least twice … Continue reading →

Romantic Hurricane Adventures: Fun with Floyd

For me, September brings to mind hurricanes. It all started the year we moved to Florida. The Summer of ‘99 We moved to Jacksonville in May of 1999. Our move had been a bit rocky. Wayne and I had been separated for four months until our house sold in Phoenix. (Actually, it hadn’t even sold yet. I just couldn’t stand not living with him anymore, so I decided I was moving. Luckily we got an offer at the same time.) But I had only been in Jax a month when Wayne’s company declared bankruptcy and laid him off. It could … Continue reading →

Keeping Safe While Visiting Mexico

This advice is not aimed at helping you escape hurricanes (Dean is poised to slam into Mexico’s Caribbean coast in the next 36 hours). But, it will help preserve your vacation if you plan to travel Mexico’s roads. Think driving in Mexico is a no brainer? You may think again once you learn that motor vehicle crashes — not crime or terrorism — are the No. 1 killer of healthy Americans in foreign countries. And according to the State Department, Mexico’s roadways are of particular concern. A recent study of Mexico highways shows that from 2004-2006, at least 280 Americans … Continue reading →

Tips For Driving In Bad Weather

Earlier I told you that my family is bracing to deal with Hurricane Flossie. Make no mistake; hurricane and tornado season is here and for travelers that means making sure you have emergency plans for a natural disaster. That goes double for those of you who do a lot of driving across the Great Plains and the Gulf and Atlantic coasts. It’s important to know what to do if you forced to drive in severe weather. According to the AAA (and common sense), it’s always better to stay off the roads until inclement weather has passed. But if you absolutely … Continue reading →

What To Know Before You Travel During Hurricane Season

The travel bargains during hurricane season are hard to beat, but before you shell out the money for a trip to the Caribbean, Mexico, or Florida there are a few points you should consider. First, the deep discounts offered during hurricane season come as a result of the risk you take. (It’s called hurricane season for a reason.) If you plan to head south during the heart of hurricane season you risk having your vacation drowned out. That’s what happened to more than 30,000 vacationers who were spending a fall trip in the Cancun area in October 2005. Their resorts … Continue reading →