#Organization is the name of the game if you want to keep your car #clean during an extended #road trip with family and friends. The glove compartment should be your command center, a story in Rochester Local says, and contain a cord case; a pouch of sanitizing wipes, over-the-counter medications and first aid supplies; a file of insurance documents and important travel confirmation information; and a flashlight. In the main cabin and boot, uses suitcases and bins to sort the #stuff you’re bringing on the trip; remember, you can often find good lightly used luggage, bins, coolers and other containers for cheap at the #thrift stores supplied by generous #donations to ClothingDonations.org. #SummerRoadTrip
Tag: travel tips
Pack the Essentials for Your Summer Road Trip
Make a checklist of essential items to pack for your #summer #road trip, says Systems by Susie. Besides the obvious — clothing and toiletries — remember to pack important documents such as your license, registration and proof of insurance, a first aid kit, a spare tire, and a roadside emergency kit. You’ll also want to pack any chargers and cables, games and perhaps a neck pillow for the backseat passengers. Make hotel reservations, get your car checked and hit the road! And “don’t forget to leave room for spontaneity and flexibility,” she says. “Road trips are about the freedom to explore, so allow yourself to take detours, discover hidden gems, and adapt your plans as you go.” #SummerRoadTrip
Packing for a Summer Road Trip
It’s always a challenge to pack sensibly for a #summer road trip; you need to prepare for planned stops and unseen eventualities while maximizing space and comfort inside the car. Reset Your Nest suggests having a water bottle for every person in the car, preferably ones that fit in a cupholder and avoid spillage. You will need also need a cooler for canned beverages and any fresh snacks such as cheese and fruit. A roll of paper towels is a good idea, as is a trash bag (or two). You’ll want to bring or subscribe to a selection of your preferred music/podcasts, since rural areas tend to have few radio stations. And finally, pack some activities for the kids or memorize the rules to a few road trip games. #SummerRoadTrip
Start Planning Your Summer Road Trip
Is there anything more all-American than a #summer #road trip? If you haven’t started planning one, start now. First, decide on the time frame: Will it a weekend, a week, two weeks or more? Next, pick your destination(s): Will it be national parks, the beach, city sightseeing, visits to friends and family, or all of the above? Settle on the locations you’ll target, and limit driving to a maximium of six hours per day to allow for unexpected stops, new discoveries and leisurely lunches. Use an app such as Roadtrippers to chart your course, flag must-see attractions and find lodging. And as with any summertime activity, carry plenty of water and snacks! #SummerRoadTrip
Viewing the 2024 Solar Eclipse Safely
A rare celestial event is coming April 8. The moon will pass between the earth and the sun, blocking light from reaching earth and producing a solar eclipse that will be visible from Arizona to Maine.
It’s the second total solar eclipse that has been viewable in the U.S. in less than 10 years, and if you want to experience the full effect of the phenomena live, you won’t get another chance until 2044 without traveling overseas.
In the narrow path of totality (where the sun is completely blocked for a few minutes), night falls. Temperatures drop. Birds stop singing. Only the sun’s corona peeks out from behind the moon. If there’s no cloud cover, it’s an eerie thing to witness.
In ancient times, people saw total eclipses as bewildering portents of doom. Chinese civilizations proposed that a dragon had eaten the sun, while the Inca thought that the gods were expressing their displeasure and must be appeased. Modern science has dispelled such beliefs.
One thing we know for certain: Viewers must not look directly at the sun during the eclipse. Except for the few minutes of totality, you’ll need to wear solar viewing glasses to see the sun during its partial eclipse phase or risk severe eye damage.
You can also use an indirect method to view the eclipse by allowing the sun to project itself on a surface. These methods include a pinhole camera, a “sun funnel,” or options as simple as a kitchen colander or interlaced fingers.
If you are among the up to 4 million who travel to view totality this year, you’re in for an experience. Be forewarned that traffic could be bad on the return trip. Following the eclipse of 2017, people who drove to rural areas in the path of totality faced return commutes more than two-and-a-half times as long, USA Today says.
If you can’t see totality in person, you’ll likely still be able to step outside to view a partial solar eclipse — and you can live-stream the eclipse as it happens with NASA and other sites on your screens without the need for protective glasses. Check it out – it’s a rare event that might inspire your awe.