5 Hot US Spots for a Road Trip

“America the beautiful” written by Katharine Lee Bates is the soundtrack to planning a road trip, which is an inexpensive alternative to air travel.  Road trips are both enjoyable and historically enlightening.  You would be surprised as to what’s in your backyard.  If you have been thinking of taking a road trip, look no further, we will provide you with several great spots to get some much-needed R & R.

Boston, Massachusetts

Boston is colder than most vacation spots, but it also offers some of the greatest historical sights in the US.  World-renowned museums, shows, concerts, Red Sox games at World famous Fenway Park, and the Freedom Trail.  If you enjoy the bar scene, you could also enjoy Boston’s plethora of pubs, hangouts, and just spend a day barhopping.  Great food balances out the equation. 

The California Coast

Take a direct ride up the coast from San Diego to San Francisco for a great view and an even more amazing feeling.   You can bask in the sun on any beach that permits, check out the Torrey Pines State Reserve in San Diego, or the Monterey Bay Aquarium in Monterey, the possibilities are as endless as the shoreline. 

New York City

This is hands down one of the places required to visit on your trip (if you haven’t been).  Public transportation to any location is convenient.  The Empire State Building is amazing, Staten Island ferry, Greenwich Village and Soho, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Chinatown, and Times Square make New York City a town chock full of the American dream.  Then when you’re too tired to walk and need a seat, watch a Broadway Show you will be amazed at the production value!

Disney World, Florida

Disney is a land of freedom from adulthood, and a child’s paradise.  It has countless rides and amusement parks, colorful characters of our favorite cartoons, delicious food, and Mickey Mouse!  What more could you ask for?

Grand Canyon, Arizona

One of the greatest national wonders in the world, the Grand Canyon is a breathtaking formation of natural beauty.  Views from the South rim, hiking trails, and a rafting tour make The Grand Canyon a stellar vacation spot.  The scene is truly breathtaking.  This should be one location where you should save massive space on your camera memory card.  Say cheese!

Ok, so we’ve provided several spots for your next road trip.  Have you had any road trips experiences you would like to share, or maybe we missed your favorite hot spot?  Feel free to comment below:

Avoiding Traffic Frustration

You’ve been there.  The morning looks promising.  You’ve managed to wake up early enough to drop the kids off at school, eat breakfast and create a fifteen-minute window of driving time to account for traffic. However, traffic still looms over your day like a delayed coffee break.  Why? Because as you drive onto the entry ramp the congestion on the highway that exits close to your job is jam-packed.   You release a sigh, not one of relief, but of remorse as your legs tense up and the radio plays commercials.  Great…Traffic… 

The average commuter lost 34 hours or a full workweek because of traffic in 2009, according to the latest Urban Mobility Report.  In larger cities, traffic increases from office parks being built on rural land and the lag of mass transit continues to add fuel to the fire.  Many individuals can make it to work in a relatively good time when traffic is smooth, but when congestion occurs, it can double or even triple a commute.  This creates a dead stop between you and your destination.  There are some solutions to ease traffic at the federal, state, and local levels:

Toll Roads- fast lanes operated by a private company within the existing freeway system.  This would allow for fluctuating, reasonable rates according to time of day and a speedy driving alternative.

GPS traffic management integration- companies that harvest traffic data to create a network that feeds to smartphones or in-dash GPS systems.  This would give individuals heads up traffic updates quickly.

Simple tweaks- Hiring more tow trucks to cruise major highway routes, which allows for faster cleared wrecks is a great way to save time.  This is already done in Houston and only adds 5 million a year for 100 tow trucks.  This tow truck army saves $25 million to $30 in congestion costs and about $30 million that could result in chain-reaction pileups, according to The Texas Transportation Institute. 

Flexible work schedules- Working from home, which can be difficult in some cases when employees are needed at the office.  Coming in early or late to avoid traffic.

Traffic is a hassle.  It takes away from productivity, family time, and just plain enjoyment.  Some tweaks to the system could provide a great alternative for American commuters. 

Do you have any to add to the list?  Feel free to comment!

More Gas Less Cash! What Type of Gas is For You?

In the good old days you had countless choices: Ethel, Leaded, Unleaded, and more… Now that option is diminished, with Unleaded becoming the victor.  Now, when you head to the gas station, your alternatives come in different form: octane, special additives, and ethanol content, derivatives of unleaded. Sometimes, I find myself thinking of which type of gas would be beneficial for my specific vehicle.  In today’s blog, we discuss the best options for you, check it out!

Octane

Octane has three options: 87, 89, and 92.  Large engines perform well on 87 octane, smaller cars do well with 89, and high performance cars run perfect on 92 octane.  The higher the octane rating the more compression the fuel can handle before it ignites.  If your engine begins to knock, then fuel is igniting from the compression, not from the spark.  Thus, damaging your engine.  If this continues to occur, it’s time to buy higher-octane gas.

Special Additives

Special Additives are beneficial because their utilized by fuel companies to keep the inside of the engine clean.  For example, Exxon uses high amounts of additives in their gas to keep your system clean.  All the major gas companies use detergent additives to help keep the engine clean, so this should not really be a consideration. 

Ethanol content

The final option is ethanol content.  The lower the ethanol content, the better the fuel will burn in your engine, providing a longer life for your engine.  Ethanol is also good because it improves fuel economy, sometimes giving up to a 20% boost. 

Saving the planet, saving money, or prolonging the life of your car?  These are all great options to consider, give us your feedback!

What Smartphone is For You?

Today, as I scaled through my phone for the latest updates on Facebook, the most up-to-date news on AP mobile, and weather updates for the ensuing week, I thought to myself: WOW.  I was able to perform several tasks from the swipe of my phone, before I even stepped foot into the bathroom for my morning rituals.  I sat back and wondered: “are other people THIS bad?” Are other smartphone users as ‘plugged in’ as I am?  In today’s blog, we’ll discuss the best smartphone based on your needs.  The 3 big conglomerates: iPhone, Android based phones, and Blackberry by RIM lead the pack with their innovations.  Lets dive in!

iPhone:  the iPhone has a HUGE, dedicated fan base of followers.  Debuting in 2007, the iPhone took the cake in innovation.  Creating a user-friendly operating system that was simple to use, and quick implementation was ideal.  Apple has introduced many innovative features in its smartphones and has redefined the mobile-device landscape, forcing the competition to evolve and play catch-up in many cases.With the new operating system iOS 4 the phones move quickly (except for older models losing some of that speed in the process).  Pros: Operating System, App Store, Web Browsing, Hardware, and Flexibility.  Cons: Battery Life, iTunes, Durability, Consumer-centric.

Blackberry: RIM’s (Research in Motion) first smartphone hit the streets in 2002 with a heavy focus on e-mail and corporate messaging.  Blackberry’s niche in business makes it a strong contender in the smartphone market.   Creating an operating system and hardware also contributes to RIM’s success.  Blackberry has the best contact management, calendaring, and e-mail client of all the devices. It is built for the business user and has extras for the consumer. A strong emphasis in battery life provides THE most optimal power consumption for the business user.  Pros: Battery Life, Operating System, Durability, Productivity, and Hardware.  Cons: Apps, Web Browsing, Business-centric, and Server software.

Android: Android’s operating system is like no other.  It is owned and operated by Google, flourishing on a plethora of devices.  What started on specific phones has become strictly an operating system for countless phone manufacturers.  Android prides itself on being open source, boasting an application store containing thousands of free and paid apps.  Android outsells both Blackberry’s and iPhone becoming the number one selling OS.  Pros: Google Apps, Android Market, Choice of Hardware, Open Source, ActiveSync.  Cons: Battery life, applications, fragmentation.

So…what do you use?  Feel free to comment!!