The Explore All 50 States Project
Let's Go!
Imagine this....you and your family are totally psyched about seeing this awesome historical place that offers tours at 12pm 1pm and 3pm. You've got lots planned for your trip and figure you'll make the 1pm tour and then head off to your other stops. Sadly, when you get there you find out the 1pm tour is sold out...ugh. It's happened to me in the past, and with the summer quickly approaching I won't let it happen … [Read more...]
There's a lot that goes into choosing travel dates-everyone's schedules, costs, weather and more. Another thing to consider as you choose your dates and even route is the calendar of regional events that are happening in the place you are planning to visit. One of the best ways to soak up local color and experience the area you are visiting is to attend a regional event, festival or fair and if you plan it right it … [Read more...]
Everybody has a different idea about what makes a road trip really special. Whether it's the scenery, the family bonding, or the mere fact that you are just getting away -you are bound to enjoy yourself (with the exception of course of a completely unexpected disaster). But what makes the standard road trip go from great to super memorable? Sometimes we resist getting out of our comfort zone, but often times when we … [Read more...]
What you need to know to figure out how far you can go. Once you’ve decided on a particular region and you’ve figured out how many days you can spend, the next part is planning your route and mapping your trip. I have found that, by and large, the best approach is to create a loop in which you start and stop in a large city where you can fly in and out of, and rent and return your vehicle (if necessary). A … [Read more...]
I love to read the newspaper and come Sunday I go straight to the travel section. I find it's a fantastic resource for all kinds of travel related information from destinations to apps and how to secure the best bargain. Recently I came across some awesome things that I thought were particularly useful that I would love to share with you. I am always looking to save on airfare. Did you know that the best time … [Read more...]
With 16 trips under our belt you can be sure we've encountered our share of rainy days. Besides traveling with rain ponchos we always leave with the notion that if we get rained out, we need to have a backup plan. If your plan was doing indoor stuff like museums, no problem. But if you were counting on outdoor activities like exploring the boardwalk and hitting the beach you might find yourself out of luck. You … [Read more...]
My kids and I have now planned and taken 16 road trips and while I think I've fine tuned the process it seems I still have more to learn. On our last trip to NY, NJ and PA, in my zeal to cover a lot of ground in a limited amount of time we rushed through and missed a lot of stuff I wished we'd taken the time to see. Of course there were other factors involved like bad weather, losing my wallet and a rush to get back … [Read more...]
Not every trip has to be an epic adventure that has you hauling your crew through 6 states over a couple of weeks. If you are on a quest to knock off all 50 states you might want to consider a couple of mini trips to tick a few more off your list and reach your goal sooner. Thanksgiving, Spring break, or even long weekends like President's day or 4th of July can be great times to explore somewhere that isn't too … [Read more...]
I’ve been pretty successful at putting off traveling during the holidays for the last couple of years much to the dismay of my three children who did not waste a moment in letting me know they were bored out of their skulls. Even with local activities planned it was hard to make the most of their time off, so for the second time I am relenting and planning another winter ski trip to rendezvous with friends in Park … [Read more...]
Remember the game show Who Wants To Be a Millionaire? If you needed help with an answer you could use one of their lifelines called "phone a friend". These days if you help you can still phone a friend but if you really want to reach far and wide the best way to do it is through social media. With one click you've potentially phoned thousands of friends who surely will offer answers or awesome suggestions to whatever … [Read more...]
