Tag: trip planning

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June 15 – Route 66 Trip Planning: A Savvier Traveler

Several years ago when I traveled to Europe with a group of students for ten days, I realized that the recurring motif of 3s throughout so much of life holds true for travel as well and makes traveling with only a carry-on possible even for lengthy trips. Three bottoms and three tops yield nine outfits, and that’s more than enough clothing to take me through a week along Route 66 – and these items will fit with room to spare in one small bag.

Two friends in my writing groups have lost their checked luggage in the past few months. When we all gathered for an NCTE presentation in Anaheim, California last November, our Louisiana writer’s bags failed to turn up at the airport; she had to go buy all new clothes for the trip, right down to underwear, makeup, and a toothbrush. Our Michigan friend seemed to have it worse – – she’d flown to Italy and ended up borrowing clothes – – even for the wedding she was there to attend.

So I’m more than a little particular about not checking any bags, fearing I’ll end up on one side of the continent and my belongings on the other.

Before I decided to purchase my Coleman carry-on, I searched several major airlines’ websites to find out their maximum luggage dimensions for carry-ons. I took the smallest dimensions and made the decision to purchase a small hard-shell bag that could stand up to me. Solid swivel wheels, a thick exterior, and a non-flimsy expandable handle were the three most important features, and I also inspected it to be sure it had a stealthy zipper. I landed on a Coleman with a tactical flair.

My personal bag is one that I carry only on the airplane to get the maximum ride for space; once I get where I’m going, I whip out my Travelon backpack with its locking features and use this for daily excursions. The clasps that fasten the bag shut mean I don’t have to worry as much about theft, and the RFID protection gives an added layer of peace of mind. For this trip, I’m also adding a crossbody bag from Travelon, recommended by my traveling friend Glenda from Idaho. I’ll put the crossbody in the backpack and the backpack in the personal bag so that I have a range of bag options for any outing.

Crossbody/Fanny Pack Convertible bag recommended by my friend Glenda

I’m still seeking travel hacks, and some friends have emailed and texted me some great suggestions recently. I appreciate all of the voices of experience and the tips. Please share any packing ideas in the comments – I’m always looking for ways to become a savvier traveler!

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June 11 – Hydration on the Road – Stanley Pool Swirl

Yesterday I started my reviews of water tumblers to determine the best one to take along Route 66 as we travel later this month. Not only do I need a tumbler that keeps ice frozen overnight, but I also need it to be free from leaks, fit in a cup holder well, and be comfortably portable between the car and the places we stop. I need it to hold a lot of water, too.

That’s what concerns my husband as he chuckles to himself every time I take a new tumbler out to test.

Great, he quipped. We’ll be having to make a lot of pit stops, I see.

Call them what you want, but we’ve already mapped out frequent stops, I reminded him.

My sister in law and I have scheduled stops along the way in the Roadtrippers Plus app. We’re driving only a few hours each day, stopping to see the attractions and landmarks at the waypoints we have chosen. There won’t have to be many stops for the sole purpose of using the restroom ~ I’ll be taking advantage of the facilities where we’ve already marked the map.

Today’s review is for the Stanley Ice Flow 30 oz. Flip Straw Tumbler. When I first filled this tumbler with water and ice and held it upside down, it leaked.

I removed the top, cleaned up the water, and tried again. It turns out that the lid does not screw on as easily as the Quencher series cups. When I took the time to be sure that it was fastened tightly and held it upside down again, it did not leak. So here are the pros and cons of the Stanley Ice Flow.

Pros

It does not leak when the lid is fastened correctly.

I like the variety of colors. Pool Swirl appeals to my love of the ’70s.

The straw has smooth suction flow.

The straw is comfortable with its rounded edges (doesn’t hurt lips).

It fits in both of my RAV-4 cup holders in the console.

The mouth makes putting ice in easy (no bottleneck).

It’s comfortably held in the hand (body and handle, both).

The straw pops up and down – no need to remove it completely on the go.

Ice stayed frozen overnight.

It fits beautifully in the side pocket of my Travelon backpack.

Starting position for twisting the lid for the straw location doesn’t matter (on the Quencher, if you want the straw in a certain position, you have to experiment starting twist positions).

Cons

It takes some checking to be sure the lid is fastened correctly and tightened.

The twisting of the lid to get it off is not as smooth as the Quencher series.

It does not have a 3-stop lid position, so this is mostly for cold drinks.

It’s less bulky than the Quencher with the handle.

I ran out of water more quickly with the 30 ounce size, which is less than my normal size.

Fits comfortably in the RAV-4 front cup holder.
Fits comfortably in the RAV-4 middle console cup holder.
Ice stays frozen overnight.

Tomorrow, I’ll review both Quencher models – the 30 ounce and the 40 ounce.

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June 10 – Hydration on the Road – 40 ounce Hydro Flask Review

I’m not “extra.”

I live a simple life in a modest home in the rural Georgia countryside where, as they say, it gets so hot you can fry an egg on the sidewalk. I work as a Literacy Specialist in a school system, so I do a lot of reading and writing in my “spare time” – enjoying the quiet times. I love long walks with my three Schnoodles (a portmanteau for Schnauzer/Poodle designer dogs, who were popularly considered mere mutts up until recently) – Boo Radley (To Kill a Mockingbird), Fitz (F. Scott Fitzgerald), and Ollie (male-gendered name for Mary Oliver, my favorite poet). I also enjoy filling my birdfeeders with different types of seeds to be able to observe a variety of avian friends, and taking to full nature experiences in state parks on weekends in my small teardrop camper. I apply a thin layer of makeup with my own fingertips (no fancy brushes or sponges for me) only on days when it’s absolutely necessary, and I don’t filter my photos to make myself look ten years younger. I dont’ wear the latest fashions ~ my blue jeans are a store brand, not a name brand. And my travel mugs are not inspired by social media influencers – nor does Tik Tok govern my thinking (I think I’ve watched a grand total of 3 Tik Tok videos in my life).

I’m not “extra.” But this isn’t all about me.

It’s about high-tech hydration for a girl with heat sensitivity who is prone to dehydration and who happens to be road tripping from Chicago to Albuquerque along Route 66 in the mid-summer heat later this month.

A girl who must proactively bathe her organs in cool-flowing internal water fountains, who needs a little more than a salt tablet and a recycled plastic bottle of Dasani or Deer Park or Aquafina along for the ride.

I begin my review of the best water tumbler with the Hydro Flask 40-ounce tumbler, which I got on a Black Friday deal in November to replace a Yeti, which had replaced a Tervis before that. I bought two and gave a charcoal gray one to my son, who works on the rooftops of houses in the South Carolina sun along a lower latitude line, even closer to the equator than I am.

It doesn’t fit in this cup holder.

I have dropped this tumbler more than the Atlanta Falcons drop a football and slammed on brakes so hard once that I’m surprised it didn’t soar like a missile straight through the windshield ~ but still, no dings or dents in this plainest-colored bottle, white as a snow-topped Alaskan mountain from the view of a Lido deck over coffee.

It’s in great shape, but there are a few things that prompted me to seek a better tumbler fit.

One is the portability of the thing. It doesn’t fit in either of the front cup holders in my car or in the door holders, because the bottom isn’t tapered. While that may not be a big deal to most people, I often keep it in the front seat if I’m traveling alone, or in the back seat if I’m traveling with a passenger. When the driver happens to be my husband, who takes most curves on two wheels, the missile takes aim for doors and floors as he drives.

As he was driving last week, I reached into the back seat and secured it in the seat flap, to his great relief.

It doesn’t have a solid fit in the cup holder because of the non-tapered bottom.

I’m glad you got that thing under control, he thanked me. It was scaring me every time it hit the door.

I resisted the temptation to suggest that if he took our rolling hills and curves a little slower, it wouldn’t be hitting the door with such force. Trouble is, his words rang true. It was always in the foot somewhere, spinning and rolling around like a tantrum-throwing toddler, just enough to be annoying.

His words prompted my search for a better traveling tumbler. One that would stay put and get the job done. And so I gathered some cups for a full review of what will work best to keep me out of dehydration and help me avoid a heat stroke.

I’m not “extra.” I’m just needy, and slightly particular.

The Pros of the Hydro Flask 40 -ounce

It holds a lot of water.

It’s big, but not too big.

It keeps ice cold overnight, into the next day.

It comes in a variety of colors.

It can be carried inside a backpack without leaking.

It has a pop-up straw.

It’s durable, practically indestructible to the point that it might prove to be bulletproof.

The Cons:

It is bulky and heavy.

It doesn’t fit in any of my cup holders.

It has a handle that makes it awkward to carry. (But you can order a lid with a jug handle).

The opening is smaller than its thickness, making it harder to fill with ice.

The bottleneck opening makes it a bit harder to clean (you need a bottle brush).

The suction is good, but the square mouthpiece is uncomfortable.

Tomorrow, I’ll review the Stanley Ice Flow 30-ounce tumbler.

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June 9 – Route 66 Hydration Planning

My husband thinks I’m over the top to be planning which cup to take for the best hydration on our trip. He chuckled one of his I’m going to keep my mouth shut, but my wife is crazy laughs when he saw a row of cups lined up on the kitchen counter.

“Look, I know you think I’ve lost my mind, but if I get dehydrated, I’ll make you lose yours,” I told him.

That got his attention, bringing back memories of the day I was at Six Flags Over Georgia with my daughter, her boyfriend, and my stepson. I got so dehydrated and overheated riding roller coasters that I went to the public bathroom and flung myself down on the floor in the stall to be able to put my cheek to the cool concrete. I was delirious and could not think straight, knowing only that I was fading fast and had to get my cheek temperature down pronto – and I needed a Coca Cola with ice. While my daughter got in line and waited for the Coke, I waited in the stall, rotating my cheeks, not caring one iota about all the germs. I was trying to survive the brutal Georgia heat – – face down on a public bathroom floor, doing what I had to do to prevent a red-light ride to the hospital.

I called my husband to come get me, since we only had one car at the park. We’d paid full ticket prices that summer, and since we’d planned to stay until the park closed, I didn’t want to take the kids away from the fun when they could drive home later.

When we’d first married, my husband drove a race car many weekends. Along with his brother and father, they competed in racing events as a team ~ Johnson Motorsports, or JMS Racing as they were known. We’d hang out at the race track all weekend, and by the time we were loading up to leave, someone would often warn me that my cheeks were red. Each of them knew to watch for that tell-tale sign, knowing that I’m heat-sensitive and dehydrate faster than a dog in the desert. On more than one occasion, I’ve had to get in the truck and keep my face in the air conditioning while the rest of the crew finished loading up.

So hydration is serious business for me. My skin tightens and I feel my heartbeat as if it were split in two, furiously waving checkered flags under each eye socket.

Over the next week, I’ll be reviewing an assortment of cups to determine the best one to take along Route 66. Mine needs to not only hold a lot of water, but also to be able to keep ice frozen overnight. Since 2022, I’ve been taking my 40-ounce Hydro Flask with the pop-up straw to work every day. I fill it with ice in the morning, add filtered water, and drink from it until lunchtime. After lunch, I fill it again and drink that before replenishing the ice and filling it a third time when I leave. This way, I have the pure, filtered water to last me through the evening until the following morning.

Tomorrow, I’ll begin my reviews with the Hydro Flask 40-ounce cup.

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June 3 – The Mother Road Planning – Day 3

Steinbeck coined the term “The Mother Road” in his novel The Grapes of Wrath.

Last summer, I’d spent weeks researching and planning a trip to Yellowstone National Park when we shifted gears at the last minute and cancelled the whole trip. I’d booked 3 hotels, purchased refundable airfare, and mapped out a route. I’d talked to friends who had made recommendations and offered all the best tips. We were all but packed.

But the rental car was the issue. The major airport into Yellowstone was closed for runway upgrades, so we’d purchased tickets to Bozeman, Montana and planned to drive down to the western entrance and work our way around the park. The only rental car I could find was one town over and cost $7 less than a week-long Alaskan cruise. The rental car alone, without gas or fees, without the airfare and the hotels and the food and the Uber ride – seven dollars less. So we backed out of the trip and opted for a trip that was within our budget.

Little did we know at that time that Yellowstone National Park would be shut down due to flooding and road washouts at the time we had planned to go. It turned out that despite our hopes and dreams to visit the park, the circumstances and costs didn’t seem feasible. As travelers, we have learned to follow our instincts and be flexible – and it often pays off in ways we’d have never dreamed. Where we missed driving through Yellowstone and seeing the bison, we stood on a hovercraft in Ketchikan watching bald eagles swoop down to catch fish.

This year, as we sat planning a trip to Glacier National Park in the local coffee shop with my husband’s brother and his wife, we discovered that one of the main attractions had no tickets available. We could not get tickets to Going to the Sun Road, and according to one friend, we should book a year in advance and make sure that we are able to do that if we make the trip to Glacier. We could not arrange to see one of the things we most wanted to see, so we returned to the destination drawing board.

That’s how we decided to travel part of Route 66 this summer. Driving The Mother Road, as John Steinbeck coined it, has been on my list of vacation hopes for years. It spans from Chicago, Illinois to the Santa Monica Pier in California and would take us a couple of weeks to enjoy from start to finish in full completion if we drove it all at once. We knew that time would prevent the entire trip this summer, but when we started talking about the possibility of driving half this summer and the other half later, we grew more and more excited about the adventure – knowing that we could make the trip at our own pace. And while rental cars are still expensive, we’d share the cost and the driving.

We’d decided on the basics – destination, budget, and main attractions, so we began mapping out our itinerary on the Roadtrippers app by entering our starting point and adding waypoints. We added an iconic motel – The Blue Swallow Inn in Arizona, and other motels – along with landmarks like The Gemini Giant and the Blue Whale of Catoosa, and also added a few restaurants recommended along the route.

This weekend and over the coming weeks, we’ll watch YouTube videos of the places we plan to visit all along Route 66, we may watch the movie CARS, and we’ll listen to the Route 66 Pandora station. I’ll probably revisit sections of John Steinbeck’s novel The Grapes of Wrath (1939), in which he named Route 66 “The Mother Road.” We’ll begin to immerse ourselves in learning more about the places we will see on the way – a strategy to engage in deeper learning about our culture and cultivating an appreciation of its rich history.

These are some of the ways we enhance the enjoyment of our trip as we anticipate the adventure!

Here is one of the You Tube videos we’ll watch this weekend on one of the iconic landmarks on the route, explaining some of its historical significance:

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June 2 – The Mother Road Planning Day 2

One of my favorite things to do in all the world is to plan a trip or a vacation – and there is a difference! Since it’s vacation time for families and teachers as the school year ends and summer break begins, I’m devoting my month of blog posts to the planning and the journey down half of Route 66, from Chicago to Aubuquerque. I kicked off the month introducing the Roadtrippers app as a great trip planning tool for trips that involve driving.

So if the first thing to do when planning any trip is downloading the Roadtrippers Plus app, the second thing is purchasing the Roadtrippers book featuring the chosen travel destination. I’ve purchased plenty of travel guides over the years, and my gold medal guides for international and large city travel are the Eyewitness Travel series of books published by Dorling-Kindersley because of the photography and organization of the layout. The Roadtrippers books, published by Roadtrippers LLC, have become my gold medal guides for driving destinations in the United States. For our trip, I like that the book and the app work together to provide a more technologically-enhanced global glimpse of the journey.

The Route 66 edition that I purchased came with a scratch-off code in the front cover of the book, activating a free month of the Roadtrippers Plus app. The organization of the book gives a simplified view of a long road trip, organized into six legs of the overall trip. One thing I particularly love is the playlists for each leg, featuring songs of those national regions. I have discovered, too, that there is a Pandora station entitled Route 66, which will make it fun to enjoy ahead of time and along the route.

And what song would be more fitting to begin a trip down Route 66 than Chuck Berry’s Route 66?