Let’s say you get the flu as soon as you step out onto the beach. Or, your romantic hotel room is right next to a family with screaming toddlers. Often, you can find hidden opportunities in these small tragedies. Maybe the flu that keeps you inside also keeps you from getting sunburned like the rest of your family. Or, the screaming toddlers later befriend you in the hotel pool and you spend a giggle-filled afternoon seeing the world through their eyes.

Just over three weeks ago, my friend Brooke and I set out from Denver for a Vail vacation. Brooke and I have known each other since college at U of M, and we spent much of the nighttime Rocky Mountain drive catching up with one another. One minute, we were laughing and reminiscing, and the next minute we hit a spot of black ice, lost control of the car, smashed into the left guardrail, spun across the interstate in circles, got hit by two other cars, and finally landed front impact in a snow bank. We were stunned, terrified, badly banged up and bruised, and very lucky to be alive.

Obviously, this wasn’t supposed to happen.

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Posted in Car Travel, Group & Companion, Guides & Planning, Spiritual & Religious
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I always looked forward to family vacations as a kid. My parents would load the minivan with games and a cooler full of goodies, and we’d hit the road. Of course, my little sister and I would usually end up fighting in the backseat, but the conflicts were laid to rest with pit stops along the way and the occasional ice cream break at Dairy Queen.

The most memorable road trip was one that we took to Red River, New Mexico the summer after fourth grade. It was the first time I saw a mountain range. I remember winding our way through the beautiful scenery, stopping at various outlooks to relish the views and explore. To me, road trips have always been about more than just getting from Point A to Point B; they’re a chance spend quality time with family and to see parts of the country that you’d otherwise overlook.

Knowing that summertime is limited and road warriors have a lot of ground to cover, I consulted the road-tripping gurus at RoadTrip Wizard to get their recommendations on making the most of America by car. They suggested 15 drives to introduce the family to some of the country’s most beautiful, natural landscapes, but I whittled the list down to my five personal favorites:

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Posted in Car Travel, Nature & Outdoors, Road Trips
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Despite all evidence to the contrary, I love nothing more than a good road trip. I’ll get on a bus to anywhere: Belfast, Ireland; Providence, Rhode Island; Stowe, Vermont; Dijon, France; and Pythagorio, Greece, are among the places I’ve first glimpsed through the windshield of a Peter Pan (or equivalent) coach.

But after reading the reactions of the first group of passengers to disembark from the London-to-Sydney OzBus—under the headline “End of the road for the OzBus after 84 days of mishaps and mayhem”—I have to wonder if a transcontinental-continental-continental bus ride is more terrifying than terrific.

Photo courtesy of IgoUgo member lcampbell

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Posted in Australia, Car Travel, International Travel, Scenic Drives
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Editor’s Note: It’s “holiday week” on The Window Seat, and our editors get into the spirit of the season with a series of articles exploring the many facets of this busy travel period.

T'is the season for me to get up early. Today I was on the Today Show advising people on how to make their thanksgiving and holiday travels easier. According to the Air Transit Association there are going to be 27 million people traveling over the next twelve days, that's up 4% over last year. As you can imagine there are going to be some seriously big crowds at the airports this year. (And you thought it was crowded last year!) Last month Amtrak reported record high travel for the railroad this year. Seats can be hard to find on holidays no matter what mode of transit you're taking and this time of year the highways are packed too. The good news is with a little preparation all of your travels can be made a lot easier.

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Posted in Air Travel, Car Travel, Holiday & Seasonal, Security & Safety, Thanksgiving '07, Trip Tips
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I have an image burned in my mind that may haunt me for years to come, and that is of my parents bopping to Ludacris.

That view eclipsed the foliage this weekend as the three of us drove to New Hampshire for a visit with family. Traveling with the folks as an adult can be rewarding (and, clearly, eye-opening): besides the rapping incident, I rekindled my appreciation of American history after my dad, a self-styled Ben Franklin expert, led me on a Philadelphia walking tour last year. And from my mom, there is my appreciation of girls’ weekends and good deals from when the two of us would steal away to the Blue Ridge Mountains for some relaxed antiquing without Dad to speed us along.

But traveling with your parents—especially when it involves 12 car hours in 2 days—isn’t a cakewalk, and there will be moments when your rebellious teenage years start to seem well-reasoned. Over the past few years, though, I’ve learned some tips that keep challenging moments to a minimum and your adolescence at bay.

Photo courtesy of IgoUgo member BawBaw

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Posted in Car Travel, Family & Kids
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There is almost nothing more American than a good, old-fashioned road trip. Fill up the tank, call up your friends, and take to the great highways. But if you’re anything like me, before you go, you load up your iPod with a road trip mix that is so well-crafted (and let’s face it, borderline genius) that surely your friends will oohh and aahh all the way to Albuquerque. (That never happens, by the way.)

My only problem when creating these mixes is the embarrassment of riches to choose from. Not only do Americans love riding along in their automobiles, but bands love to sing about it too, making the wealth of road trip songs nearly overwhelming.

Photo courtesy of IgoUgo member kwasiak.

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Posted in Car Travel, Scenic Drives
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With almost two-thirds of all Americans living in a household with a pet, it’s no surprise that our furballs are taking to the roads, skies, and seas in increasing numbers. And since Americans are projected to spend over $40 billion on their four-legged friends in 2007, pet travel is going beyond being just a niche industry.

The appeals of traveling with a pet are many. You don’t have to hire a dog-walker or kennel and worry that they’re getting enough exercise and play time. Bring a dog out on the beach, hiking through the woods, or even on an afternoon kayak excursion, and their spirit of adventure is infectious.

Photo of Hector the Dog courtesy of Eric Eisen.

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Posted in Air Travel, Car Travel, Pet Travel
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For the last week, I have been completely preoccupied by the heartbreaking story of the Kim family from San Francisco and the tragic discovery that the father died of exposure and hypothermia while seeking help for his family in Oregon.

Last week, CNET senior editor James Kim bravely set out on what his wife Kati described to authorities as an heroic last resort to save her and their two young daughters. After running the car for heat and running out of gas, then burning all four tires, James set out for help on a 10 mile trek through rugged, snowy terrain. Sadly, his path led him in a near circle—his body was recovered only one-half mile from the family car.

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Posted in Car Travel, Family & Kids, Security & Safety
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A cab ride is like a snowflake: No two are ever exactly alike, and if certain conditions aren't met, it can lead to total meltdown. I've been in smelly cabs, music-blaring cabs, heat-cranked-high on a summer's day cabs and burn-rubber cabs. Perhaps most disquieting for me was the cabbie in San Francisco who, after gliding through a stop sign at the top of Nob Hill, answered his ringing cell phone with a cryptic "yes, they're kicking in, and, man, is this some good s*'&t."

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