Road & Travel Magazine's Blog

Poll: Eating Healthy on Road Trips

At some point on any road trip, the issue of stopping for food becomes an issue. With healthy eating being such an important issue in our lives these days, we wanted to find out from you what you think. Does the road side cafe meet your needs, or would you like to have an option to eat more healthily when out on the road? Some car manufacturers are looking to compressor-based refrigerators as a way to solve this problem. We want you to tell us what you think - would a fridge/freezer in your car help you in the quest to source fresh quality food?

Take our Poll:
Would a refrigerator in your car help you eat healthier on road trips?

5 Ways to Show Your Car Some Love

Your car doesn’t want flowers, or balloons, or even candy as a token of your love — it just wants a little love in the form of an oil change, tune-up and basic service. Be romantic this spring, and treat your car to regular care with the following preventive maintenance steps.

5 Steps to Loving Your Car:

1. Change the oil and filter every 3,000 miles or three months.
2. Check the tire pressure at least monthly, including the spare.
3. Schedule a tune-up annually to optimize your car’s erformance.
4. Have the alignment checked at least annually.
5. Inspect the windshield wipers and lights on the car.

To read more about these tips and caring for your car read RTM's full article: 5 Tips to Caring for Your Car.

The Coolest Thing Just Happened

I'm writing from the Embassy Suites LAX in Los Angeles and wanted to share with you how cool this place is. I've actually stayed here for years and like my regular hotel in NY, which I wrote about recently, this is my west coast home away from home when I travel here for business. Each time I come out there are many new upgrades. Sometimes, it feels like a five-star hotel with all the amenities. I plan to write a full review on all their newest upgrades and latest services in Road & Travel Magazine, which will appear sometime in our June issue but for now I had to share something very cool that just happened.

Danger: Text Messaging

As cell phones become more popular on the road, driving tragedies involving teenagers text messaging while behind the wheel have increased in frequency. Parents need to take steps to prevent dangerous driving distractions.

To help keep your teen safe while they are in the car, Students Against Destructive Decisions recommends parents follow these guidelines for teaching their kids about driving distractions.

• Know and enforce your state’s Graduated Driver License laws and restrictions, including unsupervised driving, time of day and passengers in the car.
• Sign a teen driving contract such as SADD’s Contract for Life

Don't Forget Spring Cleaning for Your Car

You've finished the dusting (for now), cleaned out the basement, switched the winter clothes for the spring clothes and started sprucing up the yard. Your spring cleaning is almost done, except for your car.

This spring, treat your car to more than a car wash to rid it of the winter grime. Extend your spring cleaning and give your car the critical maintenance it needs.

Follow this checklist to make sure your car is as ready for spring as you are:
__Clear the clutter out.
__Wash and wax.
__Check the wiper blades to see if they need replacements.
__Change the oil.
__Check your tires.
__Flush and refill the cooling system.
__Inspect lights and bulbs
__Consult your owners manual for recommended maintenance

To learn more about this checklist and other spring cleaning musts read RTM's full Spring Cleaning Article.

Planning a Vacation? Here's Help.

Vacation planning can be difficult. Exploring a new destination means booking hotels and activities you've never seen before. You may not even be sure where you want to go. With rising gas prices you might be looking for something close to home. Or perhaps you really want to get away but are unsure of the do-it-yourself overseas vacation planning process. You might even be traveling for another reason and want to make a vacation out of it while you're there.

To find a vacation spot or discover activities at the destination you've chosen, visit RTM's World Travel Directory for information on destinations world wide. Also, check out the Destination Reviews for in depth information of tons of locations.

Is Your Car Cared For?

April is national car care month so show your car some love with a little spring cleaning and maintenance. Follow these 10 easy car care tips to improve your car's safety, value and efficiency.

1. Keep it clean.
2. Follow manufacturer’s specifications.
3. Go with synthetic oil.
4. Fix what breaks.
5. Fix those paint chips.
6. Wax on, wax off.
7. Get an annual physical.
8. Park and walk.
9. Don’t be cheap.
10. Keep your records.

To learn more about these car care tips read RTM's full article and visit RTM's Car Care Section.

Finding Love in Unexpected Places

Have you ever found yourself in love with the most unexpected thing? If you're in the market for a used car, you may be surprised what you can find in some unusual vehicles.

A mini van might not be your style, but it can come with a ton of features such as DVD players and navigations systems. Plus, the extra room may be perfect for those road trips you love to take.

Compact cars may not have the presence of a luxury car or an SUV, but they offer great gas mileage and fit in almost any parking space. Less is sometimes more when these little cars offer up some big luxury features like sunroofs, leather seats or even convertible tops at a low and compact price.

What about the odd little shoe-box on wheels. These little boxy automobiles like the Scion xB offer a unique array of features, spacious interior for their size and the fun of having a visually unique vehicle.

Be careful not to overlook the subtle details and added features of a car just because it looks a little different or come from a segment you never thought you'd consider. Looking in unusual places may uncover unusually good deals.  Read more about unexpected cars.

Don’t Know Where to Stay in NYC? Think Edison…

Every year I faithfully attend press days at the NY Auto Show at the Jacob Javitz Center in Manhattan. These two days always fall on the Wednesday and Thursday before Easter weekend. The good news is that my family lives in the northeast, about 150 miles north of New York, so it’s pretty convenient to take a train to New England to visit them for the holiday weekend. The bad news is that the press days fall in the same week as spring break. However, this year, with Easter week being pushed forward into March, both events took place during St. Patrick’s Day week, one of New York’s most celebrated holidays with parade and all.

NY during a normal week is usually insane with traffic and tourists but add to that the thousands of journalists and industry moguls that flock in from around the world for the auto show, the thousands of spring breakers, and probably millions of St. Patty party-goers and you have total chaos. Top all that off by staying in Times Square where the heart of the action is and I can assure you that you’ll get little to no sleep.

So why do I stay in Times Square, you wonder? The answer is simple… The Edison Hotel.

48 Hours in the Glamorous Life of a Publisher

As I sit here at my computer on a Sunday afternoon wondering what I should write about in the next issue of Road & Travel, my mind goes blank. I begin to wonder how many brain cells I have left or how long what's left will last. The older I get the fewer that spark, it seems.

I haven't showered in two days nor have I seen another human being for three. I've been locked behind closed doors since returning from a New York business trip Thursday night trying to bang out a 12-page business proposal and meet the next issue's deadline before I leave for my next trip in two days.

My mind feels numb as I gaze out the first window I've ever had in an office. I remember it's Easter Sunday and reflect back on all the Easter egg hunts and big family dinners we used to have when I was living in total anonymity in the obscure little town of Warwick, Rhode Island. Ah, those were the days.

I find myself laughing in my silly little daydream all by myself in my office. What am I laughing at? I'm laughing at how everyone seems to think the life of a publisher is so glamorous, exciting and social. If you really want to know the just how glamorous my life is... check out what 48 hours of it can be like...