Western USA

by: Alex Fir

Do you know that some people travel around the country and abroad, for both business and pleasure, and save bundles of money in the process?

They do that by using little known ways of really taking advantage of the most popular form of transportation - airline flights.

They don't rely on the ever-famous “airfare price-wars”. They don't rely on their travel agents to save money while flying.

Certainly, you should not dismiss these two methods. The price-wars can work to your advantage. But depending on them too much is a big mistake.

1. Call the airlines.

Call the airlines between midnight and 1 a.m. Monday through Friday to get cheaper tickets.
Most people never realize that at midnight, airline agents revise and load new fares into their computers. The best fares are just after they have done the updating!

2. Check into other airports other than the main one you use.

Many major cities have two airports. Check into surrounding towns and cities so you can compare airfares. You may save hundreds of dollars on your flights.

3. The early bird catches the plane.

The earlier you book your flight the more you save. Most special fares have restrictions of 7 to 30 day advance purchase. Usually non-refundable but they can offer deep discounts.

On the other hand, there are “last minute” deals too. Visit www.smartliving.com to get emails for last minute deals.

4. Get out of town on Wednesday.

Mid-week travel is usually less expensive. If you leave on Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday and stay over a Saturday night, you can garner terrific savings compared to Friday through Monday when most people fly.

Start taking your vacations Wednesday-to-Wednesday or Tuesday-to-Tuesday. You’ll save a lot by choosing your departure and arrival dates this way!

5. Buying a one way or split ticket.

Let’s say you travel from Boston to Dallas. It may be cheaper to get two separate tickets. You could buy one ticket from Boston to Nashville and one from Nashville to Dallas.

It all depends on the connecting cities and your airlines hubs. Just tell your agent you are willing to travel out of other airports and connect using regional airports to save money.

6. Open wide.

You should look into what is called an “Open-Jaw” ticket. These are used when a traveler is arriving and departing from different cities.

One ticket is purchased to cover both cities. Check with your travel agent or airline representative to see if this trick is available instead of two one-way tickets. Compare the price of each.

7. An excellent online service www.sidestep.com

You enter destinations and dates and SideStep quickly searches a couple of dozen affiliated regional and international airlines to find the best rates.

8. “Code share”.

Ask your agent if this flight is a “code-share” flight. That means the same flight is offered by two different airlines. Just copy down the name of the other airline and check into what they are charging.

Only one of the airlines is actually operating the flight. The actual operator always offers this flight for less, so book with them.

9. Sign up for the airline newsletters.

From weekend getaways to international flight packages the newsletter saves you money on travel and doesn’t require that you constantly visit the airline website for the latest offering.
10. The airlines often slash their fares during sluggish travel times.

Scan your travel sections in the newspapers and talk to your agent about these low fares.

About The Author

Is Your Travel Experience Limited by Your Credit Card? Alex Fir is providing 250+ pages of insider tips and tricks that teach you how to travel cheap and sometimes free. Click Here => http://www.webpillar.com/cheaptravel

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Anatomy of a Shoestring Adventure: Lots of Fun for Not Much Money
by: Jan Kovarik

Just like most people, my husband I live on a “just barely” income. We’ve got “just barely” enough to pay the rent, just barely enough to pay our bills, just barely enough to keep groceries in the ‘frig, just barely enough to put a little bit into a savings account, and just barely enough to have a few “disposable dollars” left over at the end of the month. However, with today’s prices our disposable dollars get “disposed of” really quickly. There just isn’t much out there that you can do for entertainment that’s “cheap.” That is, there isn’t much out there unless you know where to look for it, and if you know how, you can do it on a “shoestring.”

We’ve been going on Shoestring Adventures since the day we got married. We never had much money to spend on splashy vacations, and even when we went “on vacation” stretching our dollars was the rule. Over the years, I’ve learned how to stretch our money to cover all sorts of incredible “road trips”---sometimes just for one day, sometimes for a whole week. Whenever and wherever we’ve gone, we’ve had experiences that “money couldn’t buy.” The two dozen or more photo albums that are stacked up in my hall closet prove it!

There’s little point in me telling you exactly where to go, how to get there, or what to do when you get there. Since our Shoestring Adventures are tailored to appeal to us, they may not appeal to you. What I can share with you, however, is how to create your own Shoestring Adventure---one that is tailor-made to fit you, your family, your budget, and your interests. With a few simple skills, a handy collection of “stuff,” and just a little bit of planning and preparation, you’ll be on your way!

Keep These Things Handy!

First, if you don’t have a really good roadmap for your state (or the state into which you intend to travel)---BUY ONE. I’m not talking about a simple map that’s got the major roads, like a travel atlas, I’m talking about one of those big paper roadmaps that you can never refold correctly. You can usually buy an excellent state roadmap in stores like Kmart, Wal*Mart, Walgreen’s, or any bookstore. Before you buy the roadmap, make sure that it has “Places of Interest” marked on it. To verify this, open the map to the “Legend” or “Key” (where they explain all the symbols used on the map). Places of interest are usually marked with something like a red dot, a blue square, or the like. In fact, so many roadmaps that we’ve purchased use red dots that we know simply refer to interesting places as “red dots on the map.”

Second, assemble a “Road Adventure Kit” and keep it ready to go! You can use anything from a cardboard box, a plastic milk crate, a “tub” (like a Rubbermaid storage tub you can buy at Wal*Mart), or even a nice whicker picnic basket. Personally, we use a crate; it’s easy to carry and it fits nicely into the bed of our truck (along with all our other Road Adventure items).

You should start assembling your kit by including in your crate any or all of the following:

Binoculars
A roll of paper towels and a bottle of hand sanitizer
Picnic items (paper plate, plastic utensils, etc.)
A plastic tablecloth (like the “disposable” kind you can buy for cheap)
A couple of big beach towels
A small first-aid kit
Insect repellent
A sharp knife, a can opener, scissors
Travel-sized games like Scrabble, playing cards, etc.
A gallon of fresh drinking water (be sure to refresh regularly)
A pad of paper, pencils, pens
A “Road Adventure” log book

Your “Road Adventure Kit” should be tailor-made to fit your family’s needs. If you aren’t big on picnics, the picnic items can still come in handy for fast-food meals like fried chicken or even burgers and fries! Eat your lunch outside in a park! You might be glad you have the tablecloth (public picnic tables are rarely anything close to clean), and the towels can be spread out on the benches so you have something clean to sit on.

You should also think about including in your kit personal needs (a couple of clean diapers for the baby, a box of facial tissues for runny noses, some feminine sanitary products for when you get caught “unaware,” any anti-allergic medications that you might need, etc.). Be creative! Also, let your first few road adventures teach you what you need to have along. If you’ve forgotten something, make a note of it. The next time you are re-assembling your kit, be sure to add that item. Also, it helps to buy duplicates of things like the can opener and such so you can leave them in the kit and ready to go.

Find a “Red Dot of Interest”

Here’s where the fun of planning a road adventure can come into play. First, you need to determine if this is a day trip, a half-day trip, a two-day trip, etc. Also, do you have very young children who might not do well on a longer car trip? If your trip limit is no more than a one-hour car ride one way, then look for places of interest within about 40 miles of home. Even though most speed limits on major roads are at least 60mph, never figure that you will actually average more than 40-45 miles in one hour’s driving time. You might even want to trace a general circle on the map around your home so you know what lies within your desired traveling distance. You can even draw incremental circles on your map to indicate one hour, two hours, etc., away from home. Just remember! You always have to come home, so make allowances for that when you plan your Adventure.

Once you know how far you can easily travel (and return), then you can start looking on the map. Look for those “red dots of interest” marked on the map anywhere in the circumference of your desired travel radius. The places of interest usually have some short description next to them: “Pioneer Park,” “Children’s Museum,” “Historic Home.” If there are no red dots, then look for towns you’ve never visited, or roads you’ve never traveled. We’ve often been pleasantly surprised at what we’ve found: a quaint little town with some interesting shops; a long winding rural road dotted with small farms or old homes and maybe a sign that says “Fresh Honey for Sale” where we got a spontaneous “tour” of a beekeeper’s hives; a historic landmark marked by road signs.

When there are no red dots, you can also do a little bit of planning ahead by phoning a local Chamber of Commerce. Find a small town, learn the area code (if necessary), and call directory assistance for the number to the Chamber of Commerce (better yet, surf the Web for a town website!). Ask what’s interesting in their town. So many small towns have their own historic museum, or other historic landmarks. Maybe all they have is a really great community park where the biggest tree in the county is growing!

Your places of interest choices can really be limitless. If small town parks or two-room county museums aren’t your thing, then first determine what things your family would find of interest. Surf the Web, call Chambers of Commerce, or visit your bookstore or library where you can find books of “Things to Do” in your state. Your Adventure can be anything that will take you away from home for the day and create a delightful memory for your whole family!

If you have children who are older than 5 or 6, then this is a wonderful opportunity to teach them how to read and use roadmaps. You can even let them plan their own Shoestring Adventure! If you have more that one child, then you can appoint a Trip Planner, a Navigator, and a Supplies Officer. Give them specific tasks that include finding a place to go (what is it, where is it, and how far away is it), how to get there (what roads you need to turn on, how many miles to travel before you get to the next turn), and what you will need to enjoy the day (like special clothing for outdoor activities, picnic lunch items, toys and games to enjoy in the car, pillows for sleepy-heads after a long day’s outing). Instead of telling them where you’ll be going, let them tell you!

I do need to caution you: be prepared for that “red dot of interest” to turn out to be nothing. We’ve often tracked down dots that claim to be “Historic Fort” or “County Landmark” that have turned out to be nothing more than a bronze plaque on a rock at the end of a residential street. When that happens, we simply wander around wherever we are and see what there is to see. Sometimes we’ve happened upon local street fairs or windsurfing tournaments or a model train museum. Sometimes, too, all we’ve gotten out of it was a day away from home. When this happens, and if you’ve got disappointed kids in the car, then it might be a good time to find an ice cream parlor and treat them to a double scoop of peanut butter fudge ice cream!
Use your Road Adventure logbook to record everyone’s comments about the day. You can collect brochures, or restaurant placemats, or ticket stubs, and keep a memory album. If you take pictures, be sure to include a few! This can be a great basis for school reports for younger kids.

Basically, your Shoestring Adventures can be just about whatever you want them to be. Know in advance what your budget is, what will “work” for your family as far as meals are concerned (whether you can pack a picnic lunch or stop at McDonald’s), and how far from home you can venture for the time you have for traveling and adventuring. Never plan more than you can comfortably do in a day. If the place has several interesting things to see or do, then plan several repeat visits. Cramming more than just a couple of activities into the day can put the whole family on “Adventure Overload.”

I hope you enjoy your next “Shoestring Adventure” and that you continue to get away and find those “red dots of interest” that are marked on your map. Make it a habit to enjoy being together and experiencing new or different things!

About The Author
Jan K., The Proofer is freelance proofreader and copyeditor. Visit http://www.janktheproofer.com for more information about Jan’s services; http://work-at-home.janktheproofer.com for work at home articles and free printables; and for work at home moms, visit Jan’s sister site http://work-at-home.momsbreak.com for articles, free printables, and work at home T-shirts and other fun products.

The U.S. Army constructed backcountry cabins and snowshoe cabins to provide facilities for troops patrolling for poachers. Typically these were about 16 miles apart-a day's travel. The four backcountry cabins surviving from this period are still used by the National Park Service for backcountry patrols (visitor safety, law enforcement, poaching), to temporarily house researchers, and as visitor contract stations. Located in remote parts of the park that are accessible only by foot and horseback, these cabins serve as welcome refuges for crews where they can rest and get out of the cold, rain, and snow.

Each cabin is rectangular in the "Rocky Mountain" style which is exemplified by the entrance and covered porch with a gable end. This contrasts with eastern and midwestern log cabins where the entrance is often found on a side wall and the covered entry porch incorporates a shallower pitched shed roof. The roofs are cedar shingles, but were originally sod. Foundations (floors) were originally dirt, but have been replaced with concrete. Doors are on the south side. The cabins rest on concrete foundations with the sill logs directly on the foundation.

Each cabin is on the edge of a relatively flat, irregularly-shaped meadow. Vegetation in the meadow area consists of thick bunchgrasses with a predominance of Idaho fescue. Outside the meadow, the canopy is lodgepole pine, with some Englemann spruce and subalpine fir.
Cabins are one or two rooms incorporating sleeping, cooking and work areas. Interiors are simple. Cabins have both wood heat and cooking stoves. Interior furnishing are typically sparse and include bunk beds, bookcases, table, and may have desks.

Thorofare Patrol Cabin
Built in 1915, the Thorofare patrol cabin is 27.8 feet (L), 15.5 feet (W), and 12.5 feet (H) and consists of two rooms. The saddle notched log walls consist of logs that measure 10-12 inches in diameter at the butt. The gaps between the logs have mortar and lodgepole dowel chinking on the exterior. The roof extends out ten feet to form a covered porch with a wood deck and support posts at each corner. The gable ends are a continuation of the log walls from below and are trimmed in a descending pattern from sill log to roofline.

Fox Creek Patrol Cabin [Photo & Floor Plan]
Constructed in 1915, the Fox Creek Cabin is one room with an overhanging porch (21.5 feet [L], 15.0 feet [W], and 12.2 feet [H]). The log walls have dovetail notching at the corners. The roof extends out 4.5 feet to form a covered porch with a wood deck. The cabin has been modified by replacing original dirt floor with concrete and the original sod roof with cedar shingles (by the CCC in the 1930s).

Harebell Patrol Cabin [Photo & Floor Plan]
This 1915 cabin is just inside the south boundary of the park. Dimensions are 23.0 feet (L), 16.2 feet (W), and 11.0 feet (H). The walls feature saddle notching. The gable roof extends out four feet to form an overhand. The cement floor has a 3.3 feet x 3.7 feet x 4.3 feet cellar in the south corner. The cellar is used to store canned goods.

Buffalo Lake
The men of the "snowshoe cavalry" liked their rough life in the remote recesses of the mountains and often applied freely for detached service. The life was demanding and often isolated, rugged and dangerous, and very different from that most of them had known before. Edwin Kelsey, who served as a soldier in Yellowstone in 1898, later became the editor of the San Francisco Chronicle. Private Kelsey's letters to his niece describe a difficult but very enjoyable life as a Yellowstone soldier. "December 3, 1898. Left here for the Post [Fort Yellowstone] the Sunday before Thanksgiving...I made 26 miles the first day, staying all night at the Norris [Soldier] Station. The next morning it was 22 degrees below zero, but I pulled out for the Post, which I reached about two p.m. after a cold hard ride of 20 miles." It is not difficult to imagine how important the shelter afforded by the backcountry cabins and snowshoe outposts that the Army constructed was during such outings.

The army built Fort Yellowstone and backcountry outposts during the years they managed the park and these buildings may have the highest integrity of any army post from that period. When you visit Mammoth Hot Springs, park headquarters, be sure to take the Fort Yellowstone Walking Tour which begins at the Albright Visitor Center.

by: News Canada

A – Address peel and stick labels for all your family and friends before you go. Then stick to postcards along the way and you'll come home looking good.

B – Bottled water is a must – don't drink anything else.

C – Cookbooks from your travels are always a great souvenir. Cook a dish from one when you have friends over to see your video and pictures

D – Digital cameras save the day; their small and you never run out of film

E – Expect excitement; go with anticipation, not trepidation

F – Food is fun, try something you've never eaten before like zebra pate or Australian wine

G – Give generous tips, especially in poor countries, you'll be so glad you did

H – Hang out with the locals. Get to know a new person on your trip and get a photo with them

I – Inform someone at home of your itinerary

J – Journal every day. Can you remember now what you did last week?

K – Kids love it when you have packed little surprises to open along the way

L – Learn something: Take a pasta making course in Italy, Scuba diving in Argentina or Belly dancing in Bagdad (just kidding)!

N – Note the local artisans and buy something authentic

O – One substantial souvenir is better than a lot of small things. Then ship it home to lighten your luggage

P – Postcards will rescue you when your photography fails. You can never have too many

Q – Questions help you get the most out of all you see and experience.

R – Read before you leave. Read lots of books about your destination. Find out who the local best sellers are, and read one of their books.

S – Scrapbook within the first week of getting home

T – Travel as light as humanly possible. Dragging luggage is no fun.

U – Unpack as soon as you get home.

V – Vaccinations and certain medications are necessary in some countries – be sure to check with the World Health Organization about what you need.

W – Whining never fixes anything – buck up and deal with the differences

X – exchange your currency at the airport or a bank and be sure you understand the value of your money

Y – You are the one who will make or break your adventure. Plan to be positive

Z – Zero in on one or two experiences and squeeze the most out of them. Adventure overload will leave you confused.

For information on travel adventures of the heart, visit www.negstusa.com
- News Canada

About The Author

News Canada provides a wide selection of current, ready-to-use copyright free news stories and ideas for Television, Print, Radio, and the Web.

News Canada is a niche service in public relations, offering access to print, radio, television, and now the Internet media, with ready-to-use, editorial "fill" items. Monitoring and analysis are two more of our primary services. The service supplies access to the national media for marketers in the private, the public, and the not-for-profit sectors. Your corporate and product news, consumer tips and information are packaged in a variety of ready-to-use formats and are made available to every Canadian media organization including weekly and daily newspapers, cable and commercial television stations, radio stations, as well as the Web sites Canadians visit most often. Visit News Canada and learn more about the NC services.

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