Summer Driver Tips to Consider When Going on Vacation
Posted on | January 16, 2010 | 18 Comments
Summer has arrived; you’ve been waiting all year for this one precious week – your week of vacation. Despite that fact that it’s against your better judgment, you are going to load up your family and too many bags of luggage into your car and begin the all too long journey to your vacation destination.
Before you put your poor, overloaded car through the long trek though, there are some things that you should look for. Things that will save you a lot of time wasted and a lot of headaches if you get them taken care of before you depart, rather than while you are in the middle of your trip.
First things first – check your tires. Even if you aren’t a weekend mechanic or regular “car guy” you should be able to spot noticeable damage to your car’s tires. If they are bald of tread, unevenly worn or if you can feel lumps as you pass your hand along your tires, this are all sure signs of them needing to be replaced. This isn’t a time to think, “They’ll probably be okay,” if they look and feel bad get them replaced. If you’ve gotten tires recently you should at the very least check the air pressure before hitting the road, because driving on a tire that has the improper air pressure can lead to a host of potential problems with said tire.
One of the last things that you’ll need on your fantastic voyage is a blown tire on a busy highway, so if you simply aren’t sure and can’t figure out whether you need new tires, than take a quick ride over to your trusty mechanic.
Check all your fluid levels, check all your belts and hoses and make sure that your air conditioning system is working properly.
It’s Summer, it’s hot outside, so while you are on the road and the sun is blazing you’ll want to be able to operate your AC with the assurance that cold air will be coming out of the vents.
When you eye up your cars belts and hoses you are looking for any obvious cracks or areas of discoloration or dry rotting – a broken belt or ruptured hose can be a sure fire way to ruin the start of your vacation.
As far as the fluid levels go – you want to be full on everything, even if it seems like something insignificant – trust me, when your are tooling down the highway at seventy-five miles an hour, that wind shield washer fluid is going to come in mighty handy getting those smashed bugs out of your line of sight.
Any questions that you aren’t sure of – if you can’t figure out if something looks bad enough to need replacing or if you can’t remember when the last time you had your oil changed I’ve got two words for you – tune up.
Once you get out on the long and lonesome road, the best thing that you can do for yourself) not to mention your family and car) is to pay attention.
Keep your eyes on the road – there are a lot more people traveling a lot farther distances than they may be accustomed to. This means that there could be a lot more chances for accidents because of an overload of frustrated drivers trying to do anything in their power, including ignoring common sense, to get to their final destination.
Keep your eyes (and ears) on your car. Watch your gauges, all of them; the gas, the speedometer and the temperature. You need to run out of gas on a long stretch of road with no rest stop even less than you need to blow a tire – at least you can replace a tire where you’re at, somebody’s going to have to walk to get that gas and I’m guessing that neither your wife or your kids are going to volunteer. Make sure your roadside assistance membership auto club is handy in case you are left in the middle of the road.
Your speedometer is another thing you don’t want to overlook. State highways equal state troopers, who are usually a lot less forgiving than your local neighborhood cop. The fines on a state highway can be very steep, not to mention that you are putting yourself at a greater risk of being involved in an accident if you’re not obeying the laws of the road.
Your temperature gauge may very well be the most overlooked gauge of all. If your car is running hot, you better slow down – and if that doesn’t do the trick pull over into a rest stop and give it a break, no matter how inconvenient it may seem at the time. It may not seem like too big of a deal, but driving a car while it’s overheated can do very serious damage to your engine.
Getting your car a checkup before you hit the road and watching it closely once you’re out there are the best ways to ensure a seamless trip to and from your destination, that way you’ll be able to relax and enjoy the time you have while you’re there.
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Tags: Action > Damage > Disney Theme Park Tickets > Flooding > Plumbing > Summer Driver Tips > Vacation Destination Tips > Vacation Packages > Water
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18 Responses to “Summer Driver Tips to Consider When Going on Vacation”
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January 16th, 2010 @ 10:49 am
My brother & I took a vacation, or more like a trip. Here is our story:
The wildwood flower grew wild on the farm
And we never knowed what it was called
Some said it was a flower and some said it was weed
I didn't gave it much thought…
One day I was out there talking to my brother
Reached down for a weed to chew on
Things got fuzzy and things got blurry
And then everything was gone
I Didn't know what happened
But I knew it beat the hell out of sniffin' burlap
I come to and my brother was there
And he said, 'What's wrong with your eyes?'
I said, 'I don't know, I was chewing on a weed'
He said, 'Let me give it a try'
We spent the rest of that day and most of that night
Trying to find my brother, Bill
Caught up with him 'bout six o'clock the next mornin'
Naked, swinging on the windmill
He said he flew up there
I had to fly up and get him down
He was about half crazy
The very next day we picked a bunch of them weeds
And put 'em in the sun to dry
Then we mashed 'em up and we cleaned 'em all
And put 'em in the corncob pipe
Smokin' them wildwood flowers got to be a habit
We didn't see no harm
We thought it was kind of handy
Have you ever take a trip and never leave the farm
A big ol' puff on the wildwood weed
Next thing you know
We's just wandering behind the little animals
All good things gotta come to an end
And it's the same with the wildwood weed
One day this feller from Washington come by
And he spied us and he turned white as a sheet
And he dug and he burned
And he burned and he dug
And he killed all our cute little weeds
Then he drove away
We just smiled and waved
Sittin' there on that sack of seeds
Y'all come back now, ya hear
January 16th, 2010 @ 10:50 am
lemme just say… you are my new hero.
January 16th, 2010 @ 11:06 am
The only all inclusive trips I have taken have been cruises which I liked because I just unpacked once, settled in, then could choose if/when I wanted to go on shore excursions, or explore all the wonderful activities offered aboard the ship.
As the other answerer said – drinks, massages, beauty salon, etc. on board were NOT included, but there was a lot that was. It all depends on what you like to do & what your tastes are.
Best thing would be for you & your wife to do what he did – type in all inclusive vacations in your browser search line & review what comes up, then keep adding a keyword until you narrow it down to just those that fit the activities, locations, etc. that both of you like.
Good luck!!
January 16th, 2010 @ 11:07 am
hermosisimooooooooo !!!
January 16th, 2010 @ 1:52 pm
You are amazing!
January 16th, 2010 @ 9:17 pm
Beautiful video!
January 16th, 2010 @ 9:37 pm
book supplier direct to avoid cancel or non refundable fares.
dig up association member cards, like AAA or AARP, you can get 10-15% off the weekly rate, (weekly rates are 5x the daily)
check with the company you work for, they may have a coporate agreement in place that may be available- many of these agreements waive airport fees and taxes, add'l driver and underage driver fees- real expensive fees here.
Also return the car to same location to avoid drop off charges and lastly, reserve a Compact car, most people are looking for smaller cars now with the most fuel efficiency. So reserve a smaller car and most likly they will upgrade you for free at counter.. if you wanbt a larger car, reserve in advance as paying for an upgrade at counter is usually much higher. oh, yeah, bring a copy of insurance card with you as well..
January 16th, 2010 @ 11:33 pm
hi all everybody plz watches in my videos and rating .. plz plz plz !!!!!
January 17th, 2010 @ 12:09 am
It must be a slow day in the J.J. household today. But to answer another of your fabulously funny questions, I will give it my best shot. Go out in the garage, climb up into the attic and get out all the seldom used camping equipment. Then, after you have removed all the camping stuff, take into the living room and set up the tent with your sleeping bags, etc. You may have to go outside to find enough rocks to build your fire pit, but place it near the tent so you will not get cold during the night. Go to your local convenience store and pick up enough wood to last through the night. Then return home, turn your air conditioner down to 60 degrees. When your husband comes home, you can have a nice roaring fire going, with a cup of hot chocolate and only wearing a smile. It will be the best at home vacation ever. Good luck with that.
January 17th, 2010 @ 8:39 am
I always love your art. Now I love your music
January 17th, 2010 @ 9:00 pm
Omfg, it just looks like a picture
January 18th, 2010 @ 12:29 am
wow!
January 18th, 2010 @ 10:01 am
January 19th, 2010 @ 12:07 am
superb!!
January 19th, 2010 @ 6:48 am
You need to get a Japan Rail Pass which gives you unlimited travel for the time you opt to purchase for………1 week, or 2 or 3 weeks .If you are just going to be on Honshu Island you can actually get a pass that is a bit cheaper just for that island.You could also look at the JAL flight passes but you miss the scenery if you fly.You must buy this Pass in YOUR country…………..you cannot buy them in Japan and you will save yourself a huge amount of money.
Look around Tokyo ………and do take a day trip to Kamakura…….go to the Tsukiji Fish Market on the way.
If you plan to go to Kyoto which is gorgeous you can mostly walk if you choose accommodation in a good location. There are maps with walking routes you get at the station.You won't get top see it all just do one section – we opted for the area near Murayama Park.There are so many shrines, temples gardens etc near here.
Catch the bus to Fuji go ko – Fuji Five Lakes…it is only an hour and a half and just beautiful …….at the base of Mt Fuji. Then take the bus to Gotemba which is a beautiful trip round the base of Mt Fuji through old traditional villages with thatched cottages etc.Change to a bus for Mishima – just catch the bus behind they call it Station 2 to Station 3.but was quite literally just the bus behind the one we got off. This bus takes you right to the Shinkansen which you can catch through to Kyoto.
If you go to Osaka, you should try and go further on to Himeji and see the castle …………probably the best in Japan and the Shrine and then on to Osaka. You could go on a little further to Okayama which has one of japan's best gardens but from Okayama you can take an ordinary train to Kurashiki – only 30 minutes ……..which is a really beautiful Edo period town.
You can look at these places at http://www.fascinating-travel-destinations.com/japanese-holidays.html
January 19th, 2010 @ 8:01 am
you seem underweight. If you are going on vacation, the best advice i can give you is to HAVE FUN and eat the best and tastiest foods while you are at it. With an active lifestyle, your not going to add or lose too much weight.
January 19th, 2010 @ 11:50 am
This website might help , check it out –
http://www.usairwaysforum.com/
January 19th, 2010 @ 5:54 pm
at grand teton national park go hiking up to lake solitude, its 15 miles round trip but 100% worth it. In yellowstone I would recommend spending time just driving around looking at the wildlife, maybe hike to the top of Mount Washburn (only like 6 miles) oh and go to Bubba's Barbeque in jackson hole!!!!!