Getting Your Vehicle Ready for Vacation
Good driving habits and basic vehicle maintenance can help keep you safe and on the road all summer long. In the summer months, gas prices often rise with the temperature. The heat can be extremely hard on your vehicle and your wallet.
“A driver’s goal should be to reach their destination safely and securely,” says Bryan Gregory, director of consumer education for Advance Auto Parts. “With the summer season, come the extremes of heat combined with stop and go traffic and longer trips. Just as you would apply sunscreen at the beach, you should also make sure your vehicle is prepared for the conditions that you will be traveling in.”
Gregory recommends taking a few minutes to check your vehicle from bumper to bumper, beginning with a quick peek under the hood. You can start by checking your headlights, be sure high and low beams are working properly and aimed correctly; air conditioning, check the drive belt and add refrigerant if necessary; change oil if it’s been at least 3,000 miles since last change, change oil filter, and check coolant (antifreeze) level. Next, check your belts for severe wear, fraying, or shiny burnished spots, replace if necessary. Check hoses for swelling and cracking. Check hose clamps for snug, and check the battery to make sure it is clamped down firmly and clean terminals. If you need help, you can stop at any Advance Auto Parts store to receive a free battery and charging system check up. Finally, inspect your tires by placing a penny head first into the tread; the tread should cover the top of Abraham Lincoln’s head. Check outside tread, middle tread, and inside tread depth. Replace worn tires, they have direct impact on your stopping and turning ability.
In order to be prepared for an unexpected break down, every vehicle should contain an emergency kit. “This kit should include items such as bottled water, non-perishable snacks, basic hand tools, a flashlight and flares,” says Gregory, “and if you have children, a source of entertainment that does not require power from the vehicle is a plus.”
Other quick preparations for any trip include wiping down all mirrors and making sure all windows are clean. You should also make sure to secure all luggage, as it could become airborne and cause severe injuries in severe braking. And don’t forget to check all your wiper blades in case of a sudden rain shower, many people forget about the rear wiper on min-vans and SUV’s.
Here are some fuel saving tips from Advance Auto Parts so you can spend less time at the pump and more time on the road:
| 1) | Change your air filter regularly: Your engine needs to breathe to create maximum power and efficiency. You should replace your air filter every 7,500 miles unless otherwise specified by the manufacturer. | ||||
| 2) | Proper tire pressure is the next largest influence on fuel mileage. Check the drivers’ side door post to see exactly what the tire pressure should be, then check all four tires weekly for best results. Tires that are under inflated create dramatically more rolling resistance. | ||||
| 3) | Use synthetic oil. Synthetic oil reduces internal engine friction, lubricate better, and reduce engine operating temperatures, all creating a more efficient power process and helping with fuel mileage | ||||
| 4) | “You definitely want to avoid idling when possible because you get zero miles to the gallon when sitting still,” Gregory said. “Also, be sensible about how long you warm up the car. For most cars and trucks, 30 to 45 seconds of warm-up time is sufficient.” | ||||
| 5) | Reducing a vehicle’s load by eliminating excess cargo, such as extra tires, equipment, bike or ski racks, saves gas also because for every 200 pounds of extra weight in a vehicle, fuel mileage is reduced by one mile per gallon. | ||||
| 6) | Keep fuel injectors clean by using an injector cleaner once or twice a year. When the fuel injector nozzle gets debris and buildup on it, it doesn’t spray the fuel charge as it was designed to. A simple injector cleaner added to the fuel tank a few times each year can help keep the injectors clean and efficient. | ||||
| 7) | Be sure your vehicle is in alignment. If it pulls to the right or to the left, it likely needs an alignment, or possibly some suspension work. When all four wheels are traveling down the road out of alignment, rolling resistance is created, not to mention rapid tire wear. Once the vehicle tracking is straight, it will help protect your investment, enhance safety, and improve fuel mileage. |
Staycations on the Rise
As the nation continues to endure a challenging economy and the summer vacation season kicks into high gear, individuals increasingly are seeking opportunities that allow them to enjoy quality time with their family and friends, while avoiding the expense and hassle associated with travel.
For some, the ‘staycation’ simply involves relaxing at home. Others dedicate time to visit local community events, pools, museums, recreational areas or parks. And, a growing number of consumers are turning to their local health club. That’s right. Their health club.
“Time away from work still has individuals craving the typical benefits of vacation: time to relax and rejuvenate,” said Jeff Zwiefel, Life Time Fitness executive vice president and exercise physiologist. “Member usage at our centers is on the rise. For some, it’s the desire to avoid the expense of a summer vacation. For others, it’s a conscious effort to spend additional time focusing on reducing stress, getting back into shape and taking charge of health and wellness at a time when so many other things may seem to be out of control.”
Indeed, with 84 unique sports and athletic, professional fitness, family recreation and spa centers in a resort-like setting, Life Time Fitness has created healthy lifestyle, recreation and entertainment destinations designed to serve the needs of the entire family. Supported by a large team of certified team members, programs and services, Life Time locations sport a wide range of amenities under one roof and currently serve more than one million members.
From a cool, relaxing day at the water park, to haircuts, dining, massage, workouts, sports and recreation, child care, kids’ camps and much more, Life Time not only addresses those seeking a healthy and active way of life, but also has become a fulfilling staycation option for consumers.
Guests can grab a healthy, all-natural or organic breakfast lunch or dinner at Life Time’s LifeCafe or visit the LifeSpa & Salon for full range of hair, nail and skin care services, and therapeutic massage.
A whopping 400 pieces of state-of-the-art cardiovascular and resistance training equipment, plus free weights, along with a wide range of programs, activities, leagues and entertainment for all ages and physical abilities is just the beginning of the typical Life Time experience. Plus, multiple group exercise, Pilates and yoga studios with free and fee-based programs, a unique cycle theatre, team of certified personal trainers and programming, wide selection of adult and youth programs and activities, two full-size basketball courts, and dry saunas await those seeking to get in shape and de-stress. Indoor rock climbing caverns, large indoor and outdoor aquatics centers, lap pools and children’s interactive play areas, two whirlpools and an outdoor bistro add to the uniqueness, recreation and entertainment value of Life Time’s large resorts.
Parents concerned with how to find the time to work out or to relax, while also keeping up with their kids’ schedules, have Life Time’s large, interactive child centers, featuring play mazes, junior basketball courts, computer labs, children’s activity areas, and a separate infant playroom at their disposal. For the ultimate in convenience, dedicated family locker rooms also are available.
Addressing the budgeted-minded consumer, Life Time offers a range of club and membership choices. Every membership type includes complimentary locker and towel service, no long-term contracts, and a 30-day money-back guarantee. Member benefits also include the ‘Big 16,’ which offers 16 events each month dedicated to a wide range of interest areas, and Member Advantage, which delivers substantive discounts on dining, sports and travel, and much more simply by being a Life Time member.
“Our company launched in 1992 with the goal of helping people change their lives for the better,” says Zwiefel. “As our centers have evolved over the years so too has the incredible array of options and conveniences we offer, making it easy for individuals, couples and families to do something that’s good for them financially, mentally and physically. The fact that we have become a vacation destination is a testament to the fact that we offer complete lifestyle centers, not merely health clubs.”
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4th of July Travel Deals Still Available
With a peak summer travel weekend just days away, consumers can still jump on summer deals for 4th of July travel. Travelocity’s data shows airfare for domestic and international flights down 17 percent this 4th of July weekend compared to 2008. Lower airfare isn’t the only summer bargain to take advantage of this holiday weekend. If a road trip is on the horizon, hotel steals are available as well, with domestic hotel rates down 13 percent as compared to the holiday weekend last year.
Domestic Value Destinations for Hotel Stays
- San Juan – down 24%
- Honolulu – down 21%
- San Diego – down 21 %
- New York City – down 23%
- Las Vegas – down 25%
Top 5 Destinations for 4th of July
1. Las Vegas
2. New York City
3. Los Angeles
4. Chicago
5. Orlando
“It is still possible to get a great deal, even though we’re getting close to the holiday,” Genevieve Shaw Brown, senior editor for Travelocity, said. “4th of July travel prices are consistent with the rest of the summer, despite this being a peak weekend for the industry. Consumers should jump on summer deals while they last and those planning trips for fall need to book now before capacity cuts impact airfare.”
The MAve Gets Ready to Launch
We’ve been talking about this NYC hotel launch for the past month, and now we are only a few days away! There are the swank lifestyles of the rich and famous and swift lifestyles of rockers and rollers. Receive complimentary passes to the new John Lennon exhibition at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Annex, when you choose a one-night rock star swift stay at The MAve, New York City’s newest modern boutique hotel. Showcasing rare or never-seen artifacts, films, and music commemorating Lennon’s life in New York City, you can relive an era that highlights one of the greatest song writers of his generation. Melding iconicism, creative flair, and New York cool, The MAve, located at 62 Madison Avenue in the Flatiron District, is a hotel providing the perfect neighborhood to possibly understand why Lennon adopted New York City as his home. In a swift 24 hours, you can experience the lights, sights, and sounds of the area: have a quick treat at the Shake Shack in Madison Square Park, visit the Empire State Building at night for an unforgettable view of the city and linger into the early morning hours in a cozy lounge, all within walking distance of the hotel.
Delivering substance, style, and a bit of swank, The MAve with its casual chic accommodations, offers an opportunity to take your New York City experience to another level. The hotel features the first ever Artisanal breakfast premiering the new premium fresh roasted coffee paired with a selection of their cheeses and freshly baked artisan breads – from sweet cinnamon raisin to Irish soda to savory pumpernickel. Using only beans that are hand selected from around the world, delivered green, the imported beans are then roasted the same day they are ordered, making it the freshest coffee in New York City. The MAve is the first and only hotel in New York City to offer a sample of the Artisanal coffee debut.
Rates for The Rock and Roll package in an urban full room start at $189.
Patriotism Pays: Free Doubletree Cookies on July First and Fourth
On the First and Fourth of July, two days filled with fun, fireworks and patriotic traditions, Doubletree Hotels is offering the “sweet treat” of complimentary, freshly-baked chocolate chip cookies to anyone who walks into any of its more than 200 locations on Canada Day and Independence Day. No purchase is necessary. Limit one fresh-baked chocolate chip cookie per person. People may simply walk into any Doubletree hotel between 12:01 a.m. and 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday, July 1 at Canadian Doubletree hotels and Saturday, July 4 at U.S. Doubletree locations to be welcomed with a delicious, warm chocolate chip cookie to commemorate each country’s beloved holiday, while supplies last.
The Doubletree tradition of greeting guests at check-in with its legendary, warm chocolate chip cookie has set the standard for welcoming hotel guests. More than 200 million of the 2 ½ ounce cookies, which boast an average of 20 chocolate chips, have been presented to travelers during the past two decades.
“Our `Free Cookies on the First and Fourth’ promotion is a fun way to celebrate patriotism and satisfy chocolate cravings across Canada and the United States, without even needing to be a guest,” said Mary Beth Parks, vice president of marketing for Doubletree Hotels. “We’re expecting to give out thousands of cookies to our guests and our communities this Canada Day and Independence Day – certainly more likely than any bakery or cookie company will sell on these special days!”
It’s Time for the Annual South Carolina Campground Cookoff
The Old 96 District Tourism Commission will again host the 2009 South Carolina Campground Cookoff on September 18-20, 2009 at Calhoun Falls State Recreation Area on Lake Richard B. Russell in Calhoun Falls, South Carolina. This event is a partnership between the Old 96 District Tourism Commission and the Parks Division of the South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism. The Old 96 District Tourism Commission is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting tourism and travel opportunities in the counties of Abbeville, Edgefield, Greenwood, Laurens and McCormick, South Carolina.
Campers who love to cook are encouraged to enter and compete to become “King of the Campground Cooks!” Participants must be 16 years of age, submit a $40 entry fee and stay two nights at Calhoun Falls State Recreation Area. Contestants may enter one of two categories: main dish or dessert. Food must be prepared from scratch and cooked over a fire of either wood or charcoal.
No gas grills are allowed. Cash prizes of $500, $300 and $200 will be awarded in each category. Applications must be received by August 1, 2009.
Three nationally-known celebrity judges — Shannon Kohn, Recipe Developer and Food Writer; Annette Thompson, Associate Travel Editor for Southern Living and Charles Mattocks aka “The Poor Chef,” who has recently appeared on The TODAY Show, will crown the winners.
Charles Wood, an award winning banjo player and 1998 Merlefest Banjo Champion and winner of the 1999 Walnut Valley National Banjo Championship, will perform during the Iron Skillet Hoedown on Friday night. Exhibitors will be on hand to demonstrate their products.
Learn How to Serve Wine Properly
On a warm weather day, at the historic 1880s Firelands Winery in Sandusky, Claudio Salvador, partner and winemaker, entertains guests and visitors with the latest tips on wine service. “My grandparents owned 70 acres of vineyards in a small country town in the Veneto, where we gathered every harvest,” says the engaging Salvador, who grew up in a closely knit Italian family steeped in winemaking.
The ultimate connoisseur, Salvador was educated in fermentation sciences and chemistry at Italy’s University of Padua in Conegliano Veneto. He trained with the centuries-old Zonin family in Tuscany, then made Virginia’s Barboursville first official wine. “Let your taste and intuition be your guide when serving and enjoying wine,” he says with a grin. “The shared celebration of wine, food, and life is wine’s most humanizing aspect.”
Here are the top tips for how to serve wine:
- Store wine in a cool, dark place around 55 degrees Fahrenheit free from vibration, ventilation, and direct sunlight.
- Serve white, pink, and sparkling wine slightly chilled at 45-55 degrees Fahrenheit, and red wines cool or room temperature at 60-65 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Use a corkscrew with leverage and worm to open wine. Align worm with a point and spirals to prevent cork from weakening. Pull so corkscrew grips the cork and holds.
- Plain, nine ounce, stemmed, all purpose glasses are best for tasting.
- Stand older bottles upright, then pour wine from bottle to decanter in front of candle. Decant younger wine from bottle to decanter 15 minutes before serving.
- Pour wine toward center of wine glass and examine for freshness, then fill just below widest section of glass for swirling and aerating.
- Press bottom of stemmed wine glass and rotate in circle to release wine aromas. Add wine until 1/3 full; smell aroma. Ingest air and gurgle to aerate wine for flavors. Swallow or spit wine in a spittoon, rinse glass with water.
“This simple wine protocol enhances the quality and taste of wine, heightens the overall wine experience, and raises the bar on the popular culture,” he says.
Wine Bloggers to Gather at 2nd Annual Conference in Wine Country
Wine bloggers from across the country will converge on Sonoma and Napa Valley in July for the second annual North American Wine Bloggers Conference. The three-day conference for the increasingly influential citizen wine writers will explore blogging technology and techniques, the craft and legalities of wine writing, the impact of social media on the wine blogosphere as well as include wine tastings, adventures in “speed blogging” and forays into the heart of Napa Valley.
The July 24 to 26 conference is expected to attract 250 wine bloggers as well as members of the wine industry all looking to better understand the implications and potential of the growing number of wine blogs. Keynote addresses will be delivered by Chris Alden, CEO of SixApart, Barry Schuler, former Chairman and CEO of AOL, current managing director of investment firm Draper, Fisher, Jurvetson and a owner of Napa Valley winery Meteor Vineyards, and Jim Gordon, editor of Wines & Vines Magazine.
Potential of Wine Blogging and Responsibilities on Agenda at Conference
“The world of wine blogging appears to be rapidly transforming the way consumers understand wine and the way the wine industry communicates with itself and its customers,” said Joel Vincent of OpenWine Consortium, one of the producers of the conference. “As the genre grows in size and influence, the community wanted to learn more about the potential for blogging now and in the future and the responsibilities that puts on wine bloggers.”
OpenWine Consortium and Zephyr Wine Adventures are organizing the event for the second year. Sponsors include Sonoma County Vintners, Sonoma County Winegrape Commission, Sonoma County Tourism Bureau, Napa Valley Vintners, Sonoma Valley Vintners & Growers Alliance, Bouchaine Vineyards, ViniPortugal, Russian River Valley Winegrowers, and Winegrowers of Dry Creek Valley. Events are scheduled to take place at the Flamingo Resort in Sonoma County, Culinary Institute of America at Greystone, as well as at numerous Napa Valley wineries.
“The almost fifty percent increase in attendance at this years conference is due in large part to the success of last year and the exploding interest in wine blogging as wine lovers explore other options beyond the traditional wine media,” said Vincent.
For more information on the 2009 American Wine Bloggers conference see http://www.winebloggersconference.org.
People Still Taking Summer Vacations in Spite of Recession
Are you planning a family vacation this Summer? Well thankfully you are not alone. Burst Media released the results of a survey on summer travel. The survey, administered last month to nearly 2,000 adults 18 years and older, revealed that three-quarters (76.3%) of respondents will take a personal trip or vacation this summer that will entail travel at least 100 miles from home. Among this “summer travel” segment, 40.8% say the number of trips they plan to take is “the same” as the number they took last year; 24.4% say they will be traveling more frequently, and one-third (34.6%) of summer travelers will travel less frequently. Among respondents traveling less frequently, 71.3% say the recession has impacted their summer travel plans. Also of interest was the finding that two out of three respondents (63.3%) are “online” during their vacations.
Not surprisingly, nearly all (80.3%) summer travelers indicated they will use the Internet to help plan their vacations, but of particular interest was the survey’s revelation of the significant connection between affluence and Internet usage for travel planning. Among income segments, respondents reporting household income (HHI) of $100,000 or more were most likely (88.2%) to use the Internet to help plan their summer travel.
“Consumers are actively using the Internet as an information resource and a place to make travel purchases,” said Chuck Moran, VP of Marketing for Burst Media. “Online advertisers can benefit greatly from leveraging the web’s ability to target specific travel audiences – such as families, and the affluent – with content that is highly meaningful and engaging to the viewer.”
When asked to select what features/content of a travel website make them return to it, respondents cited destination information (46.3%) and the ability to check flight, hotel and car rental rates/availability (45.2%) as the most popular options.
