Travel Tip #1

Winter is upon us in full force and it's time to think about traveling to warmer horizons. Of course if you're a snowboarder, skier, or a tobogganist, this is a terrific time to play. May I encourage you to be extra careful on the highways and byways. One of my storm chasing Tweeters recently published statistics about icy road deaths this year, which far exceed all the tornado deaths of the entire, previous calendar year. I "think" that info was posted by the master Storm Chaser, Jim Cantore of the Weather Channel. But the point is well taken: icy roads can be lethal.

The following information is apropos, regardless of the time of year we travel. I shall be posting travel tips every Friday for a year, just to share some common sense that tends to fall by the wayside when we hastily pack a suitcase and head out on new adventures. A little planning will make the difference between a memorable adventure and keen disappointment.

Just last evening I shared Tip #1 with fellow writers who immediately recalled instances in their own travels where they fell into the trap of
underestimating the consequences of failing to travel around the weather.

The recommendations I make are intended to provide some guidelines for enjoyment while exploring new territory. There is no guarantee of personal safety implied by these observations. You are responsible for exercising good judgment in the face of adversity. Be smart. Be safe. Good grief, I sound like McGruff the Crime Dog!

Post #1. Here goes.
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Travel Guide for Solo Adventurers
Tip #1
(c) 2010 Lea, the Traveling Novelist

I stood alongside the slick, paved road of Yellowstone National Park, donning a down filled hooded winter coat, thick gloves, and snow boots. It was a challenge to refrain from staring at nearby children who were sporting tee shirts, shorts, and athletic shoes. If any of my neighbors had asked me what I would be packing for my trip to the gigantic, volcano spewing park and for the Grand Tetons National Park, they might have stared at me as though I were crazy. Many of my friends would have made the same assumptions that the shivering children’s families had made. Shorts and light shirts were more than adequate for the big adventure out west. After all, it was May.

But as I had laid out the itinerary for my solo adventure through Midwest, the Rocky Mountains, and the deserts of Arizona and New Mexico, I researched every detail possible so that the trip would be as exhilarating as it could be. I was warm and comfortable amidst the slicing winds of Yellowstone while many tourists peered at steamy, sulfuric geysers from the interiors of their cars and soccer vans. My morning photography shoots of the Tetons were magnificent. But there were few people trekking along the banks of Jackson Lake shortly after frigid sunrises in exquisitely scenic Wyoming. The view was extraordinary. It was mine for the taking.

Within a week I was shopping in Roswell, New Mexico, well armed with plastic money in pursuit of the perfect Alien Tee Shirt for my grandson. The weather in the heart of celebrated UFO Country yielded a very different hold on townies and visitors. The clear air of the high desert measured one hundred six degrees Fahrenheit. Roswell rests on the high ground of The Land of Enchantment, but altitude affords little relief from searing wafts of dry air in May. I was attired in shorts, a tee shirt, a wide brimmed straw hat, and sandals. Only a few days earlier I had donned the gear of winter hikers of the northern Rocky Mountains. Doing my homework for the solo Wild West Adventure had paid off beautifully.

Inadequate planning may be the biggest downfall of travelers who venture into unfamiliar territory. They dream of experiencing the best vacation ever. Too often, they end up taking home the worst memories. Intelligent computer geeks exude a putrid shade of gray when submerged in a submarine off the coast of the Bahamas. Inexperienced spelunkers lower themselves into rain filled caverns of the Appalachians, wearing mere threadbare summer clothes. Fair skinned babies are burned to a dangerous dark pink hue while on Florida family vacations. Tough guys hobble on blistered, crippled feet in amusement parks. All because of one problem: inadequate planning.

I have traveled alone on many vacations through the years. Every trip is a learning experience. Mistakes and oversights happen, even with the best laid plans, but many problems can be remedied with little more than common sense and knowledge of what to expect on arrival. I have learned from my own share of mistakes. I have also learned to pay close attention to the advice of experts who have my best interest at heart.

The following advice is not intended to guarantee a completely safe and satisfying travel experience. We are never ensured of complete safety. Not in our homes. Not on the road. The number one plan for safety, fun, and satisfaction is preparation coupled with a heightened awareness of our surroundings. Take time to plan carefully, and your chances of reminiscing joyfully about the great trip of 2010 increase exponentially.

1. Check the weather. Search the Internet for your destination weather by simply entering the name of the town and weather. For example search “Casper Wyoming weather.” Then carefully evaluate not only the current meteorological conditions, but the ten-day forecast for the region. Familiarize yourself with meteorological map notations and watch out for the “Ls” on the maps, the blue arrowed curved lines moving in your general direction, and particularly pay attention to the potential for a clash between high pressure and low pressure systems. If you’re traveling through the Rockies, Tornado Ally, or along hurricane lined coastal areas of the East Coast, stay tuned to local weather forecasters for advisories, watches, and warnings. Know when to take shelter and when to avoid dangerous conditions.

Carry a portable weather radio with an alarm when traveling through unfamiliar territory, but do not rely exclusively on the radio to provide the first warnings. You may not always be able to get a signal. Twice I was alerted to twisters on the ground by local radio station DJs who had received alerts from professionally trained “spotters.” The National Weather Service caught up with the warnings after I had taken shelter in the most solid and secure buildings immediately available.

If you are in doubt about your personal safety in adverse weather, check with responsible locals. A good looking, cool dude with a surfboard is probably not the best person to consult if he is walking toward the beach in the midst of an approaching category 3 hurricane. On the other hand, admonitions from NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association) to take shelter should be taken very seriously. If unstable air masses stabilize or if Hurricane Xena changes course, the worst you have to show for erring on the side of caution is a little lost time. Be wary of local cynics who smash the warning button atop their weather radios and claim “Oh---sometimes tornadoes touch down on the other side of the street, and sometimes they don’t touch down at all---ya’ never know.” These charming, albeit, desensitized townies are not the best bet for your personal safety. Always err on the side of caution.

Safe travel, my friends!

P.S. Hubby just threw in his advice: move to Aruba!!!! OK..