smarter traveling, driving and spending
Squaw Valley, home of the 1960 Winter Olympics, is no more. Its new name is Palisades Tahoe, and it newly incorporates the adjoining ski/snowboard resort, which is no longer known as Alpine Meadows. The name change is the latest in a wave of rebranding of names which insult our Native American tribes, including renaming major sports teams.
When a major international vehicle manufacturer announces it is closing down operations in India, it’s news, especially when production is primarily popular fuel-efficient models as the EcoSport subcompact SUV.
The tourists have gone home, the kids have gone back to school, sweltering temperatures have tamed to tolerable levels, and hotels have reduced their peak summer rates. It’s an ideal time to enjoy the crisp autumn air and the technicolor palette that Mother Nature serves up each autumn. Here are my favorite places in the USA and Canada and for a fall getaway.
Scam Alert. Unfortunately, many cars and trucks flooded in hurricanes and other deep water disasters wind up for sale by unscrupulous dealers to unsuspecting customers. Here’s how to avoid getting soaked by buying a vehicle that is – simply – dangerous to drive.
It’s possible to double the daily rate of your rental car with add-ons such as a second driver, navigation system, toll road pass, car seat, ski rack or bike rack. If you haven’t rented a vehicle in a while, it’s worth reviewing the rental do an don’trules to save money, even legal grief.
It’s important to be ready for an emergency. Pack a Grab & Go Bag now so you are ready for stormy weather, fire, or even a personal family emergency that requires immediate travel. Here’s what you’ll need for a quick escape.
A warning you about fraudulent charities and the creeps and con artists all too ready to take advantage of your willingness to help Haiti, which has been battered in quick succession by another major earthquake and a major tropical storm. Here’s how to avoid being scammed.
Here’s one winner you haven’t seen in the TV coverage of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics – Toyota e-Palette, the high-tech battery-electric autonomous buses transporting athletes, coaches and staff around the Olympic Village.
When an oil-rich Mideast shiekdom goes solar, it’s news. Abu Dhabi is building the world’s largest solar installation in the desert, and a solar-powered garage at the Abu Dhabi airport.
The Tokyo Olympics aren’t the only games this month. WEIO in Fairbanks, Alaska, draws Native athletes and dancers from around the state, the United States, Canada and Greenland. Competitive games include high kick, knuckle hop, ear pull, two-foot high kick, Eskimo stick pull, and the blanket toss. There’s also indigenous dances, authentic arts and crafts for sale, a Miss WEIO pageant and other cultural activities.