green living, smart spending
There are six FREE admission days to national parks, monuments and historic sites in 2025, the same as in 2024. There are more than 400 National Park Service sites nationwide, with at least one in every state.
The automobile was born on August 26, 1885. That is the day Gottlieb Daimler filed a patent for his ‘riding car’, the world’s first vehicle with an internal combustion engine. Dr. Carl Benz registered a patent for a similar device six months earlier, with three wheels and large enough to carry passengers. So you
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Good news – gas prices, car rental rates, hotel rooms and domestic airfares are less expensive than Labor Day a year ago. Bad news – international airfares cost more. That’s according to the AAA, which offers two such annual surveys – one for Memorial Day Weekend, the official start of summer, and another for Labor
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It’s possible to double the daily rate of your rental car with add-ons such as insurance, a second driver, navigation system, toll road pass, car seat or bike rack. If you haven’t rented a vehicle in a while, it’s worth reviewing the rental do and don’t rules to save money, even legal grief.
National Tire Safety Week is June 30 to July 4 – a good time to be reminded about the importance of proper tire care. Bad weather, stop-and-go traffic or long road trips can spell disaster if you are driving on tires with worn out treads, by increasing the length you need to stop and decreasing performance and handling. These tips will help you know when to rotate or buy new ones.
The peak spring and summer getaway season is getting underway, so it’s important your vehicle is ready before you are on the road again. These common sense car care tips can help prevent costly breakdowns from dead batteries or flat tires, being locked out of your vehicle, or worse.
Some of the best reasons to visit national parks are the chance to spot wildlife, including bison, elk, bear, moose, wolves, eagles, trumpeter swans and more. Plus, of course, hundreds of species of birds. With more than 400 national parks and preserves in the National Parks System, there’s plenty of opportunity.
If you are concerned about the safety and capabilities of self-driving passenger vehicles, including robotaxis, you are not alone. A new AAA survey about autonomous vehicles shows that our opinions have not changed in five years, despite advances in the technology.
Winter driving requires more space between you and the vehicle ahead, more attention to changeable road conditions and more time to get to your destination safely. Winter driving also requires less speed on icy or slick roadways, less dependence on technology like anti-lock brakes and traction control, and less trust of other drivers.
Get ready for crowded roads, airports and cruise ship terminals for the Christmas-Hannukah-Kwanzaa-New Year’s holidays – as many as 3 million more than last year’s holiday season. AAA projects a record 119.3 million people will travel 50 miles or more from home between Sat., December 21 and Wed., January 1. This year’s domestic travel projection is a bit more than the previous record set in 2019.