smarter traveling, driving and spending
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.
Can horses fly? Yes, when they are Olympic athletes. More than 300 horses, tons of equipment and special food are being flown from Europe to compete in equestrian events in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, July 23-August 8, 2021. As you might expect, it’s a massive logistical undertaking.
According to a recently published UN report, the crash in international tourism due to the coronavirus pandemic could cause a loss of more than $4 trillion to the global GDP for the years 2020 and 2021.
Gas prices are up again, to their highest level in more than a year, so it’s more important than ever to save money at the gas pump. You can do that if you tune up, slow down and lighten up. These tips won’t cost you anything, but will save you lots.
The AAA predicts more than 47 million of us will be on the road and in the air over the 4th of July holiday weekend, which matches pre-Pandemic levels. In other words, expect crowded roads, airports and trains, and delays wherever you are going. Also expect higher prices for gas, car rentals, hotels and airfare.
Here are some easy and common sense tips for getting your car, SUV or truck road trip ready, whether you are planning a short drive or a longer getaway, especially if you haven’t been using your vehicle much recently.
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.
Since you might not have traveled in a while, consider this a quick refresher course for how to stretch your travel dollars before, during and after a trip, whether you are going solo or with the entire family.