with Lorelle and Brent VanFossen

Tag Archives: travel

Federal Aviation Administration – 1-866-TELL-FAA

You can call the FAA 24 hours a day to report an issue on their Federal Aviation Administration – 1-866-TELL-FAA (1-866-835-5322) phone number. While few of these relate directly to consumers such a airline passengers, and are directed more towards the airline and aircraft industry, it’s worth knowing about. The issues they handle include: Safety-related […]

Know Before You Go: Keep Current – Power on the Road

You know, when they predicted that technology would make our life easier, and that wireless would free us from the cords and cables and walls, I cheered. Now that modern technology and wireless is here, I have more wires, cords, plugins, cables, and needs for electrical sockets than ever before! Switching to digital cameras only […]

Know Before You Go: Store Digital Photographs on the Go

Today’s traveling photographer who has embraced the world of digital technology doesn’t need to worry about film going through airport security scanners or expiring. All they have to worry about is storage space. That’s right, storage space. Once limited to 36-38 photographs on a roll of film, digital photographers can now take hundreds of pictures […]

US May Use Airline Data to Find Terrorist Sleepers

According to the Guardian, The U.S. May Use Airline Data to Find Sleepers. The article says that the Transportation Security Administration is testing a project known as “Secure Flight” to check for terrorist sleepers on flight passenger lists. Already it is being attacked for violating privacy laws. Supposedly, Secure Flight is a more accurate method […]

Airport Security Hassles Reduced?

According to a recent report on CNN, Airline screening hassles may be cut. It seems that the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) will be meeting to discuss how to “reduce checkpoint hassles for the nation’s 2 million passengers”. Among the decisions and topics will be changing the bans on carrying some items on the airplane including […]

Know Before You Go: Tornado and Severe Weather Information

Escaping the path of Hurricane Dennis led us to the Memphis, Tennessee area. The campground and resort gave every registered person a door knob hanger with instructions on what to do in case of a tornado or severe weather alert or warning. I thought it was worth of posting here since all need to learn […]

The History of the Flashlight

The flashlight, the must-have stable of every traveler and camper, has an amazing history. It is delightfully explored in Energizer’s Learning Center – The History of Flashlights. In the 1890s, American Ever-Ready Company founder Conrad Hubert lit up New York City with the help of dry cell batteries and his newest invention—the electric hand torch. […]

Know Before You Go: Where Am I? Using GPS

Global Positioning System (GPS) units have become a major fad for travelers thrilled with the idea of knowing where they are at all times. Modern GPS units include sophisticated maps and even vocal capabilities, providing, upon verbal command, the user with directions on when and how to turn as they maneuver the roads. Only the […]

City Blogs for Travelers

According to Bloggers Blog: City Bloggers Keep Conversations Going, there are a lot of blogs now dedicated to specific cities on the Internet. Bloggers in cities around the United States are organizing to share resources, ideas and stories. The bloggers tend to keep issues and stories going long after they appear on the local TV […]

FAA Statistics on Unruly Passengers

Did you know that you can view the statistics on unruly air passengers on a list at the FAA? That’s right! As a government agency, they are required to keep a score card on air travel statistics, including passengers who mess around on the airplane. The Federal Aviation Administration – Passengers and Cargo Statistics on […]

Intel and Boeing Connexion Teaming Up to Brand Wireless Hotspots

In a report on Flight Tech Online, Connexion by Boeing and Intel Working to Make Airplanes “Hotspots”, Boeing Connexion, developer of the wireless broadband Internet services being installed on airplanes around the world for passengers to have in-flight wireless access to the Internet with their WIFI devices, is teaming up with Intel’s Centrino mobile technology, […]

Know Before You Go: VAT Refunds

Did you know that as a tourist shopping in a foreign country you can get a refund on the sales tax or VAT (Value Added Tax) on your purchases when you leave the country? You can. With a minimum total purchase, often equivalent to about USD$100, made at a “tax-free” or “tourist” shop, and a […]

Know Before You Go: Paperwork

When we hit the road for more than a couple weeks, we used to have a notebook of papers we’d carry with us. There is a lot of papers you need to take with you when you take your life on the road and we’d rounded up quite a collection. Preparing to evacuate from Israel […]

Riding With the Urban Mappers

Amazon.com’s A9.com Project Team is mapping the United States. Riding With the Urban Mappers tells of how this team of experts developing “block-view technology” which A9.com began this spring, allowing users to “virtually stroll city streets to get directions and identify local businesses.” The group travels via two utility trucks with a video camera on […]

Travelers Benefit from the Race for Aerial Maps

If you like to see, and I mean REALLY see a place before you visit, major sites and search engines want your attention. They are all rolling out aerial maps in different forms. Google recently released their