Road Trip Pictures: Scenes From Unpaved Roads (Eastern USA Edition)

I am most happy when I am driving on unpaved roads.

The more remote, the better.

Some scenic views, road signs, and other wonders can only be found on paved paved roads.

Here is a collection of photos I have taken; the scenes can only be found on/from unpaved roads in the eastern United States. A future post will cover the western US.

McCool’s Ferry Road, South Carolina

north of Corolla, NC

Sumter National Forest, South Carolina

Bust Head Road, The Plains, Virginia

Dirt Road, Rocky Road, Rougher Road, and then Grass Field

Allen Cemetery, Stone School Lane, Virginia

Old Waterford Road, Virginia

logging road in Arkansas

Darn, I Cannot Get to McCool Lane: Mississippi

roadside gator, northern Florida

near Lake Wales, Florida

Previous McCool Travel post ====> 8 Great Foods Found on American Road Trips

For frequent travel deals, follow me on Facebook (McCool Travel) and Twitter (@CharlesMcCool). You can also follow me on LinkedIn, Pinterest, Klout,  StumbleUpon, and Instagram.

© 2013, Charles McCool

8 Great Foods Found on American Road Trips

If I had to pick one activity to do for the rest of my life, going on road trips and finding great food items would rank near or at number 1.

Narrowing this list to only 8 great foods will be a challenge.

I do not like to have many rules but a couple of parameters:

– Food items are (as far as I know) authentic, homemade, non-chain, and, of course, awesome and memorable.

– Food items are from locations requiring road trips to get to.

For instance, Voodoo Donuts (in Portland, Oregon) is not on this list because it can be easily visited with public transportation. Do not worry, listed below are other donut and pastry shrines well worth the out-of-the-way road trip visit.

Let’s get to it.

1. James Brown’s Famous Flames, Avon Park, Florida (Pulled Pork Sandwich). On a road trip between Kissimmee, Florida and Ft. Lauderdale, I went down the spine of Central and South Florida. Instead of taking highway 27, I discovered a bunch of smaller roads and found places like Tiger Creek Preserve, Lake Wales Ridge State Forest, and miles of unpaved roads through open citrus groves. My kind of road trip! After a few hours of exploring, I ended up in Avon Park and stumbled upon a humble trailer with a grand billboard. My expectations were not high, so I ordered a pulled pork sandwich to go. I selected two sides; don’t remember which. Total was around $5. I drove about 15 minutes and found a picnic spot along a lake. I opened the white styrofoam container and was shocked at the large size of the sandwich. Not only was it a huge sandwich but it was the best pulled pork sandwich I have ever had. Next time I am in the area, James Brown’s (love the name!) will be my destination and I will try more menu items.
   

   James Brown’s in Avon Park, Florida

2. Mrs. Mac’s Kitchen, Key Largo, Florida (Key Lime Freeze). Everything is great at Mrs. Mac’s. I mean it. Everything I have ever had there–and everything others in my parties have had–has been delicious and hit the spot. Mrs. Mac’s is a great stop on the classic road trip down the Overseas Highway to Key West. It is about 100 miles (2-3 hours driving, plus stops) from Mrs. Mac’s to Key West, so it is a great place to fill up (the bodies!). For food, my tip is to get whatever the daily special is. It will be fresh and delicious. Every meal I have there must be accompanied by a key lime freeze (like a shake/smoothie). What better way to say hello (or goodbye) to the Florida Keys?
   

   Scene behind Mrs. Mac’s, Key Largo

3. Vivolo’s Chowder House, Pacific Grove, California (Clam Chowder in Bread Bowl). Switching coasts, a perfect way to watch a glorious California sunset is while eating clam chowder in a sourdough bread bowl. Vivolo’s is conveniently located close to Monterey Aquarium. Order your chowdah and bread bowl to go, then drive to Sunset Drive via Ocean View Boulevard–past Lover’s Point and Asilomar. There are usually other sunset watchers but you can also always find a secluded spot for sunset watching. Enjoy!
4. The Apple House, Linden, Virginia (Apple Butter Cinnamon Donuts). This is a great stop for Washington, DC visitors heading to Skyline Drive for the day. The Apple House has decent enough BBQ and a kitschy gift shop but the donuts are the reason to stop.
   

   Apple Donut from The Apple House

   They call them apple butter cinnamon donuts and, so, what else can I do to describe them. The donuts are wonderfully delicious and packs that energy you need for the long hikes on Skyline Drive.

5. The Donut Hole, Lakeway, Texas (doughnuts). Speaking of doughnuts, the absolute best I have ever had (Yes, including Voodoo) was from this place. OK, The Donut Hole has 3 locations (the other 2 are in Austin) but it is an exception to my no chains rule. You understand, right? This is a good place to fill up on goodies on the way to Hamilton Pool and Texas Hill Country.
   

   Hamilton Pool

   I also stopped at a place on highway 71 for soft tacos but there were many food trucks in the area. No mistake though, the donuts remain in my memory as the best I have ever had.

6. The Salt Lick, Driftwood, Texas (BBQ). Here is a dream road trip day. Get donuts (above), perhaps a soft taco to take the edge off, spend the day at Hamilton Pool and Texas Hill Country, followed by late lunch or early dinner at The Salt Lick.
   

   Salt Lick BBQ

   I suggest their rustic outdoor seating (long tables) on nice days. I also suggest a plate with multiple meat options; you will want to try everything.

7. The Lobster Roll, Amagansett (Montauk), New York (Long Island). Last summer I had a few free days and I thought “road trip.” But, where? Looking at a big map I realized I had never been to Long Island. I decided to drive to the eastern tip. Along the way I had fantastic eclairs in Atlantic City, incredible fish tacos in Grasonville Maryland, authentic Brooklyn pizza, and fresh bagels and black/white cookies (very Seinfeldian). It was suggested that I try a lobster roll on Montauk, where the lobster roll was invented. Um, sold!
   

   lobster roll, Montauk

   So, get this., the place is called “The Lobster Roll” but the only sign says “Lunch.” The menu lists famous people who have visited–including , Woody Allen, Pele, and President Nixon (probably not together). The lobster roll was not the best I have had but it was great to visit its birthplace. Note that many prefer the lobster roll at nearby Duryea’s. Another road trip is necessary to solve the debate.

8. Cherry Hill, Lunenburg, Massachusetts (ice cream). Ahhhh, after all that food it is dessert time. You know me by now, right? I LOVE ice cream. I have been to countless homemade ice cream stands (but not all!). If I open a shop (or change my name), it will be Scoops McCool. Cherry Hill stands out because it has the single best ice cream I have ever tasted.
   

   Cherry Hill ice cream, Lunenburg, Massachusetts

   Every Cherry Hill flavor has not knocked my socks off but chocolate peanut butter cookie dough has. Have a seat and let me ‘splain this. Cherry Hill is in a big  barn surrounded by a gravel parking lot and lots of green field. Look real hard and you will see the cows on the hill to the right. That’s your fresh cream, making every ice cream flavor delish. Cherry Hill’s chocolate ice cream is not just chocolate but milk chocolate (thank you, cows!). Regular cookie dough in vanilla ice cream is good (my wife says Cherry Hill has the best cookie dough) but Cherry Hill does this insane thing where they put peanut butter chocolate chip cookie dough in milk chocolate ice cream. Absolutely crazy. Bonus is that the prices are really low and the employees (mostly local teens) love working there. By the way, when in season, the lobster rolls at nearby The Ugly Omelet are fantastic.

Note that these are not the greatest foods; although I claimed #1, 5, and 8 are; prove me wrong, I triple dog dare you. I would love to hear what your favorite items found on road trips include. Perhaps I will even create a road trip to visit your suggestions.

Previous McCool Travel post ====> Travel Tip: Save Money With Split Tickets AKA Split Fares

For frequent travel deals, follow me on Facebook (McCool Travel) and Twitter (@CharlesMcCool). You can also follow me on LinkedIn, Pinterest, Klout,  StumbleUpon, and Instagram.

© 2013, Charles McCool

Travel Tip: Save Money With Split Tickets AKA Split Fares (Revisited)

Many people are currently planning  summer trips and I want to reintroduce the split ticket strategy which can save you loads of money.

Recently, I have spoken to several people or read online about proposed itineraries with connecting flights.

I have received or seen requests for flights to Alaska, Istanbul, Berlin, Sydney, Charlottetown (Prince Edward Island), and more.

The departure airports differed in each case but there was no nonstop flight option.

Each itinerary involves mandatory connecting flights. That is, the routings are such that the passenger MUST connect in an interim airport. There are no nonstop or direct flights between the departure and arrival airports.

When I am forced to make a connection, I research how much it costs to buy two different flights. This is what I call split tickets.

Flights to Sydney, Australia from the US East coast make at least one connection. The lowest fare for many flights between Dulles (near DC) and Sydney in July cost about $2,200 and connect through Los Angeles. Flights between Los Angeles and Sydney during the same period are as low as $1,200.

Buying two separate round trips (Dulles-Los Angeles AND Los Angeles-Sydney) makes financial sense if the Dulles to Los Angeles flight is under $1,000. Current fares are $376. By buying separate round trip tickets for this routing, you save more than $600 (per passenger!). Now you can afford to stay another night in Australia!

Three Advantages of Split Tickets

As the ad guys say, “but wait, there’s more!“

First, split tickets can save you money. One example is above.

Second, you can pick your favorite airlines. For example, instead of choosing between only American, United, and Delta between the East coast and Hawaii, you can fly JetBlue or Virgin and Hawaiian Airlines.

Third, you can create stopovers. The above $2,200 fares between Dulles and Australia require passengers to travel straight through. When connecting in Los Angeles, you must take the next flight. If you wanted to stay for a couple of days, it is a different fare situation and much more expensive.

When buying two separate round trip tickets, you decide how long to stay in interim cities. In fact, I have created itineraries through two separate interim destinations. For instance, fly from East coast to San Francisco and stay a few days. Fly to Hawaii and stay a week. Return flight to Los Angeles (or San Diego or Las Vegas) and stay a few days. Return flight back to East coast.

Split tickets are not less expensive for every connecting routing. Every once in awhile, though, it makes perfect sense. After all, even the best baseball player does not hit a home run every time.

For more information about split tickets please see my previous articles: Air Travel Tip: Split Tickets and Air Travel Tip: Split Tickets Part 2.

Previous McCool Travel post ====> A Visit to White Sands National Monument

For frequent travel deals, follow me on Facebook (McCool Travel) and Twitter (@CharlesMcCool). You can also follow me on LinkedIn, Pinterest, Klout,  StumbleUpon, and Instagram.

© 2013, Charles McCool

A Visit to White Sands National Monument

I recently visited one of my favorite places on Earth, White Sands National Monument near Alamogordo, New Mexico–for the third time.

McCool Travel: White Sands National Monument

Although it was my third visit, it was the first time for my children and the first time I tried saucers there.

McCool Travel: White Sands NM

McCool Travel: White Sands NM

Plastic saucers can be rented from the Visitor Center. Actually, you buy the saucers and get a refund when they are returned.

McCool Tip #1: Check for used saucers behind the cashier. Used saucers will save you a little money. I tried both saucers (new and used) on the dunes and found no difference.

McCool Tip #2: Spend an extra couple of dollars for wax and spend a few minutes waxing your saucer(s) after every few rides. Waxed saucers made a huge difference (in speed).

McCool Tip #3: I had better success with the saucer recommended for children and smaller adults, although I am a larger adult. Go figure!

Even though it was cloudy for our visit, we were rewarded with remarkable colors and vistas at sunset time.

McCool Travel: White Sands NM

McCool Travel: White Sands NM

McCool Travel: White Sands NM

McCool Travel: White Sands NM

My son took a break from riding the dunes to make this wonderful design.

McCool Travel: White Sands NM

It is easy to find a blank canvas (untouched sand) in the park. What design would you make?

Previous McCool Travel post ====> Road Trip Travel Tip: Drive a Little, Save a Lot

For frequent travel deals, follow me on Facebook (McCool Travel) and Twitter (@CharlesMcCool). You can also follow me on LinkedIn, Pinterest, Klout, and StumbleUpon.

© 2013, Charles McCool

Road Trip Travel Tip: Drive a Little, Save a Lot (and Have More Fun)

Perhaps you have also noticed this.

Gas stations closest to the interstate exit ramps have the most expensive gas.

Of course this is for our convenience. Easy on, easy off.

Sometimes there is only one gas station at an exit. Or it is not reasonable to drive another 7 miles to the next station.

Often, though, there will be one or a few gas stations very close to an interstate exit while a short distance away (less than 2 miles) there is a small town or suburbia.

On one road trip, gas prices were 40 cents higher close to the interstate. I drove half a mile to save 40 cents a gallon.

I am definitely not the type of person to drive around town looking to save 3 cents a gallon whenever I fill up. When my car needs gas, I combine a fill up trip with some other task.

Same with road trips.

I will drive an extra half mile to five miles (each way) to get cheaper gas because I am also stocking up on groceries, eating at a fantastic diner I read about, or visiting a fascinating roadside attraction.

Of course I try to stay off the interstates as much as possible but sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do. But I do try to stick with smaller roads when I can.

To preplan the least costly fuel stops for a set itinerary, use Cost2Drive. Finding nearby fuel prices is made easier with mobile apps like Gas Buddy. Tip: Costcos often has the lowest fuel prices.

How about you? What other places have you noticed inflated prices?

Previous McCool Travel post ====> 14 Years of How-To Travel Tips, Advice, and Information

For frequent travel deals, follow me on Facebook (McCool Travel) and Twitter (@CharlesMcCool). You can also follow me on LinkedIn, Pinterest, Klout, and StumbleUpon.

© 2013, Charles McCool

14 Years of How-To Travel Tips, Advice, and Information

14 years ago, March 4, 1999 is the day I registered LowerAirfares.com.

That set the wheels in motion for me to write and publish my travel book (Winning the Airfare Game), teach travel classes, speak at travel shows, and write hundreds of travel blog posts.

I would love to hear from you:

• How long have you followed me? How did you find me?
• How have I helped you? Or have I?
• How can I help you in the future?

Thank you.

My best travel wishes to you…

Charles McCool

Previous McCool Travel post ====> Favorite Annual Travel Deals

For frequent travel deals, follow me on Facebook (McCool Travel) and Twitter (@CharlesMcCool). You can also follow me on LinkedIn, Pinterest, Klout, and StumbleUpon.

© 2013, Charles McCool

8 Great Sights of New Orleans

Reblogged from McCool Travel:

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Today is Mardi Gras! Nothing signifies Mardi Gras more in the United States than New Orleans.

Here are 8 great (I hope you think so) photos I took in New Orleans this past September.

1. If you arrive by airplane, you will be greeted in the small New Orleans airport terminal by a Louis Armstrong statue and this gorgeous mural.

Read more… 172 more words

Special McCool Travel re-post, to commemorate the Super Bowl in New Orleans on 3 February 2013.

Favorite Annual Travel Deals

Some travel deals predictably occur around the same time each year.

One is Cunard’s transatlantic crossing starting at $999 (per person). I remember this deal being offered since the early 1990s. McCool Travel Tip: Interestingly, even though Cunard advertises rates starting at $999, they are currently selling cabins for $849 (per person).

My favorite annual travel deal is the rental car exodus from Florida. It is one of my stealthy rental car maneuvers.

Every winter, rental car companies need extra cars in Florida. In fact, National Car Rental currently is renting cars from NYC to Florida for $40 a day ($50 for mini vans).

Subsequently, every spring, rental car companies disperse the cars from Florida to East coast destinations. While I have seen rates as low as $1 a day, I usually pay $5 a day to $100 a week.

For that low rate, I pick up a rental car from a Florida location (usually Ft. Lauderdale or Orlando) and return it to a location near my house in Northern Virginia. McCool Travel power user tip: I have even returned a one-way rental to a local (non-airport) location.

To get to Florida, I buy an inexpensive one-way flight.

I have participated in this program a few times and look forward to doing it each spring. The one-way deals are usually valid from late March through mid June.

Although the rental car companies have not yet announced their Florida one-way drive-out programs, news should be arriving soon.

Here are places to look for their specials: Avis, Hertz, National.

Bonus: I am even able to use other discount programs with these great deals. For instance, with Hertz, I get a 15% discount with my AAA membership. With National, I can select any available car from their inventory.

Previous McCool Travel post ====> 8 Great Ways to Find Free Lodging for Travel

For frequent travel deals, follow me on Facebook (McCool Travel) and Twitter (@CharlesMcCool). You can also follow me on LinkedIn, Pinterest, Klout, and StumbleUpon.

© 2013, Charles McCool

8 Great Ways to Find Free Lodging for Travel

Recently there has been an uptick of travel articles about house sitting. As if house sitting is a newly discovered process for reducing (or eliminating) your lodging expenses.

Here are eight other ways (not including house sitting) to pay no money on lodging when you travel.

1. House Swapping. If you own a house, condo, etc., you can exchange properties with other world travelers. Imagine staying in an apartment in the center of Paris or on an ancient Italian farm. BONUS: most home exchangers also include their cars which further reduces your travel expenses. A couple of resources to check include: HomeExchange.com, HomeLink.org, and Digsville.com. Some home exchange organizations cater to a specific group, such as educators or Christians.
2. Host. Exchange your labor or time for free lodging. Large campgrounds use campground hosts to handle registration and minor clean up duties. Many campground hosts spend entire seasons living in their luxury RVs with free utilities and camping fees. I met one Florida couple who spends every summer as park hosts in Alaska.
3. Property Caretaker. Many historic properties and popular seasonal tourist destinations welcome people to stay for free in exchange for duties such as painting, cleaning and upgrading. How about something cool like being a lighthouse keeper for a short time? For an extreme example, think of The Shining.
4. Camping. While many campgrounds charge fees, there are countless places to camp for free. Some websites with listings are FreeCampsites.net, FreeCampgrounds.com, and Boondocking.org.
5. Parking Areas. On many road trips, I sleep in my car at least one night amongst the RVs in a Walmart parking lot.  AllStays.com lists all locations in US and Canada (by state or province) with details, including whether they allow overnight parking (some do not). They also have a convenient mobile app. This past summer I car camped at the LIRR rail station parking lot in Montauk (Long Island, New York); the least expensive hotel room was over $400. I have heard from other travelers about sleeping overnight in their cars near police or fire stations, in church or library parking lots, or in other public or privately owned (with permission) spots. I once stopped at a rest area in Austria to take a quick nap and woke up eight hours later.
6. Transportation. Plan your travel components to skip lodging. Take overnight trains, planes, buses, or ferries. During the summer, many people bring sleeping bags and sleep on the decks of Alaska ferries. In a pinch, you can try to sleep in airports or transportation stations.
7. Adventure / Public Spaces. Every night people sleep on desert dunes, under boardwalks, on beaches, in parks, on boats. Long term thru hikers pitch their tents or sleeping pads in open nature each evening. A just finished a book about a man who lives in a cave near Moab, Utah (The Man Who Quit Money by Mark Sundeen).
8. Friends. For feelings of comfort and familiarity (at no cost), probably nothing beats staying with friends. Use your Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin networks, contact school and work alumni, or find old and new friends through other means. Here is my prior article on Couchsurfing.

Do you have other suggestions for free lodging? Thank you.

Previous McCool Travel post ====> How I Saved 37% On My Latest Car Rental

For frequent travel deals, follow me on Facebook (McCool Travel) and Twitter (@CharlesMcCool). You can also follow me on LinkedIn, Pinterest, Klout, and StumbleUpon.

© 2013, Charles McCool

How I Saved 37% On My Latest Car Rental

I just returned from a long weekend trip and wanted to share the process I used to lower my car rental rate by almost 40%.

via http://wedwiz.blogspot.com

First, I made the initial car rental reservation a few weeks before the trip. Right after booking the airfare. Using my standard and stealthy methods, I found a rate of $142 for a 3 day car rental from Hertz at Boston airport. It was a decent rate, based on my previous rentals. The $142 rate used my AAA code (20% off). The $142 rate, which included all taxes and fees, was already a discounted rate which I did not expect to reduce further.

However, second, I checked my reservation seven days before the rental car pickup date. This step is second nature to me (and highly recommended if you want to SAVE MONEY). I usually confirm my travel reservations a few days before the trip starts. The main purpose is to make sure that everything is OK; it is much easier to fix an issue from home than at the car rental counter or hotel front desk. A secondary purpose is to verify rates and perhaps find lower rates. In this case, a new PC code under the AAA Offers tab reduced my rate by $15. These codes typically expire at the end of the current month so it was not valid for my initial reservation. My new rate was now $127.

Third, I checked the Hertz website again, for the heck of it, three days before the trip. I found a new offer under the Featured Offers tab. It gave me a new daily rate of $16 (compared to the $30 AAA rate). My car rental rate dropped to $90. I tried to apply the $15 discount code but that did not work. No matter, I would rather save another $37 than use a certain discount.

I checked the following day but this fantastic rate was no longer available. The best rate I found was $127. Fortunate timing for me.

So, I essentially saved 37% from my excellent original baseline rate by spending an extra few minutes confirming reservations and rechecking rates.

Worth it? You bet!

Previous McCool Travel post ====> 12/12/12: Free Download of Winning the Airfare Game by Charles McCool

For frequent travel deals, follow me on Facebook (McCool Travel) and Twitter (@CharlesMcCool). You can also follow me on LinkedIn, Pinterest, Klout, and StumbleUpon.

© 2012, Charles McCool