Camping, New York Style

What a terrific resource I just found! It’s Campground Owners of New York. Looks very good! It looks comprehensive, and is very user-friendly. The website is “Dedicated to the promotion, growth, improvement and development of privately owned campgrounds in New York State.” I love the search features. It has a clickable map of New York State, if you are looking to camp in a particular area.

The “Find a Park” feature gives you more options: search by amenity, location, and region. If you’re scouting around for a camping site this summer, check out the website. It’s impressive!

Finding Auto Repair Help While Traveling

Ouch. It’s happened to us: you are far away from home, and something happens to the car. You’re in a strange town, you know absolutely no one and now you need a brake job (or, as was in our case, a totally new transmission)– what on earth do you do?? Here’s a tip: bookmark this webpage for future reference: RepairPal. I’ve checked out the website, and I like it! They are kind of like a “yellow pages” for car repair, and their lists cover every state in the U.S., from Rome to Miami to Dallas auto repair. I did some searches on the site, and was very pleased to see some local businesses in my area listed at Repair Pal.

Nowadays, we’re always bringing some kind of Internet-capable gadget with us when we travl (phone, netbook, etc); and libraries in cities all across the nation offer free Internet access, too. So if you can’t find a hotspot on the highway, get to a convenience store or library to connect. You can access the RepairPal website and search for a good mechanic. You can search the website by location, or by car make. So, if you’re looking for a local car deal for a Chevrolet Silverado, you can search and get some good results.

Repair Pal also had reviews of car repair shops, helpful articles on common problems with types of vehicles, and an area for you to submit a car repair question to an expert. It’s a really terrific site! I’ve got it bookmarked for whenever we go out. You just never know, and being stranded in a strange town has happened to us twice!

Remember, I’m a pro-blogger and I am sometimes compensated with stuff or money to review or mention products or services! This was one of them. You can read more about my blog policy on my Sitewide Policies page.

Springpad Presents Springsgiving

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Springpad. All opinions are 100% mine.

This is perfect timing! It’s “Springsgiving,” a special contest from Springpad! Ever hear of Springpad? It’s an online organization portal– a very convenient online personal organizer where you can stash your stuff: recipes; restaurants you like or want to visit; receipts; lists; websites; notes; wine lists; everything! It’s a classy website and very intuitive. If you haven’t seen it, and you are an organization freak like me (or even if you’re not a freak!), you should try it. I like it because the stuff you put in Springpad is accessible anytime, anywhere, no matter where you travel, all through your mobile device. I always like to have my email and my organized lists with me wherever I go, so Springpad is perfect. Check out Springpad and enter the contest.

There is a lot to Springpad, but I’ll try to list the basics:

• Springpad is free to register! It only took me seconds. From there, you can start adding stuff– search for restaurants by name and location and save the information for later use; search businesses in like manner; add a recipe from a website or type one in; and there are “Apps” you can use– create a calendar, packing lists, wish lists— the choices are vast and the only limit is your creativity.
• Everything can be saved within your own Springpad account.
• Everything can be accessed from your mobile device! It’s a traveler’s dream.
• There’s lots of stuff for the home organizer, too: weekly meal planners where you can plan menus and make a shopping list at the same time; send pals your recipes via email or Facebook; use Apps for planning gifts, making shopping lists, tracking expenses– it’s just amazing.

OK, now what’s the thing about this “Springsgiving”? It’s part of a promotion, a very nice one! The Springpad food bloggers are promoting their exceptional favorites for Thanksgiving. If you “spring” a recipe to your Springpad recipe box, you’re in the pool for a $100 cash prize! There’s nothing you need to do besides add a recipe; you’re automatically entered. Or, you can enter manually, too: Check out Springpad and enter the contest. I think it’s terrific, because I am in the market for some new (and improved) Thanksgiving recipes. I don’t know about you, but I’m getting pretty tired of the mashed potatoes/green bean casserole thing. Times for some change! I think the Springpad community can help.

It’s really a win-win situation. Springpad is a great community and a great place to organize your plans. Plus, the $100 is a very nice prize at this time of year. Check it out!

Look It and Book It!

Searching for comparable prices for your next domestic or international trip? Here’s a simple website with a simple name: ULookUBook.com. I just love that name! It’s am easily searchable, quick and easy online database and holiday planner. Hoping for some good hotel prices for your Holidays in Crete, perhaps? Or perhaps you’d like a convenient travel guide to Egypt or the United States, or even Slovenia! ULookUBook has it all.

Like I said, the site is easily navigated. There is a “Build Your Trip” widget in the sidebar, where you can enter your destination, time of departure and return, and available resort, and you are given pages of suggested ideas and recommended sites. It’s very easy to use, and includes everything from flight and hotel bookings to information on, for example, cheap Crete Holidays! It’s very comprehensive and readable. Searches for bookings and destinations is so easy- and ULookUBook generates a page of “Flight Criteria” as well as helpful “Alternative Flights,” with regular rates and discounted rates, too.

I like the Travel Guides pages- these are wonderful resources for discovering new things about countries and cities. There are brief, informative articles about what to expect, places to go, nightlife, shopping venues, and custom foods. I think it’s great for travelers as well as curious “armchair travelers” like me. I enjoy learning new things about other places. And hey, I just may be able to take a world trip someday. Those Crete Holidays do look terrific!

Check out ULookUBook.com for a peek at what they have to offer. This website makes a great resource and it’s free to use! You can also call the ULookUBook travel team at 0808-178-5220.

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