Almost There!

Over the past week I have been spending a lot of time working on my final audio story. I feel confident about the content...I have been able to narrow down the quantity in a way I believe captures the essence of the trip while fitting in to the allotted time I have been given. Now I am simply listening to the recording for any last minute adjustments I may want to make. Almost there!

Driving Tips for an eco-friendly experience

As fun as traveling can be, we must accept the fact that cars can be big gas-guzzlers and very detrimental to our environment. In an attempt to bring awareness on how to save gas (and ultimately our environment), edmunds.com has issued "We Test the Tips: What Really Saves Gas? and How Much?" It provides great insight on facts you should be aware of whenever you get in a car or go to a gas station.

Music for the Road...

In my quest to find the right music for my story I was thinking about the songs I like to listen to while I am driving...there are so many!! I was curious to know what other people listened to and I came across this cool site, Digs Magazine, where people have been discussing what it is they like to listen to while driving. Check it out and give some of your input on driving music.

Progress!

I finally feel like I am making good progress with my project! This is very exciting. Now that I have spent plenty of hours in the computer lab over the course of this class I feel pretty comfortable with GarageBand which is also a plus.
My interviewee for the story and I have been having trouble getting together over the past couple of weeks, and I have been needing to interview him one last time to get some final details squared away. After a busy day of classes, work, and group meetings, I just happened to literally bump into my guy! It was great. I happened to have my recorder on me as well so I was able to catch him on his walk home and get the scoop I needed to help complete my story.
I was able to go to the computer lab for a couple of hours and mix everything around and make some good edits. I am feeling pretty good about where I stand right now. I am very pleased with the progress I made editing today; so now it is down to the last few steps.
I wish they were simple, but that is far from the case...I need to a) cut my story from 8 minutes and 31 seconds down to no more than 8 minutes and b) figure out how and where I am going to incorporate some music. The timing will definitely be a challenge seeing that I have already cut so much out of the story and I feel that cutting too much out really takes away from the story as a whole. In the case of this story, it really is the details, descriptions, and expressions that make it so great. I am working hard not to lose the essence of the story while fitting it into the time-slot allowed for the class. Figuring out the music should be fun. It is not entirely necessary to include it, but I think it could really add something to the story. Timing will definitely contribute to the music so we'll see how it turns out.
I'm just happy about the progress I have been able to make, and I am starting to get really excited to see how it turns out!

Princeton Grad hitting the road...

As I have mentioned before, road trips come in all shapes and sizes, some are planned, while others are completely random, some are by choice, while others are out of necessity. For this Princeton University Grad, a new at Microsoft left her with the opportunity to a) fly from Princeton, NJ to Seattle, WA, or b) drive the distance…surprise surprise, this college grad opted to drive to Washington despite her parents telling her not to. Check out her story. It’s another neat look at the wonderful things road trips have to offer.

SoYouWanna...?

So what do you want to do?? If you're looking for advice check out SoYouWanna.com. It has fun advice for all of those things you may be thinking of doing, including "So you wanna drive across the country?" The site is in full support of ROAD TRIPS. After all, road trips are where some of the great American writers such as Jack Kerouac, Hunter S. Thompson, and John Steinbeck found their inspiration. Soyouwanna.com is in full support of spontaneity, but also acknowledges some crucial precautions and preliminary steps you should take before hitting the road.

The Next Steps...

Now that the quarter is wrapping up, I am working hard to find the crucial content from my recordings that I will include in my story. The closer I get to the end, the harder it is to narrow things down. I love all the stories I have heard while interviewing people, but unfortunately I do not have all the time in the world. Luckily I have gotten great feedback from my peers on how to go about this, so hopefully with their help everything will work out nicely.

In class, it has been nice to not only get feedback for myself, but to listen to everyone else's stories and give them feedback. It is amazing how each story has so much potential and can go in so many different directions. I'm excited to see how everyone's productions turn out.

College Road Trip

Road Trips are popping up all over the place in Hollywood these days. It’s not too surprising seeing that road trip stories have the potential to go in all sorts of directions—no pun intended. They can be funny and serious, and they can appeal to all different ages. On March 7, 2008, Disney will be releasing its latest film, “College Road Trip,” Appealing to the younger, adolescent crowd. Check out the movie trailer now and see the full film in theaters next week!

"Admit It: You Sing While You're Driving"

Do you sing while you're driving? I have to admit that I have been guilty of singing in the car many many times! It's hard to resist when a great song comes on the radio or you are playing a fun mix. There is something about singing in the car that makes driving so much more fun...it even gives me a sense of relief. I don't know if I could pinpoint a particular song as my favorite, mostly because it depends entirely on my mood. Some days I might prefer a ballad whereas other days I want something really upbeat.
Betsy Gerboth, a writer for NBC11 recently wrote an article about singing in the car ("Admit It: You Sing While You're Driving"). It is pretty amusing to learn about her musical journey in the car, and how she always manages to have a hoarse voice after a long drive (I don't know if my singing is ever that extreme!) She interviewed several people to find that there is quite a variety of song choices for what people prefer to sing while driving. So what is your favorite song to sing? If you can admit that you sing at all...
For more fun storied from Betsy Gerboth, check out her pop culture column, Culture Shocked in NBC's entertainment section every Wednesday.

Sleepy?

Have you ever gotten sleepy while driving on the road? Being tired while driving can be incredibly dangerous to you and others on the road and is very common on longer trips. Check out Justin Glow's "Six Tips to Stay Awake on Road Trips" to get some helpful advice on how to stay awake behind the wheel.

So far, narrowing my story has been quite a road trip of its own...after having the time of my life driving from Boston, MA to Santa Clara, CA, I wanted to do a story on my experiences on the road. Once I started preparing for the story, however, I found myself incredibly interested not only in my story, but the road tripping stories of others. It has been a lot of fun interviewing all sorts of students from Santa Clara University and learning about the different encounters they have had while on the road; and I thought my trip was interesting! I have heard everything from winning contests on the radio, to running out of gas in the middle of nowhere, to life-changing realizations. Road trips can be both fun and inspiring.
As my story begins to take more shape, I hope I am able to capture all of the crazy elements that make road trips so special.

AAA Trip Tik

Looking to plan a road trip some time soon? If you are, I would highly recommend using the AAA Trip Tik. If you are a AAA member, all you have to do is call their service desk and they will map out your entire trip for you based on your destinations and anything you may want to see along the way. When I planned my trip with AAA, I received a booklet with explicit directions, maps for all of the regions I would be covering, and informational books about all of the areas I would be traveling through. The books also provide information on what hotels to stay at based on customer ratings and AAA discounts. AAA is a great tool for anyone while planning a
road trip...wherever it may be!

Wall Drug

When I was driving across the country this past summer, one of my favorite parts of the trip was coming across the most random sites and towns along the way. I had planned out all of the major things I wanted to see, but it was the unexpected stops along the way that really made the drive so special. When I started driving through South Dakota with my best friend, our expectations were pretty low...what was there in South Dakota? It did not take long before all of these billboards started appearing. They were all billboards for "Wall Drug" yet each billboard was advertising a completely different product from the others--not to mention all of the billboards looked incredibly out of date. One billboard would be for dinosaur figurines, another would be for fine china, and then another would be for bakery goods. These billboards were everywhere along I-90! And they were all only a few miles apart.
Seeing the billboards became incredibly entertaining. With each billboard offering a new product, we became filled with anticipation just wondering what Wall Drug actually was. I assumed it was some sort of chain throughout South Dakota that was some sort of general store (hence the great assortment). I was surprised, however, once we arrived to find that Wall Drug was not a chain, it was one store in Wall, SD. As we entered the town, a huge sign read "Welcome to Wall. Home of Wall Drug." This store essentially was the town. It is a huge store comprise of several different categories or stores with all sorts of goodies. It looks like it is out of a western with all of the cowboy gear and swinging doors.
It turns out, the founders of the store had opened the store simply as a pharmacy, but when business was slow, they decided to cater to all those driving by, by offering them what they may have wanted...cold water in the hot summer! Their business started growing and they began incorporating more aspects to the store to make Wall Drug a fun stop across South Dakota.
Even though I was only there for about an hour, it was really neat to experience Wall Drug. One definitely gets the sense of pride in this town for their Drug Store.

20 Questions

Everyone can relate to those long stretches on a road trip when ultimate boredom is beginning to set in...you're sick of the radio, sick of the silence, and you're slowly getting sick of the person you're driving with. So what do you do to entertain yourself? Personally, I am a big fan of games! Whether it is 20 Questions, Never Have I Ever, Would You Rather, trying to find as many license plates from different states as possible, or the Alphabet Game, I will take anything to keep myself entertained. I have to say, though, the riddles can drive me crazy--especially when I am with someone who will not tell me the answer! On my last road trip, I managed to play 20 questions for 2 hours straight; I needed a little break after that. What games do you like to play? If you don't have any favorites yet, I would recommend checking out the games I mentioned; they'll make the drive a lot faster and much more entertaining!

Plan Your Next Road Trip to Oregon

If you’re wondering where you should take your next road trip you should look into exploring the state of Oregon. Filled with beautiful scenery, including the pacific coastline, the rolling valleys, mountains, lakes, and waterfalls, Oregon is the perfect place to plan your next trip. Enjoy hiking, camping, skiing, fishing, and of course…relaxing.

Enjoy great skiing at Mt. Hood, beautiful hikes and waterfalls at Multnomah Falls, and fly fishing in Bend. These are only a few of the beautiful sites to see and places to explore!

Portillo's

Great news! Portillo’s Hot Dogs are coming to California. You no longer have to drive all the way to Chicago to get these tasty treats. In 1963, Dick Portillo opened a small hot dog joint…in his trailer. Today, Portillo’s operates 48 different units—34 of which are in Chicago. Portillo’s is dedicated to making the best food and providing the best service to everyone who visits; they would hate to disappoint. The menu offers Hot Dogs, Italian Beef, Maxwell Street Polish, Tasty Burgers, Fresh Salads and more.

Tim Chang, a fellow road-tripper, claims Portillo’s have the best hot dogs and smoothies he has ever had in his life. When Tim was driving back to Washington from New York, Portillo’s happened to be the one thing he stopped to do in Chicago and it is a good thing he did. Tim has gone back to Chicago several times since and a trip is never complete without a stop at this fabulous joint. Each store location is decorated with a historical theme—primarily Chicago history—reflecting Dick Portillo’s love for history. These themes enhance the fun atmosphere; “they're all different and they're all designed to help make each day a little brighter!”

Take advantage of this new addition to Moreno Valley, CA and see what all of the hype is about!

The Bucket List

Starring Academy Award winners Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman, The Bucket List is an adventurous comedy that shows "it is never too late to live life to the fullest." Reflecting on their college professors suggestion to create a bucket list--a list of things one wants to do/see/experience before you "kick the bucket"--these two pals decide to take control of their lists when they are brought together unexpectedly later in life. Check out the Bucket List movie trailer! What would be on your bucket list?

"Live Your Road Trip Dream"

With so many negatives facing our economy these days, it is no wonder traveling within the United States is becoming increasingly more popular. There has always been a huge emphasis on getting out and visiting foreign, and often tropical destinations, but what about all that our country has had to offer? As the article, Hollywood Loves Road Trips -- New Book Release 'Live Your Road Trip Dream' The Ultimate Road Trip Planner for All Types of Road Trips, it is pointed out that more and more American citizens are hitting the road and exploring the overlooked "sights to see" located across the U.S. I couldn't agree more that road trips can be the time of your life; They are such a great way to live out your dreams and take off with your closest friends.
Check out the book Live Your Road Trip Dream by Phil and Carol White. The publisher of RoadTripAmerica.com "... would have gladly swapped ten tanks of gas for a book like Live Your Road Trip Dream." The book is full of useful planning guides for anyone looking to plan a great trip throughout the country.

Eating on the Road...?

So what exactly do you eat the while on the road? Something about driving for long periods of time seems to make more foods than normal "OK" to eat. Whether it is due to desperation and lack of funds, or simply being too tired to stop, since I have been interviewing people about their experiences on the road the food choices have been somewhat concerning. Of course, fast-food is a standard decision, but drinking cold Campbell's Soup from a can? Eating cold dogs? What have you resorted to?

LA to NYC in 4 minutes

Check out this fast-forwarded version of a guy driving from LA to NYC.

The Corn Palace

Have you ever wondered what kind of things you would come across if you were set out on a road trip across the country? When I started driving across the country with my dad, one of the things I was most excited about was getting to see all the small towns and what they had to offer. One of the fun discoveries along the road was in Mitchell, South Dakota: The Corn Palace. Yes, it is what it sounds like, a “palace” made out of corn. I don’t know how excited I would have been to come across such a wonder had it been any ordinary day. But something about being in the car for hours on end makes things like The Corn Palace absolutely fabulous. I guess that is one of the beauties of a road trip: appreciating the [smaller and not nearly as well known] wonders of the world.

Originally known as “The Corn Belt Exposition,” The Corn Palace was established in 1892. It served as a place for inhabitants of South Dakota to display their harvesting food and demonstrate the fertility South Dakota soil.