Old-fashion Road Trip integrating Present-day Technology

I recently returned from a relaxing, two-week road trip — destination Manhattan, New York.  While I could write about the benefits of  traveling by car, how truly beautiful America is and the sights, towns and people I encountered, I want to focus on how technology enhanced my trip and made it worry-free.

Internet. Truly this is the most amazing technology I have ever encountered and it still amazes me the vast amount of information available at my fingertips.  The internet allowed us to leisurely plan our trip, research destinations, book hotels and even check the forecasted weather in determining what clothes to pack.

Global Positioning System. As quaint, artful and memory-filled navigating a car using a paper map can be, GPS is the only way to travel.  We have a proprietary system built into our car.  Before even leaving the driveway, we entered our destination, The Blue Moon Hotel, New York City, New York.  It promptly configured our route and approximately how long it would take to arrive.  We could even choose the gender and accent of our personal navigator.

A useful feature of GPS is the ability to check for gas stations, points of interest, hotels, restaurants, etc., by distance from our current location. We used these features to make impromptu stops at the University of Notre Dame, Queen of the Holy Rosary Shrine in Necedah, Wisconsin and the Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where we viewed the prison cell occupied by Al Capone.  These were unplanned yet very fun and memorable stops.

The GPS directed us effortlessly all the way with turn-by-turn instructions right to the front door of our hotel.  Even driving in Manhattan was not difficult or stressful.

Bluetooth Car and Cell Phone Synchronization. The ability of my car and iPhone to sync when the car is started allows for a more safe, hands-free use.  The car even reads my telephone directory and can display who is calling, if listed, on the GPS navigation screen.  All controls are located on the steering wheel for easy and safe access.  Upon pushing a button to answer the call, the volume of the radio mutes and your conversation occurs through the vehicle’s speaker system.  When your call is finished, click another button to end the call and the radio resumes. This feature is my favorite on my car.

Cell Phones – iPhone 3Gs. By now we all know the benefits of cell phones, but it still needs to be restated.  I use the iPhone 3Gs and my husband a Samsung.  Aside from the phones allowing us the peace of mind being able to keep in touch with our family at home and employees at work, it came in very useful when we went in different directions from each other and needed to meet back up.

The iPhone was indispensable.  I used it to Twitter throughout the trip, take photos for personal as well as business purposes and upload to Twitpic and Flickr, check my email, keep in touch through instant messaging, and also download the iTunes app UpNext 3D NYC for walking directions in Manhattan. Not to mention listening to music, an audio book from Audible.com or watching a video when bored. I watched You’ve Got Mail in anticipation of the sights and sounds of Manhattan. The iPhone rocks!

Car CD Player. Now this device is not new but provided about 20 hours of enjoyable listening to the novel, The Gold Coast by Nelson DeMille.  There is an art to listening to an unabridged book-on-tape.  Your mind tends to wander and you can miss crucial information, but listening with a spouse ensures at least one of you knows what is going on.  We listened on average in two-hour intervals, unless something really exciting was happening and we would just insert another disk.

SiriusXM Satellite Radio. This audio technology was invaluable.  Traveling long distances can mean constant fiddling with the radio to find not only your desired choice of listening but clear reception too.  With satellite radio you have excellent reception all the time with easy access to your favorite stations at your fingertips.  I would have gone through serious withdrawal without Fox News Channel!

Kindle DX. As a self-proclaimed bibliophile, I had to get the Kindle DX.  It cannot replace the feel of holding a book, the anticipation of turning that first page, and pleasurable yet melancholy sigh that escapes as you close the finished tome.  However, the Kindle is lightweight, easily portable, holds hundreds of books and can download a new one with the click of a button, and is just plain techie cool!  I began reading South of Broad by Pat Conroy.

Mac Laptops. I brought my MacBook Air and my husband his heavier MacBook Pro.  My husband uses his mostly for email and internet browsing.  This trip he had items for sale on k-bid and he was able to check nightly on their progress.

My MacBook Air is my travel laptop because of its lightweight.  I have transferred many movies and music onto this laptop. It works seamlessly with my iPhone, so I could transfer photos taken, too.  Using wireless technology and the internet, I was able to pay bills on line, Bo’s college tuition and even connect to my work computer when a question arose.

Wireless Broadband Modem. While many hotels offer free wireless internet, not all do.  Some charge $15 a day per computer or offer only ethernet cable connectivity, which my MacBook Air does not have.  A year ago I purchased a Novatel wireless modem with Sprint as the service provider.  It is a small USB device that you just plug into your computer, click on connect and that’s it. Having this handy tool allows me to access the internet and my business computers pretty much anywhere I ever go at anytime.  This device provides mental freedom for me.

Technology Consultant. My technology consultant is Adria Richards of Aden Networks.  Adria has proven to be the most vital resource in my life of technology.  She introduced me to the software application LogMeIn, which allows me to log into all my business computers from anywhere through the internet.  It is easy to use, fast and allows my Mac to control my PC.  This software has been awesome.

As our IT consultant, Adria maintains our server and computers (ten at the moment), monitors daily backups and software updates, provides online workshops in technology by increasing your presence on the web, and troubleshoots any problems that arise.  All these technology services are routinely done remotely, which allows for immediate help when needed.  The assurance that I have someone so competent that I can rely on when away is the best technology resource of all!

For the first 20 years of our marriage the only weeklong vacation we took was our honeymoon.  Otherwise, a long weekend here and there was it.  Being self-employed, we were pretty much anchored to home and business.  Fortunately, we now take regular get-a-ways and three to four long road trips each year — worry free because of the evolution and utilization of technology.

Let’s see, I think maybe a trip to San Francisco in January ….

– The World is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page.

St. Augustine