Ten ways to battle those rising gas prices

As turmoil in the Mideast sends gas prices ricing, travelers worry about the costs of their road trips going up. You certainly don't want to cancel your plans, so here from Freeshipping.org are 10 tips to help you

 cut back on costs:

Use Your Smart Phone  The GasBuddy app will coordinate your location with the best gas prices in your area. Another app worth trying is CheapGas, which provides precise directions to the nearest and least-expensive gas station.

Shop Online According to a recent study by Carnegie Melon's Green Institute, shopping online saves an average of 35 percent in gas consumption -- fuel that you could put toward your next trip. You can find free shipping coupons at sites like FreeShipping.org or CouponSherpa.com.

Lay-off the Lead Foot Speeds exceeding 40 mph force your vehicle to overcome forceful wind resistance, thus consuming fuel faster. Keep an eye on your odometer for maximum fuel efficiency.

Skip those speedy starts You're wasting a lot of gas just to reach the next stop light a second faster.

 Coordinate Carpools  Try the Carpicipate app to locate like-minded neighbors or community members interested in sharing rides.

Be Loyal to Your Reward Card Depending upon where you live, some stores offer up to 10-cents off per gallon for buying groceries and filling up at their tanks. Sometimes stores and stations offer an additional savings if you pay cash. Myself, I save a nickel a gallon using my Shell rewards debit card.

Buy Discount Gas Gift Cards  Sites like GiftCardGranny.com offer discount gas gift cards from various card vendors. 

Fuel Up at Warehouse Pumps  Filling up at your local warehouse club can save you anywhere from five to 10 cents on fuel compared to surrounding gas stations.

Give Generic a Go Buying "off-brand" gas gets your car from place to place in the same shape as fuel from name-brand stations. In fact, it's often the same gas, yet the price can differ by several  cents a gallon.

Use Low Octane According to NPR's Car Talk, using a higher octane gas when your car doesn't need it is worthless. Check your vehicle's manual to determine how low you can go. 

Search Amazon.com for road trips 

If you're 53, you may well have taken a tour

 A recent informal survey of members of the United States Tour Operators Association showed that the average age of a tour passenger is 53.  The survey also found that 16 is the average passenger age for student tours.

 

Trivial question

What is the only capital city named after a city mentioned in the Old Testament? (Answer somewhere below.)

Give me some savings and Cracker Jacks

Jupiter Beach Resort & Spa in Palm Beach, Fla. has a package revolving around the state's only stadium that hosts two spring training teams: the Florida Marlins and St. Louis Cardinals. The package offers a 10 percent discount on the resort's best available rates, a $10 credit at Roger Dean Stadium, breakfast for two each morning, and a welcome gift of a baseball, a Sharpie and Cracker Jacks. Guests also get complimentary valet parking, high-speed Internet, no resort fee, and rates starting at  $269 per night. For more information, visit www.jupiterbeachresort.com/florida-spring-training-getaway.html. For reservations, call 800-228-8810 and mention promo code SPRING.

Worth quoting

“The worst thing about being a tourist is having other tourists recognize you as a tourist.” -- Russell Baker

Tuscany and Venice for $899 a person 

Sceptre Tours is offering a six-night Upscale Tuscany - Venice Vacation package starting at $899 per person, a savings of up to $1,200 per package versus if they had booked the individual components on their own. The  vacation includes two nights at the four-star Hotel Bolognese in Venice (two separate guest rooms); two nights at the four-star La Fattoria degli Usignoli in Tuscany in a two-bedroom villa; round-trip economy class airfare to Venice; a one-week manual car rental with unlimited mileage and collision damage waiver; and breakfast daily while in Venice

This package is priced from $899 from New York or Newark; $949 from Boston, and $999 from Chicago for travel from March 10 through May 31 on select dates. The offer is available through June at slightly higher rates. Travelers can also opt to fly into Florence and out of Venice for the same price. There are, of course, taxes and fees. Call 800-221-0924 or visit: www.sceptretours.com.

Trivial answer 

Salem, Ore., is the city with the Old Testament name.

Friday's trivia answer

Domodedovo International Airport is in Moscow. According to Wikipedia, Domodedovo is the largest airport in Russia in terms of passenger and cargo traffic. A total of 20.43 million passengers used Domodedovo in 2008, a 9 percent increase over 2007. The airport is 22 miles south of the center of Moscow, and is one of the city's three major airports, along with Sheremetyevo International Airport and Vnukovo Airport. My principal memory of Domodedovo is being told that I could not eat my take-out sandwich within the security zone.

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Florida hotel and resort savings

Book the Boca Family Holiday Package from the Boca Raton Resort & Club and get two rooms for the price of one and a half-day session for your child at Camp Boca. Available holidays are Memorial Day (hurry, hurry), May 25; Father's Day, June 14; Independence Day, July 4;and Labor Day, Sept. Rates begin at $199 per room with a second room free. There is a two-night minimum with one night including the holiday.

Call 888-495-BOCA. For resort details and other packages, visit http://www.bocaresort.com.

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Palm Beach County is celebrating the 100th anniversary of its founding with what it calls the Deal of the Century. We wouldn'ty go that far, but you can get a room for $19.09 in 75 hotels, resorts and B&Bs. But first you have to stay two, three, or four nights at regular rates.

For the offer, click here. To learn about the area, visit http://www.palmbeachfl.com.

It's all relative

You don't need a deep understanding of Einstein's theory of relativity to know why, although the same amount of miles are covered, the ride home seems at least twice as long as the ride to your vacation destination. Going there, you are filled with thoughts of new sights, entertainment, and good food. Coming home, your are filled with thoughts of dirty laundry and bills in the unopened mail.

'Concierge packages' at a New England inn

The historic Red Lion Inn in Stockbridge, Mass., is introducing something called Concierge Packages, designed for those seeking shorting vacations or "staycations." The packages, for two guests, can be for three, four or five nights and include a full breakfast each morning in the inn, and dinners at night either at The Red Lion or Rouge Restaurant and Bistro in neighboring West Stockbridge. Also included are two “American Icons” passes entitling guests to visit three of the four nationally known museums in The Berkshires, including Hancock Shaker Village; Chesterwood, the summer home of Lincoln Monument sculptor Daniel Chester French; The Mount, Edith Wharton’s estate and gardens; or The Norman Rockwell Museum. The inn also includes a picnic lunch. Prices, based on two guests, range from $1,125 for a three -night stay to $2,185 for five nights in a suite. All taxes and gratuities are included. Packages are available Sunday through Thursday nights.

Call innkeeper Michele Kotek at 413-298-1656. For inn information, visit http://www.redlioninn.com/.

What’s in a pronunciation?

Calais, France, is pronounced Cal-lay but Calais, Maine, is pronounced Cal-iss.

A Super Pass for golfing in Salt Lake City

Salt Lake City is introducing the Golf Salt Lake Super Pass. Each pass includes an 18-hole round for one to four players, golf cart(s), complimentary range balls and a 10-20 percent discount on rental clubs per player. In addition to playing some of Utah's top public courses, the pass allows groups of two to 12 players to make tee times 60 days in advance, as opposed to the typical seven-day advance booking policy.

For information, click here. To learn more about the area, go to http://www.visitsaltlake.com/.