Travel hints stand the test of time

Dear Heloise: Here are a few of my favorite travel hints that I’ve used for years, and they all work great:

• I put an ice chest in the front passenger seat and keep water, soda, sandwiches, etc., in it. When I stop for a break, I can very easily remove the lid and eat a snack, and not spend money on drive-throughs or restaurants.

•I purchased a small dishpan that I put all my tour books in, along with maps for each state, plus printed-out driving directions. No more looking around for them, as they’re all in one place. I put my receipts (gas/motel) in this pan so they won’t be lost.

•I have one of those rubber shelf-liner gripper mats, which I place on top of my ice chest, and I can set my dishpan on top of that and it won’t move while driving.

•I have a Global Positioning System, but as most people know, it is not always accurate. Before I take my trip, I use one of the many Internet sites that give you free driving directions. Once all my routes have been printed off, I put them in my dishpan in the order of my stops.

•I enter the name/phone number of each motel I plan on staying at into my cell phone. If for some reason I won’t be arriving on the date I’d planned to, I can call the motel while en route so that I won’t be charged. Linda, via e-mail

Good travel hints when making a trip by auto. A few stops for snacks and drinks can really add up. You can save a lot of money by packing your own. Heloise

Dear Heloise: Recently, someone wrote in about sheets that fit the mattress in one direction better than the other. The person suggested putting a safety pin on a certain corner. I marked one corner with an indelible marker, but then found I sometimes had to search too many corners to find the marked one. Now I mark two corners diagonally across from each other, and I know that they should be at the bottom of one side of the mattress and the top of the other side. Robert, via e-mail

Dear Heloise: As I have time, I am scanning old photos into my computer. I did ask my mother before she passed away who were in some of the pictures. Many she knew, but some she did not. If I don’t know some people, I e-mail other family members, and they usually know who the people are. This is a long-term project, as I work and have other interests. However, when completed, I will put captions on the photos and put them on CDs. Ted B., via e-mail

Dear Heloise: Keep a bottle of window cleaner in the bathroom. It’s great for a quick cleaning, especially when unexpected company drops by. Judy, via e-mail

SBlt Send a money-saving or timesaving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, TX 78279-5000, or you can fax it to (210) HELOISE or e-mail it to Heloise@Heloise.com.

King Features Syndicate