Get Ready The Smart Way For Your Thanksgiving Trip
By Joyce Jackson
In a very short time Americans will be off in masses for family gatherings for the Thanksgiving holiday. While staying home is the best advice the reality is that this holiday is the most heavily traveled in the country.
Regardless of the delays, exhaustion and memories of arguments from last year, we're all heading out to do it again.
You can get ready and be less stressed than last year with a few easy Thanksgiving travel tips.
Pack light. Carry one soft side bag. The one thig to count on at this time of year is long lines. Set your mind that delays will happen. If you pack light you can move around more easily while waiting for that late bus, train or plane.
Take a special book, magazine or DVD movie for those delay times. If you have something special to do while waiting the time goes much smoother. Pack low-sugar snacks and drinks. Travelers don't need a sugar rush while waiting or in cramped quarters.
Flying
Arrive at the airport two hours prior to scheduled flight departure time, both on the outbound and inbound trips. This is once you get into the terminal. Build in extra time to park your car. Remember, lots and parking resources will be filled so making a reservation at an off site parking facility will help. Most of them take holiday reservations with a deposit.
Stay Informed. Stay in touch with real-time flight status on the airline's web before heading to the airport. If you have an e-ticket the kiosks and skip ticket counter lines. Most airlines have these now so use them. Consider full-service curbside check-in if you have ski, snowboard, golf or sporting equipment.
Expect to stand in long lines. Expect planes to be jammed. On board stowage space will be critically limited so again, take only one small soft side bag to slip under the seat. If you are taking a gift leave it unwrapped. Most security checkpoints will now require you to unwrap wrapped gifts. Better yet, mail it on ahead a few days before your plane flight.
Driving
If you are hitting the road in your car and driving, make sure its in good working order. Check you oil, water, washer fluid and tire pressure. Make sure you pack emergency supplies in case you get stranded. Take fresh containers of drinking water. If you are in colder areas take blankets and warm jackets, tire chains de-icer.
Plan your trip so you do not return on Sunday. It' not recommended to drive on the SUnday after Thanksgiving. It is the worst, most traffic-heavy day of the year. Try leaving Saturday or staying through Monday.
Take games. Better yet, if your vehicle or laptop has a DVD player, take movies. There's no shame in a quiet, fight-free ride on the way home.
See you on the road!
About the Author: Joyce Jackson travels, writes and lectures extensively on simple, easy but great travel preparation so that you have a great trip each and every time with information, resources and articles on her website at
www.travel-packing-tips.com
Source: www.isnare.com
Granite Springs, New York
Granite Springs is a small community in Somers, New York. It is quite small, containing very few buildings other then houses. It has a very low crime rate and the largest event to have happened there in years was the burning down of the largest and oldest house in Granite Springs, the house of Phillip Smith, his wife, and his two 12 year old twins Henry and Katy.
Granite Springs is one of five communities in the Town of Somers. The other communities are Amawalk, Baldwin Place, Lincolndale, and Shenorock. The Town of Somers is located in the northern part of Westchester County, NY.
The town we call Somers was originally occupied by Kitchawanks, part of the Mohegan tribe, who called the land Amapaugh, meaning
'fresh water fish.' This land was located in the eastern segment of an 83,000-acre tract that King William III of England granted to Stephanus Van Cortland of New York City in 1697. The part of Van Cortland Manor that ultimately became Somers and Yorktown was known as the Middle District, or Hanover. Settlement in the Somers area began after Van Cortlandt’s death in 1700 and the final partition of his estate in 1734. Early European settlers included tenants and freeholders from neighboring areas, among them English, Dutch, French Huguenots and Quakers. It wasn’t until March 7, 1788, when the first town meeting was held at an inn, owned by Benjamin Green, that the town named Stephentown was established. However, there already existed a Stephentown in Renssealaer County. The resulting confusion, particularly in mail delivery, lead to a change in the name to Somerstown and in 1808 to the Town of Somers. The town was named as a tribute to Captain Richard Somers, a young naval officer from New Jersey who lost his life in the Tripolitan War. A memorial in West Somers Park was erected in his honor at Memorial Day ceremonies in 1958.
Today, numerous 19th century historic buildings remain including Mount Zion Church (1794) and the Wright-Reis Homestead (1867). The Somers Historical Society oversees these properties and makes them available for public visitation several times a year.
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