The region of Normandy, in France, is the site of the next National Geographic Magazine article in the January, 1932 issue. Ms. Inez Buffington Ryan writes about "The Land of William the Conqueror: Where Northmen Came to Build Castles and Cathedrals."
Don't we equate France with fine wine drinking? Normandy is the exception to this; apple cider is their national drink. "You can't eat a meal, you can't be born, get married or die without cider" (p. 89).
The region lies west of Paris with a land area smaller than the state of Maryland, USA. Northmen from Scandanavia came centuries ago and conquered the people. There is abundant history of Knights, Kings, burning Joan of Arc at the stake, building castles, cathedrals and abbeys.
Modern Normandy is no less interesting with the golden beaches of the coast, casinos, races, commerce of every kind, and well-kept farms. The finest coastal monument of the Middle Ages is Mount St. Michaels. The eight pages of color photos show a most beguiling land and people!
Friday, March 7, 2014
Thursday, March 6, 2014
Dark, Glowing Fishes
Can you imagine a fish whose "teeth are all on the outer edge of the lips?," "The Depths of the Sea: Strange Life Forms a Mile Below the Surface", William Beebe, National Geographic Magazine, January, 1932, photo caption, p. 64. I've seen some comical and unbelievably weird sea creatures, but the painting of "A new species of Lasiognahus tops them all!
Mr. Beebe admits that "When all is told of what we know at present of this no-man's-place, the combined knowledge is relatively of kindergarten amount and quality" (p. 64). By our 2014 methods of exploration, using windowed mini-subs at depths of several miles, Mr. Beebe's work was primitive. He took a tug boat off the coast of the Island of Bermuda (Caribbean Sea) and in three year's time, "made 271 trips and. . . hauled 1344 nets" (p. 64). He found many species new to science.
Beebe went to the same area daily, when the weather permitted. Depths of the ocean varied from 800 feet to 1426 feet. After he and his crew pulled in the nets, they preserved the contents of the catch and sped toward shore. "Some of the creatures - crustaceans and fish - are amazingly still alive, and these are at once immersed in ice water, for temperature is more important than pressure in keeping them alive." Then, they studied "the bodies and fantastic appendages and sense organs" (p. 66) of their catch.
Conditions one mile below the surface of the ocean include darkness, cold near the freezing point of water, and a pressure of one ton per square inch. In the darkness, Mr. Beebe notes that many fish have either developed organs for feeling, or patterns of illuminating organs, for the purposes of attracting food or mates.
"The majority of these deep-sea chaps have dislocatable jaws and a stomach capacity which may exceed by three times the total dimensions of the entire fish" (p. 69). "Next to fish, the most amazing group of deep-sea animals are the squids, first cousins of the snail. . . so varied are their shapes, color, intricate masses of light organs, and most astonishing of all their eyes, which are large and as well developed as those of a bird or deer" (p. 70).
"Numerically, the dominant forms of life below water are the crustaceans - shrimps, prawns," etc. (p. 70). Due to the absence of all plant life at the depth of one mile, all species are carnivorous.
The paintings Mr. Beebe contributed to the article are truly unique. In color, the creatures are depicted feeding on smaller fish from several different angles. A black fish, Lamprotoxus flagelibarba, possesses a string-like appendage extending from the center of its chin "seven times its entire length' (photo caption, p. 75). A zebra-striped starfish showed five arms so long and thin they appeared to be octopus arms. Some of the fish in the 8-page colored section were transparent.
FYI: What is an "ichthyologist?": a zoologist who studies fishes.
The last photograph in this article displayed a "Transparent Leaf Larva of a Spiny Lobster. This creature is thin as paper, transparent as glass, and beautiful as a snow crystal" (photo caption, p. 88).
Certainly I appreciate these articles devoted to animal life, and appreciate our modern methods of science even more now that I have learned of their primitive sources and development.
Mr. Beebe admits that "When all is told of what we know at present of this no-man's-place, the combined knowledge is relatively of kindergarten amount and quality" (p. 64). By our 2014 methods of exploration, using windowed mini-subs at depths of several miles, Mr. Beebe's work was primitive. He took a tug boat off the coast of the Island of Bermuda (Caribbean Sea) and in three year's time, "made 271 trips and. . . hauled 1344 nets" (p. 64). He found many species new to science.
Beebe went to the same area daily, when the weather permitted. Depths of the ocean varied from 800 feet to 1426 feet. After he and his crew pulled in the nets, they preserved the contents of the catch and sped toward shore. "Some of the creatures - crustaceans and fish - are amazingly still alive, and these are at once immersed in ice water, for temperature is more important than pressure in keeping them alive." Then, they studied "the bodies and fantastic appendages and sense organs" (p. 66) of their catch.
Conditions one mile below the surface of the ocean include darkness, cold near the freezing point of water, and a pressure of one ton per square inch. In the darkness, Mr. Beebe notes that many fish have either developed organs for feeling, or patterns of illuminating organs, for the purposes of attracting food or mates.
"The majority of these deep-sea chaps have dislocatable jaws and a stomach capacity which may exceed by three times the total dimensions of the entire fish" (p. 69). "Next to fish, the most amazing group of deep-sea animals are the squids, first cousins of the snail. . . so varied are their shapes, color, intricate masses of light organs, and most astonishing of all their eyes, which are large and as well developed as those of a bird or deer" (p. 70).
"Numerically, the dominant forms of life below water are the crustaceans - shrimps, prawns," etc. (p. 70). Due to the absence of all plant life at the depth of one mile, all species are carnivorous.
The paintings Mr. Beebe contributed to the article are truly unique. In color, the creatures are depicted feeding on smaller fish from several different angles. A black fish, Lamprotoxus flagelibarba, possesses a string-like appendage extending from the center of its chin "seven times its entire length' (photo caption, p. 75). A zebra-striped starfish showed five arms so long and thin they appeared to be octopus arms. Some of the fish in the 8-page colored section were transparent.
FYI: What is an "ichthyologist?": a zoologist who studies fishes.
The last photograph in this article displayed a "Transparent Leaf Larva of a Spiny Lobster. This creature is thin as paper, transparent as glass, and beautiful as a snow crystal" (photo caption, p. 88).
Certainly I appreciate these articles devoted to animal life, and appreciate our modern methods of science even more now that I have learned of their primitive sources and development.
Wednesday, March 5, 2014
In the Footsteps of Our First President (Part Two)
To continue the young George Washington's travel in 1754: From this time forward, Washington's task and desire was to establish a total of 21 forts to protect the colonists chiefly against the Natives, and to gather recruits for the Army, and train them for defensive battles. This proved very difficult as "he was sorely handicapped by lack of men, clothing, food and other supplies" (p. 38). Washington wrote to Governor Dinwiddie (of Virginia) who accused him of ingratitude. Then Dinwiddie went abroad to Scotland.
Washington was asked to support "General Forbes, in command of the Pennsylvania militia, whose objective was to wrest Fort Duquesne from the French" (p. 39). Victory! In 1758, he informed Governor Fauquier, the new (British) Virginia governor, that the French burned the fort and retreated down the Ohio River" (p. 39).
Washington felt he had done his public duty and retired to Mount Vernon where he married Martha Custis. He was 27 years old, and spent the next 12 years as a gentleman farmer.
In 1770, Washington wanted to locate land given him and his soldiers by the Virginia House of Burgesses for their service in the French and Indian War. He set off to the Ohio River. Before he could get very far, chiefs of the Six Nations (native Americans) desired a pow-wow with him. The natives wanted to assure the Virginians that they were friendly and desired good relations with them. Washington accepted their offer of peace. At one point along the Ohio River, George Washington hunted buffalo among the abundant wildlife.
Washington marked his property and noted in his diary how well the natives managed canoes. Then he returned to Mount Vernon.
In 1774, Washington set out for Philadelphia to the meeting of the First Continental Congress. Then in 1775, he left Mount Vernon again for the Second Continental Congress. He was elected "General and Commander-in-Chief of all the forces raised or to be raised by the United Colonies" (p. 44).
The next periods of his travels were for his Army during the War for Independence, documented well in other articles.
"Finally, with the last British soldier evacuated. . . he journeyed to Anapolis, Maryland, where he resigned as Commander of the Continental Army and turned in his accounts of expenses, refusing any salary for the whole period of the war (p. 53). On Christmas Eve, 1783, he came home to his beloved Mount Vernon.
In 1787, Washington again left for Philadelphia to attend the Constitutional Convention, collaborating with Benjamin Franklin and others. Washington was elected First President and toured the New England states. In 1791, he toured the Southern States. He expressed delight "that the last of the 13 states was now in the fold" (p. 62). There were great celebrations in all the cities.
Mr. William Showalter, the article's author, concludes: "As we of his Bicentennial times read his descriptions of the regions through which he traveled. . . we come to realize that he was America's First Geographer as well as her First Citizen" (p. 63). It would have been interesting to know how very many miles Mr. Washington logged!
Washington was asked to support "General Forbes, in command of the Pennsylvania militia, whose objective was to wrest Fort Duquesne from the French" (p. 39). Victory! In 1758, he informed Governor Fauquier, the new (British) Virginia governor, that the French burned the fort and retreated down the Ohio River" (p. 39).
Washington felt he had done his public duty and retired to Mount Vernon where he married Martha Custis. He was 27 years old, and spent the next 12 years as a gentleman farmer.
In 1770, Washington wanted to locate land given him and his soldiers by the Virginia House of Burgesses for their service in the French and Indian War. He set off to the Ohio River. Before he could get very far, chiefs of the Six Nations (native Americans) desired a pow-wow with him. The natives wanted to assure the Virginians that they were friendly and desired good relations with them. Washington accepted their offer of peace. At one point along the Ohio River, George Washington hunted buffalo among the abundant wildlife.
Washington marked his property and noted in his diary how well the natives managed canoes. Then he returned to Mount Vernon.
In 1774, Washington set out for Philadelphia to the meeting of the First Continental Congress. Then in 1775, he left Mount Vernon again for the Second Continental Congress. He was elected "General and Commander-in-Chief of all the forces raised or to be raised by the United Colonies" (p. 44).
The next periods of his travels were for his Army during the War for Independence, documented well in other articles.
"Finally, with the last British soldier evacuated. . . he journeyed to Anapolis, Maryland, where he resigned as Commander of the Continental Army and turned in his accounts of expenses, refusing any salary for the whole period of the war (p. 53). On Christmas Eve, 1783, he came home to his beloved Mount Vernon.
In 1787, Washington again left for Philadelphia to attend the Constitutional Convention, collaborating with Benjamin Franklin and others. Washington was elected First President and toured the New England states. In 1791, he toured the Southern States. He expressed delight "that the last of the 13 states was now in the fold" (p. 62). There were great celebrations in all the cities.
Mr. William Showalter, the article's author, concludes: "As we of his Bicentennial times read his descriptions of the regions through which he traveled. . . we come to realize that he was America's First Geographer as well as her First Citizen" (p. 63). It would have been interesting to know how very many miles Mr. Washington logged!
Tuesday, March 4, 2014
In the Footsteps of Our First President (Part One)
Since the next article in my National Geographic Magazine is particularly long, I'm opting to post it in two sections. "The Travels of George Washington: Dramatic Episodes in His Career as the First Geographer of the United States," by William Joseph Showalter, Sc.D., L.L.D., January, 1932, is extremely interesting, exciting, and is making President Washington a very real person to me.
Our first American President, George Washington, started out in life as a surveyor. Picture him as a 16-year-old lad, surveying Virginia with a friend. "From then until his last Journey to Philadelphia in 1798, he traveled far and wide, considering the transport methods of those days," (p. 1).
Washington kept meticulous records and diaries, and we know the wide extent of these trips; covering nearly every part of the original colonies and beyond - by horse. "Washington sometimes averaged upward of 35 miles a day for more than a week, " (p. 1). We cannot imagine the dangers and inconveniences of travel in colonial times: mostly horrible "roads," frequently sleeping outside, unfriendly natives, and even getting lost. Also: there were no bridges on rivers, no dams nor locks to avoid the falls on rivers.
Before George was a 20-year-old, he had to go to sea to accompany his ill older brother, Lawrence, to Barbados to recover. While there George contracted smallpox but recovered a month later. Back in Virginia, young George, an aristocrat, son of a wealthy landowner, had dinner with Governor Dinwiddie, who entrusted him to take an important letter "to the French in northwestern Pennsylvania demanding that they retire from the Ohio Basin . . . little could he then have dreamed that the message he bore from Governor Dinwiddie, under instructions from the King of England. . . was the first in the chain of events" which led to the American Revolutionary War (pp. 9 - 11).
At age 22, Washington was a Lieutenant Colonel, the commander of a Virginia regiment. The French troops attacked Fort Necessity and George Washington had to surrender his vastly outnumbered forces on July 3, 1754. Soon thereafter, General Braddock, commander of the British forces in the colonies, invited him to join the British Army. In their first battle with the French in Pennsylvania, their troops were surprised and beaten. General Braddock died, George Washington was asked to and accepted the command of the entire Virginia militia. In time he met John Adams in Boston.
Wow! 'General Washington' was defeated in battle as a young army officer! In his job as surveyor, he learned all the states in the soon-to-be-formed Union. Can you imagine, taking a letter from the English King to the General in charge of all the French forts along the Ohio River, demanding they leave!! George apparently had 'street smarts' and knew very well how to get along with everyone, especially the Native Americans, whose help he needed in removing the French. With his second defeat, he learned that the traditional battle with armies facing each other and firing would no longer work: his troops were surprised and attacked from the woods. This knowledge surely would help in later ousting the British also from America. We shall see - tomorrow!
Our first American President, George Washington, started out in life as a surveyor. Picture him as a 16-year-old lad, surveying Virginia with a friend. "From then until his last Journey to Philadelphia in 1798, he traveled far and wide, considering the transport methods of those days," (p. 1).
Washington kept meticulous records and diaries, and we know the wide extent of these trips; covering nearly every part of the original colonies and beyond - by horse. "Washington sometimes averaged upward of 35 miles a day for more than a week, " (p. 1). We cannot imagine the dangers and inconveniences of travel in colonial times: mostly horrible "roads," frequently sleeping outside, unfriendly natives, and even getting lost. Also: there were no bridges on rivers, no dams nor locks to avoid the falls on rivers.
Before George was a 20-year-old, he had to go to sea to accompany his ill older brother, Lawrence, to Barbados to recover. While there George contracted smallpox but recovered a month later. Back in Virginia, young George, an aristocrat, son of a wealthy landowner, had dinner with Governor Dinwiddie, who entrusted him to take an important letter "to the French in northwestern Pennsylvania demanding that they retire from the Ohio Basin . . . little could he then have dreamed that the message he bore from Governor Dinwiddie, under instructions from the King of England. . . was the first in the chain of events" which led to the American Revolutionary War (pp. 9 - 11).
At age 22, Washington was a Lieutenant Colonel, the commander of a Virginia regiment. The French troops attacked Fort Necessity and George Washington had to surrender his vastly outnumbered forces on July 3, 1754. Soon thereafter, General Braddock, commander of the British forces in the colonies, invited him to join the British Army. In their first battle with the French in Pennsylvania, their troops were surprised and beaten. General Braddock died, George Washington was asked to and accepted the command of the entire Virginia militia. In time he met John Adams in Boston.
Wow! 'General Washington' was defeated in battle as a young army officer! In his job as surveyor, he learned all the states in the soon-to-be-formed Union. Can you imagine, taking a letter from the English King to the General in charge of all the French forts along the Ohio River, demanding they leave!! George apparently had 'street smarts' and knew very well how to get along with everyone, especially the Native Americans, whose help he needed in removing the French. With his second defeat, he learned that the traditional battle with armies facing each other and firing would no longer work: his troops were surprised and attacked from the woods. This knowledge surely would help in later ousting the British also from America. We shall see - tomorrow!
Monday, March 3, 2014
Snow, All Too Soon!!
This morning I woke up to the deepest snow in this part of Kentucky so far this season - perhaps 6 inches - and I'm not really interested in checking out anything further north! However, I totally admire the staunch and sturdy people who trudge on in feet of snow - like those in today's National Geographic Magazine article in Michigan. Ben East writes about his frozen adventure, "Winter Sky Roads to Isle Royal," in the December, 1931, issue.
Isle Royal is an Island off the coast of Michigan in Lake Superior close to the Canadian border. As islands go, it is fairly large, approximately 50 miles long and 5 miles wide. East reports, "The island is historically interesting, for here some of the first copper mines to be opened by white men in the . . . region were put into operation about the middle of the last century (1800s)" (p. 759). Thirty years later the mines were abandoned because it was not profitable and also due to the hard winters of the area. There was evidence of previous mining of copper by Native Americans.
In the 1930s, the shores of Isle Royal was the summer home of commercial fishermen and held four resort hotels. Mr. East found out that "occasionally a fishing family, more hardy than the average or with a warmer strain of pioneer blood in its veins, lays in a stock of food supplies and remains over winter on the island" (p. 760). Such a family would be completely isolated and unreachable during the winter.
East was part of an expedition organized to check out the conditions "of the island moose herd" and bring back the first photos in winter. Three men, including Mr. East, a photographer and a pilot, flew there in a plane with their supplies and landed on one of the 30 inland lakes, all frozen. "There are probably more moose on the island than in any equal area of the United States" (photo caption, p. 763).
The trio found traveling on snowshoes on a rough moose trail from the plane to an unoccupied fishermen's log cabin the hardest part of their trip. They found the silence oppressive. "It is an intangible something that can be felt, a weight that presses down upon one. It is a loneliness, solitude and desolation, belittling and awing. It is the brooding stillness of death, in which no wind whispers, no branch stirs, no bird calls, no flake of snow eddies down from the gray sky" (p. 766).
They soon found their quiet interrupted by several moose, and then by a wolf howl. "Moose came to the woodpile behind the cabin almost nightly during the eleven days we stayed there" (p. 769). Unsuccessful in their attempt to photograph the moose, they attempted to leave one day earlier than planned but were grounded by a severe storm and left one day later.
This article was similar to others describing severe hardships in winter journeys. Yet it was the first that failed in one of its goals. No matter! Mr. East included photographs of the moose taken when he had earlier visited Isle Royal in summer with bonus photos of newly hatched sea gulls.
Isle Royal is an Island off the coast of Michigan in Lake Superior close to the Canadian border. As islands go, it is fairly large, approximately 50 miles long and 5 miles wide. East reports, "The island is historically interesting, for here some of the first copper mines to be opened by white men in the . . . region were put into operation about the middle of the last century (1800s)" (p. 759). Thirty years later the mines were abandoned because it was not profitable and also due to the hard winters of the area. There was evidence of previous mining of copper by Native Americans.
In the 1930s, the shores of Isle Royal was the summer home of commercial fishermen and held four resort hotels. Mr. East found out that "occasionally a fishing family, more hardy than the average or with a warmer strain of pioneer blood in its veins, lays in a stock of food supplies and remains over winter on the island" (p. 760). Such a family would be completely isolated and unreachable during the winter.
East was part of an expedition organized to check out the conditions "of the island moose herd" and bring back the first photos in winter. Three men, including Mr. East, a photographer and a pilot, flew there in a plane with their supplies and landed on one of the 30 inland lakes, all frozen. "There are probably more moose on the island than in any equal area of the United States" (photo caption, p. 763).
The trio found traveling on snowshoes on a rough moose trail from the plane to an unoccupied fishermen's log cabin the hardest part of their trip. They found the silence oppressive. "It is an intangible something that can be felt, a weight that presses down upon one. It is a loneliness, solitude and desolation, belittling and awing. It is the brooding stillness of death, in which no wind whispers, no branch stirs, no bird calls, no flake of snow eddies down from the gray sky" (p. 766).
They soon found their quiet interrupted by several moose, and then by a wolf howl. "Moose came to the woodpile behind the cabin almost nightly during the eleven days we stayed there" (p. 769). Unsuccessful in their attempt to photograph the moose, they attempted to leave one day earlier than planned but were grounded by a severe storm and left one day later.
This article was similar to others describing severe hardships in winter journeys. Yet it was the first that failed in one of its goals. No matter! Mr. East included photographs of the moose taken when he had earlier visited Isle Royal in summer with bonus photos of newly hatched sea gulls.
Sunday, March 2, 2014
"Smoke Over Alabama"
Back to Alabama I go, this time through the pages of the National Geographic Magazine, December, 1931, in an article by Frederick Simpich, "Smoke Over Alabama." It seems that Alabama's history of pre-Civil War slavery disproportionately overshadows its colorful history, beginning with a visit in 1540 by Spanish explorer, Hernando de Soto. He fought with a Native American chief and left. The French had a settlement on Mobile Bay approximately in 1702 but the land was claimed by England in the Carolina charter.
Ownership matters were settled when "Congress in 1812 annexed the Mobile district of West Florida to what was then the vague, vast Mississippi Territory," . . . and then the whole of Alabama "was made a state in 1819" (p. 707).
Simpich gives a rich history of Alabama. "Through Ante-bellum decades. . . Alabama grew up. Politics bubbled. Towns, plantations, slaves - all multiplied. . . Cotton was King . . . Then the Confederacy. Years of war and ruin for Alabama . . . Peace, reconstruction. But tenant farmers now in place of slave work . . . growth of the coal industry . . . railroads, lumber yards, canals, iron mines, steel mills, paper mills, tire factories, dairies, poultry farms. To-day (1931) smoke rises over Alabama, to challenge the ancient agrarian tradition" (p. 716).
The coal mines near the city of Birmingham were said to be large "enough to last some 2,000 years" (p. 754). Other important products included the previously mentioned cotton, turpentine from trees, vegetables, watermelons, a marble quarry, bees, and fish from the coast in the Mobile Bay.
There is a large section of color photographs. "De Soto Falls, on Lookout Mountain, in northeast Alabama" is very picturesque (photo caption, p. 717). The large azalea bushes are quite colorful (p. 721). In Montgomery many ante-bellum homes recall the glories of an epoch that is gone: these strongholds of plantation aristocracy give the state capital its unmistakable atmosphere of the Old South of which not even its airports and broadcasting stations can rob it" (p. 722).
FYI: "Camels were used as work animals before the war between the States on Alabama plantations: (p. 749).
So many Native American names are scattered across the state: Tuscumbia, Tombigee, "Tuscaloosa, Tallapoosa, Opelika and Talladega; Okatupa and Eufaula, Cohaba and Pushmataha, Tuskega" and on and on (p. 749).
"Packs of hounds are plentiful in Alabama. Much of the State is still thinly settled and rich in wild life . . . fox hunting is still a popular sport" (p. 733). "Pageants, fiestas and mass spectacles are popular with the people of Alabama. Besides Mardi Gras at Mobile and the cotton ball at Birmingham, various folk festivals are held each year in other cities" (photo caption, p. 732).
Alabama is also the land of Spanish moss - "moss so straight and entangled that you can fancy some fairy hairdresser comes each dawn to comb it" (p. 749). (Please see my travel blog, www.rockingthruworld.blogspot.com, to see my personal love for Spanish moss in the southern United States, Friday, January 31, 2014, "Winter Escape! Day #2: Land of Palm Trees!" through Wednesday, February 26, 2014, "Winter Escape! Day #28: Back to Hilton Head Island!")
The city of Birmingham was only 60 years old in 1931, having grown up at the junction of two railroads. "Now it is the mightiest industrial city in the South" (p. 755). Yet Mobile is old enough to have "lasting memories of gallant French, English, and Spanish governors" (p. 755). In the State Capitol of Montgomery, "The Confederacy was formed . . . a metal star set in the Capitol steps shows where Jefferson Davis stood when he took the oath of office" (p. 755).
Simpich concludes that "Now factory chimneys form Alabama's cloud of smoke by day and pillar of fire by night. She is no longer at peace with Nature. Big powder blasts rock the ancient hills. . . and files of behemoth roadmaking machines growl over hilly highways" (p. 758). While passing through the coastal part of Alabama last June, I remember that there seemed to be waterways everywhere!
Saturday, March 1, 2014
"P" Help #10: Solo Travel
Recently my friend Roseann commented, "Independent is great! I'm proud of you for not being afraid to take off by yourself!" I've never thought much about it but perhaps she's right. However, I put conscious thought into being safe at all times!
There are a few rules I never violate:
1) If you need to stay in a motel or hotel, always stay in one in which your room door exits to the hall, NEVER to the outside! The security is worth paying a little extra.
2) Travel in daytime. Rest stops are safer in daytime. Motel/hotel entrances are safer in daytime. Everywhere is safer in daytime.
3) Car Stuff: Don't let your gas tank go much below the halfway point. You don't want to be desperate enough to have to fill up in a less desirable area. Get your car serviced before you embark on a long trip. Bring basic emergency items with you in the car: device to pump up a tire and one to jump your battery, blanket, extra water, salt if you may encounter ice or snow, a first aid kit. When getting in your car, only open the driver's side, get in, then immediately lock it. If you're pumping gas and waiting to be finished, look around you and notice what's happening. At the gas station when getting ready to pump, take only your keys and credit card with you; lock your door.
4) Always have your cell phone charged and within reach. This cannot be over-emphasized! Take note of phone numbers of law enforcement if posted on a sign when you enter a new state on the road.
5) Women need to dress extremely, I mean perfectly, conservatively. What message does your clothes promote? You don't want anyone to think you are the slightest bit approachable.
6) Always have a little extra money with you. Credit cards are not accepted everywhere, especially in gas stations. Notify your credit card company where you are going, if out-of-state, but especially if going out of the U.S. Be careful where you use them.
7) Let a friend or family know your itinerary. Call, text, or e-mail them when you arrive at your destination. Keep in touch with someone daily, if you're alone.
8) Women should NEVER make eye contact with any man except the essential ones, like hotel clerks and bank tellers! Eye contact with the random male may make him think you may be wanting his attention. Young mothers quickly develop 'the look:' don't even think of bothering me, dude!
9) If approached on the street for directions, always say something like, "I have no idea," even if you know. You don't want to stop and get into a conversation with a stranger,
10) When going to your motel/hotel for the night, get take-out somewhere and eat in your room. Once there, don't go out again. This is NOT the time to be checking out the sights! NEVER, EVER go into a bar by yourself, even if it's in your motel/hotel! Common sense also says: DON'T DRINK WHEN YOU'RE ALONE - EVER!
11) Lastly, walk like you know where you're going, strongly and briskly, confidently. No one will bother you if they think you can run away!
Obviously, I LOVE to travel! You can travel most places by yourself and have fun if you're aware of these few common-sense rules.
There are a few rules I never violate:
1) If you need to stay in a motel or hotel, always stay in one in which your room door exits to the hall, NEVER to the outside! The security is worth paying a little extra.
2) Travel in daytime. Rest stops are safer in daytime. Motel/hotel entrances are safer in daytime. Everywhere is safer in daytime.
3) Car Stuff: Don't let your gas tank go much below the halfway point. You don't want to be desperate enough to have to fill up in a less desirable area. Get your car serviced before you embark on a long trip. Bring basic emergency items with you in the car: device to pump up a tire and one to jump your battery, blanket, extra water, salt if you may encounter ice or snow, a first aid kit. When getting in your car, only open the driver's side, get in, then immediately lock it. If you're pumping gas and waiting to be finished, look around you and notice what's happening. At the gas station when getting ready to pump, take only your keys and credit card with you; lock your door.
4) Always have your cell phone charged and within reach. This cannot be over-emphasized! Take note of phone numbers of law enforcement if posted on a sign when you enter a new state on the road.
5) Women need to dress extremely, I mean perfectly, conservatively. What message does your clothes promote? You don't want anyone to think you are the slightest bit approachable.
6) Always have a little extra money with you. Credit cards are not accepted everywhere, especially in gas stations. Notify your credit card company where you are going, if out-of-state, but especially if going out of the U.S. Be careful where you use them.
7) Let a friend or family know your itinerary. Call, text, or e-mail them when you arrive at your destination. Keep in touch with someone daily, if you're alone.
8) Women should NEVER make eye contact with any man except the essential ones, like hotel clerks and bank tellers! Eye contact with the random male may make him think you may be wanting his attention. Young mothers quickly develop 'the look:' don't even think of bothering me, dude!
9) If approached on the street for directions, always say something like, "I have no idea," even if you know. You don't want to stop and get into a conversation with a stranger,
10) When going to your motel/hotel for the night, get take-out somewhere and eat in your room. Once there, don't go out again. This is NOT the time to be checking out the sights! NEVER, EVER go into a bar by yourself, even if it's in your motel/hotel! Common sense also says: DON'T DRINK WHEN YOU'RE ALONE - EVER!
11) Lastly, walk like you know where you're going, strongly and briskly, confidently. No one will bother you if they think you can run away!
Obviously, I LOVE to travel! You can travel most places by yourself and have fun if you're aware of these few common-sense rules.
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