This article is for informational purposes only and is not financial advice.

Everyone makes mistakes with money. However, the stakes are higher as you near retirement. 

Financial errors are easier to bounce back from when you’re younger, thanks to the potential for extra income through earning power or compound interest. Yet retirees rely primarily on their nest egg, so efficiently and effectively maintaining it is crucial.

Successfully transitioning into your golden years involves careful consideration of these money mistakes to avoid in retirement. It also calls for continual reassessment and recognition of what not to do in retirement, which requires organizing finances to sustain income through market fluctuations and evolving needs.

Read on to discover seven prevalent retirement mistakes, based on the most recent Natixis Global Survey of Financial Professionals, featuring insights from 2,700 financial professionals across 16 countries. Proactively learning about potential retirement challenges can help you effectively navigate and secure your financial future.

7 Money Mistakes to Avoid in Retirement

Underestimating Your Longevity

The word retirement conjures images of exciting trips, exploring hobbies and cherishing moments with loved ones. While immediate satisfaction and contentment are essential, ensuring your retirement strategy accounts for potential needs in the distant future – perhaps extending beyond 30 years – is equally crucial.

Many individuals, however, need to pay more attention to the duration of retirement. In a 2022 survey by the TIAA Institute, a quarter of Americans miscalculated the life expectancy of a 60-year-old, while 28% admitted they didn’t know it. But human longevity continues beyond 60. Social Security projections indicate that an American retiring at age 65 can anticipate living until age 85. Therefore, if you’re retiring at age 65 and enjoy good health, planning for more than 30 years is a prudent approach.

Underestimating Health Care Costs

Longer life spans also create another consideration: More health care costs. Of course, we all hope for a healthy retirement. Yet, unforeseen health challenges are practically inevitable as we age into our 70s, 80s and even 90s.

Recent studies have found that a significant amount of retirement money often ends up going toward medical bills. Incorporating a buffer for these costs, diversifying investment accounts and exploring long-term care insurance can help you avoid an unexpected, rapid drain in savings due to health care needs.

Overlooking Inflation

Retirees also tend to underestimate the erosive impact of inflation on their financial well-being. It causes living expenses to climb, and neglecting this factor in financial planning may lead to a reduced standard of living during retirement. To counteract this, retirees should consider integrating an inflation rate into their retirement plan. Each retiree’s situation is unique, and considering the impact of inflation is essential for maintaining financial security throughout retirement.

Over-Reliance on Social Security (and Taking It at the Wrong Time)

Social Security is a crucial component of retirement planning, providing income that can alleviate the need to draw extensively from your portfolio. However, relying solely on Social Security is a common error, as it’s designed to replace only a portion of pre-retirement income. To fortify your financial foundation, diversify income sources by supplementing Social Security with pensions, investments and retirement accounts.

Additionally, it may sound tempting to begin receiving Social Security retirement benefits as early as age 62 but doing so before your full retirement age, which 66-67 years old, depending on the year you were born, reduces your benefit. Strategically timing Social Security can influence your withdrawal rate, ensuring a more stable and sustainable retirement income.

Failure to Adjust Investment Strategies

Ensure a smooth transition to retirement by adjusting your investment strategy to balance both short-term cash needs and long-term goals. Create a well-rounded and secure portfolio based on your risk tolerance and goals, using tools and strategies like:

• Asset allocation
• Rebalancing
• Target date funds

While keeping some funds in growth investments is wise, you’ll want to take a more conservative investment approach in retirement. This shift protects against significant losses while providing a reasonable level of growth. You may want to consult a financial professional for guidance.

Overestimating Your Income in Retirement

A 2023 analysis from the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College revealed that 28% of households wrongly believe they are ready for retirement.

You can gauge the retirement preparedness of your household using online retirement calculators for a preliminary assessment. Those seeking a more detailed evaluation or personalized plan should consult a certified financial planner.

The 4% rule is a good general guideline for how much of your savings to spend each year to last through retirement, though part of its success is being flexible and ready to adapt to market changes and evolving financial needs. Relying solely on fixed rules is not always sufficient.

Holding Too Much of Your Portfolio in Real Estate

Many individuals invest heavily in their mortgages over a lifetime, accumulating substantial home equity by retirement. Additionally, the initial excitement of retirement might lead some to consider second homes. However, with grown children likely moved out, downsizing offers a chance to sell the house, opt for a more affordable home and allocate the remaining funds for a predictable income stream.

If maintaining large properties is still preferred after considering these options, retirees must weigh the ongoing costs of property ownership beyond a mortgage payment. These include:

• Taxes
• Utilities
• Maintenance
• Insurance

To ensure financial stability, it is always a good idea to prioritize essential needs and postpone significant expenses until you have a clearer understanding of long-term finances.

AAA offers a variety of financial services that can help you save for retirement, including loans, reverse mortgages and more.

This article has been updated and republished from a previous version. 

It can feel like technology has replaced everything, especially when it comes to how we travel. For discovering a nearby place to eat or finding the fastest route to your destination, the trusty spiral bound map in your seat pocket has become the Maps app on your smartphone.

Nevertheless, people still seek out paper maps. They evoke an aesthetic and wonder that you can’t get from a small screen. Plus they don’t need to be charged and they don’t use your data.

TripTiks Then and Now

AAA has a grand tradition of paper maps through TripTiks, which have guided generations of travelers.

In the days before Google Maps, Google, or even the internet, a traveler would go to their local AAA branch to plan a road trip. This AAA member would tell the office where they were starting and their intended destination. An agent would draw the route with a highlighter on a series of numbered maps, going through the route with the driver before they started. The end result, a guided route through a series of maps, was called a TripTik.

A quick origin story: in the early 20^th century, most roads were dirt and gravel. AAA produced strip maps so early drivers would know which roads were useable. The first modern TripTiks — spiral bound notebooks filled with maps — were made in 1937, and AAA started mass production the following year.

These TripTiks were customizable too — AAA would also point out sightseeing, amusement parks, construction, heavy traffic, rest stops, gas stations and all other points of interest to the traveler as well, and note as many or as few as the traveler chose.

Does AAA Still Do TripTiks?

AAA still offers physical TripTiks and paper maps at branch offices. They’ve also gone digital if you’d rather DIY.

You can plan road trips with the help of the AAA Mobile App too, which can help you find AAA Diamond-designated hotels and restaurants and attractions along your route, plus parking and more. It even lists current gas prices.

Al Roker mentioned TripTiks on “Today”: 

Mobile Maps Are Good but Not Perfect

Not to rag on smartphones, but they don’t always work for navigation. Don’t get me wrong – I use my mobile device to get places all the time. Google Maps is one of my most-used apps. I would get lost a lot without it.

However, mobile maps have let me down quite a few times, most memorably when I was driving upstate to meet friends. The app quit on me, and I had to pull over to get my phone working again. That was not what I wanted to do while driving in an unfamiliar area. And my friends were not happy that I was an hour late.

Phones get confused. Sometimes they get stuck on a location and refuse to move on. Literally. Sometimes you don’t have a signal, especially in rural areas. Phones are also delicate; they can’t function if they get wet or overheated.

And too often, phones run out of battery and die. That’s why it’s a good idea to have a paper map as well. It never hurts to have a backup plan.

Maps Get Personal

Besides, map reading is an important skill, especially if you’re in an unfamiliar area.  If you can find where you are, you can find a way out. This is best practiced with paper maps.

Not to brag, but I’m pretty good at reading maps. I credit those skills to middle school Science Olympiad. (Science Olympiad is a school science competition, by the way. It’s like Mathletes, but for science.) In my main event, “Road Scholar,” I had to read topographic maps to answer questions, calculate distances and find points of interest — with a time limit. It’s great practice for real life navigation.

To this day I’m an excellent map-reader, thanks to spending a lot of time with a map in front of my face. I’m the go-to GPS reader on road trips and paper maps get handed to me on family vacations. I didn’t ask for this, but I’m not complaining.

Besides, maps make excellent vacation souvenirs. It’s a sweet way of knowing exactly where you went.

There’s Poetry in Paper Maps

In the end, there’s something beautiful in using a paper map.

What’s more majestic than hiking through the great outdoors with a giant map spread out in front of you, echoing the terrain in your path? With a paper map, we see more of our surroundings, less of ourselves. Unlike an app, the map isn’t focused on you. You have to find yourself. It’s almost poetic.

To quote the musical “Fun Home,” maps show you what is simple and true. Paper maps are visceral — you can feel a map, you can move it around, touch it. They’re beautiful and aesthetically pleasing.

Around the world, paper maps are still the preferred choice of many travelers. Hikers also rely on them.

So the answer to the question, “Does AAA still do TripTiks?” is that AAA is here to help, no matter how you prefer to travel. So get out your map (or phone) and start exploring.

When was the last time you used a paper map? Tell us in the comments below!

Let AAA help you to plan your next road trip and get you where you want to go. TripTiks, maps and tour books are available by request at your nearest AAA branch. 

This article has been updated and republished from a previous version.

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IN THIS EPISODE

For many prospective homeowners, buying your first home can be as daunting as it is exciting. You are likely asking yourself a ton of questions:

“How do I pick a realtor?”

“What does an underwriter do?”

“How much should I spend on a down payment?”

Navigating the homebuying process can be overwhelming, but we are here to help! Steven Vieira, Director of Mortgage Sales and Operations for AAA Northeast, and Monica Soyemi, Residential Real Estate Agent in New York and YouTube Creator, are here to demystify the real estate game.

Grab a pen and paper, you are going to want to take notes!

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KEY TAKEAWAYS

[1:49] – The first step you need to take when buying a home
[7:13] – The lowdown on down payments, and other costs to be aware of
[14:34] – How to stay focused and properly assess a property
[15:32] – The process in making an offer

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TRANSCRIPT

[00:00:01]
Amanda Greene: I was just talking to a friend of mine who is currently in the market to buy a house, and I felt like it was only right to share what we just went through like two years ago when we bought this one. It’s so much to manage and to be honest, I’m not sure I still fully understand everything we did and everyone who was involved. There were so many people and the process itself is a lot. It’s financial and emotional, and coming to terms with how much you want to spend and should spend isn’t easy. But then walking into a house and being able to picture yourself in it with friends and family, it’s so exciting, but there’s a lot to know. Welcome to Merging Into Life, where we navigate life’s milestones one episode at a time, brought to you by AAA Northeast. I’m your host, Amanda Greene.

Today, we’re going to delve into the ins and outs of buying your first home. Whether it’s a condo, single-family house, or an apartment, there are some basic things to know when you make what is probably the biggest purchase of your life. So join me as we explore the wild world of homeownership from the financial side to picking out the right house for you, plus a guide to all the people you’ll need along the way. To walk us through what you need to do and in what order, we’ve got Monica Soyemi with us. She’s a residential real estate agent based in New York City, as well as a YouTube content creator. But first, let’s talk to Steven Vieira, Director of Mortgage Sales and Operations at AAA Northeast. All right, Steven, this is a big one. There’s so much that goes into buying your first home and I’m sure we’re going to have lots to talk about. But first things first, where do we even start? What’s the first step?

READ MORE

[00:01:49]
Steven Vieira: Like we like to say here, it takes a small village to bring you through the process. Typically, a lot of people start with the real estate agent. But what my recommendation would be is really to start on the lending side first and maybe even look personally at your own monthly budget, so what fits your monthly budget, before you even approach the lender and ask them what you think the bank will qualify you for. What I’ve found throughout my career is that the bank usually can qualify someone for more than what they are comfortable with paying. How is your credit score and do you know the ranges that it should be?

[00:02:25]
Amanda Greene: Head to the show notes for more information, including what you need to know about credit scores.

[00:02:30]
Steven Vieira: That’s something that just recently in the last few years has changed dramatically. If I go back five, even 10 years, a good credit score was usually over 700. Now, in modern day, it’s really closer to 800. I like to say start with a monthly budget, then approach the lender. Try to get a pre-qualification done where you’ll know where you’re comfortable and where the bank is comfortable lending you the money. From there, selecting a good real estate agent, looking at an insurance agent, as well as, as you get closer to the process, finding a good company that will stand behind you that’ll protect the home.

[00:03:09]
Amanda Greene: Any other professionals we’ll meet along the way of the home buying process?

[00:03:13]
Steven Vieira: Well, there’s always the closing agent, so there’ll be an attorney involved when you show up to closing. Normally, that’s someone that the lender will select. But in certain states, you have the right to select an attorney to represent your interest because typically that attorney will represent the lender’s interest. Even though your interest and the lender interest often coincide, you both want to have clear title to a home, you both want to have the process go smoothly, and you want everything that you’re signing that day to be explained to you. So a good attorney is someone that will make the process much easier for you in the long run.

There’s also different levels at the lender. So there’s the processor, there’s the underwriter, and knowing what each one does is going to be important because a processor is there to collect your documents. They’re there to help you with the process to make the loan package look the best that it can be before it’s delivered to the underwriter. The underwriter is somebody that normally you don’t talk to. They are working behind the scenes. And what you’re doing is you’re trying to present the best case possible for your financial situation in order to get approved for the loan, so it’s very important that you work with both the processor and the loan officer in that transaction to get that financial picture polished.

[00:04:36]
Amanda Greene: There’s a lot of people involved in the process of buying a house, but all of these other people along the way, are these people that your lender and your real estate agent will introduce you to for the most part, or are we having to go out and seek these 10+ people on our own individually?

[00:04:51]
Steven Vieira: Well, rely on your loan officer and a good real estate agent to point you in the right direction to set a lot of these services up. As far as the lender is concerned, selecting a lender is just as important. You want to make sure that you’re going with somebody you trust. Here at AAA, we act as a broker in the transaction so we work with many different lenders, and that could be a huge advantage where the loan officer will know the different programs, whether it be first-time home buyers, FHA program, or possibly a Veterans Administration loan. For people that have been in the military and have received their accreditation to do a VA loan, that’s a very unique program where you could put no money into the transaction. And today, that’s becoming extremely important for a lot of first-time home buyers that are seeing these home prices rise and they’re not able to come up with the down payments that they had in the past.

So you could be a first-time home buyer and maybe a first-time home buying program is not right for you because you’ve gone ahead and you’ve saved a little bit more than what, typically, you see in those programs. So a first-time home buyer program is typically 3. 5% or 3% down, or even less in some cases. But if you’ve saved more than that, you may get into what’s called just conventional financing, which has better rates and terms sometimes. So it’s very individualized on the types of programs that you’d be looking at, but in general, you’d be looking at conventional financing. So looking at different programs and products, I think, is one of the areas where your loan officer, if they’re working for a broker and can look at different lenders for you and point you in the right direction, that’s going to be very important.

[00:06:35]
Amanda Greene: I have seen on Instagram a million times people joking about how if you’re in the process of buying a home, you definitely should not be making any big expenses throughout the process, right? Wait to get a new car. Wait to take out a new credit card. When you’re in this process of buying a home, don’t do anything crazy with your finances.

[00:06:55]
Steven Vieira: However, life gets in the way sometimes. So if your car dies and you need a new one and that’s your only source to get to work, which is producing income, which makes the loan happen, I would put a caveat to that. Try not to make any big purchases. Make sure that if you’re going to do something big, just make sure you consult your loan officer before you do it.

[00:07:17]
Amanda Greene: It always comes right back to the budget, which is a necessary thing, but we have to talk costs. And through the home buying process, there are a lot of expenses that, having never done it before, can be surprising, right? You don’t know what you don’t know, and so there are a lot of costs along the way. So I would love it if you could help break down those costs. For example. How do you determine how much you should spend on a down payment?

[00:07:44]
Steven Vieira: Well, that’s a great question, and a lot of people ask me that, and my answer is pretty much always the same. If you can save 20%, save 20% because that’s going to give you the best products available, it’s going to avoid something called private mortgage insurance, which is insurance for the lender against you defaulting on the loan. So it’s insurance that really doesn’t help you at all, other than the fact that it’ll allow you to put a smaller down payment down than 20%. Now, most people don’t have 20% nowadays so it’s understandable, but it does go in increments. So if you can put a 10% down, if you can put a 15% down, a 5% down versus a 3%, the bigger the down payment, the better it is. And what you’re saying brings up a good point.

Read more: Why You Should Get Prequalified For a Home Mortgage

At this stage, you’ve kind of worked on your monthly budget and you’ve figured out, “How much I can afford each month.” You should really start to look at having a budget for the purchase of this home because you’re going to have the down payment, then you’re going to have the traditional closing costs, so you’re going to pay for that attorney, the credit check, the title insurance, the recording in the town hall. There’s a myriad of costs that go with buying a house other than the down payment so you’re going to need to save for both of those buckets right now.

And then you’re also going to have those settling in costs and those ongoing costs that now, maybe you need to buy a lawnmower for the new home. You’re going to need to look at home insurance and other ongoing costs that you’ll see in the future. Taxes are a big item as well. So you want to make sure that you’re not only doing your monthly budget, but you’re also doing a budget just for the purchase of this home to make sure that you have enough saved for these costs and then kind of a cushion after the fact. Because what inevitably happens is you fall in love with that house and you go ahead and you purchase it and you move in. And then that first day, you find something that needs fixing or that shag carpet from the ’70s that you don’t want to see anymore, you want to take that out. So you want to have kind of a cushion after all of these other costs are paid so that makes the first year in your home enjoyable.

[00:09:55]
Amanda Greene: Absolutely. You want to be able to make that first house, apartment, condo, or whatever you’re buying into a home. Thanks for that great financial advice, Steven. He’ll be back later. Now, let’s get into the most important points in picking out the best home for you.

[00:10:12]
Monica Soyemi: Hey, everyone. My name is Monica Soyemi. I’m a realtor, real estate investor, homeowner here in New York, and I am really excited to be here today.

[00:10:22]
Amanda Greene: How did you get into real estate?

[00:10:24]
Monica Soyemi: It was such a funny journey actually. So before real estate, I was a professional opera singer, so I traveled the world singing. And when COVID happened, I realized I wasn’t able to sing anymore. So I’m thinking, “Oh my gosh. I can’t travel and sing. What am I going to do?” So I started researching ways to create income that wasn’t necessarily connected to a job, found real estate. So I bought my first property and then I said, “Hey, I really like this.” My agent was super helpful and I said, “Hey, maybe I should become an agent,” and I guess the rest is history.

[00:10:52]
Amanda Greene: Oh my gosh. That’s amazing. Did you just say you were an opera singer?

[00:10:55]
Monica Soyemi: Literally opera, yes.

[00:10:57]
Amanda Greene: How about I ask you a question and you answer it in song.

[00:11:00]
Monica Soyemi: Okay. Let’s do it. Let’s do it.

[00:11:01]
Amanda Greene: Ooh. Okay, I love this.

[00:11:01]
Monica Soyemi: Oh my gosh.

[00:11:01]
Amanda Greene: Okay, great. Let’s see. Tell me a little bit about you and what you like to do for fun.

[00:11:08]
Monica Soyemi: I love to travel, 30 countries.

[00:11:19]
Amanda Greene: Monica! You are amazing.

[00:11:19]
Monica Soyemi: Thanks. Oh my gosh. That is so fun.

[00:11:21]
Amanda Greene: I couldn’t have an opera singer on the show without at least a short song, but let’s get down to the business of choosing your first home. Paying for it is one thing, but committing to a home can be so incredibly nerve-wracking, so let’s get some inside tips. We hear a lot that first-time home buyers often have to make compromises. You’re not going to get everything you want in your first home. You can dream really big. Is this something you find to be true, and if so, how do you manage expectation?

[00:11:51]
Monica Soyemi: I definitely find that to be true. Even today, I’m showing a client a home upstate and the home isn’t exactly perfect, but it has the majority of what she wants. I say it’s kind of like dating. The home, as long as it’s got 70-80% of what you need, we can work on the rest. So in this case, it’s got the school district she wants. It’s got the style of home that she wants. It’s got the space that she wants. The bathroom may need some updating. The kitchens may need some updating. And those are all things that you can address over time. Those major things like how far it is from work is something that may not be compromisable, something like the school district for your family, something like the costs of living. The neighborhood, the area may not be something you can compromise on. But painting, we can change the color of the cabinets.

[00:12:38]
Amanda Greene: It’s always so funny when you’re watching those home buying shows and the couple comes in and there’s this beautiful home that meets all of their expectations, and then they come into a bathroom that’s pink and they’re like, “Ugh, no. The bathroom’s pink. No way.”

[00:12:50]
Monica Soyemi: Yes.

[00:12:51]
Amanda Greene: You can paint the bathroom.

[00:12:53]
Monica Soyemi: Exactly. 100%. And I love to remind my clients this. Sometimes, even the exterior of the house is a weird, wonky, pink color, but you can even paint the exterior of the house. There’s so many things that a nice coat of paint, some nice updated fixtures can really do to make your house a home.

[00:13:10]
Amanda Greene: A really important step in buying your first home is working with an agent, and it kind of feels like there are so many.

[00:13:19]
Monica Soyemi: Yeah.

[00:13:19]
Amanda Greene: And you’re fed all of these on social media, like different agents promoting themselves. And even if you do a quick Google search, there are just so many. So how should a prospective buyer choose a real estate agent?

[00:13:32]
Monica Soyemi: I always like to recommend getting a referral. Referrals are always the best. If you have a family member who’s bought a home before, or a cousin or a friend who has had a good experience with their agent, referrals are always best. Most of my clients come from referrals. People who had a great experience with me and they said, “I loved Monica. I know you’re looking to buy or sell. Reach out to her.” And also, social media. You can kind of cut through a lot of the noise sometimes by just seeing agents who are just sharing information online, not necessarily looking for business, but they just want to be helpful.

[00:14:02]
Amanda Greene: This is such an exciting move in life, and the excitement that you feel when you walk into a home and you feel, “Oh. This could be it,” right?

[00:14:11]
Monica Soyemi: Yeah.

[00:14:11]
Amanda Greene: And your heart is in it.

[00:14:12]
Monica Soyemi: Yeah.

[00:14:12]
Amanda Greene: You have to do that, right? You have to picture yourself in it and sort of get a little attached to even be able to make the next step to make an offer. But it’s important to also not get too attached because you never know …

[00:14:24]
Monica Soyemi: Exactly.

[00:14:24]
Amanda Greene: What’s behind the next closed door or what’s in the foundation. So do you have a checklist for people that they can use to kind of stay focused and really consider if the property they’re looking at is right for them?

[00:14:38]
Monica Soyemi: Yeah. So every time I go and see a home with a client, I ask them a couple of questions. What would you rate the home, scale of 1- 10, and why would you rate it that? And when we go through the list of why they would or wouldn’t, I ask them, “Is that something that you would consider a deal breaker? Is that something you could not live without?” And after we review and we see that, “Oh my goodness. The home has Y and Z, but it doesn’t have X,” we’re able to really make educated decisions. So I always tell my clients if it’s got at least 70%, we should put it in an offer. We’ve got to really address what are you willing to do in terms of rehab or no rehab. Or sometimes, clients want to see a home two hours away from their job. But during the first meeting, we said, ” You don’t want to drive further than an hour.” So a lot of the times, we can cut our losses and cut certain showings and certain emotional ties when you can just keep the blinders on for the clients.

[00:15:31]
Amanda Greene: Okay, this is the biggest part now: making the offer. It’s a big deal.

[00:15:35]
Monica Soyemi: It’s a big, big deal. When it comes to writing offers, it’s not as complex as a lot of social media can make it seem. So step one is really getting that pre- approval. So pre-approval is when you go to the bank, you submit your financials to a mortgage lender, and based off of your financials, they will tell you, “Hey, I’m going to lend you, Amanda, up to $500,000 based off of your income, your credit, your debts.” You’re going to hear the word “DTI” a lot as well, debt to income. So you get your pre- approval letter from the bank first, we see a home that you like, and from there the next step is writing the offer where we’re going to outline what is the purchase price, what we’re offering.

We’re going to outline how much money you’re going to put at the contract signing. That’s called your earnest money deposit. We’re going to let them know when we plan to close. We’re going to also let them know if we have any contingencies, which essentially means is there anything that would cause you not to move forward with this purchase? And we also will let them know if there’s any concessions we’re looking for or any additional information that the seller should know before they select our offer. So we have a document that states all of those terms. We have a document attached to that as the pre-approval. We send that together in an email to the seller’s agent. And now, you have just submitted an offer.

[00:16:52]
Amanda Greene: Thanks, Monica. Let’s bring Steven Vieira back. Before we go, on average, how long does it take to buy a home right now?

[00:17:05]
Steven Vieira: It’s different for every person and how prepared they are. I find that in most cases, in a normal environment, you’re looking at 60-90 days before you purchase a home. This environment is a little bit more difficult because as we’ve seen post-COVID, the prices of housing and the limited availability of housing out there, we’ve seen people in the process for six, eight, even 12 months at this point. But again, if you’re working with a loan officer and you’re understanding what you need to keep, your pay stubs, your W2 forms, your bank statements, you’re keeping these fresh and in the process with the loan officer, then you’re going to find that it gets easier as you go along.

[00:17:46]
Amanda Greene: Keeping your paperwork up to date is important. That’s good to know. So the last step of each episode is a short quiz we like to give our lucky guest. Today’s is called “What should we do if?” Are you ready?

[00:17:59]
Steven Vieira: I am ready.

[00:18:01]
Amanda Greene: What should you do if you find your dream home, but it’s slightly above your budget? Should you A, stretch your budget and go for it, B, look for ways to negotiate the price or find alternative financing options, or C, settle for a cheaper option?

[00:18:18]
Steven Vieira: Oh, boy. I guess that depends on your personality. This is one of the few situations where I would say A, stretch your budget and go a little bit higher, as long as you’re not going too high. I’ve yet to find anybody that has bought a house and stretched a little bit further, 10 years into the future, that regretted that decision.

[00:18:37]
Amanda Greene: Just to be clear, Steven’s thoughts on budgeting are based on his own personal journey. It’s not to be taken as financial advice. I think that one is definitely a personality thing because I would not have said A.

[00:18:49]
Steven Vieira: Most people would be more conservative. And honestly, I’m a very conservative person myself. When it comes to investing, I’m very conservative. But when it comes to a home, I made that leap. Me and my wife made that leap and we were very happy that we did that. Even though we struggled that first couple of years, it worked out in the end for us.

[00:19:08]
Amanda Greene: What should you do if, during the home inspection, significant issues are found? Should you A, ignore the problems and hope they won’t be too costly in the future, B, negotiate with the seller for repairs or a lower price or C, walk away and search for a different property?

[00:19:27]
Steven Vieira: That’s a great question, and sometimes it’s B, sometimes it’s C. Generally speaking, it’s B. So if, during a home inspection, we found that the foundation is deteriorating, well that could be a deal killer altogether because a foundation is extremely important and expensive to replace. It could be more than the cost of the house itself. But generally speaking, we find that if it’s a roof, if it’s a furnace, those things can be negotiating and can be worked on, and everyone will be happy in the end. Those bigger items, that’s where you get into C where maybe you want to run.

[00:20:03]
Amanda Greene: Okay, Steven. Last one. What should you do if you’ve found a home that meets all your criteria, but it’s a seller’s market with fierce competition? What’s your strategy? A, offer above asking price to secure the property, B, make a compelling offer with personalized touches to stand out or C, wait for the market to cool down before making an offer.

[00:20:28]
Steven Vieira: Well, I would definitely say B. If you can personalize it, there are a lot of sellers that respond to that. A lot of people, I’ve heard, think of a letter to the seller as kind of a corny thing to do, but not in my mind. If you touch the seller’s heart, they’re going to bend over backwards to help you out.

[00:20:45]
Amanda Greene: And by a compelling letter, do you mean explain that you want to raise your future family there and all the things that you dream about doing in the home, in the backyard? That’s what you’re talking about?

[00:20:55]
Steven Vieira: I know from experience. I sold my aunt’s house, it’s been almost 15 years ago now, and we had several offers on the table. And it was me and my five cousins that were selling my aunt’s house. So to us, the difference in sale price was not that big a deal. It wouldn’t have made a difference in my life or their lives, but we went with the one that had the letter and we still keep in touch with that person today. They went to the school system that they wanted, they raised their family there, and it’s just a nice thing to have that connection. So it works.

[00:21:32]
Amanda Greene: That’s really special. I’m also very corny so I would go with the letter writing myself as well. Thank you so much for sharing all of your expertise in this area because the process of buying a home for the first time is a lot and you want to make sure you have the right professionals around you to guide you, so thank you for walking us through the process.

[00:21:52]
Steven Vieira: Well, thank you. I appreciate your time.

[00:21:55]
Amanda Greene: As with most big or, in this case, massive purchases, get your finances and order first and check your credit score. Find a lender and then find a realtor. Ask around. Get recommendations for people your friends and family have had good experiences with. Think about what’s important to you and your family and stick to the plan. Don’t let an impressive home suck you into a way-too-long commute or a lifetime of renovations that you do not want to do. Then, be patient and enjoy the ride. I’ve got so much good information to pass on to my friend. But now that I think about it, I’m just going to share the link to this episode.

You’ve been listening to Merging Into Life, where we navigate life’s milestones one episode at a time, brought to you by AAA Northeast with assistance from JAR Audio. I’m your host, Amanda Greene. If you’re learning as much as I am, follow us wherever you get your podcasts. And leave a review, we’d love to know what you think. Email us at podcast@AAANortheast.com. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are not necessarily the views of AAA Northeast, AAA, and/or its affiliates.

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RESOURCES

AAA Mortgage Products

AAA Homeowners Insurance

Mortgage FAQ

Real Broker NY LLC

First-Time Homebuyers’ Guide

Why Use a Mortgage Broker

How Much to Put Down on a House

How to Be the Best Mortgage Candidate

How to Build Your Credit Score

Types of Real Estate Agents: A Handy Guide

Why You Should Get Prequalified For a Home Mortgage

You Bought (or Sold) a House! What to Expect on Closing Day

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*The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are not necessarily the views of AAA Northeast, AAA and/or its affiliates.

We all know that it’s dangerous to text or check an email while you’re driving. That’s been a well-known fact for over a decade. But what about other forms of distracted driving?

If you use social media, you’ve likely seen videos on TikTok, Instagram or YouTube where a person is talking to the camera while driving. This dangerous behavior is hardly new, and as crazy as it might seem, it’s not as uncommon as you might think.

Distracted Driving

Any type of distracted driving is risky. Looking down at your phone for five seconds to send a quick text is like driving the length of a football field blindfolded, and taking your eyes off the road for only two seconds doubles the chance that you will be involved in a crash.

An average of nine people are killed every day in the United States because of distracted driving, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. And one in five people who are killed due to distracted driving are pedestrians, including people walking and bicyclists. This means that when you text or look at your phone while you’re driving, you’re not just risking your own life. You’re risking the lives and safety of everyone around you.

There are three types of distracted driving: visual, manual and cognitive.

• Visual distraction is when something causes you to take your eyes off the road. It could be something like glancing at your phone, looking at houses on the side of the street or trying to find your favorite song on the radio.
• Manual distraction is when you take your hands off the wheel for any reason.
• Cognitive distraction is when your mind is so distracted by something that you’re not even thinking about driving anymore, you’re just going through the motions. Have you ever arrived at a location with no memory of driving there? That was cognitive distraction.

Teens and young adults are especially at risk of distracted driving.

The Ultimate Distraction

Holding a phone to film yourself while driving is extremely dangerous – it combines visual, manual and cognitive distraction.

“This is a challenging problem to quantify because many crashes could have been caused by a distracted driver who is filming themselves, but unless people actually see it happening or the driver admits to it, it won’t get classified as such,” said Mark Schieldrop, senior spokesperson for AAA Northeast. “But I think it’s safe to say that the practice is increasing based on social media and even television where it’s very common to see people talking to their phone when it’s mounted in the car. Whether they’re livestreaming, FaceTiming or recording videos to post later, it’s a highly distracting activity that will increase the risk of causing a crash, no question.”

Taking Action

More states are specifically targeting filming while driving. A bill banning drivers from filming, recording or broadcasting while driving passed Massachusetts’ state House of Representatives in July 2024, and was moving on to the Senate. Georgia and Washington State have banned watching videos while driving and even TikTok has posted videos warning users not to go live while driving with the camera facing forward.

Giving your phone to your passenger to film you or mounting it somewhere on your dashboard can be equally distracting. If you’re filming a video, you’re putting yourself in performance mode, and you aren’t able to concentrate on the road in front of you. While your hands might be on the wheel, you’re still engaging in visual and cognitive distraction. If you still want to film a video in your car, you can always keep the car parked.

AAA recommends keeping your phone out of sight while driving. Stow it away, turn it to airplane mode or activate call/text blocking features like Do Not Disturb.

“Unfortunately, people seem to believe that as long as technology is hands-free, it’s safe,” Schieldrop said. “But the reality is that hands-free does not mean distraction free. Even if your eyes are fixed on the road, if your brain is caught up in a phone conversation, your mind is not completely focused on your driving. Add video recording to the mix and you’ve got an even more dangerous situation.” 

How do you resist using your phone while driving? Let us know in the comments below. 

This article has been updated and republished from a previous version.

When the summer heat won’t let up and all you want is something to cool you down, a sweet treat usually does the trick! And when that sweet is combined with flavors from a firepit favorite and doesn’t require any baking, you certainly have a winner.

We present to you, this easy and delectable s’mores icebox cake inspired by a recipe from Food 52. What makes it so easy? We modified our recipe for less prep, using instant pudding to save on time and avoid the stovetop. Ice box cakes in general are wonderfully simple in that there is typically no oven involved in their creation. All you need is a baking dish and a refrigerator to make the finished product that looks pretty similar to a regular cake, but with a lot less work (and sweating).

Shop

Just from its name, you could probably guess at least two of the ingredients needed for this s’mores cake – and you’d be right!  – but there are a few items you’ll need that aren’t necessarily synonymous with the quintessential summer sweet.

In order to create your icebox cake’s frosting and one of its layers, you’ll need 2 cups of heavy cream and four generous scoops of mascarpone along with a dash of vanilla extract. For the chocolate layer, you’re more than welcome to make your own chocolate pudding, but we couldn’t bear to turn on the stove, so we turned to Kozy Shack. The last two ingredients are, you guessed it, graham crackers and marshmallows. We chose mini marshmallows for our cake as they’re perfectly bite-sized for the filling layers, but feel free to use the large variety for the cake’s topping as a final touch.

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Assemble

Start by lining your baking dish (an 8×8-inch square or loaf pan will work best) with plastic wrap, leaving the edges long on the sides. Set aside. Before you can start layering ingredients, you’ll need to whip up the frosting. Using a stand mixer or handheld, combine one cup of the heavy cream, a teaspoon of vanilla (or measure with your heart) and two heaping tablespoons of mascarpone until it becomes a spreadable consistency.

Build your layers in the following pattern inside the baking dish: graham crackers, mascarpone whipped cream, chocolate pudding, marshmallows. You’ll likely be able to repeat two or three times before ending with graham crackers last. Place a sheet of plastic wrap over the top and refrigerate the cake for at least eight hours or overnight.

Right before serving, whip the remaining cup of heavy cream and two tablespoons of mascarpone until it thickens to the same consistency as the filling. Remove the cake from the refrigerator, take off the plastic wrap on top and carefully invert the cake onto a serving dish before removing all remaining plastic wrap. Spread the freshly made mascarpone whipped cream over the top and all sides, covering the cake completely. Top your cake with more marshmallows and toast them with a kitchen torch for some added flair.

Ready to start (not) baking? You can find all the gadgets and accoutrements you’ll need to make this icebox cake for yourself in our curated shopping list below.

Will you be trying icebox cake this summer? Let us know in the comments!

Here are some tips to help you get the most out of your puzzle playing experience. Good luck!

Renting a car requires more than just showing up, signing on the dotted line and grabbing the keys. Pre-rental research can save time and frustration.

Here are some tips to make your next car rental experience quick and easy.

Why Rent a Car?

Besides needing a ride from the airport for your next trip, there are many reasons you might consider renting a car.

• Your car is going to be in the shop for a week and you don’t want to rely on family, friends and ride share services. Your insurance may also cover car rental fees up to a certain time frame or amount.
• If you are taking a road trip and have more cargo or passengers than your own car can hold, or you want to avoid racking up miles on your vehicle.
• The luxury car in your garage might not be the best choice to take on muddy forest roads when you go camping.
• You are in the market for a new car, but you’d like to assess it for more than 15 minutes. Rent the model you are interested in for a few days and test it for grocery runs, soccer practice and in stop-and-go traffic when you commute to work.
• Moving? Rent a box truck or pickup truck to cut down on the number of trips.

Car Rental Do’s and Don’ts

Do: Research rental companies for price and convenience. Hertz, for example, has more than 10,000 airport and neighborhood locations across 145 countries and six continents.

Don’t: Go in blind. Doing your homework in advance will save you time and money in the long run.

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Do: Reserve early, especially if you need a particular kind of vehicle like a van or SUV.

Don’t: Wait until the day before your trip to book you car. There may not have as many options available.

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Do: Consider if you need rental car insurance.

Don’t: Go without speaking to your insurance agent and/or credit card company to see how you may already be covered.

Do: Investigate your state’s minimum age for renting a car if you are a younger driver.

Don’t: Worry if you are under 25. There is a common misconception that drivers need to be 25 years or older to rent a car. Some states do have strict requirements on car rental age and many also charge an extra fee for being a young driver. However, you can be 20 or even 18 in some cities to rent a car with Hertz – plus, the young driver fee is waived for AAA members ages 20 to 24. Learn more.

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Do: Research types of cars based on your requirements. Do you need a lot of cargo space for all your stuff? A car seat? Is an EV the right choice for a long trip?

Don’t: Arrive at the rental car agency and say, “So, what have you got?” It’s also a good idea to avoid automatically picking the cheapest option. If you rent from Hertz and make the wrong choice, you can modify your selection with your Hertz rental dealer at least 48 hours before a scheduled pick up.

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Do: Make sure you know all the requirements, paperwork and the proper location for returning your rental car.

Don’t: Return the car on E. You will be hit with a refueling charge. Also, don’t forget to remove all your belongings and clean up any garbage or messes left behind.

For more information, see Hertz’s Ultimate Car Rental Guide.

AAA members get exclusive Hertz discounts, including up to 20% on Hertz rentals.

While there are many ways to maintain a youthful appearance as we age, a healthy smile is one of the most noticeable.

From proper oral hygiene to regular dental visits, keeping your teeth bright and healthy into your senior years is manageable. And, for AAA members in Massachusetts, it’s affordable and accessible with help from an Altus Dental plan through AAA Northeast.

Our Changing Smiles

When properly cared for, dental enamel gives your teeth their white color and protects the sensitive layers of nerves and blood supply beneath. But after years of acid erosion and friction, the enamel can wear away, exposing the yellow dentin beneath. Dentin also increases as we age, making our teeth less luminous and causing them to appear darker.

Some factors and lifestyle choices that can affect the health of your tooth enamel include:

• Age. Over time, brushing your teeth can cause the outer enamel layer to thin, which may result in the underlying yellowish dentin becoming more visible.
• Food and Drink. Coffee, tea and red wine are major stain-makers as they have strong color pigments called chromogens. Staining occurs when these pigments attach to the white outer enamel of your teeth.
• Tobacco Use. The tar and nicotine in tobacco create stubborn surface stains that are difficult to remove. 
• Trauma. If you’ve ever experienced an oral injury, the affected tooth or teeth might have changed color, revealing more yellow-toned dentin beneath the enamel.
• Medications. Tooth discoloration can be a side effect of medications. If you were exposed to certain antibiotics while your teeth were forming, you may be more likely to experience tooth discoloration later in life. Chemotherapy and head and neck radiation treatments can also impact the color of your teeth.

Preventive and Corrective Care

With regular dental visits, your dentist can monitor and advise you about changes to your teeth including shortening, discoloration or extreme sensitivity. Depending on your specific needs, your dentist may also recommend ways to keep your teeth healthy and minimize wear, like fitting you with a nightguard to prevent teeth grinding or suggest dietary changes to prevent further damage to enamel.

When it comes to correcting surface discoloration, teeth whitening is a popular solution to achieve a more youthful appearance. From stain removing toothpastes and whitening strips to in-office dental bleaching, there are many ways to whiten teeth, but it’s important to talk to your dentist to determine the best option for you and to minimize any potential side effects like tooth sensitivity, or damage to the tooth enamel or gums.

A bright smile can make you look and feel more youthful, and it’s something that’s possible with regular visits to a trusted dentist. AAA members living in Massachusetts can access quality coverage at more than 10,000 locations locally with Altus Dental. Explore the benefits and enroll today.

When traveling outside the United States, having local currency is essential for tips, transportation needs, small meals and other casual purchases. Often, many travelers wait until they land in their destination to get local currency, but that could be costly and time-consuming. Instead, you can avoid paying high fees, get the best exchange rate and skip the long lines at the exchange counter by purchasing foreign currency before you leave for your trip.

Decide How Much Cash You Need

When purchasing foreign currency, you don’t want to go overboard and find yourself with a lot of extra cash from another country when you return home. Instead, try to estimate how much cash you will need beforehand. AAA traveler feedback suggests taking the equivalent of $50 to $100 U.S. dollars’ worth of foreign currency per person, per day, to meet incidental expenses. If you plan to visit places that may be cash-only, such as a local market or small village shop, you may consider a higher amount.

Get Your Cash in Advance

Getting foreign currency before you start your journey means you can hit the ground running when you arrive. While some banks and credit unions offer foreign currency exchange, not all do. However, AAA offers foreign currency cash for dozens of countries up to $3,000, so you can get exactly how much you need. It typically takes two business days to obtain the foreign currency you need, so don’t wait until the last minute. 

Don’t Forget Your Credit Card

For larger purchases such as your hotel bill or special souvenirs, it’s a good idea to bring a credit card. But don’t take just any credit card; ideally, you should take a card with no foreign transaction fee. Many credit card companies charge fees as high as 3% for purchases made abroad, so call your credit card company to check.

While talking with your credit card company, you should also notify them of your travel dates and what countries you plan to visit. This puts them on notice that you plan to use your card during your trip and could help prevent your card being declined.

Protect Your Money While Traveling

At your destination, don’t carry all your money while out and about. Take a credit card and some cash when you head out and lock the rest in your hotel room safe. It’s also smart to place your wallet in your front pocket or put your cash and card in a money belt to keep it away from pickpockets. Download a currency converter app on your smartphone, so you can check to see how much something costs in U.S. currency to ensure you’re paying a fair price.

Get Cash at a Local Bank or ATM

If you find you need more foreign currency during your trip, it might be tempting to get more from your hotel or at the ATM in the lobby. However, you’re likely to get a better exchange rate and pay lower fees by purchasing foreign currency at a local bank, either from a teller or using the bank’s ATM. Just make sure your ATM card will be accepted. Before leaving on your trip, call your bank and find out if your ATM card will work in the countries you will visit. Also ask about ATM fees, so you’re not hit with a hefty charge on your bank statement. And make sure you know your PIN!

Spend Your Cash Before Heading Home

If your trip is wrapping up, use the foreign currency you have before heading home. While you can sell it back to AAA or the financial institution where you purchased it, the exchange rate likely won’t be great. Some ways to spend that cash is applying it to your hotel bill, having a nice farewell dinner or picking up a memento of your journey.

A Word of Caution

You might be tempted to spend U.S. currency when traveling. After all, there will be vendors who will take it. But they likely won’t give you a fair exchange, meaning you could spend more on something than it’s worth. That’s a key reason why having local currency on hand is important.

To place an order for foreign currency, visit any AAA Northeast branch at least three business days in advance.

Here are some tips to help you get the most out of your puzzle playing experience. Good luck!

Out of the many things that New York is famous for – its vibrant culture, being a hub of creativity, the city that never sleeps, etc. – being a cheap place to visit certainly isn’t one of them. So, it may come as a surprise that there are plenty of things to do in the state that won’t max out your credit card.

These are our top 20 things to do in New York for $20 or less.

Need a ride? Rent a car.

Antique Boat Museum – $15

Nestled on the picturesque St. Lawrence River in Clayton, the Antique Boat Museum is a fascinating journey through maritime history. Boasting the largest collection of freshwater antique boats in the world, visitors can explore beautifully restored vessels dating back to the 19^th century.

Brooklyn Literary Audio Walking Tour – Free

This captivating audio walking tour brings to life the borough’s rich literary history. From the cobblestone streets of Brooklyn Heights, where literary giants like Truman Capote once roamed, to the vibrant cafes of Park Slope frequented by contemporary writers, each stop is a chapter in Brooklyn’s literary narrative.

Bronx Zoo – $17.95 Wednesdays

Spanning 265 acres in the heart of the Bronx, the Bronx Zoo is not just a wildlife sanctuary but an immersive journey into the animal kingdom. Home to over 6,000 animals representing more than 700 species, it offers visitors a chance to encounter everything from majestic lions to playful penguins. The zoo’s conservation efforts underscore its commitment to wildlife preservation, making it a beloved destination for all nature enthusiasts. Save on admission with AAA Tickets.

Buffalo Museum of Science – $19

Explore the mysteries of Earth’s ecosystems, delve into the cosmos in the observatory, engage with hands-on activities and so much more at the Buffalo Museum of Science. A hub of curiosity and discovery for all ages, the museum blends education with entertainment to display an enormous collection of exhibits the whole family will enjoy.

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Cornell Botanic Gardens – Free

Located within Cornell University’s sprawling campus in Ithaca, the Cornell Botanic Gardens is a serene retreat encompassing 4,300 acres of natural beauty. Visitors can explore an array of gardens, including the aromatic herb garden and the tranquil Japanese garden, each curated to show the beauty and diversity of plant life. Beyond gardens, there are scenic trails and waterfalls for guests to discover on the grounds.

Bryant Park – Free

Tucked amid the bustling streets of Midtown Manhattan, Bryant Park offers an oasis in the heart of the city. Not only a popular gathering spot for locals and city visitors alike, the park also has dining options, free Wi-Fi, the occasional outdoor movie and a seasonal ice skating rink, providing year-round entertainment against the backdrop of skyscrapers.

Empire State Trail – Free

The Empire State Trail is New York’s premier multi-use trail, spanning over 750 miles from the Hudson Valley to the Canadian border and New York City. Whether cycling, hiking, running or walking, outdoor enthusiasts will encounter historic landmarks, charming towns and natural wonders along the way, making these particular trails a true testament to the beauty of the Empire State’s diverse landscapes.

Finger Lakes Drive-In – $8

Experience nostalgia under the stars at one of the Finger Lakes’ cherished drive-in theaters. Offering a unique blend of classic Americana and modern entertainment, you can catch the latest blockbuster hit surrounded by rolling hills and shimmering lakes.

Jones Beach – $10

Situated on a barrier island off the coast of Long Island, Jones Beach State Park beckons with pristine sandy shores and iconic Art Deco architecture. Spanning for miles, it’s a haven for beachgoers for swimming and sunbathing, as well as concerts, a classic boardwalk and nearby nature trails.

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Little Island – Free

What’s the tulip-shaped island floating above the Hudson River in New York City? That’s Little Island! Designed by British architect Thomas Heatherwick, the park features lush gardens, winding pathways and panoramic views of the Manhattan skyline. You can also catch frequent live performances and art installations by checking out the park’s event calendar online.

Mendon Ponds Park – Free

A nature lover’s paradise near Rochester, Mendon Ponds Park is a sprawling paradise encompassing over 2,500 acres of woodlands, wetlands and glacially created ponds. Trails wind through diverse ecosystems, offering opportunities for hiking, fishing, kayaking and even cross-country skiing and snowshoeing in the wintertime. The park’s historic structures (Tudor-style mansion and barns) offer a charming glimpse into its agricultural past.

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Montauk Point Lighthouse – $15

Perched on the easternmost point of Long Island, the Montauk Point Lighthouse is a beacon of maritime history. Constructed in 1796, it is the oldest lighthouse in New York and its perch allows for breathtaking views of the Atlantic Ocean and Block Island Sound. Climb the 137 steps to the observation deck or explore the on-site museum to learn about its storied past. Don’t miss the Big Duck on your way there!

New York Public Library – Free

An undisputed icon of New York City, the New York Public Library is more than just a repository of books – it’s a living testament to knowledge, history and architectural grandeur. Its vast collection spans centuries and genres, from rare manuscripts to the bestsellers of today. Visitors can marvel at the Rose Main Reading Room, attend lectures and exhibitions or take a self-guided audio tour.

Niagara Falls – Free

One of the world’s natural wonders, Niagara Falls is a beloved phenomenon sharing the borders of the United States and Canada. Visitors can choose to take in the views from multiple observation decks, explore the surrounding parks and attractions or see the falls up close on a boat tour (don’t forget your parka!). It’s undeniably one of the best things to do in upstate New York.

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Sands Point Preserve Conservatory – $15 per car / $4 walk-in

This historic estate on Long Island features magnificent gardens, mansions and waterfront views. The preserve is made up of Hempstead House, a Tudor-style mansion with opulent interiors and views of Long Island Sound, formal gardens, nature trails and the Phil Dejana Learning Center, which offers educational programs on conservation and sustainability.

Sleepy Hollow Cemetery – Free

Steeped in legend and literary history, Sleepy Hollow Cemetery is a hauntingly beautiful place in the Hudson Valley. With its winding paths, ornate mausoleums, historic gravesites and centuries-old trees, it’s no wonder that it was inspiration for “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” by Washington Irving – who, by the way, is buried here, too. Walk the grounds on your own or opt for a guided tour so you don’t miss any spooky detail.

South Street Seaport – Free

A historic district in Lower Manhattan offering maritime history, shops and waterfront dining, South Street Seaport is a great place to stroll and explore. Visitors will find tons of charming maritime paraphernalia, a waterfront promenade, outdoor markets and an array of restaurants that open up to views of the East River and Brooklyn Bridge.

Staten Island Ferry – Free

More than just a commute between Manhattan and Staten Island, the Staten Island Ferry provides a front-row seat to some of New York City’s most iconic landmarks. As the ferry glides across New York Harbor, passengers enjoy stunning views of the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island and the never-not-mesmerizing Manhattan skyline. The 25-minute journey is free of charge and operates around the clock.

Vanderbilt Museum – $12

A lavish mansion and museum complex on Long Island’s Gold Coast, the Vanderbilt Museum is a sprawling estate that showcases art, marine life and historic artifacts along with a glimpse into the opulent lifestyle of the Gilded Age. Explore themed gardens, tour the mansion, pique your curiosity with rotating exhibits or catch an outdoor concert.

Walkway Over The Hudson – Free

Spanning the Hudson River from Poughkeepsie to Highland, the Walkway Over The Hudson is an engineering innovation sprawled against scenic natural beauty. Originally a railroad bridge, it is now the world’s longest elevated pedestrian bridge with views of the Hudson River Valley and surrounding mountains. Walk, jog or bike across, making sure to stop now and then at intentionally placed scenic overlooks that highlight the area’s history.

Find more things to do in the Northeast for under $20.

What’s your favorite thing to do in New York under $20? Let us know in the comments!

As the 2024 Summer Olympics unfold, all eyes are on host city Paris. In the spirit of Olympic fever, we’re looking back on past Olympic cities that also double as top vacation destinations. Relive history in the very places where the world’s greatest athletes went on to take the gold, silver and bronze.

Olympia and Athens, Greece

Start at the very beginning at the birthplace of the Olympics in ancient Olympia, where the games were held every four years beginning in 776 B.C. Today, Olympia is home to a UNESCO World Heritage Site, four hours from Athens and one hour from the Port of Patras or Kalamata International Airport.

The Archaeological Museum of Olympia offers a glimpse into the ancient treasures of this past Olympic city, including the statue of Hermes by Praxiteles, Nike (Victory) by Paionios and sculptures from the Temple of Zeus. At the archaeological site, you can also see the ancient stadium of Olympia, the actual Temple of Zeus and other structures used for the Olympics.

In Athens, feel as if you’re part of the first modern Olympic Games at the Panathenaic Stadium, where you can run on the track that hosted events for the 1896 and 2004 games. Spend some time at the permanent exhibition “Memories From Olympic Games: Posters and Torches from 1896 till Today” at the Atrium and watch highlights of the Athens 2004 Olympic Games.

Lake Placid, New York

As host of two Olympic Winter Games in 1932 and again in 1980, Lake Placid proudly shows off the venues and areas used during the events, known as the Lake Placid Legacy Sites.

Your first stop should be the Lake Placid Olympic Center. It is home to such notable skating rinks as the 1932 Jack Shea Arena, 1980 Herb Brooks Arena, USA Practice Rink and James C. Sheffield Speed Skating Oval. Don’t miss the Lake Placid Olympic Museum, home to North America’s second-largest Winter Olympic collection of artifacts and enjoy new interactive exhibits.

A view and perspective not to be missed can be found on the Skyride at the Olympic Jumping Complex. On this high-flying adventure, a gondola takes you to the base of the ski jumping tower. There, a glass-enclosed elevator whisks you up to the sky deck of the 120-meter tower, offering panoramic views of the Adirondacks and Lake Placid. You can also opt for the Sky Flyer Zipline, following the path of ski jumpers.

More Olympic thrills include skiing or snowboarding Whiteface Mountain in winter and hiking, mountain biking or even driving to the peak along Veterans’ Memorial Highway in warmer months. Highlights of Mt. Van Hoevenberg include the chance for your own bobsled ride on the Bobsled Experience along the more than half-mile track, or on the Cliffside Coaster on the 1980 Olympic sliding track.

Lausanne, Switzerland

Next on our tour of Olympic cities past is the Olympic Capital and home of the International Olympic Committee headquarters, Lausanne.

With 1,500 objects, 5,000 photos and 150 screens showing great Olympic moments, the Olympic Museum here is the ultimate Olympic fan experience. It defines itself as “the heart of a network of 32 Olympic Museums throughout the world.”

Begin your exploration outside at the site’s Olympic Park, walking among 43 sculptures and taking in the views of Lake Geneva and the Alps. The park also has a picnic area and a 100-meter track. Each step of the stairs leading to the museum is etched with the venues and final torchbearers of 97 Olympic Games.  

The permanent, more than 32,000-square-foot exhibition inside is split into three levels: The Olympic World, The Olympic Games and The Olympic Spirit. Among the highlights you can see are an interactive journey of the games in history from 1896 to 2014, the first Olympic flag from 1914, Jesse Owens’ shoe from the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin and a jersey worn by Usain Bolt for the 200-meter final at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.

London, England

The London 2012 venues are available for you to visit as part of the experience at the 560-acre Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. Among the trails that guide you on what to see and do at the park is the London 2012 trail, offering a glimpse into the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

See such attractions as the Olympic rings, Olympic bell and the London Aquatics Centre. Get active at Lee Valley VeloPark, where you can choose from track cycling, road racing, BMX and mountain biking. Or watch sports such as basketball or volleyball at the Copper Box Arena.

London Stadium is a multi-use venue where you can attend international sporting events and music concerts if you time your visit right. Book a behind-the-scenes tour of the stadium and be sure to check out the almost 1,500-foot-long Wall of Champions surrounding it, showcasing every medal winner from the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics. And it’s a photo finish as you take a selfie on the podium picturing yourself getting your gold medal.

While at the park, don’t miss other attractions like the ArcelorMittal Orbit, which offers a 375-foot view of the city. You can also loop around the ArcelorMittal Orbit 12 times on The Slide, which the Park says is “the world’s tallest and longest tunnel slide.” For more thrills, the attraction also offers the chance to literally “step over the edge” on The Abseil, freefalling more than 260 feet down.

Book your next trip with AAA Travel.  

Need a passport for your summer travels? AAA members get exclusive rates on expedited passport courier services and more with RushMyPassport.

Have you visited any of these Olympic sites? Tell us about it the comments.

Featured Photo: View from the Olympic Museum in Lausanne, Switzerland. (Courtesy of Laurent Kaczor)

This article is for informational purposes only and is not financial advice.

Choosing the right financial advisor is a crucial step toward securing your financial future.

However, that’s easier said than done, because the financial advice landscape is so complex.

The financial advisory landscape is crowded with different titles, designations and pay structures, making it confusing for consumers. And here’s something that complicates factors further: There are no strict standards for defining who can use the title of financial advisor.

With all that in mind, you should arm yourself with the right information before meeting with a financial advisor. Let this list of good questions to ask a financial advisor guide you through making an informed decision, so you find the perfect financial advisor who aligns with your values and objectives.

AAA does not offer financial advisor services, but we do offer a variety of financial products that can help you, including loans, reverse mortgages and more.

5 Good Questions to Ask a Financial Advisor

What’s your approach to personal finance and investing?

Understanding your advisor’s approach to personal finance is critical. You’ll want to assess their knowledge in tailoring approaches to your needs, creating an asset allocation suitable for your individual situation. Ask them about their:

• Overall strategy.
• Risk tolerance.
• Preferred investment style.
• Approach to market volatility.

A reliable advisor will also take time to understand your financial picture, asking detailed questions to tailor a plan based on your immediate needs and long-term goals.

Are you a fiduciary?

“A fiduciary is someone who manages money or property for someone else. When you’re named a fiduciary and accept the role, you must – by law – manage the person’s money and property for their benefit, not yours,” according to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

This sets them apart from non-fiduciary advisors who lack the obligation to offer the most cost-effective or well-suited investment options and may face conflicts of interest with recommended investments that might boost their fees.

In contrast, financial advisors who are fiduciaries focus solely on recommending options that genuinely benefit the client, and they are mandated to disclose any potential issues openly. This transparency ensures that you, the customer, can have confidence that your financial advisor is dedicated to your well-being and only making suggestions that align with your financial objectives.

How are you paid?

Navigating financial advisor compensation can be tricky, but simplicity and transparency are key. The National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA) backs “fee-only” advisors to avoid conflicts of interest. These advisors may charge:

• A percentage of managed assets.
• A flat service fee.
• An hourly rate.

In contrast, steer clear of full or partial commission-based pay to avoid conflicts of interest. But even within fee-only services, it’s vital to inquire about the specific business model and obtain a yearly cost estimate. Knowing the fee structure aids in assessing costs and ensuring transparency in your financial partnership.

What professional credentials and qualifications do you have?

 It’s essential to assess a potential financial advisor’s qualifications to make sure they have the right expertise and are committed to continuous professional development. Simplify the process by asking about their:

• Education.
• Certifications.
• Memberships in professional organizations.

Whether they go by the title investment advisor or hold a Certified Financial Planner (CFP) designation, understanding a financial professional’s credentials can be confusing. Other standard designations include Chartered Financial Consultant (CFC), Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA), or Registered Investment Advisor (RIA), each requiring comprehensive education, exams and relevant work experience.

BrokerCheck, a database compiled by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), clarifies these designations, detailing education requirements, accreditation, disciplinary actions and professional status.

How will you communicate with me?

Effective communication is vital for a successful financial advisory relationship. The Institute for the Fiduciary Standard recommends to financial advisors that “all important client agreements and disclosures are put in writing and that no written or verbal statements are misleading.” With that in mind, you’ll want to gauge a potential advisor’s communication preferences and ask about their:

• Frequency.
• Preferred methods.
• Level of client input in decisions.
• Availability for calls or emails outside scheduled appointments.

A good advisor keeps lines of communication open, so you’re regularly updated on investments, market changes and adjustments to your financial plan, fostering collaboration and transparency.

Learn about AAA financial services.

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IN THIS EPISODE

Feeling overwhelmed by the world of car repair and maintenance? You’re not alone. For many, popping the hood is a daunting task, and the fear of a costly trip to the mechanic is all too real. That’s why in this episode of Merging Into Life, we’re stripping it all back to provide you with an easy auto repair guide.

We’ll walk you through car maintenance tips for beginners, plus the basic car repair essentials every driver should know, from understanding your vehicle to diagnosing common car problems before they become major issues.

Tune in to hear our guests Peyton Knight, owner of AAA Approved Auto Repair facility Knight’s Auto Repair, and Audra Fordin, CEO of Women Auto Know, share their expertise.

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KEY TAKEAWAYS

[2:55] – How to stay on top of oil changes (and why you need them!)
[8:20] – Audra’s driver’s checklist: key things to know about your vehicle
[11:32] – Vehicle maintenance checks that you can do yourself
[15:43] – How to reduce wear and tear on your vehicle

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TRANSCRIPT

[00:00:05]
Amanda Greene: What is that? I just got this car not too long ago and there is already something wrong with it. Let’s try this again. Well, this is new. Where is that sound even coming from? I wonder if I need my oil changed or maybe it has something to do with the transmission. Where do I even check that? I need help.

Welcome to Merging Into Life, where we navigate life’s milestones one episode at a time, brought to you by AAA Northeast. I’m your host, Amanda Greene. Everyone remembers their first car. As we’ve seen earlier this season, it’s one of the first big purchases we make that makes us feel like we’re a real adult, but with great horsepower comes great responsibility. Being a car owner is more than just cruising around in a shiny new ride. It also means knowing when to roll up your sleeves and get dirty doing some car repairs, or more likely, knowing when it’s time to take it to the shop. If car maintenance feels like uncharted territory, you’re in good company. From oil changes to better driving techniques, today’s episode will equip you with the know-how to stay on top of your maintenance schedule and maybe even how to do some of it yourself.

READ MORE

[00:01:19]
Audra Fordin: When it comes to your car – to prolong the life of it – it really is in doing your maintenance.

[00:01:27]
Amanda Greene: That’s Audra Fordin. She’ll be joining us later to arm you with the knowledge to walk into an auto shop with confidence. But first, I’d like to introduce you to our first guest.

[00:01:37]
Peyton Knight: My name is Peyton Knight. I own Knight’s Automotive Repair in Ledgewood, New Jersey. I’ve been in business for 40 years. I’ve been the top auto repair shop three times in the AAA section that we’re in.

[00:01:49]
Amanda Greene: There is a lot of responsibility when it comes to car ownership, and so I would love for you to give us some of the basics. What are some of the things new car owners need to keep track of in terms of regular car maintenance? Because we know, regular maintenance is very important.

[00:02:05]
Peyton Knight: Well, that’s true. The first thing I tell everybody is read the owner’s manual. The owner’s manual will tell you a lot of things to do with the car, how to handle the car, how to drive the car, how to maintain the car, when it should be maintained and how it should be maintained. That’s the first thing you should do. The next thing I would recommend is make sure you find somebody who is reliable, honest and who will help you.

[00:02:27]
Amanda Greene: Finding someone can be tricky. So how do you find a mechanic that you can trust?

[00:02:32]
Peyton Knight: Well, first of all, we have to meet certain criteria to be a AAA-approved facility, so that’s one thing. We have to have good standing with the customers and they check up on us all the time. The other thing is if you have a friend or a relative or neighbor who knows somebody that they’ve been using and trusting, that’s a very good way.

Find a AAA Approved Auto Repair Facility near you.

[00:02:48]
Amanda Greene: In terms of basic car maintenance, what are the things that are super important to make sure we’re on top of?

[00:02:55]
Peyton Knight: Oil changes are very, very important, and the reason why they’re even more important today is because they’re telling you to go longer in between oil changes. They’re telling you in some vehicles 10,000 miles. And yeah, that’s fine when the car’s brand new, but when the car gets a lot of miles on it, the car has 60, 70 or 80,000 miles on it, you’re going to start burning oil. You may want to check the oil every 1,500 miles, every 1,000 miles. As long as you have a dipstick, you can check it.

Now on some of the high-end cars, you can’t check it. There’s not a dipstick. You have to have a computer to check the oil level. And if you know you have a car that’s burning oil, you got to check the oil every 500 miles. It’s very important because we’re seeing a lot of engines today that people aren’t checking the oil, especially with the thin oil we’re using today.

[00:03:38]
Amanda Greene: So we’re not waiting for the little light to come on the dash to say, “Get your oil changed.” It’s something we need to be on top of before that.

[00:03:45]
Peyton Knight: Absolutely. Sometimes that light doesn’t come on and you’re already 2, 000 miles over your oil change requirement. So it’s very important that they check the oil and all the fluids.

[00:03:55]
Amanda Greene: And I don’t know if this varies car to car, but you know when you go to get your oil changed at certain places? They’ll offer you an upgrade to your oil change where they’re using a different kind of oil or something.

[00:04:07]
Peyton Knight: Some people will do that, but here again, read the owner’s manual. What is the proper recommendation oil? Is it full synthetic or semi-synthetic? There’s high mileage oil for cars that have got a lot of miles on them. Yeah, it’s better oil. It’ll last a little bit longer, but I would go with what the manufacturer recommends is what I tell the customers.

[00:04:28]
Amanda Greene: Tire pressure is something I’ve recently become more aware of, I would say, because in the winter my little light will often come on because it’s cold out and I just recently learned where to find what the appropriate tire pressure is for my car. It’s in the door jamb.

[00:04:44]
Peyton Knight: Yes. Yes it is.

[00:04:46]
Amanda Greene: Is it there on every car?

[00:04:46]
Peyton Knight: Yes, pretty much every car it’s there. So if that tire light’s on, you definitely want to check your tires, the air pressure. They put those sensors on the car for safety because years ago people didn’t check their tires. And why you have a blowout is when it’s low tire pressure, it causes extreme heat in the tire and that will cause the tire to explode on the highway.

[00:05:06]
Amanda Greene: And that looks very scary. I was behind someone who had that happen to them and that looked terrifying. So to review, some of the basics when it comes to being a first time car owner, the maintenance that you need to keep track of, oil changes, checking your oil, and tire pressure. Transmission fluid I feel like is another fluid we’re supposed to be looking at.

[00:05:26]
Peyton Knight: Yes, absolutely. If there is a stick to check the transmission fluid. Some cars you can’t do it with a stick.

[00:05:32]
Amanda Greene: So, if I bring my car in for a regular oil change, are most technicians checking the tire pressure and the transmission fluid during that service or is that something I need to specifically ask for?

[00:05:43]
Peyton Knight: So when you bring a car into my facility, we do what we call a vehicle condition inspection. We check all the fluids, we check the suspension, we check everything on your car. We make sure the lights are working properly, the wiper blades are good, the wiper fluid’s working properly. We fill that up. We check pretty much everything on your car. It takes about 45 minutes for us to check the car out completely.

[00:06:05]
Amanda Greene: Wow, but you’re giving a full service checkup. That would make me feel very taken care of. So a vehicle condition inspection is something you could maybe ask for if you go to an auto shop like Peyton’s, but walking into a mechanic isn’t always an easy experience, especially if you don’t know a lot about cars. Well, our next guest is going to put all of your trepidations to rest.

[00:06:29]
Audra Fordin: People ought to know about their car. Once you release that fear to open up your hood and actually see what’s going on, then you’ll be able to do things yourself.

[00:06:41]
Amanda Greene: That’s Audra Fordin. She’s the first woman to own her family’s auto shop in New York, and as you can imagine, she’s got a good story to boot.

[00:06:50]
Audra Fordin: I bought the business from my father in 1997. And then about 10 years later, we had a huge, terrible recession and New York was impacted tremendously. I was looking at the bus one day at the bus stop and I’m looking at the people, I’m waving to my customers. They didn’t have money to fix their cars. And I realized that my customers aren’t driving, which means I have no cars to fix.

[00:07:12]
Amanda Greene: Audra had to switch gears. With so many people struggling to afford getting their cars serviced, it sparked a new idea to help with something she had been dealing with her entire life.

[00:07:23]
Audra Fordin: There’s a lot of automotive intimidation, women who don’t feel comfortable at the auto shop. I’m at risk of losing this business, which is my pride because they said that I couldn’t do it in the first place. What am I going to do? And I had compassion for the struggle that not only was I going through, but so was my community.

[00:07:41]
Amanda Greene: So Audra started Women Auto Know offering workshops to help women and anyone who doesn’t know much about car repairs learn how to take care of things themselves. Today, Women Auto Know workshops are available across the country. I love what you’re doing. One of my favorite sayings is, “Empowered women, empower women,” and you are living that. This is an area where that’s so needed. Many of us walk into an auto shop and really don’t know a lot about cars. So can you describe that experience? What are the things that you think people might find intimidating and maybe some tips how they could overcome that feeling?

[00:08:20]
Audra Fordin: Sure. How they find it intimidating is you don’t know what you don’t know. I had friends who were going to the auto shop who had no idea what was going on with their car. They were so uncomfortable. So I created this driver checklist that they would be able to bring into the auto shop with them so that they knew what was going on with their car. Basically, it covers the eight essential systems from head to toe of your car. Think of the car like your human body. There’s so much relatability and it demystifies it if you could correlate the two.

So, if we’re going to talk about the car from head to toe, starting with essential number one is your brain and your immune system. That’s all the dashboard lights on your car. Pay attention to what those dashboard lights are. They’re color-coded. They’re red, yellow, and green, just like the stop light that’s on the road. Those red lights mean stop, something is really important, it needs attention. It doesn’t have to be expensive. It could be your seatbelt, but it is something to pay attention to. Anytime you see a red light blinking on your dashboard, your car is screaming at you that it wants your attention.

[00:09:20]
Amanda Greene: Okay, that’s the first one. What’s next?

[00:09:23]
Audra Fordin: Essential number two, you’re talking about your vision, your eyesight. People need to see you, you need to see them. So you need to know that your headlights and your taillights are all working. And then you have your fuel system. Know what your vehicle eats. Just like we eat food to fuel our bodies, you need fuel for your car’s body. And then you have our essential number four, your charging system, and that is the heart of your car. If your battery is dead, you’re going nowhere. So you need to understand that your battery is working well and the alternator and charging system’s in good operation.

Learn about AAA Car Battery Service.

[00:09:56]
Amanda Greene: I’m loving all these analogies. Okay, we’re at four, right? Dashboard lights, fuel, charging system. What’s essential number five?

[00:10:04]
Audra Fordin: Essential number five, like the lungs that we breathe, you have filters that filter out each one of the fluids through each one of your systems. Make sure that those filters are clean. Essential number six is our circulatory system is all of the fluids that are running through the systems that operate your car, your power steering fluid, your motor oil, your transmission fluid, your brake fluid. So you want those all to be clean and running free.

[00:10:27]
Amanda Greene: Very important.

[00:10:29]
Audra Fordin: Essential number seven here is your steering, your suspension and your brakes. You want all of that to be operating like cat-like reflexes so that you are able to, on a pinpoint, be able to stop your vehicle. And then essential number eight, the car is made up of all kinds of cork and rubber products that transport all of those fluids and filters and everything gets transmitted through the computer system to the dashboard lights, and ultimately that is how your car’s communicating to you. So by checking all of those eight essential systems, that is the ultimate way to make sure that you’re prolonging the life of your car and that you’re the safest on the road.

[00:11:09]
Amanda Greene: Wow, I feel like I just learned more from that checklist than I ever have about cars. That’s such a great starting point for people to familiarize themselves with all the different systems in a vehicle. I think becoming more accustomed to that checklist would definitely make me feel more self-assured walking into an auto shop.

Audra, let’s get into some more DIYs. What car repairs or basic car maintenance can people do themselves, save a little bit of money, and really continue to get to know their car rather than bringing it into the mechanic?

[00:11:45]
Audra Fordin: You can of course check your fluids. You’re able to take care of your tire pressure. And some other DIYs as far as maintenance, you can check your shock absorbers. It’s called a bounce test and that’s when you push on the back or the front of the vehicle really hard at each wheel and then let go and see how many times it bounces. If you have weak shocks, this will allow the vehicle to bounce like two or more times, which might be a fun ride for a low impact aerobic workout, but it’s definitely not good for your car.

If you want to check your brakes, you could look at the pads through the wheel, but if you can’t see that just by looking at your brake fluid reservoir, because it’s a sealed unit, the brake fluid should always be full. And as the brake pads wear down, the fluid will wear down and that means that your brake pads are wearing.

[00:12:38]
Amanda Greene: Okay. Those are some great things we can all be doing on the regular, just to keep an eye on things. How important is it to incorporate these types of practices into our maintenance routine?

[00:12:49]
Audra Fordin: To prolong the life of your car, in real estate they say location, location, location. When it comes to your car, it’s maintenance, maintenance, maintenance. I think all the time people neglect doing oil changes, they put off doing a transmission service. And while it costs hundreds of dollars for a transmission service, it might cost you $200, it’ll cost you $5 ,000 for a new transmission. So penny wise and pound foolish. In order to prolong the life of your car, the best thing that you can do is your maintenance.

[00:13:22]
Amanda Greene: Audra’s so right. I think we can all be guilty of this in one way or another. You know that feeling when you postpone going to the dentist because you don’t want to bite the bullet and pay the bill, but avoiding it always makes it so much worse down the line? The same principle applies to car repairs. Here’s Peyton again.

[00:13:40]
Peyton Knight: Noises, vibrations, anything like that, you should have it checked out. It could be something simple or it could be something major. Until someone looks at it, they can’t tell you. Like in anything, it’s easier to take care of it when it’s little, but if you let it go, it’s going to become bigger and bigger.

[00:13:56]
Amanda Greene: Every time there’s a new noise or something going on in my car, I’ll go to the notes section in my phone and write down when it happened, what it sounded like. And I must sound crazy when I call the mechanic or bring it in, and I’m sure you see this all the time. I’m embarrassing myself trying to reenact and mimic the sounds that I heard. Do you get that a lot?

[00:14:16]
Peyton Knight: Well, yeah, absolutely. But now with the cellphones, you can record it, you can take a picture of it. We actually do that for our customers. I have a digital inspection. So if your car, if something’s loose on it or it’s making a noise, I can send you, are you hearing this noise? Or I can show you. So yes, and it’s very important for you to let us know.

Let’s say that you have a noise and it only does it making a right-hand turn going uphill. If you just say “I got a noise in my car,” we could drive the car for half an hour and not find it. But the other thing that’s good, is if you take a ride in the car with us to point out where the noise is. That will save you money and save us time.

[00:14:52]
Amanda Greene: I had a friend who used to keep a binder in his car and every time he would have a service done, he would save the receipt and keep a log of every maintenance that had been done on the vehicle ever. Do you suggest doing that? Is that something you see often?

[00:15:09]
Peyton Knight: A lot of people do that and I think it’s a very good thing to do. I would recommend highly keeping receipts. We have the computers today. We have it all on our computer, so you could call up and say, hey, I want to see all my receipts and things of that nature. Plus there’s CARFAX. Let’s say you brought your car into me the first time and you don’t have any records. If you’ve been taking it to a place that has CARFAX, I can look it up and can see what has been done, when it’s been done.

[00:15:33]
Amanda Greene: Okay, so keeping receipts is not a bad idea, but looking out for a mechanic that uses CARFAX sounds like a more modern and reliable way of keeping a car maintenance record. That’s good to know. Are there any driving techniques that might prolong the life of your car or the handling of your car?

[00:15:56]
Peyton Knight: When you start your car when it’s cold, let it run for a good 30 seconds, maybe a minute. If you start your car, throw it in reverse right away, the engine’s running, but it’s not being lubricated for a good 30 or 40 seconds and that causes premature wear on the components. Your oil’s in the pan, it takes a little time for it to get up into the upper part of the transmission and the engine and lubricate it.

[00:16:18]
Amanda Greene: So that’s not a just-in the-winter thing, that’s an all-the-time thing?

[00:16:22]
Peyton Knight: Correct. The engine is cold all the time. So if it’s 80 degrees out, the engine’s cold because the engine runs at 210 to 220 degrees. So it doesn’t matter where you are in the country, the engine’s cold.

One thing I also stress is anything extreme is going to put more wear on your tires, your suspension and things of that nature. When you see the light changing red, you’re on the highway and the light changes red, don’t keep your foot on the brake. Coast up to the light so you don’t slam on the brakes. The easier you drive a car, like when you accelerate from the light, don’t accelerate real super hard like you’re racing the car. And the same thing like handling, driving turns and things of that nature. The more gentle you are driving your car, accelerating and braking, everything will last a lot longer.

[00:17:07]
Amanda Greene: Is there anything else you want to share as far as things that a first-time car owner should keep in mind?

[00:17:13]
Peyton Knight: Well, another big thing is keeping your car clean. Again, here in the Northeast when they put all the salt and what they put on the road, take it to a car wash and get the undercarriage clean maybe once or twice during the winter because it’s rusting the car.

[00:17:26]
Amanda Greene: Okay.

[00:17:27]
Peyton Knight: Washing and waxing your car. If you keep your car so that it’s not all rusted out and stuff, when you go to sell it, you’ll get more for it. But you got to wash it once every couple of weeks. You got to wax it once a year, twice a year. You got to take pride in your vehicle.

[00:17:41]
Amanda Greene: This is something I try to instill in my kids, even though they are nowhere near driving age yet. We always say, if you want to have nice things, you have to take proper care of them. This has all been so helpful. I think I need to go read my owner’s manual from cover to cover after this. But first we can’t forget about our quiz. So we’re going to move on to a little rapid fire quiz segment called What Does This Noise Mean? Are you ready?

[00:18:12]
Peyton Knight: Sure.

[00:18:12]
Amanda Greene: Okay, so I hear a hissing sound under the hood. Do I bring it in?

[00:18:17]
Peyton Knight: Well, if you don’t know what it is, absolutely bring it in. You might want to open up the hood and listen. You might see something. Let’s say it’s the belt squealing or hissing and you see the pulley wobbling. You may not want to drive it because if that pulley falls off, it could do damage to your engine. You might want to have it towed in. So if you hear a noise, call someone reliable and ask them what to do.

[00:18:39]
Amanda Greene: Okay, what does this noise mean? I hear a chugging or rattling noise.

[00:18:43]
Peyton Knight: Well, it depends on when you hear it. Now these are the questions I’ll ask you. Is the car moving? Is the car sitting you hear this rattling noise or chugging noise, or are you driving it? Because if you’re driving, it could be one thing. If you’re sitting and it’s in park and you’re hearing a noise, it could be something totally different.

[00:18:57]
Amanda Greene: How about I hear like a clicking or a knocking while turning?

[00:19:01]
Peyton Knight: Okay, that could be a component in the suspension, the steering suspension. Also, the axles, if you turn them, the axles are wearing out, they’ll make a clicking noise too when you’re turning.

[00:19:10]
Amanda Greene: Do I bring it in?

[00:19:11]
Peyton Knight: Absolutely.

[00:19:12]
Amanda Greene: Just from talking to you, I wish that you were in my town because I feel like I could trust you instantly, which is a really nice feeling. And so everything really does come back to finding a mechanic you trust and bringing your car for a service at a shop where you feel taken care of.

[00:19:29]
Peyton Knight: Absolutely. Reliable and safe, I have it on the wall.

[00:19:33]
Amanda Greene: To keep your car in tip-top shape, remember, don’t wait for maintenance lights to tell you when you need an oil change. If you have an older car, get it done more often. The auto shop doesn’t have to be a nerve-wracking experience. Take the time to learn how your car’s different systems work, and don’t be afraid to ask questions. Keep track of where and when problems arise. Driving safe will always help you prolong your car’s life.

You’ve been listening to Merging Into Life, where we navigate life’s milestones one episode at a time, brought to you by AAA Northeast with assistance from JAR Audio. I’m your host, Amanda Greene. If you’re learning as much as I am, follow us wherever you get your podcasts and leave a review. We’d love to know what you think. Email us at podcast@aaanortheast.com.

Our guests say you need to find a trusted mechanic. Maybe I should call my mom. ‘Hey, Mom. No, I’m fine. No, seriously, I’m fine. No, I can’t come to dinner, but I do have a question. I needed to ask you, who’s your mechanic? My car is making this weird noise and I really need to go get it looked at.’

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are not necessarily the views of AAA Northeast, AAA, and/or its affiliates.

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RESOURCES

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Looking for your happy place this summer? Just stroll through a field of sunflowers! 

Lucky for you, you can visit one in every state from New Jersey to Maine. Some offer sunflower festivals with live music and food trucks, while others open their fields for u-pick options so you can bring home an armful. Better still? Some donate proceeds to local charities so you can feel extra good about your visit.

Remember, all listed sunflower fields are weather-dependent so check their websites before you visit to confirm the status and to find info on admission, amenities and related events.

Need a ride? Rent a car.

Connecticut

Sunflowers for Wishes

Buttonwood Farm

Griswold, Conn.

When: July 20-28

Each year, the farm plants 14 acres with some 300,000 sunflowers, all for a good cause. During Buttonwood’s annual Sunflower for Wishes event, visitors can walk the fields and pick their own blooms for $3 a flower with 100% of the profits benefitting the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Connecticut. Before you head home, sample some of Buttonwood’s homemade ice cream – there are more than 50 flavors – but don’t miss the special sunflower ice cream, only available during the event, made with a caramel base, honey, almonds, cashews and sunflower seeds! 

Lyman Orchards

Middlefield, Conn.

When: July 27-Aug. 25

With u-pick berries in the spring, fall apple picking and two golf courses, this Connecticut destination has something for everyone, including a 3-acre maze filled with 350,000 red, yellow and orange sunflowers. At its end, climb a 10-foot viewing platform for a spectacular photo. If you just want to go home with an armful of blooms, a u-pick option is available. $1 of every admission goes to the Connecticut Children’s Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders.

Maine

Chipman Farm

Poland, Maine

When: Opens mid-August

This eighth-generation family farm has a great u-pick sunflower field, open typically in mid-August through Labor Day, while the flowers are in season. Hit the farmstand for freshly grown produce, too.

Maine Sunflower Festival

Pumpkin Valley Farm

Dayton, Maine

When: Labor Day weekend and the following weekend

This year, the farm is doing something different: Expect colorful pinkish purple zinnia interspersed with sunflowers 2- to 3-feet high, creating the effect of a living bouquet! Along with fields brimming with blooms, there are farm animals for the littles, a corn pit, live music and food options, including brick oven pizza, kettle corn, even beer and wine.

Massachusetts

Summer Spectacular

Garden at Elm Bank

Wellesley Mass.

When: Mid-August

Close to Boston, this 36-acre botanical garden run by the Massachusetts Horticultural Society is home to day lily and rhododendron gardens, native plants, a labyrinth and Weezie’s Garden for Children. Come August, it will open its very first sunflower field – 100,000 seeds were planted in a newly developed part of the garden – for viewing and picking. Check their website for precise opening dates.

Felix’s Family Farm

Ipswich, Mass.

When: Mid-August

Sunflowers and tulips are all that’s grown at this fourth-generation family-owned farm, but you can also glamp, do goat yoga and get your portrait taken with a cow. The farm’s School Street sunflower fields should open in mid-August with flowers blooming through mid-September.

New Hampshire

2024 Sunflower Festival

Coppal House Farm

Lee, N.H.

When: July 27 – Aug. 4

Known as New Hampshire’s first sunflower festival, this event includes fields of blooming flowers, a craft fair each weekend, live music and food vendors, along with lots of extras such as Touch-A-Tractor and a Draft Horse photo day. Once the flowers have reached peak, they dry in the field and then seeds are pressed into culinary oil.

6th Annual Sunflower Bloom Festival

Sunfox Farm

Concord, N.H.

When: Aug. 10-18

Admire the view or pick a few blooms to take home at this 20-acre sunflower field and festival.  But that’s only part of the appeal: Sunfox’s sunflower fest also includes a lineup of local musicians, vendors, food trucks and a unique sit-down dining experience.

New Jersey

Blooming Giants Sunflower Trail

Alstede Farm

Chester, N.J.

When: July-October

Alstede is home to the Blooming Giants Sunflower Trail, in bloom – weather depending – from July to October. Take photos, cut your own or just admire their beauty. While you’re there, check out the cider mill, ice cream stand, a farm store and dining options. Or book a harvest moon hayride through the fields.

Johnson’s Locust Hall Farm

Jobstown, N.J.

When: Late June thru early October

In addition to acres of sunflowers ready to be picked, the farm has a barnyard and corn maze for the kiddos and Tomasello Winery’s Tasting Outlet for the adults. Look for dedicated photo op spots tucked among the flowers, along with events and pop-ups including a vintage market, evenings on the farm and food trucks.

New York

Kelder’s Farm

Kerhonkson, N.Y.

When:  Aug. 3-Sept. 2

When you spot the “World’s Tallest Garden Gnome,” you’ve arrived at this Hudson Valley farm. Every August it comes alive with thousands of sunflowers spread across a 6-acre field. And they’re not all yellow. Kelder’s plants many different varieties and colors each year which you can admire and pick. The farm has over 30 additional attractions, from kids’ activities to a taproom, donut wagon and farm market. Before you leave, don’t forget to snap a photo with the gnome!

Sunflower Festival

Liberty Ridge Farm

Schaghticoke, N.Y.

When:  Aug. 17, 24, 31

From kids’ activities to trolley rides to a hedge maze, there’s lots to keep you occupied all day at this popular festival, which sells out every year. But you’re here for the sunflowers! The 4-acre field doesn’t disappoint, so get that camera ready. And if you need a little break, there are wine slushies and festival foods to tide you over.

Waterdrinker Family Farm and Garden

Manorville & Riverhead, N.Y.

When: Mid-July

You can get your sunflower fix times two on Long Island. Waterdrinker Farm’s two locations include a sunflower maze and an array of family-friendly activities from mini golf to an obstacle course, as well as a newly opened beer garden in both locations. The farm is open Friday-Saturday in Riverhead and Tuesday-Sunday in Manorville. Sunflowers typically start to bloom in early to mid-July and last until Halloween.

Rhode Island

Dame Farm and Orchards

Johnston, R.I.

When: After July 4

This farm is strictly a stroll-and-snip adventure. You can walk the fields and admire the blooms or create a personal bouquet. Dame Farm provides a mason jar with water to keep them fresh, but you have to bring your own clippers or scissors. There’s also a farm market and kids’ activities.

Annual Sunflower Stroll

Clark Farms

Matunuck, R.I.

When: Early August

Known for its annual fall corn maze, in summer you can explore meandering paths that wind through 3 acres of sunflowers which are typically in peak bloom in early August. The farm also has family activities.

Vermont

Sunflower House

Billings Farm & Museum

Woodstock Vt.

When: Aug. 1- early September

This Vermont site offers a look into what farm life was like in the 1890s, but as August arrives, so do the sunflowers – more than 50 different varieties ranging in height from 1-foot to nearly 14-feet tall with names like Just Crazy and Lemon Cutie. Visitors can wander through “rooms” and “hallways” created by the sunflower stalks and blooms. The display is ever-changing as flowers begin to bloom and mature over the month of August so there’s always something new to see.

What’s your favorite sunflower festival? Tell us about it in the comments below!

Featured image: Courtesy of Kelder’s Farm.

New York City is amazing and you should try to see as much of it as you can, but don’t count out all of the fun day trips in upstate N.Y. Our selection of enjoyable upstate N.Y. day trips features a variety of unique spots, including water parks, historic sites, museums, forts, beaches, an insane asylum and, yes, Niagara Falls.

Need a ride? Rent a car.

Upstate N.Y. Day Trips: Caves & Mines

Howe Caverns

Located in Schoharie County, this popular tourist attraction is one of the top spots in the state for caving and spelunking, especially since the site does not require the equipment or training typically associated with the activity. The cave, which geologists believe formed several million years ago, is composed primarily of limestone from different periods of the Earth’s early history. While you’re there, be sure to also stop by the Cave House Museum of Mining and Geology.

Herkimer Diamond Mines

Visitors to this spot in Herkimer will want to bring safety eyewear, gloves and closed-toe shoes for exploring the mines, where they might find Herkimer diamonds; the eponymous gems are actually double-terminated quartz crystals and, in some cases, millions of years old. The site, open from mid-April to late October, also has campgrounds, a museum and a gift shop.

Natural Stone Bridge and Caves

Featuring the largest marble cave entrance in the nation, this Pottersville site includes formations that are over a billion years old. The park has more than 14 miles of snowshoe trails during the winter, a rock climbing wall, gemstone mining in the summer, a picnic area, museum and an ice cream stand with a devoted local following.

Upstate N.Y. Day Trips: Historic Sites

Johnstown

A top spot for aficionados of early Colonial history, Johnstown was founded in 1762 by William Johnson. During the Revolutionary War, approximately 1,400 soldiers fought at the Battle of Johnstown, which was one of the last of the war’s skirmishes. Famed residents of the town included Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Silas Talbot. The town’s Johnson Hall has been designated a National Historic Landmark and hosts regularly scheduled events.

Rolling Hills Asylum

Originally known as the Genesee County Poor Farm, which was established in 1826, this site was formerly a stage coach tavern before the county’s board of supervisors bought the property, which then maintained orphans, widowed women and their children, minor criminals and the mentally ill. Tours and group rates are available.

Boldt Castle

Situated on Hart Island in the Thousand Islands of the Saint Lawrence River, this well-visited landmark was considered one of the nation’s largest private homes at the time of its construction in the early 1900s. Many of the property’s rooms are left unfurnished and visitors to the island can also visit the Power House, which houses a museum, and Alster Tower. The house’s basement includes a pool, bowling lanes and a long passage to the Power House.

Forts

Fort Ticonderoga is an 18^th century fort built by the French near the south end of Lake Champlain in the 1750s that played a pivotal role in the Revolutionary War; while Youngstown’s Old Fort Niagara was constructed in 1678 as a means to protect the interests of New France in North America and now serves as a park and museum. Historic Fort Ontario, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, housed soldiers during the Revolutionary War and more than 900 Jewish refugees during World War II.

Upstate N.Y. Day Trips: Museums

Corning Museum of Glass

Dedicated to the art, history and science of glass, this museum was founded in 1951 by Corning Glass Works and currently has a collection of more than 45,000 glass objects, several of which are more than 3,500 years old. The site’s galleries include pieces by artists, such as Klaus Moje and Josiah McElheny, as well as examples of Asian, European and American glassmaking. Subject matter includes glass in nature, origins of glassmaking, glass of the Romans and glass in the Islamic world.

Museum of Science and Technology

Also known as MOST or the Milton J. Rubenstein Museum, this Syracuse site in Armory Square features multiple exhibits, a gift shop and a domed IMAX movie theater. Some of the permanent displays include Earth Science Discovery Cave, Life Sciences, Science Playhouse, Technotown and the Lockheed Martin Flight and Space exhibit.

International Boxing Hall of Fame

Honoring boxers, trainers and other contributors to the sport, this Canastota museum is one of two recognized international boxing halls of fame. Ceremonies are held every year to honor new inductees, which are handled by the Boxing Writers Association of America. Categories at the museum include retired boxers whose last bout was no earlier than 1943, boxers who fought between 1893 and 1942, pioneers whose last bout was before 1892, observers (such as journalists and historians) and non-participants.

National Baseball Hall of Fame

Debuting in 1939, this Cooperstown museum is the nation’s largest institution dedicated to the national pastime. The site provides a history of baseball in the United States and includes 38,000 artifacts as well as exhibits honoring those who have played or managed the sport. A total 310 people have been inducted into the hall of fame, which draws approximately 300,000 visitors per year. The museum also has 2.6 million library items, such as newspaper clippings, and 130,000 baseball cards.

Jell-O Gallery Museum

Acting as a shrine to America’s most popular gelatin dessert, this gallery is dedicated to exhibits about Jell-O and is operated by the Le Roy Historical Society. Visitors can learn about the history of the dessert, which was invented in Le Roy in 1897, as well as find some yummy recipes and a variety of items in the site’s gift shop.

The National Museum of Play

Rochester’s National Museum of Play was based initially on the collection of Margaret Woodbury Strong and made its debut in 1982. It has since expanded its collection to hundreds of thousands of items. The site is the only collections-based museum anywhere devoted solely to the study of play. It includes numerous interactive characteristics of a children’s museum, making it the second largest of its type in the U.S. Exhibits interpret the elements. The museum includes displays on Sesame Street, the Berenstain Bears and Dancing Wings Butterfly Garden.

The Farmers’ Museum

Cooperstown’s second best-known attraction, this site recreates rural life from the 19^th century via exhibits and interactive workshops. The museum’s grounds contain more than two dozen historic buildings, including a tavern, farmstead, printing office, pharmacy, blacksmith’s shop, doctor’s office and general store. It is also home to the Empire State Carousel, a historic merry-go-round that took two decades to produce and features 25 hand carved animals representing the state’s agricultural resources.

Upstate N.Y. Day Trips: Parks & Outdoor Sports

Niagara Falls

One of the nation’s top tourist spots, these iconic falls should be viewed from the famed Maid of the Mist boat ride. But the falls are not the only sight in town. While you’re there, drop by Whirlpool State Park, the region’s fashion outlets, Three Sisters Islands, Seneca Niagara Casino, Aquarium of Niagara and Niagara Gorge Trail. If you have time and a passport visit the Canadian side of the falls, where the annual Shaw Festival presents theater for six months.

The Finger Lakes

This scenic spot is home to a burgeoning wine region, famous lakes and hundreds of cultural and outdoor attractions. Visit Watkins Glen State Park to spy its glorious waterfalls (19 in all!) and hike its craggy gorges. Or sip your way through the vineyards of the Seneca Lake Wine Trail. Afterward, take in the Americana at the Rockwell Museum.

Midway State Park

This park on the shores of Chautauqua Lake is home to the 15^th -oldest amusement park operating in the U.S. and the fifth oldest remaining trolley park. Current rides and attractions at the site include bumper boats, a carousel, climbing wall, go-karts, rollercoaster, mini golf, kiddie boats, a train and tugboat paddlers. There are also tennis courts, a bathhouse and dance hall.

Ausable Chasm

Often referred to as the Grand Canyon of the Adirondacks, this sandstone gorge runs through Keeseville, empties into Lake Champlain and is fed by the Rainbow Falls at its southern tip. Activities at the site include adventure trails, biking, rafting, tours, rock climbing, rappelling, tubing and disc golf. Its biking trail is more than 15 miles long and the site offers both day and night tours.

Thousand Islands

This archipelago, which straddles the U.S.-Canada border, includes 1,864 islands that range in size from 40 square miles to smaller islands with a single resident. The islands are known for being havens for nature lovers as they contain numerous government regulated parks along the waterfront. They are also popular spots for fishing, boating and vacationing.

More Fun: Beaches, Water Parks and Amusement Parks

Santa’s Workshop

‘Tis always the season at this amusement park, located in the state’s North Pole hamlet, which has been operating since 1949, making it one of the nation’s first theme parks. The site, which operates from summer to December, includes rides and attractions, such as the Peppermint Swing and Ferris wheel, as well as shows and a Christmas village, complete with a candy shop, post office, bakery, reindeer barn and Santa’s house.

Lake George

Nicknamed the “Queen of the American Lakes,” this spot in Adirondack State Park has stunning views and a number of well-known bays; such as Silver Bay and Kattskill Bay. The locale is distinguished by “The Narrows,” a five-mile, island-filled section that is bordered by Tongue and Black mountains. Lake George is a popular tourist destination, has a summer colony and is known for being a top spot for hot air ballooning.

Sylvan Beach

The Oneida County beach has a wide variety of restaurants and shops, as well as an amusement park with more than 20 rides. Sylvan also has camping areas, a marina and the Sylvan Beach Union Chapel, which has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Woodlawn Beach State Park

Located on the eastern most section of Lake Erie, Woodlawn Beach not only has a beach, but also a 93-acre park. Its nature center and bathhouse complex features a variety of exhibits that highlight the park’s history. It also has nature trails and a playground.

Thunder Island

The Fulton-based park offers water slides, zip lines, go-karts and a number of attractions for toddlers. Some of its most popular attractions include the tunnel twister slides, kiddie mini river, tube slides and Thunder Rush Extreme Body Slide.

Roseland Waterpark

This Canandaigua-based theme park owned by Bristol Mountain features nine attractions, including a raft ride, wave pool, Splash Factory and several huge slides, such as The Screamer, The Tornado, The Cliff and The Twister.

Sky High Adventure Park

Situated in Ellicottville’s Holiday Valley resort, this outdoor adventure course features an aerial park, climbing forest and mountain coaster. From the late summer through early fall, it also offers chairlift rides. Sky High has 13 courses with varying degrees of difficulty. Children must be 7 years old to take part in the park’s rides.

For great deals on travel, including rental cars, visit AAA.com/Travel. 

Have you gone on any of these upstate N.Y. day trips? If so, tell us about your experience in the comment section.

This article has been updated and republished from a previous version.

Kia and Hyundai vehicles were the most stolen cars in America in 2023, breaking the years-long trend of full-size pickups topping the list, according to the latest report issued by the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB).

Kia and Hyundai models were in the first six places in 2023, including the top three, among the NICB’s list of the 10 most stolen vehicles. The Chevy Silverado 1500 came in fourth.

Interestingly, the most commonly stolen vehicle in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York and Rhode Island was the same: Honda Accord.

Social media trends showcasing how to steal specific models of Hyundai and Kia vehicles could be fueling the rise in passenger car thefts, particularly because many models were not equipped with immobilizing equipment at the factory. But the NICB report also highlights the use of newer technology to hack into vehicle security systems.

This report follows another NICB trend analysis, which indicated that the U.S. is still experiencing a surge in vehicle theft rates dating back to the start of the pandemic. Vehicle theft claims rose 1% from 2022 to 2023.

“Motor vehicle theft costs owners more than $8 billion each year, with more thefts happening in the summer than any other time of year,” said Mark Schieldrop, senior spokesperson for AAA Northeast. “But by being vigilant and taking preventive measures, you can significantly reduce the chance of your car being stolen.”

The 10 Most Stolen Cars in America

Is your car the apple of a robber’s eye?

1. Hyundai Elantra
2. Hyundai Sonata
3. Kia Optima
4. Chevrolet Silverado 1500
5. Kia Soul
6. Honda Accord
7. Honda Civic
8. Kia Forte
9. Ford F150 Series Pickup
10. Kia Sportage

How to Prevent Your Car From Being Stolen

AAA offers the following tips to prevent your car from being stolen:

• Park with your windows up and doors locked. When not at home, be sure your key fob is with you at all times.
• Park in well-lit areas and ideally in an area protected by security cameras.
• Remove all valuables from your car and keep anything that must be in the car out of view. Theft of items left in vehicles is a widespread problem – not just theft of cars themselves.
• Consider a tracking device to locate your car if it does get stolen. According to the NICB, one-third of stolen vehicles that were ultimately recovered were found on the same day as the theft, so it’s important to immediately report the incident to police and then to your insurance company.
• Store key fobs as far away from the vehicle as possible when parked. To prevent a signal boosting attack, consider putting them in a metal container or bag to interrupt the fob signal and prevent tech-savvy thieves from intercepting and boosting it remotely to unlock the nearby parked vehicle.
• Keep your vehicle up to date with software updates and check with your dealer to ensure all eligible safety and security recalls and technical service bulletins have been performed.
• Don’t leave your vehicle running and unattended, even if the vehicle is locked.

If your car is stolen, here’s how to report it.

If you are concerned about car theft, you can also reach out to a AAA Insurance agent to discuss your auto insurance coverage options.

Another hot topic on car owner’s minds is the rise of catalytic converter theft. Learn more about why these car parts are being stolen and how to avoid becoming a victim.

Do you own one of the most stolen cars in America? Let us know in the comments below. 

This article has been updated and republished from a previous version.

Mrs. Mekler’s Mercantile

492 Beechwood Street, Cohasset, Mass.

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A blink-and-you’ll-miss-it find (which we did, and promptly turned around), Mrs. Mekler’s Mercantile is a hidden gem of wonder cloaked within the overarching canopy of Massachusetts woods.

From outside, the tiny structure doesn’t hint much at the treasures inside, adding perfectly into its air of mystery. But once you’ve unlatched the always-open door, your eyes may not know where to look first.

Shelves and shelves of sweets, treats and extraneous marvels fill the space, including two giant coolers filled with beautifully crafted, albeit meltable, chocolates, caramels and truffles. Other surprises included local honey, cocktail mixes, pickles, dips, cookies, gourmet popcorn, coffee, frozen hot chocolate mixes and lots more. Even for such a small space (think your average-sized shed), it still took us about three times around to see it all.

Perhaps the most charming part about Mrs. Mekler’s Mercantile is its innate trust with its customers. Open daily and functioning totally on the honor system, folks can pay for their goodies by either cash, check or via Venmo.

Spend a moment with us at more of our favorite places.

Will you be grabbing some yummy candies at Mrs. Mekler’s Mercantile? Let us know in the comments!

When people hear Tahiti, they envision an exotic paradise. And that’s exactly what it is. Its palm trees, glistening blue waters, miles of beaches and moderate temperatures are a dream come true. You have to see it to believe it.

Halfway between the U.S. and Australia, the figure-eight-shaped island of Tahiti covers 403-square miles. Part of French Polynesia, it belongs to a chain of islands known as the Society Islands and traveling to the other islands, such as Bora Bora – a longtime favorite of honeymooners – is easy.

French artist Paul Gaugin introduced the world to Tahiti in the 19^th century with his many paintings of Tahitian life. If you’ve ever wanted to jump into those colorful pictures, now is your chance. Pleasant Holidays is offering discount summer vacation packages to Tahiti, many offering a free night’s stay and breakfast. Flights are available from the west coast of the U.S. and Honolulu.

Unbelievable Beaches

Tahiti’s primary attraction is its glorious beaches, most with black volcanic sand and a few with the conventional soft, white powdery stuff. The water is clear and warm, and the lagoons are full of fish of every color.

About 40 miles southwest of Papeete, the capital of Tahiti and all French Polynesia, is La Plage de Maui, a white sand beach with offshore reefs home to numerous varieties of fish, making it a snorkeler’s paradise. Also close to Papeete are Faduma Waterfalls, accessible by a short hike through the woods, another popular tourist spot.

Lafayette Beach is a black-sand beach standout. This secluded beach is located about 20 minutes from Papeete.

Attractions, Excursions and Activities

Papeete is a bustling city with many attractions, including the Pa’ofa’i Gardens, swathed in lush greenery and with walking trails and fishponds. If you are a fan of street food, the city is known for its variety of food trucks. Tour the Papeete Market, consisting of multiple stores full of locally grown fruits and vegetables, as well as meats and pastries. And don’t miss the Museum of Tahiti, which is divided into four sections and houses collections highlighting the history of French Polynesia, and the growth of its culture and customs from the early settlers to the modern era.

A wonderful way to visit the different islands is, of course, by boat. Tahiti Yacht Charter offers tours on a variety of watercraft, from catamarans to spacious yachts. Travelers can reserve a private or group tour to travel around the archipelagos. Enjoy an intimate private sailing from Raitea (the Sacred Island), through the Leeward Islands to Taha’a (the Vanilla Island), Huahine (the Majestic Island) or Bora Bora (the Mythical Island).

Pleasant Holidays also offers engaging and unique tours and activities on and around the surrounding islands, including Bora Bora, Moorea, Taha’a, Huahine and Rangiroa. Among these are ATV tours through the jungle and up mountainsides, lagoon cruises, fishing, snorkeling, dolphin and whale watching trips, and shark and ray safaris. Take a circle tour of Moorea that includes Belvedere Lookout, a perch that overlooks Opunohu Valley and Cook and Opunohu Bays, go on a glass bottom boat tour in Bora Bora and more. Select private tours are also available.

Contact your AAA travel advisor and plan your summer getaway today!

Featured image: Conrad Bora Bora Nui

Typically, vacations are a time to chill, scrap the agendas and give little thought to what happens when you leave your destination. Ecotourism, though, is giving vacations a whole new look and mission. It means learning about the culture, history and environment of the places you visit and not causing any harm while you are there.

European cities like Zurich, Switzerland, and Copenhagen, Denmark, are usually the types of names that come up when discussing sustainable travel destinations. But ecotourism trips are both popular and plentiful in the U.S., allowing travelers to relax and give back stateside.

It’s Easy Being Green

Not too long ago, ecotourism was a specialty niche, but now it is reshaping the travel industry. While ecotourism trips may sound like treks through the rainforests, swamps and jungles of the world – and some, of course, are – they can be booked anywhere. Many of the top destinations are in the U.S.

Any trip can become eco-friendly if you spend less time driving and more time hiking, biking and cleaning up the environment, and opt for lodging with fewer frills and that supports the local economy.

U.S. Ecotourism Is Trending Up

The U.S. is rapidly expanding its spot in the ecotourism market. The nation’s sustainable tourism industry is nearly 7.5% of the global market. In 2023, that market’s estimated value was over $258 million, and it is projected to climb to above $663 million by 2033.

Interest in ecotourism is surging across all age groups, according to AAA Northeast travel advisor Brian Garland.

AAA Travel plans to develop extensive expertise in the sustainable travel market and become a leader in ecotourism. It recently partnered with Tourism Cares, a nonprofit dedicated to the long-term survival of the travel and tourism industry, to create sustainable itineraries for popular destinations.

With the effects of climate change becoming more apparent, ecotourism and sustainable travel could be the new norm. Conventional tourism takes a heavy toll on the environment.

“Different geographical areas and different population groups will be proportionally affected differently here and around the planet,” Garland said. “Ethically responsible tourism addresses those concerns, no matter what the destination.”

Plan your eco-friendly vacation with the help of a AAA travel advisor.

Top 5 Ecotourism Destinations in the U.S.

Alaska

The open space, natural beauty, wildlife and rugged terrain of Alaska, coupled with the rich culture of its native people, make it a popular ecotourism destination. Visitors can learn the history of the cities and Alaska’s native people, experience the indigenous practices of fishing and food preparation, observe native wildlife, hike, camp and enjoy outdoor activities. Among the most popular destinations for viewing wildlife are Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Denali National Park and Kenai National Wildlife Refuge, where visitors can go sea kayaking with orcas.

California

A domestic leader in the green tourism movement, California offers a variety of ecotourism options. One of the most popular is Yosemite National Park, 95% of which is protected from urban activity. Visit Eureka, known for its 67-acre Sequoia Park forest and garden with numerous trails. Even historic San Francisco gets ecotourism props for having more zero-emissions electric trolley buses than any other transit system in the country. It also has 464 miles of bike paths making it the second-best big city for biking, just behind Minneapolis, according to Axios.

Colorado

Rocky Mountain National Park is a must for ecotourism enthusiasts. Hunt, fish, camp and view wildlife in the 415-square-mile park. Join a guided hike to learn about the park’s wildlife and history. For a real rewarding vacation, volunteer to help repair a trail in different areas of the state.

Florida

The Sunshine State overflows with ecotourism opportunities. Take a tour in the Florida Keys, adjacent to the only living coral reef in the U.S, and experience four national wildlife refuges, two ecological reserves and fish hatcheries. If you enjoy kayaking, you can paddle for miles through Florida’s kayaking trails. The Everglades, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is home to a variety of wildlife.

Hawaii

As a proud member of the International Ecotourism Society, sustainability has been a way of life for Hawaii’s indigenous people for thousands of years. The malama ‘Aina philosophy (to care for the land) is still embraced by residents. Besides surfing, snorkeling, kayaking and scuba diving, visitors can learn about the islands’ history and natural resources. Tour a farm, visit a nature preserve or go on a tree-planting tour.

Canada: Our Eco-Friendly Neighbors to the North

Banff National Park, Cape Breton Highlands National Park – featuring the famous Cabot Trail along the coast – and Whistler, a top skiing, hiking and mountain biking destination, are among the many eco-friendly places to visit in Canada. If you are eager to return to the age of adventure, Canadian arctic cruises offer the chance to view wildlife and learn about native Inuit culture while sailing through the Northwest Passage.

Book your next trip with AAA Travel today.