If you’ve ever bought or sold a used car, you’re likely familiar with vehicle history reports. These detailed reports provide crash data, maintenance records and ownership history, assuring buyers that they are getting what they paid for. Unfortunately, the process of obtaining these reports is often corrupted by criminals in the form of vehicle history report scams.

Such scams are often perpetrated by sellers trying to offload a damaged, stolen, salvaged or malfunctioning car. In other cases, scammers are trying to obtain personal information. Either way, it’s critical to use a reputable vehicle history report provider. Otherwise, you will be leaving yourself vulnerable to criminals.

Types of Vehicle History Report Scams

Incomplete Reports

Sellers may try to pass off an outdated or incomplete vehicle history report that does not include all the relevant information. If a car is involved in a crash but no insurance claim or police report is made, it likely will not show up on a vehicle history report. In such instances, the owner may not disclose this information to potential buyers in fear of losing the sale.

“I try to remind consumers that the information is only as good as how and when it was entered,” said AAA Northeast Car Doctor John Paul.

Speaking of when, another trick scammers often use is providing an outdated report that was completed prior to any damage. In whatever manner it’s done, intentionally withholding information is a scam.

Fake Reports

Scammers will often create counterfeit vehicle history reports containing fabricated or altered information in an attempt to hide negative records. These may include digitally altered documents and/or fake vehicle identification numbers used to deceive buyers. Fake reports are most often used by private sellers.

Phishing Scams

Scammers often send emails or text messages to potential buyers leading them to fraudulent websites. Once there, the recipients are asked to provide personal and/or financial information, which can then be used for identity and monetary theft.

One type of phishing scam specifically targets people selling their cars online. The criminals contact the sellers as if they are interested in purchasing the vehicle, but ask them to get a vehicle history report from a website link that they provide first. Once the seller orders the report, they are never contacted again, and the scammer has what they wanted all along – valuable personal information.

How to Avoid Vehicle History Report Scams

Use Reputable Sources

Now is not the time to go comparison shopping. Your safest bet in securing an accurate vehicle history report is using a well-known, reputable provider. Start by heading to the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System’s website, vehiclehistory.gov. Here, you can get a vehicle history report and find a list of approved report providers.

Verify the Website’s Legitimacy

Scammers will often try to deceive consumers by creating websites that appear to be those of trusted sources but aren’t. To spot these fake sites, you’ll need to examine the URL.

All secure websites have URLs beginning with “https,” rather than “http,” along with a lock icon on the left side of the address bar. You should also examine the end of the URL to make sure the domain checks out. Legitimate websites have commonly used domains such as “.com,” “.org” and “.gov”.

Scammers have tried using websites with a “.vin” domain, thinking users would believe it was legitimate site for looking up a vehicle identification number, which is often abbreviated as “VIN.” In fact, “.vin” is a domain used for websites related to wine, as “vin” is the French word for wine.

Do not provide any personal information if any of these elements are missing or suspicious.

Get a Pre-Purchase Inspection

Ultimately, your goal is to learn whether the car is in the condition the seller claims it is. The best way to know this is by having a trusted mechanic inspect it. This should always be done prior to purchasing a used car, even one that comes with a legitimate vehicle history report.

Don’t know a good mechanic? We know hundreds. Find a AAA Approved Auto Repair shop close to you.

Be Skeptical of Enticing Offers

Scammers will often try to lure in unsuspecting individuals by offering free or low-cost vehicle history reports. The Car Doctor always says, “if the deal is too good to be true it most likely is.”

Trust Your Gut

Whether buying or selling, if anything strange comes up during the vehicle history report process that seems suspicious, trust your gut and walk away.

Have you heard about or been a victim of a vehicle history report scam? Tell us in the comments below.

In the market to buy a car? Apply now for affordable auto loan rates on new and used cars with AAA Auto Loans.

Dinosaurs are fascinating for all ages, but our prehistoric predecessors are particularly awe-inspiring to kids learning about them for the first time.

Dinosaur attractions that stand alone or as part of museums breathe life into what can otherwise only be imagined from books or on screens. Thinking about colossal creatures roaming the Earth with footsteps big enough to shake the ground feels like make-believe, but standing next to a life-sized model of a sauropod footprint brings an entirely new perspective.

I remember when my parents would take me to visit the American Museum of Natural History in New York City as a kid. Looking up at the long neck of the rearing Barosaurus skeleton at the grand entrance could stop anyone in their tracks, but it feels even bigger when you’re small.

Our region has played a large role in the unearthing and research of dinosaurs in North America. From discoveries of old dino stomping grounds in Connecticut, to paleontology digs and expeditions led by institutions such as the American Museum of Natural History and the Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Pennsylvania.

If you know a kid who can tell his Brachiosaurus from his Stegosaurus or can identify a Triceratops in two seconds flat, you don’t want to miss out on these local dinosaur attractions.

Dinosaurs! At the Center for Science, Teaching and Learning

Rockville Centre, N.Y.

Filled with lessons of evolution, extinction and how animals eat, dinosaurs are excellent science teachers. Dinosaurs! is an engaging educational space on the grounds of Long Island’s Tanglewood nature preserve that focuses on adaptations. Towering models of dinosaur skeletons, hand-painted murals and lifelike animatronics serve as the attention-grabbing example of how animals conform to their surroundings, with interactive and hands-on exhibits and real-life birds and reptiles throughout to tie them to today’s world. Outside, there’s even more dinosaurs, animals and a dino dig.

The American Museum of Natural History

New York, N.Y.

A premier dinosaur attraction, the American Museum of Natural History is home to the world’s largest collection of dinosaur fossils, the first of which was found in 1897. Pick your favorite from the many scale models of ancient reptiles in the dinosaur halls, where you can see Tyrannosaurus rex, Triceratops, flying Pterodactyls and more. The museum is also home to a cast skeleton of one of the largest dinosaurs ever discovered: the Titanosaur. At nearly 19-feet-tall and 112-feet long, it cannot even be contained within its gallery!

Dino Roar Valley

Lake George, N.Y.

You are going to see a lot more than squirrels and birds on this nature trail. At Lake George Expedition Park, visitors embark along the 1.5-mile path of Dino Roar Valley, encountering prehistoric sights and sounds and meeting a variety of moving, roaring, dinosaurs along the way. After exploring the trail, little ones and their families can enjoy a dinosaur-themed stage show and hands-on activities and adventures like the opportunity to climb into a dinosaur’s nest and fossil digging. Open seasonally.

Field Station: Dinosaurs

Leonia, N.J.

Located on the sprawling grounds of Overpeck County Park a short drive from Manhattan, Field Station has attractions starring dinosaurs for kids of all ages. Paleontologists have worked to make the park experience as authentic as possible, with scenic trails featuring more than 30 realistic animatronic dinos. Live shows, games and activities like the T.rex “live feeding” make this a memorable and educational day trip for the whole family. Check website for seasonal schedule.

Carnegie Museum of Natural History

Pittsburgh, Pa.

Andrew Carnegie’s interest in dinosaurs and evolution fueled paleontology expeditions in the late 1800s that led to the discovery of many dinosaur types in North America, beginning the fossil collection that can be seen in the “Dinosaurs in their Time” exhibition at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History. Home to dozens of original fossils from the Mesozoic Era, most of the skeletons are real, not replicas. Remarkably, more than 75% of the objects on display are “type” specimens – meaning that they are the original specimen on which individual species are based – including the T.rex!

Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History

New Haven, Conn.

After being closed four years for renovations, the Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History reopened in March with new classrooms and collection areas, improved accessibility and 50% more gallery space. Outside the museum, the life-sized bronze Torosaurus statue invites visitors to explore the Great Hall of Dinosaurs inside. Its collection includes Stegosaurus and Triceratops fossils and the type specimen of Brontosaurus. You’ll also get to see Rudolf Zallinger’s famous mural “The Age of Reptiles” – the world’s largest dinosaur mural.

Dinosaur State Park

Rocky Hill, Conn.

Walk in – or at least next to – the footsteps of dinosaurs. Dinosaur State Park is the site of 2,000 dinosaur tracks –500 of which are on display – believed to be from large carnivorous dinosaurs called Dilophosaurus. The fossils were accidentally discovered when the land was being excavated for a new building in the mid-sixties. The park’s museum, surrounding gardens, picnic area and the opportunity to cast your own dinosaur footprint make it perfect for a family day out.

The Dinosaur Place at Nature Art Village

Oakdale, Conn.

For a day of fun, Nature’s Art Village has something for everyone, from museums to mini golf to shopping and antiquing. They also have more than 50 life-sized dino models over 1.5 miles of nature trails, complete with hands-on activities and lessons for your journey. Feel the towering presence of a 40-foot Brachiosaurus, meet an animatronic Dilophosaurus, feel the rumble of a volcano near Raptor Bay and finish with a picnic. The kids will love the dino-themed playground and maze, which ends with sliding out of the mouth of a T.rex! Check out their website for more seasonal activities.

Beneski Museum of Natural History

Amherst, Mass.

One of New England’s largest natural history museums, the Beneski museum, located on the Amherst College campus, has more than 1,700 specimens on display, including fossilized dinosaur and fish skeletons, dinosaur footprints, wooly mammoths and trilobites. Its collection numbers more than 200,000 specimens, which are available for study by academics and researchers.

Save on museums, zoos and other attractions with AAA Discounts.

What’s your favorite dinosaur attraction? Tell us in the comments.

You’ve probably heard the term “catalytic converter” recently. Unfortunately, it’s likely for all the wrong reasons.

Theft of this important car part has been rampant in the last few years. In 2019, 3,389 catalytic converters were reported stolen across the country, with 14,433 stolen in 2020, 52,000 in 2021 and 153,000 catalytic converters stolen in 2022. Although thefts did decline in 2023, the risk still remains.

We know the motivation behind stealing valuable cars, but why the specific interest in catalytic converters?

What Is a Catalytic Converter?

A catalytic converter is an important feature of your car’s exhaust system. Its purpose is to limit the amount of harmful pollutants emitted by an internal combustion engine. Located between the vehicle’s engine and tailpipe, these devices convert toxic gases found in car emissions, such as carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides, into less-harmful substances like carbon dioxide and water vapor.

Catalytic converters are filled with precious metals, which act as the catalysts. Most often, these include palladium, rhodium and platinum. When the engine emissions’ harmful gases pass through the device, they make contact with these metals and undergo a chemical reaction. This process alters their molecular structure, converting them into safer substances.

Why Are Catalytic Converters Stolen?

The reason these catalytic converters are stolen so often lies in what’s inside them. There is both a high demand and limited supply of the precious metals contained in these devices. Recent disruptions in supply chains have made them even more difficult to source and, in turn, even more expensive.

This has turned catalytic converters, which can be removed from cars in a matter of minutes with readily available tools, into valuable commodities. Today, catalytic converters are worth more than gold – literally. Platinum, palladium and rhodium are each worth thousands of dollars per ounce. Catalytic converters typically have just a few combined grams of these metals. That would still fetch a price of at least a few hundred dollars, possibly up to $1,000.

Cars Most Likely to Have Catalytic Converter Stolen

All catalytic converters are valuable and thus prone to theft. But those found in two vehicle segments are most likely to be stolen, for vastly different reasons. One because they’re more valuable and the other, because they are easy to get to.

Catalytic converters work most effectively in high temperatures, which is why they are typically located near the engine. Because the engine in hybrid vehicles is not always in use, the converters fail to heat up to optimal temperatures. Therefore, the converters in hybrid vehicles have more of the precious (and expensive) metals to make up for the lack of efficiency.

Larger vehicles like SUVs and trucks are victims of their own circumstance. A higher ground clearance makes it easier for a thief to slide under the vehicle and remove the converter.

How to Tell If Your Catalytic Converter Is Stolen

It’s unlikely you’re looking underneath your car every time you go for a drive. So how else can you tell if your catalytic converter has been stolen? It will be readily apparent once you start your car.

Without a catalytic converter, your car will make a loud, roaring sound once the engine starts. You may also notice the check engine light on and the vehicle not driving smoothly.

How to Protect Your Catalytic Converter From Getting Stolen

Install an Anti-Theft Device

Installing an anti-theft device over your catalytic converter is the most effective way to prevent it from being stolen. There are several types of devices available, including shields, cages and steel cables. Check with your mechanic to see if this is would be a safe solution for your vehicle.

Etch Your License Plate Number or VIN Onto the Catalytic Converter

This step can’t stop a thief from stealing the catalytic converter, but it could deter them. If the component should get taken, the unique marking can alert potential buyers that it is stolen. This may make it more difficult to sell and less appealing to thieves. Nearly two dozen states have passed or are considering legislation that would more closely regulate the purchase of scrap catalytic converters.

Park in a Smart Spot

Whenever possible, park your car inside a closed garage or in your driveway. If you’re parking away from home, leave the vehicle in a well-lit area.

The Most Stolen Car Parts

Catalytic converters are not the only vehicle components thieves are trying to get their hands on. Here are some other commonly stolen car parts.

Tires and Wheels

Car tires and wheels check a lot of boxes for thieves. They can be easily removed in just a few minutes, they’re expensive and they’re essential for every automobile yet commonly replaced, so there’s always a market for re-selling. An easy way to protect your wheels from theft is by installing wheel locks. These are specially designed lug nuts that can only be removed with a unique wheel lock key as opposed to a standard socket.

Batteries

These don’t hold quite as much appeal as other commonly stolen car parts because used car batteries are not overly expensive. They are, however, simple to remove, making them easy targets. Installing after-market hood locks can prevent anyone from accessing the battery.

Air Bags

Air bags need to be replaced once they’re deployed, creating an ongoing demand for these safety features, and an opportunity for thieves to make money. Approximately 50,000 air bags are stolen each year at a cost of more than $50 million, according to the NICB.

Tailgates

Truck tailgates can often be removed in less than a minute without the need of any tools and can fetch hundreds of dollars on the resale market. While many newer pickup models now have locking systems, owners of older trucks can install their own tailgate locks.

How Can Insurance Help?

Having comprehensive coverage on your policy will ensure you are protected from stolen car parts. Sometimes (and less confusingly) called “other than collision,” it provides coverage from damage caused by an incident other than a crash, including theft. While only mandatory if you are leasing or financing a vehicle, this inexpensive option could prove to be invaluable if you find yourself the victim of a stolen catalytic converter or other car part. Catalytic converter repair could cost thousands of dollars.

Should you need to use your comprehensive coverage, your deductible would apply.

Reach out to a AAA Insurance agent to discuss your auto insurance coverage options.

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

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IN THIS EPISODE

Every child dreams of going on a theme park adventure. Rollercoasters, magical characters, delicious food – what’s not to love? But planning a trip to a theme park can also feel overwhelming. With so many options, how do you narrow down what to do? What is the best day to go to a theme park?

Enter Felicia Troy, AAA travel sales manager and Disney enthusiast. Having planned countless theme park trips, Felicia knows the top theme park secrets and amusement park hacks to maximize your experience and find fun for the whole family. This episode is full of useful theme park tips, from finding the perfect place to stay to getting the most out of park apps.

You can plan the best theme park vacation ever, and we’re here to help.

Save on Walt Disney World park tickets with AAA Tickets.

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KEY TAKEAWAYS

[2:42] – The best time to go to a theme park
[6:40] – Preparing for your trip and what to pack for a theme park vacation
[12:01] – How to deal with long lines and the best ways to beat theme park crowds
[15:47] – The importance of setting a budget and how to save money at theme parks

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TRANSCRIPT

[00:00:02]
Amanda Greene: You are almost done with school. Are you excited for summer?

[00:00:05]
Kids: Yeah, I can’t wait. I’m going to miss my friends.

[00:00:09]
Amanda Greene: I know, but summer break means a summer vacation. Where do you think we should go this year?

[00:00:14]
Kids: Disney!

READ MORE

[00:00:15]
Amanda Greene: Disney? I’m going to need to talk to your dad about this. I was thinking more like Cape Cod or the beach.

[00:00:23]
Kids: Disney!

[00:00:24]
Amanda Greene: Hold on, hold on, you guys. 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 on this show, we’re going to learn how to plan and then take your first trip to a theme park. A theme park makes me think of sunny days, exhilarating rides, very fun food options, family togetherness and lifelong memories.

But simmering just below the surface there’s a possibility of pure exhaustion, tantrums and massive lines. So how do we do everything in our power to have the ideal theme park experience we’re picturing? We bring in a theme park enthusiast and expert to guide the way.

[00:01:18]
Felicia Troy: It’s something that’s so ingrained in me that I just love a theme park. That’s my idea of a great vacation. Throw me around on a roller coaster. Do all the crazy stuff. That’s what I love to do. So having done it so often, I feel like I have great advice to give.

[00:01:32]
Amanda Greene: That was Felicia Troy. She’s AAA’s resident roller coaster riding, thrill-seeking, family loving theme park expert extraordinaire. And I have to say, like me, she loves her theme parks. Planning a trip specifically to a theme park, to Disney, is a big undertaking. It’s a lot more, I don’t want to say complicated, but there is a lot more to prepare now than maybe there was back when we were kids. So when someone comes to you with the idea that they would like to plan a trip, they would like to go to a theme park, where do you begin?

[00:02:06]
Felicia Troy: I think when we sit with people, we actually don’t really start with the meat and potatoes. We want to get to know you a little bit more. We want to find out what you like, what you don’t like, if you’re bringing kids, what they’re interested in, how old are they, what do they like to do every day?

Because I think it matters if you take the time to get to know somebody, you can plan something truly excellent instead of just being that order-taker that’s like, okay, you want to go here? Let me get that for you, and move on. We really try to get to know the person so we can fit you to the right trip.

[00:02:34]
Amanda Greene: Do we begin with planning what time of year we go, or do we start with something else? Where do we begin in this process?

[00:02:42]
Felicia Troy: I think we usually begin with are you celebrating something and what’s the goal of this trip? Sometimes it’s to celebrate grandma and grandpa’s 50th anniversary and we want it to be magical, but relaxed enough that grandma and grandpa can have a great time. Or it’s the kids’ first Disney trip and we want to get to the castle and we want to dress up like a princess. So, really what’s the goal? What are we trying to do? Are we trying to relax? Are we trying to get up and go? Are we trying to entertain the kids?

[00:03:07]
Amanda Greene: A little of both, ideally. As an expert, is there a time of year that you recommend people plan to visit?

[00:03:14]
Felicia Troy: So truly, if you want to go kind of on a lower time, now everything is busy in theme parks in general, but that after the holiday rush in January can be a good time to go which is a nice Disney tip for you! And if you’re going somewhere south like Florida, the weather can be a little bit better if heat’s hard for you. Especially us people in the Northeast, we sometimes have a hard time with heat. So January can be great.

Another great time can be September right after school start because the crowds die down and all the kids go back to school. And so it can be a great time even for an adult couple or an older couple with no kids to go because there’s likely going to be less kids in that timeframe. So it could be a good opportunity.

[00:03:50]
Amanda Greene: I know when we were planning a trip to a theme park, everyone was saying, “Don’t go in August. It’s going to be way too hot.” And you would see people online who go in August who have the wearable fans around their neck or a cooling towel, all of these things that they prepared so that they could make it through the day during really hot days of summer. Do you do that or do you just avoid August?

[00:04:14]
Felicia Troy: So, actually I’ve been in August. My birthday’s in August. My 21st birthday was spent in Epcot, so yes. But we like to just take a midday break in that heat of day when you can’t walk around anymore and everything’s sticky and you just don’t want to be outside. We’ll just go to the pool and then we go back to the parks a little bit later where the temperature’s more tolerable and we’re all less cranky.

[00:04:33]
Amanda Greene: So, speaking of the pool and just hopping back to the pool, that brings us to where to stay. Because if you want to be able just to hop back to the pool for a little while in the middle of the day, you need to be sort of close by. How would you even begin to choose where to stay?

[00:04:48]
Felicia Troy: Yeah, I totally agree. I think that there’s not a one size fits all answer for this, but I do love staying near the respective amusement park you’re going to. So whether it’s Disney, whether it’s Universal, whatever it is, I like to be on site. Because as I said, we enjoy taking the midday break going to the pool. But then there are people that do not care. They will spend the whole day in the theme park, and then later go back to their resort or hotel or wherever.

And it also depends on how many people are going. Sometimes you have a really big family and you need something that can accommodate that size. So I think we talk through the options and that’s what we typically do if you sit down with one of our advisors is we’ll talk through the best options for you and maybe what you want to be close to.

If you’re at Disney on the Monorail, taking the train to Magic Kingdom and all of that, that could be very worth it, as opposed to somebody who’s like, “I just want the least expensive accommodations. It doesn’t really matter. We’re going to rent a car.” So we try to go through every option. I personally always say stay at the theme park hotel, but that is me.

[00:05:50]
Amanda Greene: What is the nearby, I guess, transportation option for a place like Universal? Do they have something similar that will transport you back to an area resort?

[00:05:59]
Felicia Troy: They do. I love Universal. It’s almost even closer to be able to get to the theme parks. There’s a couple resorts you can just walk. So if you’re at one of their premier resorts, most of them you can walk. They also have a boat and the boat is very simple and easy. And then for the ones that are slightly further out and slightly, it’s really not that far, they have a bus.

So they do have the same type of transportation style where they include or have some way to get to their theme parks if you’re staying on property. We usually stay at the ones we can walk because I love a nice little walk to the theme park. But yes, it’s absolutely whether you’re at Disney or Universal, there’s options.

[00:06:36]
Amanda Greene: Okay, so we’re planning a trip. What else can we do to prepare beforehand?

[00:06:40]
Felicia Troy: So one of my biggest things is wherever you’re going, if they have an app, get used to it, download it, look through it, figure out what it offers. My best Disney tip is their app (My Disney Experience App), you can do almost anything on it. You can order food. You can make a dining reservation. You can do your [Lightning Lane], which is the skip the line pass. You can even unlock your hotel room door. So it’s very good to get familiar with whatever technology that place is using because I think it’s going to help you in the long run.

When you arrive that day of travel, you’re flustered, you don’t know what’s going on. And then you pull the app and you’re like, “Oh my gosh, I’ve never looked at this thing. What am I going to do?” So if you’ve already familiarized yourself with it, I think it’s going to go a long way and make the experience better for you and everyone else.

[00:07:20]
Amanda Greene: What’s your take on watching a bunch of YouTube videos before you go on a trip to learn the [the app] or figure out your plan for the trip?

[00:07:28]
Felicia Troy: I love YouTube videos. I watch them. I have favorite influencers and all of that for Disney hacks. I think it’s a great way, but I also take the information with a grain of salt, because sometimes they put their own opinions in there and they might not be your opinions. So while you’re watching the videos, it’s great for instructional purposes, but don’t necessarily write off things that they might be giving you opinions on because you might actually like those things. Do with it what you will, but don’t let it shape your entire trip.

[00:07:53]
Amanda Greene: It seems like [My Disney Experience App]s= specifically, when you’re talking about Disney, people really want to do their homework before they arrive to the park and have a plan for their Disney vacation. What Disney tips or what else do we need to do on the app beforehand? What kind of issues might occur when using the app?

[00:08:09]
Felicia Troy: One of the biggest things that I find would be a challenge for most is how to mobile order and dining and all of that. I would watch a YouTube video or talk to your travel advisor about how do I mobile order? Because even when I went for the first time after they started it, I believe it was around 2020, I didn’t know what to do. I was confused. I was like, oh, do I hit this button? What do I do here? And I was like, wow, I didn’t even prepare for this and I’m supposed to be the expert.

But it is just a little bit weird and different, and it’s the same for Universal. They also have mobile ordering too. You want to try to get used to that. So that way when everyone’s starving and looking at you and my son would be like, “Mom, I need chicken fingers right now or I’m going to pass out,” you’re not fumbling through this app like, “What am I supposed to do?”

You already know how to order it. You’ve got it, and hopefully you’ve learned that you could order it early and have it ready. So all those things. So definitely worth looking at the food because food becomes the big thing when you’re on a trip and the kids are staring at you starving. You need to plan before it’s time. You need to have a plan for your food before everyone’s hangry.

[00:09:10]
Amanda Greene: Even me. 100%. What kinds of things or what should we bring to an amusement park with us to feel prepared and to be able to enjoy the day?

[00:09:18]
Felicia Troy: I mean, we obviously talk about the app. You’re going to need your phone for the app, so external batteries or phone chargers are huge. You want to make sure that your phone doesn’t die in the middle of the day. One, because you’re probably entertaining your kids in line with your phone and saying, “Here, watch a YouTube video,” So it drains the battery a lot faster until you’re on the app using your phone. No matter what, you’ll need some extra batteries.

You want to make sure you have all your medical stuff. Any medication that you might need, bring a little extra, bring it into the parks. Because if you’re all the way across the back of one park, you don’t want to have to walk all the way to your car, go all the way back to your hotel to get whatever it is you may need. I would say have the basic stuff too, just like Tylenol and all of that for kids and adults.

Another thing that I love to bring is little plastic baggies. That’s my one thing that I never travel without at a theme park. One, you can use it for extra food, extra treats that your kid doesn’t finish because inevitably they want chicken fingers, but they eat one. And then two hours later they’re like, “Where’s the chicken fingers?” And you’re like, “I don’t know. They’re gone in the trash.”

So now you can put it in a plastic bag, keep it in your bag, and then go back to it. Or it rains often if you’re going to somewhere like Florida, so having those plastic bags on hand if you need to put your phone in one or things that can’t get wet, it’s a nice option to be able to have something that’s not going to get ruined in the storm.

[00:10:33]
Amanda Greene: And I know that people who don’t use strollers at home because their kids have outgrown like a stroller to use regularly, use strollers at Disney because there is just so much walking that even if your kid has outgrown strollers for years, you probably want one for Disney or other amusement parks.

[00:10:49]
Felicia Troy: No matter if your kid walks every single day, it is still more walking at a theme park. It’s like 10 miles of walking in a day. And even if your five-year-old hasn’t used a stroller in two years, get it for the day. Even if they only get into it intermittently and just use it for breaks, you can also use it for your stuff.

If you go shopping or anything like that, then it’s something to push the stuff in too. So, not only can your kid get a break, but then your shoulders can get a break from not carrying around all the stuff.

[00:11:16]
Amanda Greene: And there’s plenty of stroller parking at all parks. They specifically have designated areas where you just park your little stroller and some people put a little flag on it so that you can recognize which one is yours.

[00:11:27]
Felicia Troy: Yes, absolutely. I would say the one tip for that is they sometimes move your stroller. They have cast members there organizing them to make sure it doesn’t stay too chaotic in that there’s little rows of strollers. So if you go back and look where you just put down your stroller and it’s not there, don’t panic.

Someone did not likely steal it. It’s just that the cast member had to move it to make space. So that’s why they put little flags or little balloons on strollers so that way you can easily spot yours in the sea of strollers. Just buy a balloon at the beginning of the trip. They sell them on every corner and tie it to your stroller and then you’re good.

[00:12:01]
Amanda Greene: An inevitable part of visiting a theme park or really any well-attended place that’s really fun is the long lines. There’s a lot of line waiting. What’s the best way of dealing with the long lines?

[00:12:14]
Felicia Troy: Short of getting some sort of express pass or Genie pass or fast pass, whatever it is at whatever respective theme park, which is always my suggestion, I would just make sure you pack something to keep people entertained. A lot of people play that heads-up game where you put the character or whatever and people try to guess it, or Disney has a Play Disney app that you can interact in different ride queues with the app and while you’re waiting in line.

So depending on what it is, I mean, I know putting your kids on an iPad or something isn’t ideal, but it does help pass the time in a line where there’s not much else to do. My big tip is if it’s a long line, go to the bathroom before you get in the line. Because we have been halfway through that line. You’ve been in the line an hour, and then your kid’s like, “I have to go to the bathroom.”

And you can’t say no. What are you going to do? And if your kid has outgrown any diaper or anything, then you just have to go and there’s not really a mechanism to come back.

[00:13:07]
Amanda Greene: Your next question is usually, well, how bad?

[00:13:10]
Felicia Troy: Oh yeah. I’m like, can you wait a little while? Yeah, no, exactly. So it is tough. And then sometimes it’s nice to have a little snack or some water in the line too. So if they’re like, “I’m starving, or I’m thirsty,” they have something as well. Prepare for those long lines.

[00:13:23]
Amanda Greene: I’m that mom that has my children basically ask every child in line their name, their favorite color. We get to know them. We’ve exchanged information to become pen pals. You make it work in the line. That’s another thing people do at theme parks too is give little gifts out to kids that they meet in line sometimes. I had my girls also make bracelets, and so they would give them out. Other people did stickers or like Dum Dum Pops, which is just another cute way to pass time in the lines.

[00:13:51]
Felicia Troy: We call it pixie dusting. So it’s you pixie dust people with different trinkets. And usually it’s not much, but it is a lot of fun. I do recommend that you stay away from edible pixie dust, so lollipops or candy, because you don’t know the allergy or the situation with the child. We just want to be really aware of anything going on. So I think a bracelet is a great idea. Keychains, stickers, even little bubbles or anything that kids can play with I think is phenomenal.

And I think it makes it more magical when you get a little treat from a little friend. My son has done that, made friends, and then he ends up going on the ride with the friend. And I’m in the back car and he’s riding with this random kid that we just met, and they’re having a great time. So it’s great.

[00:14:31]
Amanda Greene: Love that. It’s so cute the way kids can make friends anywhere they go.

[00:14:34]
Felicia Troy: Oh, it’s amazing.

[00:14:35]
Amanda Greene: Is there anything you think families should keep in mind when visiting a theme park for the first time?

[00:14:40]
Felicia Troy: Pretty much any theme park you go to, if you’re going for the first time, you’re not going to be able to do everything. Theme parks offer a lot of different things, whether it’s shows or rides or characters or whatever it is. I would suggest when you’re going for the first time, you sit everyone down in the family and you say, “What are your top three things? What do you want to accomplish with this trip? What would make you the happiest with this trip?”

And that way you can get everyone’s top things, their top ride or whatever it is, and make sure that you hit those points for each person. So you may not have done everything, but you’ve done the most important things to everyone in your family, and that will be a huge difference maker.

Because you might not realize that your son’s top thing is, I want to go to the pool and play in the pool for part of the day, and you’re so focused on being in the theme parks, you completely missed the pool. And then he’s bummed because that was the one thing he really wanted to do. So now if you make a list and really prioritize your itinerary to that list, I think it’s going to make it so much more magical.

[00:15:35]
Amanda Greene: These are such great tips for making the trip a wonderful experience. But a big part of this, paying for it. How do you save money on these trips? How do you make sure you aren’t going overboard and coming home to an uncomfortable amount of debt?

[00:15:47]
Felicia Troy: I think the biggest thing will be truly determining what your budget is. How far are you willing to go and what is comfortable for you? I think oftentimes we see the stereotypical planned Disney trip that’ll be on the Monorail, and they’ll go to all the fanciest restaurants and all of that. And that might not be the budget that you have, and that is so fine.

We can make magic with every single budget, but establishing that boundary for yourself and understanding where you stand in that is going to be really helpful. Because then if you’re working with a travel advisor, we can maximize what we’re working with once we know upfront. So it’s good to establish that. So one, you’re comfortable and the trip doesn’t feel like it’s taking over.

Sometimes it can get too heavy if you’re so far out of budget that it’s hard to enjoy because it’s just you’re so focused on that. But if you set that budget for yourself and you make it comfortable for you, I think you’re going to have such a great time and a great experience because you’re not worried about that.

[00:16:45]
Amanda Greene: And that comes back to what you were saying earlier about knowing what your travel style is. Do you prioritize skipping the line, or do you want to be at really nice dinners? And if your budget says you need to choose which one’s more important to you, I think skipping the line is more important personally.

[00:17:02]
Felicia Troy: That’s me all the way. We [skip the line] no matter what. I will eat pizza every night in order to skip my lines. That is absolutely how I feel. But I agree. And that’s why when you set those boundaries, then we can talk through those options for you. And I think it will help set expectations once you get there, because you’ll have an idea of the direction you want to go and what you want to do.

[00:17:23]
Amanda Greene: That makes sense. And it is hard because you want to try and do everything because you only have a short amount of time there. But you can’t do it all, and you really do have to prioritize what you want to do. What about downtime?

[00:17:33]
Felicia Troy: I think my biggest thing when going to any theme park is not scheduling yourself too much. I believe in just letting things happen and letting the magic come to you and letting the moments appear as they may. I find oftentimes people over schedule and then it doesn’t leave time for those magic moments that you have throughout your day.

While having an itinerary and having a schedule is a good thing, leave time for moments. Leave time for the special stuff, for the unscripted times where you just wander or you just find the next thing that interests you, because I promise those will probably be your favorite moments.

[00:18:09]
Amanda Greene: Well, I’m sold. Thanks so much, Felicia. Okay, before we make any final decisions about our summer plans, girls, can you come answer a couple questions for me?

[00:18:20]
Kids: Okay. Yes, Mommy.

[00:18:23]
Amanda Greene: Let’s pretend we are going to a theme park this summer. Would you rather get a pass that helps us skip the line or go to eat at your favorite restaurant, like one with princesses or something?

[00:18:37]
Kids: Eat at restaurants. I would usually get a pass to skip the line.

[00:18:41]
Amanda Greene: Okay, so we’d get hungry. What should we bring for snacks?

[00:18:45]
Kids: Uh, we should bring sandwich.

[00:18:48]
Amanda Greene: Sandwiches, okay. We would do a lot of walking. What do you think, should we bring a stroller?

[00:18:56]
Kids: No, I’d rather go on nature walk. Stroller.

[00:18:59]
Amanda Greene: Yeah, your feet are going to get tired. You’re a little younger. And when you think of a theme park, what’s the very best part?

[00:19:07]
Kids: Meeting Minnie.

[00:19:09]
Amanda Greene: Meeting the characters.

[00:19:10]
Kids: I really like getting the face paints in those pictures. Roller coaster. We never even went on a roller coaster.

[00:19:18]
Amanda Greene: You sure did.

[00:19:18]
Kids: I don’t remember that.

[00:19:20]
Amanda Greene: Mama was screaming. I was screaming so loud and holding onto you really tight. You don’t remember?

[00:19:28]
Kids: No.

[00:19:32]
Amanda Greene: We covered a lot today. Felicia really knows her stuff. If skipping the lines are important to you, pay the extra money for a pass. Familiarize yourself with the park apps, attractions, maps, and food options. Prioritize which rides you really want to go on. That way you can maximize your time in the park and minimize your frustration. Be strategic and thoughtful when picking a hotel.

You want a hassle-free vacation and cutting down on travel time can be huge. Think of everyone’s comfort, including your own. If that means bringing the stroller out of retirement, do it. These parks are big and you’ll put on a lot of miles. The less things to lug around, including your tired tot, the better. Figure out what matters most to each member of your group and plan around that.

But remember to leave time to just let the magic happen. Theme parks aren’t cheap and take a lot of effort to plan, but there is a reason more than 17 million people visited Disney World alone in 2022. Theme parks are amazing and totally worth it. So take the time to prepare and then go have the time of your 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. Worried you might’ve missed something? Check out the show notes for details from today’s episode. If you’re enjoying the show, follow us and leave a review wherever you get your podcasts.

And we’d love to know what you think. Get in touch at podcast@aaanortheast.com Talk next time. All right, so what do you think? Do you think this is the year to go? Should we just do it?

[00:21:14]
Amanda’s husband: Disney? Well, they’re only young once. Let’s just do it.

[00:21:18]
Amanda Greene: Girls, we’re going to go to Disney World.

[00:21:21]
Kids: Yay!

[00:21:25]
Disclosure: 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

Ask an Advisor: Disney 101

How to Skip Lines at Disney

11 Ways to Save Money on a Theme Park Vacation

Your Guide to Universal Orlando Resort Parks

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AAA Tickets

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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.

There are a lot of places around the country that you could call “donut obsessed,” but here in the Northeast, we have verifiable evidence. According to a study by Rent.com, eight of the country’s top (i.e. most abundant) donut cities are in the Northeast. While we have unquestionable proof that we do, in fact, run on Dunkin’, we still love to support the little guys. Here are some of the best independent Northeast donut shops.

PVDonuts
Providence, R.I.

The line around the block may be a hint that PVDonuts is something special, but a taste will have you fully convinced. The menu changes every month, and always with fun and inventive flavors that are equal parts tasty and nostalgic, like their Wild Berry Pop Tart, Funfetti and Dunkaroos donuts. At Thanksgiving, PVDonuts makes a special Friendsgiving donut topped with cranberry glaze, stuffing and fried chicken.

Knead Doughnuts
Providence, R.I.

Knead gets top marks for their gourmet donuts. Their brown butter pecan and peanut butter and jelly-filled are among the best. Get your fix at locations throughout Providence.

Back Door Donuts
Oak Bluffs, Mass.

During the day it’s all business at this bakery on Martha’s Vineyard, but at night it’s a party in the back where people line up by the hundreds at the purple door for hot and fresh donuts. Don’t, under any circumstances, skip the big-as-your-face apple fritters. Open seasonally from April through October.

Blackbird Doughnuts
Boston, Mass.

Blackbird Doughnuts has grown to seven Massachusetts locations (including Fenway Park) for a reason. They’re really that good. In addition to the classics, they serve up creative flavors like Everything Bagel, a brioche donut filled with whipped cream cheese and topped with toasted garlic, onion, poppy seeds and sesame seeds. Seasonal flavors include Summer Corn and Root Beer Float.

Cold Hollow Cider Mill
Waterbury Center, Vt.

Apple cider donuts are one of New England’s signature treats – and the ones that come from Cold Hollow Cider Mill are special. The secret? The fresh-pressed cider made on premises using a vintage 1920s machine. While you can get them hot out of the fryer all year round at the mill, you can also order them online and ship them straight to your house.

Peter Pan Donut & Pastry Shop
Brooklyn, N.Y.

Peter Pan hasn’t changed much since it opened in the ’50s and like the true classic it is, it doesn’t have to rely on gimmicks or trendy flavors to stand out. Here it’s quality and freshness that earns the affection of regulars and newcomers alike. Order an egg cream or coffee with a red velvet, jelly or sour cream donut, pull up to the counter and enjoy the neighborhood atmosphere. Bet you can’t resist a fresh-from-the-fryer glazed for the road.

Cider Belly
Albany, N.Y.

Throw a rock in New York City and you can find a decent donut shop. The truly great ones, like what you’ll find at Cider Belly, are worth the extra effort to get to. This donut shop focuses on cider donuts but in interesting variations. Try the Sap Sucker with maple drizzle, the Venetian with cappuccino glaze or go all-in with a Double Down, a cider donut with cider glaze.

The Holy Donut
Portland, Maine

Maine potato donuts are a time-honored tradition, but nobody makes them like The Holy Donut, one of the earliest producers in the gourmet donut trend. Now, they make 2 million dense, moist donuts a year across their three locations around Portland, in flavors like original and dark chocolate potato, sweet potato and seasonal favorites like Maine blueberry. The savory bacon and cheddar-filled donut alone justifies the drive.

Neil’s Donuts and Bake Shop
Wallingford, Conn.

This old-fashioned bakery outside of New Haven serves up fresh bread, coffee cakes, muffins, coffee rolls, pastries, cookies and danish. Although, if you skip getting one of Neil’s 40 varieties of donuts, you’re missing out. Choose from cake donuts, glazed donuts and crullers in flavors like lemon chocolate, blueberry crumb and coconut cream. Or don’t choose and get them all. No judgement here!

Goody Good Donuts
Laconia, N.H.

Make sure you go to Goody Good with an empty stomach – if you choose wisely, you’ll end up with a treat that’s bigger than your hand that would get Homer Simpson’s stamp of approval, and Fred Flintstone’s too! This bakery serves nearly 30 flavors of donut, including the Bedrock, which is a honey donut rolled in Fruity Pebbles. Don’t sleep on the Arnold Palmer, either; the lemon and raspberry combo is a match made in a heavenly glazed shell.

Tell us about your favorite local donut shop in the comments.

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

A few years ago, traveling a potholed highway across dusty plains in Gujarat, India, I was in my element: exploring the crafts and culture of a remote corner of the world, joined by three other journalists. Our good-natured guide, Sam, knew Gujarat and its customs and history well. Although he was not worldly and had never traveled outside India, Sam was open-minded. Banter flowed easily as we bumped along.

At some point the conversation transitioned to living arrangements and I commented on how my husband had recently started working from home, and how we were adapting to share the space.

“You mean your wife,” Sam interjected.

No, my husband, I replied.

“No, you mean your wife.”

I turned to Sam and smiled. “No, I have a husband at home.”

For a moment, Sam froze, and then his eyes widened quizzically. “You’re married? To a man?”

Several minutes of confused back-and-forth ensued, as I tried to explain how laws in the United States had evolved to embrace same-sex marriage. Sam was equal parts aghast and intrigued. He seemed to go through a mental checklist to identify ways this did not add up.

“But who cooks dinner?”

The Journey Begins

Each June, as rainbow stripes take over corporate logos, as allyship reaches out through social media and Pride marches set forth in cities and towns across America, I can’t help but reflect on how far the LGBTQ community has come over the last few decades.

Yes, I’m a glass half-full kind of guy.

For more than 25 years, I have been fortunate to be a travel journalist. But I don’t consider my work to be that of a gay journalist. That is, I rarely write about LGBTQ-specific travel, such as gay cruises or gay resorts.

I don’t often visit places like Provincetown and Key West, luxuriating in what fellow writer Kwin Mosby calls “the safety net of gay-friendly destinations.” I have no dating apps on my phone to meet locals; instead, I often travel with my husband of 35 years. Whether it’s at the registration desk when I verify we have a single-bedded room or by the pool where we share the kind of nose-in-book silence that longstanding couples do, we can be conspicuous by default.

In 1986, when my husband-to-be and I took our first vacation together, we were naive in our choice. We picked Jamaica, a country which soon emerged as the poster child for gay-unfriendly destinations.

Lured by the pulse of reggae and ads featuring lovers on a bucolic bamboo raft, I booked airline tickets through a Denver travel agent. Maybe she thought Chris and I were “just friends,” but she never advised us that Jamaicans might be unwelcoming to a same-sex couple. I picked up a brand-new “Guide to Jamaica” by Moon Publications, a book bereft of resort coverage but long on cultural context – useful on a first trip to the Caribbean.

In glancing through the book today I find not one word of caution to a gay or lesbian traveler.

text_ad use_post=’190714′

In Montego Bay we checked in at Doctor’s Cave Beach Hotel, amid what seemed to a monsoon. Day after day it rained, and while this was good for getting acquainted with ladies selling fruit and crafts at the market, we eventually succumbed to a worn-out cinema for a matinee showing of “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.” At the box office we were offered tickets for the balcony or downstairs – we chose downstairs. Little did we know, kids and families sat in the balcony, and downstairs was where the prostitutes worked. Although the ladies gave up pursuing us after we explained that we really were there to see the movie, somehow the word got out that a couple of queers were seated in the theatre.

As the credits rolled we exited onto the street, where a half-dozen young guys were waiting. They laughed and pointed, shouting my least-favorite f-word, and followed us with taunts for a block in the rain before losing interest.

A couple days later the sun came out and we headed to Negril, landing in a funky beachfront guest house called Arthur’s Golden Sunset. Here, for $10 a night, we were welcomed and eased into a Jamaican groove. I don’t recall another taunt during our stay, but I remember wandering up the beach to a fancy all-inclusive resort named Sandals. We gawked at smiling lovers, a sprawling pool and boisterous swim-up bar. As we neared the edge of the pool, imagining it for the day we hit a lottery jackpot, a guard came up to shoo us away, noting that the resort was for couples only.

It didn’t take long to understand that Sandals, and a few other Jamaican resorts, defined the term “couples-only” in strictly heterosexual terms.

The Power of the Gay Dollar

Flash forward a decade to the start of my career as a travel writer. By this point, Chris and I had visited seven or eight Caribbean islands, which even included a return trip to Jamaica. Among my first projects was the “Fielding’s Caribbean” guidebook, and soon I became a contributing editor at Caribbean Travel & Life magazine. As my island connections multiplied, invites to be hosted at Sandals resorts arrived. I ignored the first few, then got annoyed with the chain’s PR representative.

“Why would I stay as a guest at a resort that won’t allow me to check in as a paying customer?” I asked. She was embarrassed, and the invites stopped coming.

But by 2003, when Sandals had grown to 12 resorts on five islands, the policy met its match. Under Mayor Ken Livingstone, Transport for London – the government agency that oversees most of the city’s transportation system – stopped accepting Sandals advertising.

With Britain being the company’s second-largest market, Sandals responded a year later by “refining” its policy, very quietly opening its doors to LGBTQ couples.

Of course, by this point some destinations were beginning to recognize the value of the gay dollar, led by Great Britain.

“We’ve reached out to LGBTQ+ travelers for a good 25 years now,” says Paul Gauger, senior vice president of VisitBritain’s Americas offices. Great Britain was the first foreign government to participate in Pride marches in the U.S.; in 2019, VisitBritain joined 29 Pride celebrations and events in the U.S. and across the Americas. “But we don’t just activate during Pride season,” adds Gauger, “it’s throughout the year.”

While Gauger notes that cities like London and Manchester have been a focus for much of the marketing, countryside and coastal vacations across England, Scotland and Wales are also promoted today.

“The community has changed,” says Gauger. “Not all gay and bisexual men want to be out partying all the time. There are gay and lesbian couples traveling with kids experiencing our family attractions, and there’s a greater number of people from the transgender and queer community traveling, too.”

Great Britain is hardly alone today in dedicating resources to attract LGBTQ visitors. International destinations from Argentina to Montreal hire research firm CMI to help them understand the dynamics of marketing to the community. In its 2019 report, CMI found that Canada and Mexico were the most frequent international destinations for America’s LGBTQ travelers, while Britain, France, Spain, Germany, and Italy were all visited by more than 6 percent of respondents in the previous year.

LoAnn Halden, a spokesperson for the International Gay and Lesbian Travel Association, points to Malta as one success story in the last five years.

“It’s a conservative country that almost overnight updated its laws and is now considered the best European country for LGBTQ+ rights,” says Halden.

In the U.S., New York City, Chicago, Las Vegas, Los Angeles and San Francisco have a long track record attracting LGBTQ visitors, but smaller cities are also getting in on the act.

In 2012 Columbus, Ohio hosted a fam (familiarity) trip for LGBTQ media and soon after began integrating same-sex couples into its marketing materials; last year, a gay couple was featured on the cover of Columbus’ visitor guide.

Roger Dudley, director of community and customer engagement for Experience Columbus, says travel priorities have evolved and not everyone wants to go to the big gay mecca cities. “Maybe they’ve checked those off their list,” adds Dudley. “Columbus is driving distance for a lot of people in the Midwest, so we’re a good place for long weekend.”

Even Salt Lake City, a destination identified with Utah’s conservative politics and the Mormon Church, has started marketing to the LGBTQ community. Eric Thompson, vice president of marketing for Visit Salt Lake, says the city has, on a per capita basis, a larger-than-average LGBTQ population.

“We felt like we needed to dedicate more resources in that direction,” explains Thompson, who adds that the city’s 2019 Pride celebration drew 80,000 people. “There’s been a lot of migration from other states to Utah, and gays and lesbians feel comfortable here.”

Still Work To Be Done

Feel comfortable? As a 6-foot-3-inch white man, I feel fairly comfortable almost everywhere I go. Work has taken me to some pretty unusual places, but it is rare for me to feel ill at ease when traveling. After all, being the fish out of water often makes for a better story. Still, often I find myself exploring the world in a bubble that masks the reality beyond the sheen.

Plant me amid the gilded embrace of a safari lodge in the Serengeti and it’s easy to overlook how Tanzania’s institutionalized homophobia preys on its citizens. Bask in the luxury of a cruise floating down the Nile River, and who cares that Egypt’s General Directorate for Protecting Public Morality uses dating apps to entrap and imprison gay men?

Make no mistake: Many of the larger companies involved in tourism today earn a perfect score of 100 on the Human Rights Campaign’s annual list of best places to work for LGBTQ equality. This includes American, Southwest and United airlines, and the Choice, Marriott International, Hilton, InterContinental, and Wyndham hotel groups. I’m delighted when companies like these integrate a rainbow into their social media stream, even if it disappears on July 1.

But as I grow older, and “roughing it” – staying in budget digs and trip-planning on the fly – yields more hassle and less serendipity than it once did, I’m finding I need to make a more concerted effort to pierce the bubble that luxe hotels and well-meaning but image-conscious tourism boards sometimes provide.

In 2008 I traveled to Uganda, in East Africa, a country ravaged by the reign of Idi Amin through the 1970s, followed by a sequel, the Lord’s Resistance Army that was still terrorizing rural Ugandans when I visited. But on my trip, this ravishingly beautiful country, called the “Pearl of Africa” by Winston Churchill, managed to retain the raw appeal that once made it the cornerstone of the Grand Tour of Africa.

I was besotted – so much so that I wrote about Uganda for National Geographic Traveler as one of the magazine’s “places to go” in 2013. But then Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni signed a bill imposing prison terms for homosexual acts, one of the most regressive laws anywhere directed at the LGBTQ community.

My heart broke, both for stories of Uganda I no longer cared to share as well as for the people of this developing country, rich in natural resources and tourism potential. I called the country’s tourist board in New York and asked an attendant whether a same-sex couple would feel safe on a Ugandan safari.

“You don’t need to worry,” she told me. “This law is not meant for foreigners.”

Daina Ruduša, a spokesperson for human rights organization OutRight Action International, says there is a difference between welcoming LGBTQ tourists and how local people live their lives.

“Even in highly repressive, hostile places – Indonesia, United Arab Emirates and Russia, for example – LGBTIQ travelers are welcomed and treated respectfully, often not facing any issues at all, while locals face active persecution,” Ruduša explains. “This can be partly because LGBTIQ people and issues are seen as a ‘Western’ phenomenon.” Local authorities feel safe in the knowledge that visitors will leave without impacting local culture, while cashing in on the economic incentives tourism provides.

To be sure, LGBTQ rights have made great advances in many corners of the world. With the addition of Austria, Taiwan, Ecuador and Costa Rica in the last two years, same-sex marriage is legal now in 29 counties.

But one third of the world’s countries still have laws that criminalize homosexuality. In much of the Middle East and northern and East Africa, same-sex relations can result in prison sentences; the death penalty is on the books in at least four countries.

“One has to be rational and sensible,” says Geoffrey Weill, owner of a New York-based travel public relations firm. “The entire world is not necessarily as advanced as we are (on LGBTQ rights). We’re privileged, we live in a society where nobody inquires, nobody asks. To turn travel into a world-changing crusade is naive.” Respect of customs and expectations in a foreign land is part of the bargain, he adds.

“You don’t flaunt a Star of David or rainbow flag where they’re not going to be welcomed.”

Coming Full Circle

In 2018, Chris and I were headed to the Caribbean island of Grenada. While laws against homosexuality are still in place, it’s an island we have been particularly welcomed at on multiple previous visits. By chance, we were invited to stay at the Sandals resort: The Jamaican chain had planted its flag on Grenada since our last visit.

We hardly knew what to expect. Amid honeymooners and Sandals regulars, we were welcomed at the check-in counter with warm smiles – nothing felt forced.

We were escorted to our room by a butler, a young, confident Grenadian who was taller than me. His well-rehearsed spiel described the resort’s amenities, the evening schedule and how to operate the infinity pool on our balcony. Despite plenty of opportunity, he didn’t miss a beat.

And at dinner, when we landed at the resort’s French restaurant, our waitress had laid out our initials on the table with heart-shaped glitter. We blushed.

While we noted only one other (presumably) lesbian couple at the resort during our visit, we actually started to blend in with the crowd. If we anticipated being the center of attention, just a bit, that didn’t materialize.

When I told Adam Stewart, CEO of Sandals Resorts, about our Grenada experience, he was not surprised. “I have never gotten one letter from a same-sex couple that said they were discriminated against, or that they weren’t welcomed,” said Stewart, who added that the family-owned company also did not experience negative feedback from its famously loyal clientele.

I have no idea what happened to the young Jamaican men who taunted us as we exited the cinema 35 years ago. But I’m hoping that the takeaway for them – that day, or maybe another day – was that a gay couple was less exotic, more ordinary than they expected.

Plan your next vacation with the help of a trusted AAA travel advisor.

David Swanson is a San Diego-based freelance writer-photographer and served as president of SATW, the Society of American Travel Writers, in 2018-19. His stories have appeared in National Geographic Traveler, Travel + Leisure, the Los Angeles Times and elsewhere.

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

Throughout New England — consisting of Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont and Maine — visitors will find more than enough activities, entertainment and food to fill out a full week’s itinerary. Of course, narrowing down your choices may be quite the challenge.

We’ve picked some of our favorite New England destinations to make planning your road trip a little easier. Wherever your starting point, you can use the AAA mobile app to map out the perfect route.

Need a ride? Save on Hertz car rentals with AAA.

Dive into Mystic, Conn.

Take a deep dive into America’s seafaring past at the Mystic Seaport Museum (pictured above). Check out the artifacts in the formal exhibit halls, wander the streets of a recreated New England coastal village, see historic boats like the Charles W. Morgan whale ship, tour a working shipyard and hear the stories of those who made their living from the sea. Of course, no visit to Mystic complete without your own excursion on the water. Whether it’s a river cruise on the 1908 steamboat Sabino, a sail on the Breck Marshall–a 20-foot Crosby catboat, or some time on a pedal boat, you can enjoy the sea air as you travel through the water.

Book a hotel near Mystic, Conn.

Head to Providence, R.I., for bites and sites

Get a well-rounded taste of Providence on a food tour. During Providence Tour Company’s Crime and Cuisine on Federal Hill tour, you’ll sample some of the city’s notable Italian cuisine from such restaurants as Roma and Trattoria Appia. Along the way, you’ll hear the tales of how one mayor went after a mob boss, the corruption that shook the state’s banking system and how the city police cracked down on an illegal dice game. You’ll walk away with satisfied taste buds, a bit of history and a special memento.

Book a hotel near Providence, R.I.

Make your way to Worcester, Mass.

New England’s second largest city, Worcester offers plenty of outdoor recreation, including Mass Audubon’s Broad Meadow Brook Wildlife Sanctuary. This is a great place to get outside and stretch your legs. There are 5 miles of trails, ranging from 0.1 to 1.7 miles in length. Along the way, you can watch for a variety of wildlife, including wild turkeys, great-horned owls, green herons, turtles, butterflies and much more. There’s also a nature center, where you can learn more about the area and its inhabitants.

Book a hotel near Worcester, Mass.

Set out for Concord, N. H.

One of the best ways to explore this capital city is by taking the Historic Walking Tour. This self-guided tour takes approximately 1.5 hours and covers 2 miles. Prominent stops include the New Hampshire State House, the JFK Apartments and the New Hampshire State Library. Because you take the tour at your own pace, you can pop into the many boutiques, galleries and shops throughout downtown as you go along. When it’s time to refuel, choose one of downtown’s restaurants to sample a bit of local flavor.

Book a hotel near Concord, N.H.

Visit Vermont’s Only National Park

Don’t drive past Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park in Woodstock, Vt. Here, you can learn about the families that called this area home, and tour some of the buildings they resided in. For instance, the Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller Mansion is open for tours each May through October, and the Belvedere – which includes a bowling alley and fallout shelter – is open for select guided tours. Outside, you can walk the gardens, hike more than 20 miles of trails or participate in one of the many programs and special events held each year. 

Book a hotel near Woodstock, Vt.

Relax in Cape Elizabeth, Maine

Check out the collection of lighthouses in Cape Elizabeth. These include Maine’s oldest lighthouse, Portland Head Light, Ram Island Ledge Lighthouse and Two Lights (twin lighthouses, including Cape Elizabeth Light). You’ll also find two state parks and a municipal park where you can hike, picnic and swim the day away. Of course, you can indulge your love of seafood, especially lobster, at the many local restaurants. You’ll find plenty of cozy accommodations in and around the town.

Book a hotel near Cape Elizabeth, Maine.

New England is an ideal choice for any road trip, so feel free to use this itinerary as a guide to crafting a journey that suits your interests. Each destination features a wealth of accommodations, from familiar brands to local inns and plenty of private rentals, so you can find exactly the right spot to lay your head at night. When all is said and done, you’re sure to have great memories to talk about on the ride back home. 

Rent a car with Hertz and take advantage of exclusive AAA member perks and savings.

Thanks to its deservedly world-famous theme parks, restaurants, performing arts, eco-tours and wildlife attractions, Orlando offers something for every type of family and traveler. And luckily, the same goes for hotel choices.

There are two excellent choices, both minutes away from the Universal theme parks. If it’s space you need, look no further than Hyatt House, across from Universal Orlando Resort™. Here you can decide how many comforts of home you’d like, from in-room microwaves and refrigerators to suites with full kitchens and separate living rooms.

Or stay at the freshly-renovated Hyatt Place, across from Universal Orlando Resort™, where you can wake up to free breakfast and be on a rollercoaster in a matter of minutes (it’s a good idea to give yourself more than a few minutes in between). Take your pick of room configuration – most include sleeper sofas and some feature bunk beds. And thanks to being a Universal Partner Hotel, you’ll have access to discounts on food and merch at select park locations.

At the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress Resort you can relax in a private cabana at the lagoon-style pool one day, hit the links at the award-winning golf course the next, and take the complimentary shuttle to Walt Disney World® and Universal Orlando™ as often as your wallet can handle it. There’s three on-site dining options, including Chef Richard Blais’ Four Flamingos, featuring the wide array of seafood that Florida is famous for.

And lastly, filed under “something amazing for everyone,” is Hyatt Regency Orlando. While just minutes from all the major theme parks, the sprawling swimming grotto, complete with waterfalls and waterslide is an attraction-worthy escape. Fiorenzo Italian Steakhouse is one of Orlando’s finest, so take a break from the action to relax and indulge – you’ve earned it!

AAA Members can save up to 10% at participating Hyatt hotels.

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

June is Pride Month, a time for celebrating LGBTQ+ community and history. If you’re celebrating Pride Month, there’s no better way to do it than at a local Pride parade. Here are just some of the amazing Pride parades and events happening this month in the Northeast.

Need a ride? Get exclusive deals on Hertz car rentals when you book with AAA.

Provincetown Pride – May 31 – June 2

No Northeast Pride list is complete without P-town! There are Pride events throughout Provincetown, Mass., all weekend long, but some of the highlights include a Pride festival, a queer comedy showcase, dance parties, artsy performances and a Pride-themed 5K run.

Jersey Pride – June 2

There are three elements to Jersey Pride in Asbury Park: the parade, the rally and the festival. The parade begins at Asbury Park City Hall and weaves through the city with floats, marching bands and other performers until it reaches the festival grounds at the shore. The rally is an outdoor concert, featuring a mix of local artists and national headliners. The festival features a food court, family activities, community outreach organizations and local vendors.

Boston Pride for the People – June 8

Boston Pride for the People will include a parade, a festival, a block party and more. The parade kicks off in Copley Square, and the festival will begin shortly after on the Boston Common. There, you can enjoy live entertainment, dancing, food, drink and local vendors.

Long Island Pride – June 9

Long Island Pride is back home in Huntington Village! Participants can enjoy a Pride parade on Main Street, as well as a concert and a sprawling festival featuring artists, vendors, food and music!

Rhode Island PrideFest – June 15

At Rhode Island PrideFest, you can enjoy live performances, vendors, nonprofits, food and drink. Just don’t get too tuckered out to enjoy the nighttime festivities. The Illuminated Night Parade takes place in Downtown Providence after dark, when the streets are suddenly filled with illuminated floats, marching groups decked out in lights and glow sticks, performers, bright lights and spectators. This massive celebration is not to be missed.

Manchester Pride Festival – June 15

Celebrate Pride in the Granite State with the Manchester Pride Festival, taking place in Veterans Park in Manchester, N.H. With artists, local vendors, food trucks, live entertainment and more, you’ll never get bored. Manchester Pride is also offering a week’s worth of Pride events leading up to the festival, including an art exhibition, a youth Pride event and even Pride karaoke.

Pride Portland! – June 15

Portland, Maine, is celebrating Pride with Pride Portland!, a big, loud and proud festival and parade. The parade steps off from Monument Square and snakes around Portland for about an hour, until reaching the festival grounds at Deering Oaks Park. The theme for the 2024 parade is “Life as Art.”

West Hartford Pride Festival – June 22

While West Hartford celebrates Pride with events all month long, the West Hartford Pride Festival features a rally, live music, speakers, drag performers, food, local vendors, nonprofits, family activities and more.

Newport Pride – June 28-30

Are you ready to put the pedal to the metal? The main event of Newport Pride is the Pride Ride on June 29, a Pride parade where all participants are on bicycles. Decorate your bike (and biking gear) in all the colors of the rainbow and join the 4-mile bike parade around Newport, R.I., ending in the Pride Market and Festival. The Pride Market and Festival features live entertainment, local retailers and vendors, food, music and fun activities for the whole family.

NYC Pride – June 30

When you’re celebrating Pride in the city where it all began, there’s never a shortage of things to see and do. The NYC Pride March is an annual march that commemorates the 1969 Stonewall Riots, which are widely considered to be the beginning of the modern movement for LGBTQ rights. With millions of participants and attendees snaking through lower Manhattan, it’s consistently one of the largest Pride events in the world.

On the very same day, you can attend the NYC PrideFest in Greenwich Village. PrideFest is an annual street fair featuring exhibitors, local artists, live entertainment, food and activities to celebrate Pride Month. Whether you’re taking a break from the march or planning on spending the whole day there, PrideFest is a great way to celebrate Pride.

Vermont Events – Various Dates

Vermont’s main Pride event in Burlington takes place in September, but there are many other Pride events all across the state to be found in June!

Are you looking forward to attending a Pride parade or event this year? Did we miss any of your favorites? Let us know in the comments below!

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

Challenges abound for today’s transportation officials, but it’s nothing strange for Monica Tibbits-Nutt, secretary and CEO of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation. She took over in November 2023 after serving two months as the department’s interim secretary and chief executive. Prior to that, she was the undersecretary.  

Tibbits-Nutt oversees the four divisions of MassDOT – Highway, Rail and Transit, Registry of Motor Vehicles and Aeronautics – in the most populous state in New England and the 16th in the nation. Her expertise includes regional and transportation planning, urban design and transit equity.  

Tibbits-Nutt recently discussed transportation and sustainability issues and some of the solutions she envisions. 

What sparked your interest in transportation? 

I was always interested in transportation. I realized the biggest housing issue when I was a housing planner in Ohio was transportation. I applied to be on the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority advisory board, and I’ve been here 17 years. I like that as a transportation planner I get to build out a whole city. I have a blast every day I come to work. 

What do you think are the most pressing issues in traffic safety today?  

In Massachusetts, speeding and distracted driving. During the pandemic, people got used to driving 70-80 mph, and now, people are looking down at their phones and not driving. You can see it nationwide 

How can we best solve our infrastructure deficiencies? 

Mass transportation is suffering across the nation. The roadways are still considerably congested here, probably more than in the rest of the country. We encourage people to work from home and want to get people closer to mass transit stations and closer to their work. 

But I’m very optimistic about continued infrastructure funds; the federal government is focused on providing funding for agencies, but there still are not [comprehensive] plans. 

What issues do you think will be priorities 10 years from now? 

Honestly, I think we’ll be having the same infrastructure conversations, maybe with more focus on bridges. At MassDOT, we’re looking at our fleet, with a focus on electrification, electrifying commercial fleets and building out electric vehicle charging options for people, so EVs are more cost effective, and those with EVs don’t have to go it alone.  

Building on that, what plans does MassDOT have to become more sustainable over the next 10 years? 

We’ll be getting funding from the federal government to put EV chargers on federal roadways, including the Massachusetts Turnpike. We have 15 regional transit authorities and want to help them electrify, while focusing on equity and accessibility. If we want people to make the switch to EVs, we must provide the infrastructure.  

Just for Fun

What’s your perfect road trip?  

It’s going to different weird places – like to see the largest bale of hay. I love diners and good truck stops, very local attractions. I love Buc-ee’s in the South. 

What was your first car? 

A Cadillac that cost $50. I was in high school. The passenger door didn’t work, and the back doors didn’t work. I couldn’t roll any windows down. I had it for two years until it ceased to exist. It just stopped working one day in front of the school. My best friend’s dad was the fire chief, and the fire department had to get me out with an extrication tool. That’s how it went out. 

Featured image: Courtesy of MassDOT

Burgers have become so trendy. You’ll find them stacked patties high, topped with everything from fried eggs to waffles to truffle butter.  

Not that there’s anything wrong with innovation. But for those hankering for the blissful basics – excellent beef topped with lettuce, tomato and maybe a pickle, look no further than these old-school hamburger joints.

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All American Hamburger Drive-In

Massapequa, N.Y.

A classic in every sense of the word: Drive up, get in line, order at the window, then grab your bag full of burgers and fries and dine under the glow of the neon sign at an outdoor table. Long Island’s oldest drive-in hamburger joint is a nostalgic throwback to the “Happy Days” era. The menu is, too, with recipes that haven’t changed since it opened in 1963. The burgers, which come single, double or quarter pounder, are served with a sprinkle of raw onion, pickles and ketchup. Get yours with fries, onion rings and a thick shake.

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Al’s French Frys

South Burlington, Vt.

People drive miles just for the fries, which are legendary, and then end up loving the burger, too. Open since 1946, the restaurant has been named a James Beard American Classic.

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Gilley’s Diner

Portsmouth, N.H.

This unpretentious diner is an oasis of old-school cool in downtown Portsmouth. What began in 1912 as a humble cart has segued into a brick-and-mortar hotspot, complete with a classic 1936 Worcester diner car. Locals and tourists head here for the atmosphere and the no-frills menu which includes a 100% chuck burger – order it with a side of poutine or a bowl of baked beans.

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Louis’ Lunch

New Haven, Conn.

Fans claim the hamburger got its start here in 1895 and the Library of Congress agrees. Still family-owned, Louis’ has served the same classic hamburger sandwich – a hand-rolled double burger made with five different cuts of meat and served on white toast – for more than a century! Order one with cheese on top or cheese on the bottom, just don’t ask for ketchup. The only condiments offered are cheese, onions and tomato.

Red Rooster Drive-In

Brewster, N.Y.

This roadside drive-in, with its ice cream cone roof topper and mini-golf course, has been serving up the classics including burgers, shakes and fries, since 1963. Bon Appetit named it among the country’s best hamburger joints, labeling it “a perfect pitstop,” serving 100% Angus beef patties on a soft sesame seed bun.

Stanley’s Famous Hamburgers

Central Falls, R.I.

Since 1932, “Stanleyburgers” have been a staple for Rhode Islanders and travelers alike. The patties, which are embedded with onions before cooking, get a flip on the grill, topped with more onions and pickles and then served on a pillowy soft bun. Regulars swear by the cheeseburger, single or double, with a side of dirty fries – French fries covered with Stanley’s own blend of herbs and spices. The retro diner has chrome counter stools, red leather booths and charming period art. Stanley’s has been honored as Rhode Island Magazine’s “best burger” multiple times.

Ted’s Restaurant

Meriden, Conn.

Steamed burgers? Ted’s has been serving its square patties this way since 1959. Freshly ground beef is packed into individual metal trays then cooked in the original steamer. For Ted’s famous cheeseburger, white cheddar is steamed until gooey then ladled on top of the burger before it lands in a fresh roll. The “Everything” comes piled with lettuce, tomato, pickles, ketchup, mustard and mayo. Make sure to get a lot of napkins – this is definitely a two-handed burger! Ted’s is a homey joint, with a few counter stools and tables, as well as a small outdoor area.

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White Hut

West Springfield, Mass.

Thin, griddled patties topped with white American cheese and fried onions and served wrapped in white paper have been the draw here since 1939. The Hut’s Hamburg and Cheeseburg (they leave off the “er” here) were named among the top 50 in the U.S. by Thrillist. After a change in ownership in 2020 (the White Hut had been family owned until then), the restaurant has been renovated and expanded, adding a food truck and a brand-new second location in Holyoke.

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White Manna

Hackensack, N.J.

Burgers here, known as sliders, are made from extra lean ground beef cooked with onions and cheese and served on a soft Martin’s Potato Roll. Larger than an appetizer slider, but smaller than a full-sized burger, they’re perfect in multiples. And that’s how folks order them. In Hackensack since 1946, White Manna has become internationally famous due to appearances on Food Network’s Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives and lots of other media. You’ll know you’ve arrived when you see a line forming outside a retro aluminum diner with a distinctive red sign.  

Who do you think makes the best classic burger? Share your favorite hamburger joints in the comments.

Prefer hot dogs? Check out our story on GOAT hot dog joints and join the debate for top dog in the Northeast.

It’s a good idea to occasionally assess your home’s potential electrical hazards.

The following electric safety tips from the Electrical Safety Foundation International and the National Fire Protection Association can help you keep your home safe, reducing the risk of property loss, accidental injuries and fatalities. 

Have questions about your homeowners insurance coverage? Schedule a meeting with a AAA Insurance agent.   

Costs of Electrical Hazards

Fires are one of the major dangers associated with electrical hazards. From 2016-2020, an average of 30,740 home fires were caused by an electric source, resulting in 390 deaths, over 1,090 injuries and $1.4 billion in direct property damage annually, according to the latest report by the NFPA.

Anything with a cord or plug around the house could be a hazard, especially if misused or improperly maintained. Fires can spark from issues in wiring and electrical distribution systems from household appliances, lighting, cooking tools, office equipment and more.

Assessing Your Home’s Risks

Being aware of potential hazards is half of the battle, and you don’t have to be an expert to spot an electrical problem.

There are several warning signs of overloaded electrical systems, including frequently blowing fuses, tripping circuit breakers and lights dimming when other devices are used. If you hear a buzzing sound coming from outlets or switches, or they are warm to the touch, you could have an overloaded electrical system. 

If your home is a few decades old or you recently had a major appliance installed, you should have your place of residence inspected by a licensed electrician. Your home may need to have new circuits installed in order to meet appliances’ demands. 

If you find yourself relying regularly on extension cords and/or power strips, it’s likely your home doesn’t have enough outlets to suit your needs. Consider having additional outlets installed. While do-it-yourself projects are growing in popularity, when it comes to electrical work, “hiring a qualified, licensed electrician” is strongly recommended by ESFI.

Taking Everyday Precautions

One of the first things you can do to give yourself some peace of mind is installing and maintaining your home’s smoke detectors. Making sure you have enough fire alarms for your home’s size and that they are placed in the right locations can help save lives. Testing your detectors once a month, changing the batteries at least once a year and replacing them every ten years can help you combat house fires, electrical and otherwise.

Always make sure to childproof outlet covers and other hazardous areas if they can be easily reached by tiny hands. Tamper-resistant electrical receptacles are a great option.

Lighting and Appliances 

Improper use of electronics can lead to issues like damaging your devices and appliances as well as increasing the chance electrical risks will happen.

A best practice of electric safety is to regularly inspect electrical cords for damage, like sharp bends and cracks. Contact with a single strand of exposed wire can result in an electrical burn or shock. If a device’s power cord is damaged, stop using it.

Never place anything flammable too close to lamps or other heat-producing appliances. Though it may seem like common sense, it’s still an electrical safety tip worth mentioning. Loose curtains and drapes can be inadvertently moved by fans, drafts and when people or pets walking by. Art, family photos, posters, maps and other wall hangings can fall down, making contact with an appliance or loosening wires.

Use light bulbs with the correct wattage for a specific appliance. Invest in energy-efficient lighting and appliances, and unplug devices when they’re not being used. These acts will not only reduce the risk of electrical hazards, they will help you save money too.

Avoid overloading outlets and running cords under rugs, doors or windows. Not only could they become a tripping hazard, covered cords can overheat and become potential fire hazards.

The Dos and Don’ts of Extension Cords

Never use an extension cord that becomes warm or is damaged; exposed wiring is dangerous. You also want to make sure you are using the right kind of extension cord; there are different types for indoor versus outdoor use. Finally, don’t plug major appliances into an extension cord – plug them directly into a wall outlet instead. Extension cords are not intended for permanent use.

Preparing for Natural Disasters and Storms

When storms or natural disasters are in the forecast, the risk of losing power reminds us of how dependent we are on electricity. Before a storm hits, charge necessary devices, like cell phones.

Natural disasters also increase the risk of electrical hazards. If flooding is possible, consider unplugging electronics and moving them as high as possible to avoid water damage. Carry essential devices in plastic bags or other waterproof containers.

If you’re outside when a storm rolls in, stay 10 feet away from fallen overhead power lines. Call your area’s electrical company or emergency services to alert them of the issue. If you are in your car when a wire falls, stay inside your vehicle. 

Practicing electric safety in and around your home can help save lives and lessen financial loss.

Do you have any other electrical safety tips to add? Share them in the comments. 

Make sure your home is fully protected with homeowners insurance from AAA. 

Recent automotive industry news indicates many consumers are keeping their older cars rather than purchasing new ones. While vehicles last longer now than they ever have, the main reason people are holding on to their cars is the sticker shock of new models. The average new car price today is about $47,401, nearly double what it was 12 years ago, but down 3.5% from January 2023.

How long can I expect my current car to last?

The average age of a AAA member’s car is about 12 years old, but your car’s lifespan depends on how well you take care of it and how well you follow the scheduled maintenance. Try to build a relationship with a good repair shop over time, so its staff understands your expectations and budget. They should also keep you informed about your car’s overall condition and perform routine maintenance.

Some drivers will wait until the car breaks down or warning lights come on, but it’s always advisable (and less expensive) to do preventative maintenance, including oil changes, cabin- and air-filter replacement, battery cleaning, wiper-blade replacement and headlights checks. Find a AAA Approved Auto Repair shop near you.

Many cars also have lower mileage and less wear and tear because people are driving fewer miles to work since the pandemic. Instead of commuting five days a week, many people are now only driving to work two or three days a week, or none at all.

Traditionally, drivers wanted new cars every few years to get the latest, greatest safety features, said John Paul, AAA Northeast’s senior manager for traffic safety and Car Doctor. But now, many of the important safety features, such as smart airbags, anti-lock brakes and automatic emergency braking are standard in most cars.

At the same time, be aware of recalls. The National Highway Transportation and Safety Administration maintains a database of all recalls in the last 15 years. Enter your vehicle identification number on the NHTSA website to see if your car is affected.

Is it time to let go?

“There was a time when we said that if the cost of the repairs equaled half the cost of the car, it was time to let it go,” Paul said. “Today that may not be as relevant. As an example, a 2010 Toyota Camry can be worth $5,000 to $7,000. At one time putting a $3,500 transmission in a $6,000 car was crazy. Now with the average used car price at $28,000 putting $3,500 into a car that is still serviceable to get a few more years out of it can make sense if the car is structurally sound, the engine is in good shape and you still enjoy the car.”

Here are some guidelines for deciding whether to replace your car:

• If you’re facing a major repair, make sure your car is both mechanically and structurally sound before you commit to the service. A vehicle that’s been around for a decade is sure to need additional repairs or parts in the future, and they could be pricey.
• If it is starting to rust away. Once structural rust sets in, the cost of repairs can become overwhelming.
• Parts availability. As some cars age, replacement parts become hard to source, meaning that it your car breaks down, it may stay out of service for a long time.
• Overall dependability. If your car is stranding you on a regular basis, a newer car should be more dependable.

Deciding on a New Car

There is a plethora of choices on the market these days. Yours can depend on your driving style, commute, cargo needs and more. Also, consider if you want a traditional gas-powered car, a hybrid, plugin hybrid or electric vehicle.

If you’re considering an EV, there are tax incentives for both the purchase of the car as well as for a home charging station. For gas-powered cars, think about your driving habits, how often you expect to fill up and the price of gas. And, if you’re taking out a loan, you’ll find interest rates have increased dramatically.

Be wary of longer-term loans. The dealer may find a way to make your desired monthly payment feasible, but if you take on a six-, seven- or eight-year loan you’ll be making car payments and paying repair costs. And, if you decide to trade in the vehicle after a few years, you may owe more than the car is worth.

The cost of owning and operating a car goes well beyond the monthly loan payment. The latest study from AAA revealed that the average cost is $12,182 a year, or $1,015 per month. This study factors in purchase price, depreciation, special features and add-ons, fuel, insurance, repairs and more.

What’s my trade-in worth?

Before shopping, do your homework. Check out what companies like CarMax, TrueCar and Carvana are willing to pay for your car. When you start negotiating for a new vehicle, it’s always best to consider the new car purchase and the trade-in as two separate transactions. Settle on a new car price without the trade, then bring the trade into the discussion.

Do I want a new or used car?

You’ve probably heard that a new car loses its value the minute you drive it off the lot, and that’s true. In fact, most cars depreciate about 20% in value in the first year of ownership. A used car might be a better choice, though inventory is getting tighter as people hold on to their personal vehicles longer. However, there are unique concerns that come with any used car purchase.

Used car considerations

Keep in mind that someone traded in that car you have your eye on because they kept it long enough, repairs were mounting up or it may not have been reliable. Certified pre-owned cars generally have better warranties and are in better mechanical shape due to a more rigorous inspection process.

One important note: With the increase in hurricanes and flooding, CarFax reports that nearly half of flood-damaged vehicles return to the market as used cars. Click here for a full list of signs that may reveal if a car has been flooded.

Find a great price on a new or used vehicle with the AAA Auto Buying Program.

Does your car need an upgrade? Will you buy new or used? Tell us in the comments.

Birdwatching, or birding, is a lifelong activity that you can participate in no matter where you are. It’s a great way to get out in nature and connect with your surroundings. There’s also a huge community of birders ready to welcome newcomers into the pastime. Are you interested in picking up the binoculars and going birding? Check out these beginner tips for birdwatching in the Northeast.

Getting Started

You don’t need a lot to get started on your birding journey – just a pair of binoculars and a good field guide.

The Best Birdwatching Binoculars for Beginners

Top-of-the-line birding binoculars can cost up to $3,000, but there’s no reason to get those right out of the gate. The National Audubon Society recommends the Athlon Neos 8 x 42 as a good, low-cost pair of beginner binoculars. If that’s still out of your price range at the moment, try the more affordable Celestron Outland X 8 x 42 binoculars or even the ultra-compact SkyGenius 8 x 21 Lightweight binoculars. As long as you have something that lets you see the birds from afar, you’re ready to start birding.

Birding Field Guides

Every birdwatcher needs a field guide; it’s an especially invaluable tool for beginners. A field guide will help you identify birds via illustrations or photos, range maps of where you can find them, species information and more.

If you don’t want to carry around a book and prefer a digital experience that’s easily searchable, you could try using field guide apps for your smartphone, like Sibley Birds v2, Audubon Bird Guide and Merlin Bird ID. But you have to make sure you’re not draining your phone battery or losing service while you’re out birding.

Some birders, however, might want to get out into nature precisely to escape their phone. If this is the case and you’d rather stick to physical field guides, you’re in luck. The birding world is full of amazing resources, and many field guides have special editions that are specific to your area. Birdwatchers in the Northeast have a lot of guides to choose from. Here are just some great guides to get you started.

“The Sibley Field Guide to Birds of Eastern North America” is a fantastic guide for beginners and seasoned birders alike, featuring 650 bird species and thousands of painstakingly accurate illustrations by David Allen Sibley. Sibley’s illustrations and descriptions are sure to help you identify any bird in the region you may come across.

“The American Museum of Natural History: Pocket Birds of North America, Eastern Region,” which covers over 350 species, uses high-quality photographs in their compact, easy-to-carry guide.

“The New Stokes Field Guide to Birds: Eastern Region” is another great photography-based guide for birdwatchers, featuring 545 species and over 2,000 photos.

Looking for something that’s stood the test of time? The most recent edition of the “Peterson Field Guide To Birds Of Eastern and Central North America,” based on the original field guide by Roger Tory Peterson, features captivating, accurate illustrations of the region’s birds and instructions on how you can use field marks to identify them.

Tracking Your Birds

When you see a new bird, it’s time to tick it off your lifetime list. Most birders keep track of all the birds they’ve seen since they started birding. Checking new finds off the list becomes part of the fun. You might want to get a field notebook for tracking all of your sightings. The Letterfolk Bird Passport Journal is a pocket-sized field journal with space to log facts about the birds you’ve seen, a “bird bucket list” and a place for your own photos or illustrations. The Sibley Birder’s Life List and Field Diary is a field journal featuring space to record your sightings of 923 species in the continental United States and Canada, a checklist for recording how many times you’ve seen them and a lifetime list of all birds.

If you want to go digital for your bird list, there’s no better site than eBird. This collaboration between the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the National Audubon Society allows users to comprehensively track their bird sightings, share information, find birding hotspots and connect with other birders. It’s an extremely popular website in the birding community and is sure to help any beginner birder. Plus, it’s free.

The Best Birdwatching Near You

There are many places to find birds in the Northeast. You can probably spot some in your backyard or at your local park. But if you want to find birds in the field, there are tons of great places to go birdwatching near you.

Headed to the beach? Cape Cod National Seashore is the perfect place to find shorebirds like piping plovers, American oystercatchers, whimbrels and more. Over 330 species of birds have been recorded at Fire Island National Seashore, and there’s even a raptor-viewing platform near the Fire Island Lighthouse. The Boston Harbor Islands are a hotspot for migrating birds and nesting shorebirds. Rhode Island’s Block Island is also a favorite of migratory birds in the fall.

Sometimes you can find birds at historic sites. Sagamore Hill, Theodore Roosevelt’s “Summer White House,” is home to 119 species of birds. Roosevelt was a birder himself. Valley Forge National Historical Park provides a comprehensive list of the birds that can be spotted there, including the season they appear and how rare or abundant they are in the park.

Another great way to see birds is to hit the trail. The Lake Champlain Birding Trail in New York and Vermont features 88 birding sites along the lake. Along the Maine Birding Trail, you can see puffin colonies at Acadia National Park and Baxter State Park. On the New Jersey Birding Trails, you can hit beloved birding hotspot Cape May, the Meadowlands, the mysterious Pine Barrens and more.

You’ll never run out of places to go birdwatching in the Northeast. Over 260 different species have been found at the Delaware Water Gap, including bald eagles, golden eagles, cerulean warblers and scarlet tanagers. Niagara Falls is an amazing place to spot gulls, as 100,000 gulls fill the skies over the Niagara River in the fall and winter. Birders even love New York City’s Central Park. Can’t get enough? You can find even more hotspots near you by searching for your region on eBird.

Birding Responsibly

One of the most important things to remember while you’re birding is that you’re there to observe birds, not to disturb them. If you’re birdwatching in a nature preserve or forest, stay on the path so you don’t trample any important vegetation or frighten the wildlife. It’s always best to keep a respectful distance from the birds, especially when they’re nesting. This is why binoculars are so important. If you want to take photos of the birds, it can be helpful to bring a zoom lens so that you can let them have their space while still getting your shot.

Definitely don’t feed birds any human food, and make sure you don’t leave any food or trash behind. Even if you have birdseed, check the local regulations before using it. In places like national parks, it’s illegal to feed the birds at all, and many states have laws against feeding wildlife on public land.

Remember to be quiet! It’s true that loud noise can disturb birds, but it can also scare them away. If you want to see as many birds as possible (and as responsibly as possible) keep the volume to a minimum. The other birders in the area will thank you as well.

Birdwatching is a wonderful hobby that people of all ages can participate in, and there’s no time like the present to start your birding journey. Get out there and start finding some feathered friends!

Have you ever gone birdwatching before? Are you a birder yourself? Let us know in the comments below.

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

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IN THIS EPISODE

There’s a lot to know about buying a car, especially for a first-time car buyer. How do you get the highest value for the lowest price? Is it better to buy new or used? Should you lease or own? Sedan or hatchback?

Don’t worry — we got you! This episode is full of new car buying tips.

You’ll find out about how to negotiate a deal, where to get financing, the best time to buy a vehicle and what to look for when buying your first car.

Guests Nicole Wakelin, automotive journalist, and Ted Lyons, vice president of financial services at AAA Northeast, share their expertise.

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KEY TAKEAWAYS

[3:01] – The first things you need to consider before you start car shopping, including what to look for when buying your first car
[9:55] – The best time to buy a vehicle
[10:34] – Budgeting and the importance of getting pre-approved. We answer: How much should I spend on my first car?

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TRANSCRIPT

[00:00:02]
Amanda Greene: I go to get into the car this morning and there’s a puddle under it. I can’t tell what this is. Oil, brake fluid, coolant, whatever it is, I’m fairly sure it should be in the car and not on my driveway. The air conditioning doesn’t work. Rust is starting to show and now this, I’m out. It’s time for a new car.

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.

READ MORE

Join me as I figure out how to do all the things we have to do, but don’t come with instructions like buying insurance or what you really need to know when making what is probably the biggest purchase of your life, buying a house or maybe moving back in with your parents or booking your dream vacation.

Today on this show we’re going to get into buying first car. Whether it’s leasing a car, buying new or used, we’ve got you covered. The two main factors that come up when buying wheels are, what are you going to buy and how are you going to pay for it? So, I found two people who know cars and the art of buying and selling inside and out.

[00:01:17]
Nicole Wakelin: This is a crazy burly kind of truck and it can go off-road and you can take it up rocks, and they took us out to their new driving school and we jumped it, took it up in the air, whee and came down on the other side.

[00:01:30]
Amanda Greene: That’s Nicole Wakelin. She’s the editor-at-large for CarBuzz and a juror for both the North American Car and Trucking Utility of the Year and World Car of the Year. And yes, she got to jump a truck at a specially built facility under the safest of circumstances. It’s all part of her job, which involves test-driving about a 100 vehicles a year.

[00:01:52]
Nicole Wakelin: They appear in my driveway each week for me to drive and then I fly all over the world to drive even more of them.

[00:01:59]
Amanda Greene: What got you into cars initially? What do you love so much about cars that you are someone who drives over a 100 a year?

[00:02:05]
Nicole Wakelin: Well, you know what? When I was a teenager, I lived in a small town and a car was all about freedom. As soon as you got your driver’s license, you suddenly were no longer tethered to your house all the time. And the minute I got my license, it was like two seconds after the law said I could get it, I had it and it was just, I never turned back. I love driving, I love the freedom of it, I love the experience of being in different vehicles because they all are looking to hit the mark for a different person and I find them all just wonderful and intriguing and I love to drive so, that’s it.

[00:02:37]
Amanda Greene: A fun fact, when I was a child, I made a pretend steering wheel and put a little bendy straw as a blinker because I so desperately wanted to drive. Because of that freedom you’re describing it really, it’s a feeling that never went away. So, the idea of purchasing a new car can be really overwhelming because there are so many factors that go into making the choice for someone who’s just starting to think about buying a car. . What are the main things that you would suggest considering?

[00:03:05]
Nicole Wakelin: Well, I think the first thing you need to do before you even go online and start looking at the mass of information about cars, is to figure out what you want and what works for you, not what your neighbor wants, not what your sister wants, not what your dad wants, what works for you because you’re going to be in that car a lot and it’s generally speaking, the second most expensive thing most people buy aside from their house.

So make sure that you know exactly what you want. Think about how you’re going to use your car, how you’re going to drive. Are you having lots of kids in the car or not? Do you have lots of cargo or not? Do you need to tow a boat or not? And then just narrow down the kind of car that you want before you even start looking at exactly which one.

[00:03:48]
Amanda Greene: What sort of things are important when buying a car? Can you give some examples?

[00:03:51]
Nicole Wakelin: Well, I think you need to consider, how comfortable you want to be. Comfort stuff is always important. You live in the Northeast, the heated seats and heated steering wheel might be more of a priority, you live in Florida, not so much. Things like all-wheel drive, those features, if you’re someplace where there’s lots of snow or even where the roads are just wet a lot, all-wheel drive might be a big deal if you’re in sunny California, again, maybe not. But look at the features that you want and the features that you must have and think carefully about what’s truly necessary.

Do you need a three-row SUV? If you only have one child, well, sure you could bring along all their friends, but that’s a lot more expensive. Do you really need that? Maybe a two-row SUV is enough. So look and think about how you’re going to use your car and then make a list of the things that are your priority. I hate cold mornings, I must have heated seats.

Performance is up there for me, well then I’m probably not going to be looking at an economy car that gets good gas milage. So, make a little list of the things that you just absolutely really, really want in your car versus the things that will be cool to have these things. But if my budget doesn’t allow it, then I can’t find the right mix, then I can survive without them.

[00:04:57]
Amanda Greene: Okay Nicole, you’re driving over a 100 vehicles a year, and so I imagine that can be a crazy task because you have to go into each one fresh to evaluate. Do you have a mental checklist that you go through when you get into the driver’s seat of a new car each time?

[00:05:13]
Nicole Wakelin: My priority every time is to make sure that it’s pleasant to look at and that it’s comfortable because most of the time you’re staring at the dashboard. Most of the time you’re sitting there and sometimes for hours and hours if you’re doing a road trip and the last thing you want are seats that are stiff or bolsters like the side that hold you in too tight so you feel squished and you just want to get out of them.

So I think finding comfort and having an appealing look to it is a priority and that you can actually see the road, which doesn’t sound like something that should be difficult, but if you have a big vehicle, sometimes the way the seat adjustments work, you find you’re trying to, especially a big SUV, where is the end of the hood, you should be able to get an adjustment where you can truly see without having stretched to do it.

So all these things are that first checklist of is this easy? Is this makes sense? Could anybody sit down in this and feel comfortable? You’re looking for things in a car to be something that you can get used to fairly quickly if they aren’t immediately intuitive?

[00:06:17]
Amanda Greene: How about electric vehicles? Who are they meant for? Who are they suited for?

[00:06:21]
Nicole Wakelin: I want to say they’re suited for everyone. Anyone can get an EV, but there are things that make them better or worse depending on your circumstances. You have to be able to charge them. If you’re someplace where you are, say in an apartment or a big city where you can’t install a charger in your garage or outside, at your driveway, then they might not be the best choice because it’s hard to rely solely on public chargers to be able to charge your vehicle. If you drive extremely long distances, again, that can be a little challenging because again, you’re relying on that public infrastructure and depending on where you are, it’s a little so-so.

They can be poorly located, they might not work, you might not get the charge you expect. So if you do lots of road trips, if you travel a lot for work, an EV might not be ideal unless you’re comfortable with getting comfortable with charging. If you’re not traveling super long distance, you’re okay because the average EV, you’re getting over 250 miles of range with one charge. Most of us don’t drive that much in a typical day. So truly most of us are going to be fine with an EV.

[00:07:26]
Amanda Greene: And I didn’t really realize how much car safety features have changed over time. My husband’s vehicle does not have a backup camera in it, and it’s only one year older than my car. And so I didn’t realize that that was something that came standard just a few years ago. But when you’re thinking about buying a used car, do any car safety features come to mind that you would consider a must have?

[00:07:46]
Nicole Wakelin: Absolutely. And depending on how old the car that you’re looking at is, every car now comes with a camera. So you have a backup camera once upon a time they didn’t. And depending on how far back you go, it may have just been the very top trim that they offered it in or very expensive cars that it was offered in.

So, I would look for what we consider the basics now. Look to see if those basics were available on some of those older cars because those were the ones that were the first things to roll out, like the camera, like lane keeping assist, that’s another good one.

Things like automatic emergency braking. That’s one of my favorite car safety features, if you can find a car that has that automatic emergency braking feature, it’s the one when you blink for two seconds and suddenly you’re about to rear end somebody that will save you so many times.

So don’t get too worried about the long list of features, they’re all great. They all provide help and keep you safe and keep you out of accidents. But we drove for a long time without all those and it wasn’t absolute chaos. You’ll be okay if you can’t find the latest and greatest feature on something that’s in a used car. So investigate it, but don’t get too carried away. Don’t be benchmarking against today’s Mercedes Benz because you’re never going to find that on a used car from four years ago.

[00:09:01]
Amanda Greene: It’s a good reminder to think about how fun a car, truck or whatever you’re in the market for can be. So, I’ve got to figure out which features are most important to me and don’t worry, we’re going to hear more from Nicole Wakelin later in the episode.

I do spend a lot of time in the car, so something that really works for me. I love a seat warmer. Okay, this is a nice one. It’s got three rows. Just like I wanted. Nicole said, think about what you want and need because like she said, there are going to be big differences between buying a used car from four years ago and a new Mercedes Benz. A major one of course is price. I need to talk to somebody about the budget.

To walk us through all things finance and how to approach including how to approach what’s usually the most hated thing about purchasing a car, negotiation. I’m talking to Ted Lyons, he’s Vice President of Financial Services with AAA Northeast Bank. Let’s start at the beginning. When is the best time to buy a car?

[00:10:13]
Ted Lyons: I think the easiest and most universal answer is before you have to. If you are put in a position where you have to buy a car tomorrow to go to work, to go to school, to pick up your kids, it’s going to put you at a decidedly poor advantage to negotiate. You haven’t done your research, you haven’t done your due diligence, you may not even know how much you can afford. The earlier you can get started on the process, the better and definitely before you have to buy it.

[00:10:42]
Amanda Greene: And speaking of what you can afford, the B word, nobody likes budgets. How do you even know if you’re in a position to be purchasing a car? How do you determine if you’re ready financially?

[00:10:52]
Ted Lyons: I think there’s a couple of things. One, the easiest and most obvious is take a peek at your bank account. What do you have in savings? Where are you positioned financially on a cash on hand basis? And then next is going the loan route. So you go and you find out how much can you afford. You can go to your local bank, your credit union, your auto club, wherever you want to go and go get pre-approved.

[00:11:15]
Amanda Greene: Okay, so that’s something people do. Before going to the dealership and actually talking about a car, they’re going to the bank or somewhere else to figure out how to get the money.

[00:11:24]
Ted Lyons: They should. Not everybody does, but they should.

[00:11:26]
Amanda Greene: I kind of thought you’d just show up at the dealership and they tell you.

[00:11:29]
Ted Lyons: Most people do, and that’s where your bargaining starts to go downhill. If you don’t have the ability to know how much you’re approved for, what rate you qualify for, what your credit score is, they’re going to throw a number at you and it may sound good and it may be way too high, maybe way too high. If you know how much you’re approved for, if you know what your rate is, if you know what your payment is relative to those two terms. So, how long did you take out the loan for. The dealership, they’re really good at selling cars and they sell more in a month than you’re going to buy in a lifetime.

[00:12:01]
Amanda Greene: Okay, you are talking about a different level of preparation than I ever thought was necessary before purchasing a car. So that is really good information. So, there’s various payment options. I thought you could either choose buy a used car, buy a new car or a lease, but it’s a little bit more than that.

[00:12:18]
Ted Lyons: It is, and those are effectively the three choices you have. So you’re going to buy a new car, you’re going to lease a new car, you’re going to buy a used car. You can break up that used car transaction a little further. So are you going to buy a used car from a dealer? Are you going to buy it from somebody off Craigslist? Are you going to buy it from somebody off of one of the auto buying sites or Facebook Marketplace or there’s a number of different ways you’re driving down the street and it’s on somebody’s front lawn.

There’s a number of different things so, we just a second ago talked about the financing. So it’s good to know how much can you afford, where are you going to get that money from and so forth. You also have to consider the car, so don’t show up to a car lot, don’t show up to somebody’s house or a dealership or what have you without knowing what that car’s worth. New cars are kind of easy for the most part. You’re paying around MSRP nowadays, the days of paying way under are kind of gone with the last three or four years of car buying mayhem, if you want to call it with inventory shortages and trip shortages.

[00:13:16]
Amanda Greene: You’re saying there’s a little less room for negotiation?

[00:13:18]
Ted Lyons: There has been. It’s starting to wane a little bit as the inventories are bouncing back. We’re starting to see there’s a little more room for that, but it’s nowhere near what it used to be.

[00:13:28]
Amanda Greene: Is there a best site to buy used cars or a resource that you suggest to visit to figure that out ahead of time?

[00:13:34]
Ted Lyons: So, I wouldn’t look at any one site. I’d look at a bunch. And the internet is a wonderful thing and it’s also a rabbit hole and my wife and I were talking about this morning where you get on something and then two hours later you come up for air. But there’s a few sites. So JD Power’s a good one for looking up values, Kelley Blue Book, there’s Edmunds, there’s any of the sales sites too, but it’s also good to see what they’re going for. So go look and see what they’re being advertised for because there’s also a difference between buying it off a dealer’s lot and buying it from your neighbor, right?

[00:14:05]
Amanda Greene: Right.

[00:14:05]
Ted Lyons: There’s a differential in the price there. So you’ve got to kind of know the range and then I hate to even layer this in, but if you’re trading in a car, you’re going to have a whole another factor of negotiation in there as well because they’re not going to offer you retail value for your vehicle.

[00:14:24]
Amanda Greene: Can we talk about leasing a car? Because I’ve never done a lease and I don’t really know a lot about them other than you’re locked into a certain amount of mileage. I know there’s a lease buyout and an extended lease, but how does leasing a car work?

[00:14:36]
Ted Lyons: So, leases are great for people that want to always drive a new car and are kind of married to the fact that they’re just going to always have a car payment. You mentioned mileage, mileage is a big piece of it where if you drive a lot, a lease is something you may not want to consider because they give you X amount of miles every year and at the end of the lease, if you turn that lease in, you may be paying 25 cents a mile over what you’re allotted.

So a lot of people in that case will tend to buy their cars out and lease buyouts have been a very big thing over the past few years because, as we talked about earlier with the inventory shortages and the add-on and the inflation on the vehicle values, you set your vehicle buyout price a couple of years ago.

Two, maybe three years ago when the values of those cars were much lower. Now it’s a very good financial decision in most cases to buy out that lease and a lot of people are doing it. So that can be another purchase option where you’re in a car, you like the car, maybe you don’t like what’s out there on the market right now, or you don’t want to pay what a new car is worth, a lease buyout’s a good option. You mentioned extended leases, some people can push out their lease another couple of years if they wanted to do that as well.

[00:15:49]
Amanda Greene: So let’s talk about terms. What should buyers know about terms to avoid being taken advantage of once they’re there and ready to buy a car?

[00:15:57]
Ted Lyons: I think again, with doing your homework and doing your research upfront, when you get into the purchase end of things, there’s other pieces of the puzzle. The dealer’s also going to be offering you products. So from extended service contracts to gap insurance to fabric protection, undercoating, you name it, they have it and they’re going to offer it to you. In a lot of cases, all of those are negotiable. So they may come to you with a very high rate on something and you say, ‘I’m not paying that.’ And a lot of that stuff is available on the outside market as well. You don’t have to buy it from a dealer.

Picture yourself sitting at home watching TV and an extended warranty commercial comes up from a particular company, they’re available elsewhere out in the market. So you can do your homework and know what those cost as well. Knowing what these things are worth and being prepared to be offered them when you’re sitting down, and sometimes they’ll do it in a menu fashion, they’ll present you with…

[00:16:51]
Amanda Greene: A pamphlet.

[00:16:51]
Ted Lyons: Yeah, and they start with the highest and they bring you down to the lowest and the lowest isn’t zero. The lowest is just the fewest number of the products they want to offer you. So you don’t have to take any of it necessarily. Some of it’s good and some of it’s worthwhile taking depending on your financial situation. Gap coverage, for instance. God forbid you have a total loss on the vehicle and you owe more on the loan than the vehicle pays out for through insurance, gap coverage kicks in there. So did you check your insurance company for it? Did you check other carriers? You don’t necessarily have to get it through the dealer.

[00:17:22]
Amanda Greene: Yeah, there’s some homework to do.

[00:17:23]
Ted Lyons: Absolutely,

[00:17:24]
Amanda Greene: Yes.

[00:17:24]
Ted Lyons: Everybody falls in love with the car and they get a little punch drunk when they go to the dealership because you probably drove in with something that maybe isn’t running so great. There’s a reason you showed up to the lot, so you just drove something that’s really nice and now you fell in love with it and you have to have it, and that’s where those rash decisions come.

So the more tips and information you have up front, the better. But are you driving the same type of car you did? Do you know what your insurance is going to cost? Is this car going to double your insurance and make it unaffordable? Have you looked at what repairs are going to cost on this car? Fixing a Toyota Corolla is different than fixing a BMW and I’m not picking one over the other. It’s just a fact of life. Registration’s another one.

[00:17:59]
Amanda Greene: Right.

[00:18:00]
Ted Lyons: So you have to register this new car or transfer the registration from your old car. You’re going to have to pay sales tax on that new car. Are those things going to put that car out of reach for you or cause you some grief down the road? And these are all the things you got to look at that generally people overlook because they see the shiny car and they say, I have to have it.

[00:18:16]
Amanda Greene: Thanks so much for this Ted. Sounds like I have a lot of homework to do, but before I go, let’s bring Nicole Wakelin back for some lightning round questions. Just to be clear, all of these are Nicole’s opinions and recommendations and hers alone, so we’re getting real insider info here. Okay, Nicole, the best fuel efficient car to drive in the city.

[00:18:39]
Nicole Wakelin: Fuel efficient city driving. This is like a lot of pressure. I’m going to go with, it’s sort of a standby, the Prius, which I know isn’t exciting, but they redid it this year and the Prius is small enough to make it easy to drive in the city and great fuel economy with the best gas milage.

[00:18:52]
Amanda Greene: How about best midsize SUV?

[00:18:54]
Nicole Wakelin: Best midsize SUV. And at this moment, I’ve forgotten every midsize SUV on the planet. It’s a luxury car, so it’s luxury, but I really enjoyed driving because it was so tech forward. How about the Lincoln Nautilus?

[00:19:07]
Amanda Greene: Ooh, I love the look of that one. I think my in-laws drive that. How about the best adventure car for road trips or camping, something adventurous?

[00:19:17]
Nicole Wakelin: Okay, for adventure. I don’t know how adventurous you want to get, but I feel like the Jeep Wrangler is the best adventurous car out there. Take the doors off, take the roof off, get muddy and dirty and have some fun with an outdoor vehicle.

[00:19:28]
Amanda Greene: Okay, some broader questions. Winter tires, yes or no?

[00:19:32]
Nicole Wakelin: So, I am big on winter tires. I will go on for an entire podcast about why everybody who lives someplace where it’s cold because it is winter, it’s not snow tires. So the rule is if you’re in someplace where it’s consistently under 40 degrees, when that happens, you should be on winter tires. It makes a huge difference whether there’s snow or even cold. It’s not just about the snow. So yes, yes, yes to winter tires.

[00:19:58]
Amanda Greene: Oh, interesting. Okay. How about a protective undercoating?

[00:20:02]
Nicole Wakelin: I feel like that was something we did many, many years ago because things rusted, but if you look at the warranties that come on today’s vehicles and how they build them, the things they’ve done to protect them, you don’t really need that stuff. You’re wasting your money, I think.

[00:20:13]
Amanda Greene: All right, next one, touch screen or physical buttons.

[00:20:16]
Nicole Wakelin: It’s both. The answer’s both. No matter what anyone tells you, I’m right on this. You need a touch screen for some stuff, but don’t take away people’s volume knob. Don’t put that in the touch screen. Don’t take away the button that will let me turn the heat up and turn it down. Don’t make me dig around in a screen in the latest one that drives me nuts. They’re putting the air vents, so the controls for the vents are in your touch screen, so you can’t reach out and move the vent. You have to touch your screen and then touch the spot on the screen that looks like your vent and slide your finger around. No, that needs an actual physical control.

[00:20:48]
Amanda Green: I agree 100%. This has been wonderful talking to you. Thank you so much for coming on.

[00:20:53]
Nicole Wakelin: Oh, thank you so much for having me on the podcast. It was a pleasure.

[00:20:56]
Amanda Greene: That was Nicole Wakelin automotive journalist, car expert and truck jumper. And before that, we heard from Ted Lyons, Vice President of Financial Services with AAA Northeast Bank. They both had so much good info to share. So many things I hadn’t thought of. The draw of a shiny new car is a strong one, especially if what you’re used to is a little old or things don’t work.

Or, there’s a puddle of some mystery liquid pooling under your car. I guess the things to keep in mind are to pick out what you want beforehand, don’t rush into a purchase, know how much you want to pay and on what terms, and don’t forget to factor in all the extras, like repairs, insurance, registration.

It’s all about showing up already informed. 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 production assistance from JAR Audio. I’m your host, Amanda Greene. If you had anywhere as much fun as I did, follow us wherever you get your podcasts and let us know what you think.

Send your thoughts to podcast@AAANortheast.com. In the meantime, I’m going to figure out how much I really want to spend on this new car.

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RESOURCES

AAA Car Buying Guide

AAA Auto Insurance

AAA Auto Loans

AAA Auto Buying Program

AAA Auto Loan Payment Calculator

JD Power

More from Nicole Wakelin

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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.

Graduating from high school or college is a big accomplishment and a milestone worth celebrating. If you want to give a graduate something they’ll never forget, consider an experience gift.

Maybe you’re the one who just graduated, and you want to treat yourself by broadening your horizons. No matter who is turning the tassel this year, these are some of the best experience gift ideas for a new grad.

Live Events

Is there a concert that your grad has been wanting to go to forever? Maybe a hit Broadway show or a favorite sports team? AAA members can access special discounts for tickets to concerts, Broadway shows, music festivals, comedy shows and more. Just try searching your grad’s favorite artist, from Taylor Swift to Usher. You can also get discounted tickets to sports events like baseball, basketball and football.

Classes

More classes? Your grad might appreciate it more than you know! Encourage them to cultivate their hobby or passion project with local art and music classes. Or help them meet people in their city with low-stakes courses that encourage teamwork. Some great options include pottery, golf, martial arts, cooking and dancing. Check out what’s available near your grad and see if any of them are gift-worthy.

If they’re interested in fitness, you can get them a subscription for Active&Fit Direct, which includes over 12,500 gyms, 12,000 on-demand videos and one-on-one wellness coaching.

Or keep them inspired with access to thousands of books on topics ranging from memoirs to motivation with an Audible subscription. AAA members get a two-month free trial with two free bestsellers or new releases.

Travel

Being well-traveled is an education in itself.

New travelers may prefer guided tours, where a local expert is the one leading the way. Guided tours also make thoughtful experience gifts, since they take care of all the stress associated with planning daily itineraries, hotel stays and more. Reach out to a AAA travel advisor to discuss options and start planning.

After all their hard work, you might want to give your grad a chance to kick back and relax. There’s no better way to get some much-needed rest and relaxation than by going on a luxurious cruise. Whether they’re in search of Caribbean fun in the sun or a European river journey, there’s a cruise for every type of traveler.

Want to immerse your grad in the world of fantasy and fun before they have to get back to reality? AAA members can get discounts to theme parks like Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando Resort and more. You can get them the gift of thrills and chills while saving on tickets.   

More Ideas

Check out our list of gifts to get your grad financially ready.

You can also never go wrong with flowers. Save up to 20% on 1-800-Flowers.com orders. For more gift ideas, visit AAA.com/Discounts.

Do you remember what you got when you graduated? Would you have preferred an experience gift? What are you planning to do for the recent grads in your life? Let us know in the comments below.

You don’t need to be a lawyer to make sense of your insurance policy.

What’s more, understanding the language used in these contracts helps you get the best products for your lifestyle.

This A to Z guide for decoding insurance jargon will get you started.

Actual Cash Value

The calculated worth of insured property at the time of loss or damage. Replacement cost minus depreciation = actual cash value.

Beneficiary

The person who receives the payout from a will, life insurance policy, annuity or similar contract.

Captive Agent 

An individual who sells insurance contracts for a specific insurer.

Deductible

The portion of the loss you pay for before your policy kicks in.

Endorsement 

An addition to an insurance policy that adds to or changes the terms. Also called a rider.

Flood

Not typically included in a homeowners policy, this extra coverage protects your property from floods.

Hazard

A circumstance that increases the likelihood of loss.

Independent Agent

An agent who represents multiple insurance companies.

Liability Coverage

The part of your policy that will pay out if you’re found responsible for someone else’s injuries.

Named Perils

Hazards specifically named in a policy.

Occasional Driver

Someone who is not the main driver of the car he or she usually operates.

Personal Injury Protection

Coverage that pays for the insured’s medical expenses regardless of who is at fault for a crash.

Quote

An estimate of what your insurance premium would be with a given insurance provider.

Renters Insurance 

An affordable insurance policy that protects a renter and their belongings.

Standard Risk

Someone who is insurable at standard insurance rates. High- or low-risk policyholders may pay higher or lower rates based on such risk.

Term

The period when an insurance policy is in effect.

Umbrella Policy

Excess liability insurance that could also cover losses not covered by other insurance policies.

Whole Life 

A life insurance policy that remains in effect for a person’s entire lifetime with guaranteed cash value and a payout upon their death. In contrast, a term life insurance policy is cheaper but has no cash value when the term ends. Learn more.

Need more help? Talk to your AAA insurance agent about the specific terms of your policy.

Moving into a new house or apartment can seem like a daunting task. You’ve probably accumulated a lot of stuff over the years, and the idea of packing everything up can be enough to overwhelm anyone.

Make your next move a little easier with these tips.

Timing Is Everything

In real estate, you might not always have control over your timeline. But if you have any choice when it comes to your move, you should choose to move in the spring. The days are longer and the temperature is warmer, but it’s also not as hot as a summer move.

Moving to a new house in the summer can be a sweaty chore, especially if you don’t have air conditioning installed yet. And moving in the winter can be dangerous – with a layer of ice coating the ground and a limited amount of daylight to work with. Try to plan for a moving date with a forecast of sunny skies.

Pack for Success

Half of the moving struggle is packing. Before things get moving, you need to make sure all your items are packed up and ready to go.

Pack by room. The smartest way to pack is to tackle one room at a time. It’s a natural way to organize your belongings, and it will help keep everything together when you unpack later. Once you organize by room, then you can organize by item. Pack all your dishes together, or all your linens together. Don’t spread the same types of items across multiple boxes if you can help it.

Use labels. Remember to label your boxes clearly. When your boxes are all labeled with the room in which they belong and the items that they contain, unpacking will be so much easier.

Handle with care. Make sure that your fragile items are properly protected for the move. Wrap your delicate items with bubble wrap or unprinted paper – newspaper is convenient, but the newsprint can leave stains behind. It’s also a good idea to put towels or other soft materials on the bottom of boxes containing delicate items.

Get the right box. Boxes and containers designed specifically for moving can make the whole process easier. Wardrobe boxes can help you easily transport hanging clothing, and mirror boxes can help protect your mirrors. Boxes with handles are the best for moving – giving the movers something to hold onto.

Get the Right Vehicle for the Job

If you have a car, it probably can’t fit everything you own. It probably can’t even fit your couch. When you move, you will most likely need a bigger vehicle to help you do it. Luckily, AAA members can save on truck rentals from Penske.

Penske offers truck rentals from cargo vans all the way up to 26-foot trucks. So which is right for you?

If you’re moving from a small apartment or a studio, try a high roof cargo van, which has the capacity of about one room, or a 12-foot truck, which has the capacity of two.

If you’re moving from a bigger apartment or a standard-sized house, opt for a 16-foot truck, which has the capacity of two to three rooms, or a 22-foot truck, which has the capacity of three to five.

Are you making an extra big move with even more cargo? The mammoth 26-foot truck has the capacity of five to seven rooms.

Don’t forget – when renting a truck from Penske, AAA members receive exclusive savings of 12% or more.

Do you have a tip that helped with your last move? Let us know in the comments below.

Though some areas are more susceptible than others, heavy rains and flash floods should be a concern for those living in the Northeast. After all, we are on the coast and so many of us live near water. Are your home and belongings protected with flood insurance?

Brush up on your knowledge of flood insurance with the answers to these frequently asked questions.

Do I need flood insurance if I have homeowners or renters insurance?

Short answer: Yes. Homeowners insurance does not cover flood damage.

Longer answer: In the 1960s, after a series of flooding along the Mississippi River, flooding was viewed as an uninsurable risk, and many private homeowners insurance companies pulled out of offering coverage for flood damage. Thus, the National Flood Insurance Program was born. The program provides federally backed flood insurance to certain communities participating in the program. If your community doesn’t participate in the program, you can’t buy a policy through the NFIP, but you may be able to buy a policy through a private insurance company.

Check the NFIP Community Book to see if your town or city participates in the program.

Do I need flood insurance if I don’t live near water?

If you don’t live in a Special Flood Hazard Area, defined by FEMA has having a 1% or greater chance or flooding in any given year, you’re not federally required to have flood insurance. However, your mortgage lender may still require you to have it. And, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, more than 40% of flood claims come from properties outside high-risk flood zones. So, though you may not technically need to have flood insurance, it’s still recommended as floods can happen anywhere.

What exactly does flood insurance cover?

In general, flood insurance protects your home from damage done by rising waters, inundation (what happens when water covers normally dry land) and mudflows (when floodwater mixes with mud). It covers the cleanup, debris removal and repairs necessary after a flood.

You can insure your house for up to $250,000 with building property coverage and your belongings for up to $100,000 with personal property coverage, which must be purchased separately through the National Flood Insurance Program. You may be able to purchase additional coverage through a private flood insurance program.

What doesn’t flood insurance cover?

Knowing what isn’t covered is as important to understanding flood insurance as knowing what is covered.

Flood insurance doesn’t cover damage that affects property and belongings outside the home, including trees, walkways, pools, decks and patios, fences, septic systems and the like. In furnished areas below ground level, insurance coverage doesn’t include paneling, bookcases, window treatments, carpeting and other floor coverings, drywall for walls and ceilings, and personal property such as clothing, electronic equipment, kitchen supplies and furniture.

Coverage for basement and crawlspace damage is pretty limited.

Policyholders should also be aware of the “earth movement” or “long-term differential movement” clause. Loss of property caused by earth movement, even if due to a flood, isn’t covered. That means your policy may exclude damage caused by landslides, sinkholes or movement of land due to water accumulation or gradual erosion.

What should I do before a flood?

If you have flood insurance, take pictures or video of your property to document the condition of your home before any damage is done. Photograph the house, the foundation, the interior and exterior walls and each room inside to avoid a dispute over whether the damage was pre-existing. FEMA recommends that you keep a file of these photos along with a copy of your insurance policies, plus serial numbers and receipts for major appliances and electronics.

If you don’t have flood insurance, first ensure that your community participates in the NFIP, then talk to an insurance agent about your options. Keep in mind that there is a 30-day waiting period to purchase flood insurance, so you can’t wait until just before a storm (home closings where it is required by the lender are an exception.)

Contact an experienced AAA Insurance agent today.

What should I do after a flood?

First, call your insurance agent or insurance company. Make a list of damaged or lost items and include receipts if possible. Take pictures of the damage after the flood, before any cleanup or debris removal.

Learn more about what to do before, during and after a flood.

Do you have flood insurance that has come in handy? Tell us how it has helped you in the comments below.

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