jews d in the on the cover Helpful Websites R oad Trip! Summer travel time brings great lasting memories. SHELLI LIEBMAN DORFMAN CONTRIBUTING WRITER F or some, the term “road trip” elicits memories of long-ago family travel in a seatbelt-less station wagon that stopped frequently for bathroom breaks and was littered with stale chips and crayon pices. Add an exclama- tion point and “road trip!” may bring thoughts of a Florida- bound Spring Break drive with teenage friends and limited funds. Today’s new-age journeys come with factory-installed DVD players, wi-fi, satellite radio featuring everything imaginable and apps to find hotel bookings, food and gas stations. Many become road trip- pers through a desire to save money. Some look to see the country close-up and on their own schedule. Others want to visit multiple attractions or just do something a little dif- ferent. ABOVE: Patty Scanlon Cohen, E. Michele Levine Samson, Pam Silvi Varilone and Peggy Klann Broderick at the Grand Canyon in Arizona. For my husband, Michael, and me, annual drives to Florida are destination- focused. Trading security lines and flight delays for window sightseeing and a way to have our own car during our extended stays is just one of the reasons we do it. SUV trip- ping is also a way for us to journey with our oversized, set-in-his ways, older black pug, who travels in his equally oversized, luxury, pillow- topped car bed. Journeying with Brutus means pet-friend- ly hotels, stopping at rest stops with dog relief patches of grass and the understand- ing that only one human can leave the car at a time. But still, we look forward to our 20-hour, 1,200 mile-plus Florida-bound trips, locked away with talk and music, fully charged devices, stacks of newspapers, a book light, sandwiches and Diet Coke — and special doggy Xanax for Brutus for “just in case.” According to AAA, we are hardly alone in our choice of transportation mode, with 79 percent of family travel- ers planning road trips this year, up 10 percent from last year, despite higher gas prices, especially now after Hurricane Harvey. BASEBALL ON THE ROAD Since 2009, Rabbi Michele Faudem’s family has been gearing up for road trips with the specific focus of attending minor league baseball games throughout the country. “I love baseball. I love driv- ing. I love seeing new things and meeting new people,” said Faudem, who created the vacations for her sons Tal, 18, Ari, 16, and Lev Ershler, 14. “Our country is so beautiful and there is so much to see in it. I love the time in the car and on the road with my kids.” The trips always include Faudem and whichever of the boys are not at camp. They have been joined at times by her Jerusalem-based rela- tives: parents, Arlene and Burt Faudem, and brother, Joshua Faudem. Her husband, Jeffrey Ershler, doesn’t always go along, but he does make the hotel reservations for those who do. “Minor league parks are smaller, family-friendly and personable and really give the kids — especially when they were younger — the opportu- nity to meet the players and a sense of independence,” said Faudem of West Bloomfield. continued on page 14 12 September 7 • 2017 jn • Roadtrippers.com: Hotels, attractions, distances and gas cost estimates • Gopetfriendly.com: Lodging, services, activities allowing pets • Myscenicdrives.com: U.S. scenic routes • Tripit.com: Suggestions based on distance, destination and budget. • Recreation.gov: Tours, campgrounds, parks, national monument tours, national park and forest hikes, federal land cabin rental • AirBnb.com: Vacation rentals • Gasbuddy.com: Crowd- sourced list of gas prices • AARP.com: Trip planning and car rental discounts • Discount hotel and car booking sites include priceline. com, orbitz.com, kayak.com, expedia.com, trivago.com Helpful Apps: • Waze: Interactive GPS helps avoid construction, high-traffic roads and speed traps. • Koshernearme: kosher restaurant finder • Skycatchfire: eateries, attractions, shops, campgrounds, hotels, gas stations, car repair shops. • Opentable: where to eat • AAA Mobile App: Roadside assistance, routes, construction, detours, fuel prices, AAA- approved hotels, campgrounds, restaurants, sightseeing, activities. Tips: • Tell someone where you’ll be. • Fill gas tank, check oil, fluid levels, battery and tires. • Keep hard copies of hotel reservations, addresses, maps. • If lost, go to a rest stop or shopping area; don’t stop on the roadside. • Leave the car for public transportation or Uber/cabs in busy cities.