America's top 10 diners
Connecticut: O'Rourke's, Middletown
Maine: Becky's Diner, Portland
Minnesota: Mickey's Dining Car, St. Paul
Missouri: Connelly's Goody Goody Diner, St. Louis
Pennsylvania: Dutch Kitchen, Frackville
Pennsylvania: JoJo's, Pittsburgh
South Carolina: Summerton Diner, Summerton
Texas: Avalon Diner, Houston
Vermont: Blue Benn Dinner, Bennington,
Vermont: Wasp's Snack Bar, Woodstock
Source: http://www.epicurious.com/restaurants/best_eats/diners.
Looking for help in all the right places
When staying in a new city, where do you turn to find such services as child care, physicians and dentists, schools, colleges, and libraries? Try going online to http://FirstGov.gov (http://www.firstgov.gov/Citizen/Find_Services.shtml) for these and a lot of other resources.
Safe driving tips: Be careful at intersections
Intersections are among the most dangerous areas for any driver. The average speed through a city intersection can be over 50 mph, and the typical collision is usually a "t-bone," meaning a hit on the vulnerable side door. Here's how to lessen your risks of accidents at intersections:
* As you approach an intersection with a green light, slow down before entering it and look left-right-left (look left first-and look left twice-because the first danger to you is the traffic approaching from your left). If the intersection is a "blind" one where you can't see the traffic on the cross street until other cars are close enough to be an immediate hazard, slow down even more. Don't enter an intersection unless you can see it's clear.
* When making a left turn, don't turn your wheels in the direction you're turning until it's clear to go. If you're rear-ended while you're waiting, your already-turned wheels may cause your vehicle to veer into the oncoming traffic and a dangerous collision.
* Don't make a blind left turn. It can be tempting to turn even though your view of oncoming traffic is restricted. Don't-be patient.
Source: http://www.roadtripamerica.com/DefensiveDriving/Rule20.htm.
Enjoying online courses
Looking for some fun online courses for your spare time while on assignment? Check out the listing at http://www.suite101.com. You'll find everything from photography basics to writing mysteries to running a small business to overcoming a fear of flying to training puppies. There's something for everyone[horizontal ellipsis]and it's all free!!
Who you gonna call?
When you want to get travel information, try dialing 5-1-1. It's a new service aimed at helping travelers across the country, and it's being implemented state by state. As of press time, it's active in Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, and Washington. You also can get results dialing it in a few metropolitan areas, including Cincinnati, Orlando, Sacramento, San Francisco, and Tampa.
Some 5-1-1 services may charge for premium information, such as special events, parking locations, and trip planning, but basic travel information (weather and road conditions, traffic updates, interruptions in public transportation service, routes, fares, and schedules) is free. For details, visit http://www.deploy511.org