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| Thousands of fans hit the road each weekend to watch their favorite teams play. I'll be one of those fans, so steer clear from me! |
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| The roar of the fans... |
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| ...the sounds of the big bands! It's just the best isn't it?! Getting a hotel room is probably the hardest thing to score for a football weekend. Especially if the game is located in a small college town. I would suggest calling the hotel directly one year prior to the date the game is scheduled. If nothing else, the hotel will let you know what date you can start booking your room. Hotels have various rules about how far out they will accept reservations. If you are a season ticket holder and plan to attend all of the home games, then let the hotel know as that makes you a top priority for receiving rooms for those weekends. Also, a lot of hotels make you book for two nights on home game weekends, so if you are looking on-line, it may not let you book if you just put in a one-night stay even though rooms are available. |
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A favorite app I use when booking rooms is an app called Room 77. You can search on this app for room availability by price, star rating, value and amenities. And there is a concierge app within the Room 77 that will give you great insider tips. Such as, did you know at The Lumen Hotel in Dallas that their Executive Studios are the best option for light sleepers? Or at the Hilton in Downtown Nashville that rooms facing the front of the hotel offer great unobstructed views of the famous Country Music Hall of Fame? Room 77 will even tell you which floors and rooms ending in certain numbers are the quietest, largest, and/or have the best views. In some cases, there are actual photos of the view from specific room numbers. This app will be your best friend when booking and staying at hotels. |
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| Call it "trust issues" or whatever you want, but sometimes I just don't trust that the hotel operator is going to remember to call and wake me up. And, after all of the fun you had the night before the big game, you definitely don't want to oversleep the next day and miss out on the fun that awaits you. The Night Stand app turns your phone into a nightstand alarm clock and even offers sleep music and snooze alarms. |
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| Getting a restaurant reservation is about as hard as getting tickets to the game itself when it comes to scoring a table at your favorite restaurant on a football weekend. Once again, call your favorite restaurant directly and ask what their policy is on how far out they will accept reservations. I often use Open Table whether I am in my own hometown or traveling to book reservations. And, if you find yourself needing to find a reservation at the last minute, the Open Table app is your best friend. It saves you from having to make phone call after phone call to see if there are seats and times available. It lists restaurants by name, cuisine, price and neighborhood. And, it will tell you which ones are available for your date, time and party size with links to their menus and website. You are just a couple of clicks away from getting your reservation. Touchdown! |
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| A lot of college towns are located a couple of hours or more away from large cities so it might make more sense to drive than to hassle with flying there. Before you hit the road, make sure you download the Road Conditions app to insure your drive has no unexpected delays. This app will list road conditions by Interstate Highways, US Highways and State Routes. With this app you can avoid road constructions and traffic tie-ups. It will also tell you where rest areas are located as well. Now, that's a relief! |
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| Another invaluable app that I love is the Road Ahead app. This app let's you know what's coming up on your upcoming exits with information such as an ATM machine, auto repair, coffee, dining, fast food, gas, grocery store, ice cream, medical, nightlife, parks, pharmacy, police, shopping, theaters, rest areas, hotels and tourist information. You can use this to plan your route stops and you can sort by distance from a certain exit or by category or merchant. Road Ahead gives you a star rating of the merchant and will offer coupons if they are available. No more second-guessing about what lies just beyond the next bend! |
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| And, now, for the fun part....tailgating! |
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| If you are a die-in-the-wool "tailgater" then you must get the Tailgating app. It will organize and remind you about everything you will need to plan and enjoy a successful tailgate. It provides lists for food, gear, music and even for personal items. |
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| If you are the type of tailgater that enjoys floating from one tailgate group to another, you will definitely want to have the Cruzin' Cooler! This way you and your ice cold drinks can check out neighboring tailgates and at a speed of 13 mph, you will have plenty of time to taste test everyone's sausage and burgers! Priced from $350 to $1,400 at www.cruzincooler.com |
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| And, last but not least, some tailgates are simply not complete without their own little friendly competition. This is where Basketpong comes into play...think where basketball meets beer pong! It is a portable game that includes a backboard, pole, base and ping pong balls. Grab a few solo cups and you are in for some kind of fun! It's no wonder it just won "Best New Tailgate Game" at the 2012 National Hardware Show. Priced from $99 to $180 at www.basketpong.com. HOPING YOU SCORE A PERFECT TRIP THIS FOOTBALL SEASON! TRAVEL M GIRL |
