WIRED FOR TRAVEL/ USING THE INTERNET TO AVOID TRAVAILS

Gazette, The (Colorado Springs), Oct 12, 2003 by JIM BAINBRIDGE

For those not quite ready to pay $1,800-$2,500 for an onboard global positioning system for their car, AAA has a hand-held alternative for something closer to $40. It is the AutoPilot, a gizmo with a sound card that allows you to plan your trip and actually hear clear directions to help you get to your destination faster and easier.

AutoPilot provides distance, time and direction while also possessing a memory chip with more than 80,000 vital driver services near the interstates including food, gas, roadside assistance, the closest hospital, rest areas, malls, motels, campgrounds and attractions.

www.youcansave.com/autopilot.asp

The Colorado Tourism Office has made travel in the state easier with last month's introduction of its Colorado Adventure Store, an online booking agent. The Colorado Adventure Store allows visitors to make reservations for lodging, auto, air and other tourism services related to their Colorado vacation in sort of a one-stop online shopping mall. Several special packages can be found only on www.colorado.com, including a Colorado winter adventure including four days' car rental and four nights' lodging, starting at $309 per person.

www.colorado.com

We've all seen odd signs in the course of our travels. "Blind Persons Cross Here," "Warning: Hold-Ups Ahead." That kind of thing. Former Colorado College journalism teacher Doug Lansky has created Signspotting.com to post photos of such signs online and is paying $50 to those whose submissions are used. The year-end winner gets a Star Alliance 'round-the-world ticket. You can submit photos online or by regular mail.

www.signspotting.com

Each airline has its own Web site. What Sidestep.com does is save you the trouble of comparing prices at each and every one of them. It puts all price information from the airlines, plus travel discounters like Orbitz and Expedia side-by-side, so you can find the best prices.

To make it work, you have to install the Sidestep software, but it's free and easy to download.

www.sidestep.com

The recent bankruptcy filing by Miami-based tour operator Far & Wide has once again pointed out the wisdom of purchasing travel insurance through a third party. Insure-MyTrip.com offers comparisons of 47 travel insurance plans from 13 companies with the option to buy online.

www.insuremytrip.com

If you would like to meet the star of a blockbuster Hollywood film and maybe feed him an apple, you need only plan a day trip to Skyline Guest Ranch near Telluride next year. Fighting Ferrari, a gelding who was one of 10 horses used to portray the title character in "Seabiscuit" - and the one used for the closeups - has been retired to the ranch by the film's producers. Just moved to the ranch's winter pastures elsewhere in Colorado, Fighting Ferrari will return to Skyline when things warm up.

www.skylineguestranch.com

CONTACT THE WRITER: 636-0126 or bainbird@gazette.com