"T" is for Telephones and Trip Planning.

Stuffed bear in Sheridan museum

Well, I had no intention of taking a month plus break from writing this blog....Since I last wrote I visited Denver and Wyoming with my friend Nancy. We had hoped to go to Yellowstone, but the snow was still causing major problems to get around with avalanches and rock slides. So I visited Sheridan for the first time and then we spent the night in the Irma in Cody, WY, which was originally owned by Buffalo Bill Cody. This easterner loved the "wild west"! They have a big museum there which someone compared to the Smithsonian of the west, which does stretch it a bit. However, there were interesting sections dedicated to Yellowstone, Buffalo Bill and his life, guns, and Western art.
In fact, while we were in Cody, they had the world premiere about Buck, the "Horse Whisperer". He lives in Sheridan, and it was a fund raiser for a local organization.  
Well, back to my blog....
Telephone usage is easier now with the abundance of mobile phones. AT&T is my carrier, and for a monthly fee of $5.99, I can call for $.99 per minute. Last fall I found this very helpful with my Blackberry. Some people buy an inexpensive phone for use in the country they are in. Phone plans changes everywher on a sneeze, so it is a moving target what is available. You can buy phone cards, but I've had mixed luck with them, as they usually do not have an English version. You might find your guide book has some helpful ideas or any one of the websites, such as Frommer or Lonely Planet. You can buy a Net2phone card on line and use that. It is cheaper if you can use the local access telephone number.

Ferrari Parade as we entered Verona

Everyone approaches his/her trip planning differently. I think it depends on how long your trip will be. Last fall's trip took me a lot of time to plan. (I wished I had kept a record as to how long it actually did take!) That was probably because I was going to be in at least three places, and then I added two more (Venice and Mallorca). Trip planning is a work in progress for me. For example, I read an article about Verona while I was on Sardinia, so Joan and I went to Verona when I visited her in Venice!
Next blog-which will not take me a month to write (I hope!)-will look at U or Umbrellas and what to do on a rainy day!
As always, I welcome your comments or questions.