by Glenn H. Kipps

The year was 1900. Henry Ford and Ransom Eli Olds had their cars on the road, and the speed limit for this new mode of transportation was 10 miles per hour. Just imagine...

• 9 hours to travel across New Jersey's 90 miles. (Today... about 1-1/2 hours)
• 30 hours to travel across the central part of Virginia's 300 miles. (Today... about 5 hours)
• 31 hours to travel across Pennsylvania's 310 miles (Today... about 5 hours)
• Cross country ... forget it! We're talking about 300 hours nonstop!

And that's by car. Now go back a little further to the horse and buggy days, and a lot further to the covered wagon days, and it becomes obvious that - by comparison - we are living in an era when our country has become much like our "backyard."

Now look at the figures above and replace state crossings by car with an airplane.

• New Jersey - a fraction of an hour.
• Virginia - maybe an hour and a half
• Pennsylvania - maybe an hour and a half
• Cross-country - six hours

It is not unusual for travelers to go around the world in the length of time it would have taken in bygone days to cross one of our states. The world has become much like "the next town."

Amazing, isn't it?

Imagine leaving New York at 6:00 a.m., having lunch with Grandma in California at noon, and dinner at five... then returning to New York in time for the 11:00 news.

We have, understandably, become a traveling world.

Also, we have become travelers demanding comfort, safety, and reasonable cost in our traveling. This has been assured by a longtime American tradition - competition!

Airlines, railways, bus companies, car rental businesses, hotels, resorts, and makers of travel needs such as luggage, camping gear, etc., compete with like entities for the millions of travelers who use such services every day.

Another time-saver for travelers is the method of finding the "best deal." The Internet has all but replaced the "walk-in" travel agency, with millions of travelers planning their trips through the many sites available to them from the comfort of their homes - via the internet!

The Keyword "travel" will lead the traveler to many sites which cover the traveler's needs from his or her front doorstep to the exotic island, the exciting European capitol, or the hot sands at the seashore just a few states away. Some sites include luggage and camping gear deals as well as travel arrangements.

There is no limit to the opportunities that await the traveler on the Internet.

About The Author
Glenn H. Kipps is the owner of http://www.validtravel.com/, a travel resource. There are over 100 articles to browse through. The site will also be selling Coleman and Samsonite products in the near future. There will also be a fantastic member section and a free newsletter.