The portable-digital-wireless age, with its mapping software and GPS tools, has been a boon to those of us who love to venture down back roads in search of the unusual without fear of getting irretrievably lost and forced to sleep in the car behind an abandoned taco stand.

Still, it's not unusual to find oneself with an old-fashioned paper map that we were forced to buy at a gas station after our wireless service failed us or we discovered that the online map for a particular region just isn't as up-to-date as we had hoped it would be. Read More »

With summer in full swing, detourists are hitting the road in search of roadside attractions and capturing their adventures with their brand new digital cameras. Unfortunately, many of them will subsequently bring home a slideshow full of mediocre photos they'll force on the rest of us.

Before you commit the same faux pas, you might want to peruse a few of these sites offering helpful tips on taking better photos while out and about: Read More »

• The New York Times: How to Be a Better Photographer When on Vacation

Last month, I received word that the incredible Googie sign that had stood in front of the Sigel's Liquor here in Dallas since 1953 was coming down with the razing of said location. Thankfully, Sigel's was smart enough to preserve the sign, planning to erect it again in front of another of their stores.

Well, I just got word that, after a month's wait, the sign will finally be installed at their outlet in Addison, Texas, tomorrow morning at 9:00.

If you can't make it, Sigel's rep Jasper Russo says there will be an official dedication sometime next month. Read More »

The Haunted Lamp has just posted their second installment of vintage neon illustrations from a rescued 1950s sign catalog.

Apparently, the catalog includes specifications for building each sign. As noted, "The giant chicken is to be executed in clear fiberglass and lit from within."

Anyone else ever discover such a catalog? I'd love to see it!

A razor that dispenses its own shaving cream and a toothbrush that applies its own toothpaste? I love technology.

With as much stuff as I have to lug with me on the road, I'm always looking for ways to lighten the load, or at least make things more compact. Enter ShaveMate's Titan 6 razor and the OHSO compact toothbrush.

The Titan, along with its stereotypically pink lady version, the Diva, eliminates the need to pack a bulky can of shaving cream by storing the foamy lubricant in its own handle. ShaveMate says the Titan holds enough cream for up to a week's worth of shaves. Plus, it's cheap: you can find a three-pack of the disposable razors for around $9.99. Read More »