Gasoline and Guidebook Giveaways

As I wrote in my last post [2], we're currently in the thick of road trip season – a popular time for families, couples, and other eager travelers to visit America's favorite summertime destinations, from beaches and theme parks to monuments and national parks. That many people choose to venture to such places via car is no surprise given that, according to the independent Car Care Council [3], driving can often be more fun, more flexible, and more economical than flying, especially for families. “With the cost of airline tickets and the hassle of flying increasing, more travelers are realizing that driving their own vehicle is more advantageous,” says Rich White, executive director of the Car Care Council. “In addition to the huge cost of savings, driving gives you the flexibility to travel when you want, avoid airport delays, pack freely, enjoy meal options, more legroom, and overall comfort, and much more.” Besides, even with fluctuating gas prices, it's hard to resist the chance to bond with your companions and make some wonderful memories.

So, what better way to celebrate this fun-filled vacation season than with a contest or two?

In particular, Shell [4] is offering travelers the chance to fuel their road trips this summer. Through its “Favorite Road Trip Sweepstakes,” the gasoline giant will give away a year's worth of its new nitrogen-enriched gasolines (with more active cleaning agents to help protect critical engine parts) to eight lucky winners – one randomly selected each week during an eight-week period. Technically, the contest began last week, on June 20th, but you still have plenty of time to enter before the giveaways end on August 15th. To enter the sweepstakes, you simply need to share your favorite road trip route or memory on Shell's Facebook page [5]. Happily, no purchase is necessary to enter the contest. I should note, though, that, for the purposes of this prize, “a year's worth” of gasoline has been calculated as the average consumer's yearly gasoline consumption of 636 gallons at an average present-day cost of $3.69 per gallon (which is consistent with the U.S. Department of Energy statistics for regular grade gasoline as of May 28, 2012).

In addition to sharing the news about Shell's current sweepstakes, I've also decided to celebrate America's road trip season with a small giveaway of my own. In lieu of offering a year's worth of gasoline – if only! – I plan to award two fellow travelers with signed copies of my Moon Michigan [6] and Moon Florida Keys [7] guidebooks. After all, the Great Lakes State and the Sunshine State are two of my favorite places to experience a road trip. To enter the contest, you simply have to share your favorite road trip memory or, as an alternative, tell me where in the United States you'd like to take your next road trip. You can do this in one of four ways: leave a comment below this post, send an email to laura [at] wanderingsoles [dot] com, or post a comment on either the Moon Michigan Facebook page [8] or the Moon Florida Keys Facebook page [9]. The contest will end at 11:59 p.m. PST on Tuesday, July 10th.

Good luck – and don't forget to stay tuned for the continuation of my small town series [10]!

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As always, I’m open to ideas for future posts. If you have any suggestions, burning questions, or destinations that you’d like me to explore in greater detail, please comment below or contact me via laura [at] wanderingsoles [dot] com.

Disclosure: While I occasionally accept free or discounted travel assistance when it coincides with my editorial goals, my opinion is never for sale, which means that everything written in my American Nomad blog and Moon travel guides is my unbiased reflection of the things that I see, do, and experience while traveling across the United States.

Photo of Michigan's Black Star Farms [11] / Text © 2012 Laura Martone

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Laura Martone is Moon’s American Nomad [12] and the author of Moon Michigan [6], Moon Florida Keys [7], Moon Baja RV Camping [13], and the upcoming Moon New Orleans [14], which will be published in September 2012.