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Helpful road trip tips

“The key to safe travel is to prepare early,” said Brian Moody, executive editor for Autotrader. “With the busy holiday road trip season now upon us, one of the biggest mistakes families can make is waiting until the last minute to make sure your car is in road-ready condition.”

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It seems everyone has experienced the “Are We There Yet!?” whine coming from the backseat on a long road trip. In 2015, AAA reported that in the US alone, an estimated 47 million people traveled 50 or more miles from home on Thanksgiving, and that number continues to rise.  

PHOTO FROM http://www.autotrader.com/

PHOTO FROM http://www.autotrader.com/

According to a recent Autotrader poll, many holiday travelers are planning to drive to visit family and friends this holiday season and expect to be on the road for about 2 hours on average.  Additionally, the poll showed that nearly a quarter – 22 percent – will travel almost 100 miles in their cars.

“The key to safe travel is to prepare early,” said Brian Moody, executive editor for Autotrader. “With the busy holiday road trip season now upon us, one of the biggest mistakes families can make is waiting until the last minute to make sure your car is in road-ready condition.”

Autotrader offers road trip tips.

Prepare Your Vehicle Ahead of Time:

  • Ready your vehicle by making sure it is in good shape. Double-check your tire pressure, oil, and coolant, and be sure to give it a wash. Riding in a clean car is always a more enjoyable experience for everyone.
  • Pre-set your navigation before your departure – think of it as one less thing to worry about when you’re trying to load up the car and hit the road.
  • If your car is equipped with any drivers assistance systems (Forward Collision Warning, Lane Departure Warning, Blind Spot Detection, Rear Cross Traffic Alert), make sure they’re all turned on to help you have a safe journey.

Be Ready for “Just In Case” Scenarios:

  • Check the weather forecast – you don’t want to be caught off guard by a winter storm, excessive rain or road closures in the middle of your road trip.
  • If you live in (or are traveling to) colder climates, don’t be caught off-guard by the potential for snow or ice. Equip your vehicle with items like blankets, booster cables, flares, a flashlight, hand warmers and a window scraper.
  • Make sure you have some snacks on hand in case traffic is much worse than you thought. In fact, every car should have some kind of emergency kit that includes a little portable, non-perishable food. Also remember to have plenty of any necessary medication with you, and get prescriptions refilled prior to leaving rather than planning to do it once you arrive.
  • Always keep an extra phone charger in your car. You’ll be glad you did, especially in the event of an emergency.

Make Good Choices:

  • The no-brainers: Make sure that everyone in the car is properly wearing seatbelts, even if you are in a larger vehicle such as a van or an RV. Watch your speed, remembering it is not worth trying to cut travel time by driving too fast when roadways are packed with holiday traffic. And of course, don’t ever drink and drive, no matter what.
  • The lesser-knowns: We know it may be impossible to pass up seconds on grandma’s sweet potato soufflé, but try not to overeat. Eating too much can make you tired for the drive back home. Take regular breaks, stopping at least once every two hours, and more often at night to help reduce fatigue and tunnel vision.
  • Use technology wisely: Don’t ‘talk and drive’ on your mobile unless you’re doing it hands-free or while pulled over safely off the highway, and never text and drive. Supply the kids with distractions so they don’t distract you. If you a have a rear entertainment system, put on a movie, or better yet, teach them some ‘old school’ road trip games like the license plate game or the billboard game. If all else fails, you can always arm them with their devices (with headphones), to keep the peace for all passengers.

For more information about Autotrader’s travel tips, visit http://www.autotrader.com/car-news/long-holiday-driving-tips-26671.  

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Destinations

Eating out in Cebu in one place via Pusô Village

Checking out #Cebu’s all-in-one dining location, the Pusô Village that may simplify eating out but seems to forget our desire to see diverse #foodie hubs.

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In the past, if you wanted to grab some of the food associated with Cebu, you headed to – among others – Larsian, this place not too far from Fuente Osmeña Circle. It wasn’t necessarily popular with the locals who saw (and still see) it as unhygienic, but it’s this easy-to-access BBQ place that’s open 24/7.

Starting 2025, however, a new place was opened to serve as the one-stop culinary and cultural hub of Cebu City: the Pusô Village.

@outragemag Checking out #Cebu's all-in-one dining location, the Pusô Village (#pusovillage) that may simplify eating out but seems to forget our desire to see diverse #foodie ♬ original sound – Outrage Magazine

Una, developed by Cebu2World/Megawide as part of the Carbon Market modernization, this place’s name drew inspiration from the pusô rice cake that’s served when you have meals in Cebu. There are, therefore, design elements that’d remind you of the pusô – e.g. those octahedral shapes on the entrance. Inside, there are attempts to beautify by borrowing elements from Bahay na bato Philippine architectural style; most are fake, though, such as those painted-on verandahs you’d see when you look up.

Ikalawa, there are over 100 food stalls and retail outlets here… though more of the former than the latter. They’ve been “properly” structured, so that the lechon vendors are on one side, seafood sellers on another side, and so on.

Ikatlo, we tried some of the offerings to ascertain how good they are.

The unlimited lechon is popular, providing an opportunity particularly for non-locals to cheaply enjoy this Cebuano treat. Taste-wise, the lechons vary little, some saltier than the others. The “approach” in serving is similar, though. You get an okay portion when first served, and the portion gets smaller the more you return. Noticeably, by the third refill, the vendors become grumpier when serving you, some even ignoring you, or stuffing fatty parts on your plate. Business greed in action.

Though cooked the same way (i.e. buttered), the seafood platters are inconsistent. You could get some shrimps or crabs now and then, though most times, you’d just get mussels.

Then there’s the tuslob-buwa, pig’s brain cooked under maximum heat to then become dip for pusô. We’d say this is acquired taste… but there’s not much to taste. So this is a costly to-try food.

Only open until 10.00PM, Pusô Village offers those in Cebu a venue to try as many of the local goods as possible. For that, alone, this is a must-check. You are sure to find a few stuffs you’d like.

But the city still has a lot of venues offering local culinary and cultural goods, and they deserve to be also checked. And so off we go for more LGBTQIA+ rampa

Pusô Village is located at M.L Quezon Blvd., Sto. Nino, Cebu City.

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Destinations

Going Chinese in Pulilan, Bulacan

Craving for #chinesefood in #Bulacan? We tried the offerings of Lee Foo Panciteria #Pulilan, and we’re on the fence here (yes if no choice, no if you can go elsewhere).

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We happened to be in Pulilan in Bulacan, and I had pancit craving. As if on cue, we passed by Lee Foo Panciteria Pulilan, which – after we Google-checked – is supposedly one of the more frequently-visited Chinese restos in these parts of the province, so… of course we checked.

@outragemag Craving for #chinesefood in #Bulacan? We tried the offerings of Lee Foo Panciteria #Pulilan ♬ original sound – Outrage Magazine

Una, this place is really, REALLY easy to find. Located along the Pulilan Regional Road in Barangay Cut-cot in Pulilan, this is right in the middle of the municipality.

Ikalawa, the resto is actually divided into three parts: one side is for those with reservations, another part is for walk-in diners, and another part is for events. If/when the resto isn’t full, only the main part (middle one) is kept open.

No, this isn’t some fancy resto. More like an airconditioned karinderya, complete with wooden tables and plastic chairs. Look-wise, it wasn’t dirty naman when we were there, so that’s a plus.

Ikatlo, the workers were friendly naman… and they moved fast – e.g. while waiting for our orders, we were given must-check peanuts, and since we finished what we got fast, our waitress was more than happy to accommodate us.

Ika-apat, now… how was the food?

The house specialty, the Lee Foo Chicken (₱265 for half, ₱495 for whole), looked like fried chicken with ketchup. Okay… the breading was okay since it didn’t overpower the meat. The chicken, too, was properly cooked, and it wasn’t dry. But it was tasteless overall; so the ketchup taste is what stays with you.

The Pancit Canton Bihon (₱255) had thin pancit noodles, almost as thin as the bihon. It didn’t have lots of sahog; instead, you’d notice the extenders (like kikiam, and so on). I like good pancit, I swear… but this isn’t one of them, sorry.

The weirdly-wrapped Hakaw (₱155) was small, so it was bitin.

And then there’s the Siomai Steam (₱155), which was, in a word, weird. The size was good, similar to those ₱10 siomais. But the way this was prepared was weird for us – e.g. like the meat was overwatered, and having a hard time staying solid, so that it was smudgy, and disintegrated in the mouth even without chewing. I suppose that, at least, it wasn’t disgusting taste-wise.

Lee Foo Panciteria Pulilan is, we believe, popular. Like President in Chinatown, or a branch of David’s in some mall. To each his or her own nga naman. But for us, we’re off to look for other Chinese restos na muna as we head out in search of more lafangan venues.

Lee Foo Panciteria Pulilan is located at 159 Barangay Cut-cot, Pulilan, 3005 Bulacan Province. For more information, contact 0925 800 0168, or email leefoopanciteria@yahoo.com.

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Travel

Treacherous beauty: Hiking at South Stack Lighthouse in Wales

#Lighthouse fever in #Holyhead, #anglesey via the #SouthStackLighthouse, as checked during this #LGBT trip to #Wales.

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Yes, tech has made many lighthouses redundant. Not that they’re no longer relevant. But navigation-wise, we know we have more advanced solutions. Which, perhaps not surprisingly, led to the reconfiguration of many of them.

In Holyhead, Anglesey in Wales, introducing the South Stack Lighthouse.

@outragemag #Lighthouse fever in #Holyhead, #anglesey via the #SouthStackLighthouse, as checked during this #LGBT trip to #Wales ♬ original sound – Outrage Magazine

Una, you’d need a ride to be there. Some use private cars, as we did; others join tours; and others cycle to the place.

Ikalawa, what’s there?

The lighthouse itself is located on a small, rocky island off Holyhead. From afar, it looks like someone’s grand home; mansion-like. Accessible siya after you descend down 400 steep steps. 

What will you see while there?

  • the former lighthouse engine room
  • the top of the lighthouse
  • South Stack is also home to breeding seabirds including guillemots, razorbills and puffins

Here’s an FYI: seasonal lang siya bukas.

This is a must-check for lighthouse lovers, of course. Historic, it was built in 1809 by Trinity House from the design of Daniel Alexander. 91-foot tall, it used to allow safe passage for ships on the Dublin–Holyhead–Liverpool sea route. 

Another FYI: It is  allegedly haunted, and has been visited by a team from “Most Haunted”.

The area housing the lighthouse is, itself, worth checking. There are trails for hikers or joggers or cyclists; though the same could be enjoyed by those who are there only to look for good shots.

Check when you’re in the area… even if you just pass by. Nice siya, promise.

But off we go for more LGBTQIA+ rampa

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