AAA EnCompass

ADVOCACY—The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced that it will revamp its system for calculating the mileage estimates seen on the window stickers of new vehicles. If all goes as planned, the new system will be used on select 2008 models, and on all new vehicles by 2011.

AAn end to sticker shock discussed in the July/August 2005 issue of EnCompass (“Lost in the 1970s,” p. 38) the tests currently used by the EPA have not changed in 30 years and are not appropriate for the different vehicles and driving patterns found today.

Last year, AAA worked with leaders in Congress to convince the EPA that a change in testing procedures was long overdue, and conducted research that proved the current tests consistently overestimate real-world mileage. The study also confirmed that the way a person drives can strongly impact gas mileage. Clearly, consumers are in the driver's seat when it comes to achieving the best mileage possible from their vehicles.

For more information on fuel-related issues, including a fuel-cost calculator and fuel-price finder, go to www.aaa.com/fuelgauge.

AAA Travel—Much more than free TourBooks, maps and TripTiks. AAA Domestic Travel Counselors can help plan your road trip. AAA Travel Professionals understand national and international travel, from guided tours to independent adventure. AAA Colorado's travel store (in most offices and online) contains books, atlases, luggage and other travel items. Call 866-235-7070, visit a AAA office or www.aaa.com.

AAA is renowned for roadside assistance; lesser known is the fact that AAA has full-service travel professionals ready to help with domestic and international trips. For members traveling overseas, here is a sampling of the wide array of services and expertise AAA offers:

• Financial services, including foreign exchange, prepaid travel money cards, and travelers' cheques.

• International Show Your Card & Save partners provide savings to AAA members on a wide variety of goods and services, just like at home.

• Travel accessories such as electricity converters can be purchased at most Colorado offices.

• Advice and bookings for worldwide travel, accommodation, car rental, package tours and cruises.

• Expert assistance on customs requirements, trip insurance, International Driving Permits, passport photos, and other documentation.

For more information, contact your AAA Travel professional or visit www.aaa.com.

AAA TourBooks include a listing of points of interest around the state that offer a Great Experience for Members: exceptional places for your list of “things to do.” GEMs are chosen solely on merit—an attraction or destination can't apply for GEM status.

Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve is 38 miles northeast of Alamosa, via U.S. 160 and S.R. 150. Sand deposits accumulating over 15,000 years have created a 30-square-mile, stark yet ever-changing sandscape that forms an eerie, beautiful foreground for the rugged Sangre de Cristo mountain range. Some are more than 750 feet high—the highest sand dunes in North America .

Sliding, skiing and boarding down the dunes are popular activities, though you'll have to walk to the top first! High Dune and Star Dune are two photogenic and popular hikes in the main dunefield. The shallow, seasonal Medano Creek, with its distinctive rhythmic pulsations caused by the formation and collapse of underwater “antidunes,” adds to the atmosphere of Colorado 's biggest beach.

The Visitor Center offers ranger-led interpretive programs and information, and also has two inflatable-tire sandcrawler wheelchairs available for loan to disabled travelers.

For more information, click on “TourBook” at www.aaa.com, visit www.nps.gov/grsa/home.htm or call 719-378-6399.

A Colorado teen is continuing a family tradition with his success in the fourth annual national AAA Travel Challenge, which offers more than $100,000 in college scholarships.

The three-stage competition is open to high school students, grades 9–12. The first stage, held in January, was a 40-question online quiz. The top five Colorado scorers who moved on to the second stage—a proctored, written exam—were Akshay Buddiga, Rampart High School; Cory Weinstein, Highlands Ranch High School; Matthew Wilcox, Cheyenne Mountain High School; Douglas DuMuro, George Washington High School; and Vu Nguyen, Liberty High School.

After the written exam, Akshay Buddiga was declared the state champion. He wins a $1,000 scholarship. Akshay is the younger brother of Pratyush, who was Colorado 's state champion in 2004 and one of three national champions in 2005.

At press time, Akshay was scheduled to take an expenses-paid trip with a chaperone to compete for one of three first-place $25,000 scholarships in the national finals, held May 13–16 at Universal Orlando in Florida. Congratulations and good luck to Colorado 's new champion!

This year marks the 30th anniversary of AAA's Diamond rating system. Each year more than 60 AAA tourism editors visit more than 50,000 lodgings, campgrounds, restaurants and attractions throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean. They conduct unannounced evaluations, scrutinizing such areas as cleanliness, safety, ambiance, amenities and service. The ratings are then published in AAA's TourBooks as well as posted online at www.aaa.com.

In Colorado the coveted Five Diamond designation is held by only three properties: The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs (for all 30 years of the rating system); the Little Nell in Aspen ; and this year's newest addition, the Ritz-Carlton Bachelor Gulch in Beaver Creek.

As for the Four Diamond designations, only 3.25% of the estimated 31,000 AAA-rated lodgings and 3.21% of the estimated 19,100 rated restaurants are awarded such a distinction each year. Following are Colorado's 2006 Four Diamond lodgings and restaurants:

Denver : Brown Palace Hotel; Hotel Monaco; Hotel Teatro; JW Marriott Denver at Cherry Creek; Loews Denver Hotel; The Westin Tabor Center Denver

Vail: Sonnenalp Resort at Vail; Vail Cascade Resort & Spa; Vail Marriott Mountain Resort and Spa

Insurance & Financial Services—AAA Colorado's independent insurance agency offers auto, home, life, umbrella and long-term care products from several highly rated national insurers, as well as its exclusive brand, “AAA Insurance.” For a competitive quote, call 866-399-9836, or click on “Insurance” at www.aaa.com. AAA Colorado also offers financial services like the AAA Visa card, certificates of deposit and money market deposits. Call 303-753-8800 or click on “Financial” at www.aaa.com for Visa card information. For deposit products, call 800-526-7120.

When you hear the word “umbrella,” the first thing that probably comes to mind is a handy device that keeps you dry on rainy days. But there's another type of umbrella that's wise to carry in any weather.

What would happen if someone was injured on your property and your homeowner's insurance was not enough to cover his or her claim? Or if you were at fault in an auto accident and did not carry enough liability coverage?

A personal liability or “umbrella” insurance policy sits over your existing auto and homeowner's policies and shields you from claims that exceed your underlying policy limits.

If you, your spouse or your children cause bodily injury, property damage or personal injury to someone else, an umbrella policy will kick in when coverage under your auto or homeowner's policy is exhausted.

You might think only wealthy people need this added protection. But in today's society, lawsuits are very common. Anyone with assets to protect should consider an umbrella liability policy. For the amount of protection an umbrella policy provides, the coverage is inexpensive, usually in the range of $200-$300 per year for $1 million of coverage.

In Colorado, the hailstorm season peaks in mid to late summer. The Front Range is located in the heart of “Hail Alley,” which receives the highest frequency of large hail in North America and most of the world. In the last 10 years hailstorms have caused nearly $2 billion in damage in Colorado.

Almost all homeowners' policies and most car insurance policies with comprehensive coverage will cover hail damage, but it's prudent to confirm this with your agent. A few tips to keep in mind:

Never go out in a hailstorm to protect property; you could be injured.
If hail is heavy enough to strip plants of their foliage, check your roof for damage.
Check your car for dents and broken/cracked glass.
Call your insurance agent as soon as you notice damage.
When building a new home or replacing a roof, consider asking your builder about hail-resistant roofing.

Show Your Card & Save Program—This is the member savings program of AAA. Simply show your AAA membership card to save money at hundreds of retail and service shops, travel-related companies, lodging and automotive facilities. Various restrictions apply; for details visit your local AAA office, click on “Member Savings” at www.aaa.com, call 877-244-9790, ext. 2054.

In 2005 alone, AAA Colorado members saved over $6 million through the AAA Show Your Card & Save Program.

Come to the third annual Spring Expo to learn more about this program and find out how you can save more than the price of your membership. Talk with Show Your Card & Save partners about savings, whether it's on car maintenance, home security systems, RV rentals, dining out or health club memberships. Take advantage of available options, including such items as wheels and tires, airport parking, and hotel and car rental discounts.

Look for the big yellow Hertz bus, visit partner tables and register for door prizes. The Spring Expo is on Saturday, May 6, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., at the AAA Denver office, 4100 East Arkansas Ave. See page 7 for more information.

In conjunction with the Expo, AAA Colorado will also be offering, at no charge, a valuable auto-safety member benefit:

• Free visual automotive inspection—conducted by certified technicians. While you wait, 20 items will be visually checked, from wiper blades and brake lights to transmission fluid and anti-freeze. Any recommendations given should be verified by a repair facility.

If you're planning your summer vacation, don't forget to look into seasonal and regular savings available by showing your AAA card. In May and June, AAA members get special savings at the following companies:

Cruise America: Save 10% on Daily Freedom Rates for RV rentals, plus an allowance of 25 no-charge miles per day.

Hertz Car Rental: Receive $25 off a Hertz leisure/standard weekly rental on car classes A–F with a minimum five-day rental. Advance reservations are required; mention code PC #979705. Or receive $50 off a Hertz leisure/standard monthly rental on car classes A–F with a minimum 29-day rental. Advance reservations are required; mention code PC #979484.

Best Western: In addition to the everyday member savings of 10%, Best Western offers exclusive savings for AAA members. Join the Gold Crown Club International Program to earn 10 points for every dollar spent on qualified room rates at Best Western; earn 10% bonus points with each stay; and from June 4 through Aug. 19, stay five nights and earn a $50 travel card. Enrollment is free. Call 866-430-9022 or visit www.aaa.com/bestwestern to make a reservation.

Busch Gardens Williamsburg: AAA members can purchase discounted tickets for this popular theme park at www.aaa.com/buschgardens or at the park's ticket gate. Check out the new Busch Gardens Williamsburg two-day ticket with bonus third day, and the new Busch Gardens Williamsburg and Water Country USA Vacation Pass. Members also save 10% on select up-close dining.

Hard Rock Café: In June, AAA members will receive a free collectible pin and lanyard with any $25 purchase at any Hard Rock Café in the United States or Canada.

Automotive—AAA Colorado offers a wealth of automotive services, beginning with AAA's famous roadside assistance program that follows the member, not the vehicle. Other services include Approved Auto Repair and Auto Body Repair facilities automotive products at AAA Colorado offices, and auto sales and leasing through AAA Colorado AutoSource (page 63). All can be accessed through www.aaa.com, including AutoManager, which manages the maintenance of your vehicle.

AAA and Parents magazine have named 15 vehicles to its 2006 Best Cars for Families list—including, for the first time, a crossover category for vehicles that combine the best aspects of SUVs, minivans and station wagons. The annual list appeared in the April issue of Parents magazine.

AAA's 100 years of auto-safety expertise combined with Parents' insight into family needs led to a lengthy list of criteria for 2006 models. A team of reviewers from both AAA and Parents considered everything from crash test performance and fuel economy to cup holders, cargo space and ease of installing child safety seats. The winners:

EnCompass and www.aaa.com—Your membership brings you six issues of EnCompass magazine a year, and AAA Colorado's website. Online you'll find a 24/7 virtual office for member-only information, a sampling of travel vacations, TripTik maps, insurance and auto information, car sales and leasing, and the Show Your Card & Save member savings program.