William (Bill) C McElroy

UPDATED JULY 2021 - People visiting the Atlantic seaboard should consider the three islands of Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard, and Nantucket as a place to vacation any time of the year. Although late spring, summer, and early fall are the best times, there still is plenty to do in the winter. It is just that winter attractions are different from the tourists' season attractions, and thus most travel to the cape in warmer weather when the majority of attractions are open for your pleasure.This touring guide provides over a hundred attractions to visit during the touring season, and includes not just the three islands but the three mainland attractions as well, i.e. Plymouth Rock, Salem, and Plymouth Village. The manual does not include restaurants, motels, hotels, and tours as these number hundreds and many frequently change hands and names, or go in and out of business. The attractions provided are reasonably stable and are the mainstay of each community's revenue. Enjoy.

UPDATED APRIL 2023Created a more useful Index, and added chapter on Foreign Travel INTRODUCTIONThere are dozens of Internet sites that provide an extremely limited number of tips for worry free travel and vacations and the majority of these sites are trying to sell you something that you in all probability do not need. This manual is only trying to sell you it, and nothing else. (How's that for honesty?) 80+ TIPS for SAVINGThe manual has over 80 tips that you can or should consider for making your home more secure while you are enjoying your much-needed vacation or that important business trip. GEE I FORGOT THATThe manual attempts to help you eliminate the 'Gee I forgot that, am I in trouble' thoughts that occur hours after you have hit the road or boarded that bus, train, ship, or airplane. ALARMS & COFFEE POTSThese are just two of the dozens of items you need to check and secure before you leave the house, even if for an hour to go shopping. Imagine if you left the coffee pot on for days at a time while you are enjoying your vacation. This booklet provides you with a checklist text of each item you may or should be monitoring. FOREIGN TRAVELApril 2023, Added a chapter on foreign travel and all the things you need to know in order to keep safe and out of trouble legally. COVER PICTUREThe cover picture is an example of what can happen if you do not take proper steps to secure your residence; the home in question was vacant for a few weeks and the damage was in the tens of thousands. This could have been prevented using one simple tip that is described in this manual.

The Internet is full of travel tips for all sorts of business or vacation travel and if you have weeks to do your research you may actually discover things that you previously did not know or understand. Travel is an adventure; it should not be the chore that many make of it. It is fun, it is a learning experience, and it is getting to know the world on which you and yours live. The author has traveled extensively and has had some really bad trips, and some really great memorable trips. He has learned the hard way that he could be 'nickel and dimed' by vacations that he though he had fully planned and paid for, only to find out differently. He has been stranded in foreign lands with booked transportation evaporating into thin air. He has experienced the loss of baggage and toolkits, and he has ended up in cities, which he never thought he would visit.Over his 50 years of worldly travel he has indeed 'learned the ropes', a trick or two, and now retired is passing on this knowledge to you, the reader of this concise manual. So, instead of searching the Internet for weeks, sit back and enjoy an hour or two learning how to survive various travel methods. Learn how to protect yourself from scams, being harmed, paying too much, and turning what should be the adventure of your life into the disaster of your life. Enjoy...

INTRODUCTION: Sales and Advertising are essential in operating a business, obtaining a job, and making money. Too many contractors and others are very good at their jobs, they may even be considered to be 'experts' at what they do, but if they cannot promote their services to others, it does not put money in their pockets. SALES vs. CONS: There are plenty of con-men out there in the world, and some make out quite well financially, but do you really want to 'cheat' people or do you want people to respect you and source you and your product? Sales is a technique about how to provide a service or product to a person that has wants and needs, but is uncertain about if you are the person that should be supplying his or her wants and needs. This guidebook will help you to help him or her eliminate that uncertainty. HISTORY OF AUTHORThe author in his youth was very good at his trade, but when he went into business for himself he realized that if no one knew about him, he was not going to succeed. The author therefore took college level classes in business management, sales techniques, advertising and marketing, and not only ran a successful small business, but hired many and eventually ran a multi-million dollar company that employed several hundred American workers. PUBLISHED AUTHOR: He has during his career started several businesses, and his knowledge of how to close a sale has helped not only him make a decent living, but also helped those that he mentored, leading to him having several professional contracting publications placed on the market by publishers like Prentice Hall, Family Handyman, Amazon, and Craftsman Books. CLOSE THE SALE: This booklet is designed for the novice, the semi-pro, and the professional contractor or person that needs tips on how to advertise and sell his services, and then 'Close the Sale' at a profit. Do you want to learn how to close the sale, or do you think you already know how? Are you costing yourself expanded profits by not knowing what the professionals know? Give it a try; it is easy reading and great information.

INTRODUCTIONThe Dead Blue is about our environment, both our Blue Sky and our Blue Oceans that are dying due to the presence of humans on the planet. Humans have needs of housing, food, trade, energy, and transportation and we have in the short time we have been on this little floating Blue Rock sought and found each. Unfortunately, in our quest for a better life and living conditions we have exploited the planet on which we live, and in many instances destroyed portions of it. We are now up to over 6.3 Billion strong, and there are probably 10 times that population in wild and domestic animals, and each being produces methane a gas that contributes to the Greenhouse Effect that is causing Global Warming. WEATHER EVENTSWe also are by choice or accident polluting our water and air with chemicals, plastics, and all sorts of human waste, i.e. junk as we consume just about everything we touch. Think of it this way, the recent hurricanes put furniture, food, paints, household chemicals, appliances, vehicles, building materials, toys, electronics, and millions of tons of other consumables into our oceans, lakes, and rivers. Water is corrosive and each of these items will eventually dissolve and settle to the bottom of our waterways and thus, choke off plant life and oxygen to marine life, the very marine life we depend upon for our survival. POSITIVE CHANGESWe have and are changing the earth, and not always in a positive way, and we need to wake up to the facts, and make positive changes to the way we live, manufacture things and food, and transport ourselves from place to place.This short booklet hopefully may provide some ideas on how to do this, and someone with more resources than I may become wealthy solving our environmental problems as we attempt to save mankind from his or her own destruction. ENVIRONAMENTAL LAWSThis booklet covers many of the environmental laws, including actions we need to take to prevent further destruction of our water supplies and our marine life that substances a vast worldwide population. LETTERSIncluded are letters from President Obama, Senator Robert P. Casey, Jr, Allyson Schwartz, Senator Bob Casey, Amanda Starbuck, Kyle Ash, Kevin Knobloch, and Rodger Schlickeisen all people in power that believe in protecting our environments and its water supplies. WHAT CAN WE DOSection # 11 has over twenty-four proposals that we can consider for our future.

BOOK LAYOUT: Not everyone wants to see all the various categories of things offered and thus, the author has separated this book into chapters that should help a visitor find specific attractions. Example: If you are looking for vineyards, then Chapter # 18 is for you, but if you were looking for a place to RV, then Chapter # 15 would be the place. The TOC is your key to finding what you wish, and the Index will allow you to narrow your search to specific locations. ADVERTISING: There are many websites on the Internet that provide a look at all that the Hudson Valley has to offer, but most only have a few of the attractions, and these are the attractions that paid to be on each website, or are used as 'bait' to attract the viewer to other advertising. This touring guide to the Hudson Valley may be the most complete guide you will ever find as it does NOT depend on advertisers, and contains no paid advertising. AUTHOR'S GOAL: The author's prime goal is to introduce you to the abundant opportunities to visit and learn about in one of the more exciting locations in our history, a history that dates back hundreds of years. RECREATIONAL OPPERTUNITIES: The touring guide also presents to the reader the dozens of outdoor recreational opportunities for skiing, hiking, swimming, boating, fishing, camping, and RV camping by providing names and addresses with GPS location of places to seek. NAPA VALLEY EAST: For those that like to party, the author includes the Hudson Valley vineyards and wineries that have become an east coast challenge to California's Napa Valley. ADDRESSES & GPS: Unlike many books that only provide a name or a name and address, this manual provides the name, address, and the GPS to use on mapping applications like GOOGLE MAPS(TM) COUNTY & TOWN LISTING: The Appendix has a listing of the counties and the towns that are in each so that if you want to search by a specific county, you can. TIME: The author provides a short description of each attraction and suggest the amount of time it will take to see that attraction; this valuable attribute will help you plan your day's trips so you have time to see what you want, time for restroom breaks, and time for meals. AUTHOR'S VIEWS: William (Bill) C. McElroy lived in the Hudson Valley from 1944 to 1956, and again off an on in the 1959 to 1980 era. His parents lived there for decades until the 2010 period; he and his parents frequently visited the various historic, nature made, and man-made attractions. His knowledge of the area includes personal history of many of the attractions and how each has changed over the decades. As an example how Gertie's Nose was named, and how the name was eventually changed to the Gunks a popular mountain climbing spot.

INTRODUCTION Brick and Masonry in 112 pictures. This is almost a travel guide to some of the historic, modern, and beautiful places in the U.S.A. Brick and Masonry buildings dating from the 1600's to todays are represented by pictures as means of understanding the beauty and complexity of this construction technique. DO-ItFor the professional or the Do-it-Yourself homeowner there are ideas and tips on how others have accomplished or not their brick and masonry projects. Shown in picture format are some great projects and some great failures, with explanations of the 'why'. GLOSSARYA Glossary of terms is provided in text format with references to the photo figures so that the reader can not only read, but also see the actual item being described. TECHNICAL COLLEGEProvided for those that want a career in masonry or the building trades is the name of a great construction technical college where those accepted can obtain free instruction, plus room and board. AUTHORThe author, William (Bill) C. McElroy is the author of Fences and Retaining Walls, The Painter's Handbook (Craftsman Book Company), and The Roof Builder's Handbook (Prentice Hall). He is the co-author of Electrical Blueprint Reading (Craftsman Book Company) and he has designed and built homes and duplex homes as well as having done extensive remodeling of both Row and Single-family homes.

INTRODUCTIONNew Jersey is the 'Garden State' as it is in the Northeastern US, but due to it being surrounded by the Delaware River to the west and the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south it is fairly temperate and thus 'Green' in some areas, even in the middle of the winter. The state has a long history of supplying vegetables and other food items to New York City and Philadelphia and thus became their 'Garden'. The northern part of the state around the NYC area is today very industrialized. The southern part is more farmland and woodland, coupled with the bogs or swamp like areas. FROM FARMS TO TOURISMBack in the past the southern part of the state in addition to farming was a good 'iron producer' and iron pots and pans were top selling items. Over the decades the iron panned out and the people needed a new industry, and that turned out to be window glass and glassblowing. As this too slowed the area turned to 'tourism' and today is a major tourist location on the east coast of the US. HUNDREDS OF ATTRACTIONSThis touring guide covers the state from Trenton and I-195 south to Cape May and it may very well be the most concise touring guidebook you shall find as it covers several hundred interesting attractions and places to stay or visit. VINEYARDSFor those that enjoy a good glass of wine there is Chapter # 18 - Vineyards that provide you with the names and addresses of twenty great vineyards that you can visit. MILITARY HISTORYThere is a section on Sandy Point that may interest those that like military history. RAILROADS AND RAILROAD MUSEUMSThere is a chapter on railroads and railroad museums that should be a delight to see by children and adults alike. Here is an example of the detail included in this touring guide. "Tuckahoe Village Train StationThis is now part of the Seashore Lines railroad that provides 30-mile round trip rides between Richland Village and the Tuckahoe Village Train Station. The Seashore Line is the child of the 1930s Pennsylvania - Reading Seashore Lines, the Reading Company and the Pennsylvania Railroad and the ride takes you back in time. You also get to see the 'crossing watchman's shanty' and the concrete bridge abutment that carried the Pennsylvania's double track electrified line over the Reading Company's double track line. Plan on two or more hours. 1272 Harding Hwy, Richland, NJ 0835039.492282, -74.871905" NOT INCLUDED IN BOOKSPersonal preferences for places to stay, things to do, and items to eat are just that, personal preferences and this author does not pretend to know yours. Hotels and Restaurants are varied and numerous in the New Jersey area and you should not have trouble finding the facilities that are suitable to your taste. Hotels and Restaurants go in and out of business, change ownerships and staff, and what may be great one day may be poor the next. Therefore this author does not include these in any of his many touring manuals. TOC & INDEXComprehensive and easy to use.

INTRODUCTIONThere are several guidebooks for locating tourist railroads and train museums, but few if any provide anything more than a simple address. This e-book guide provides the user with a 'Turn-by-Turn' road guide w/GPS from the closest Interstate junction to the destination.VISITING TIPSThe guide is for the western states and part of Canada, and it shows the names and addresses, but also Cautions, the permanent closures, and the sites that have different names for the same site.SAMPLE DESCRIPTIONSThe guide has sample descriptions from the Official websites when possible, and the author's notes about many of the sites.TURN-BY-TURN DIRECTIONSAlthough GPS of each intersection is provided, a person that does not have GPS can easily follow the road turn-by-turn descriptions.13-STATESThere are over 150 sites listed for the 13 states and Canada. If you like railroads, then a trip out west can keep you occupied for weeks, if not months.INCLUDEDThe state of Alaska and some of Canada are included as well as AZ, CA, CO, ID, MT, NM, ND, NV, SD, OR, UT, WA, & WY, AUTHORThe author is the printer of the original American Flyer Appraisal Guide, a best seller at the time. He has carefully studied and mapped out the dozens of railroad museums, rides, and look-sees that are listed in this booklet.

INTRODUCTION: The book is designed to show how a secure border wall and high-speed rail security system can be built. A Border High-Speed Rail System that is self-supporting and can provide opportunities and jobs for tens of thousands of citizens on both sides of the U.S.A. / Mexican Border and throughout the Americas, jobs that can be expanded into the millions over the decades. HSR REASONS: One of the prime reasons for the development of a Border High-Speed Rail System is that it spurs on advancement between nations in the western hemisphere and beyond. It can produce product made in America that can be exported to all nations. CAUTION: We are close to losing the HSR market due to isolationism as it is, and due to the inability for our citizens to see the future beyond our borders. Other nations are younger than we in terms of technology, construction, transportation, communications, education, etc., and are fast catching up and surpassing us on all fronts. We need to develop advanced technology and procedures that spring us years ahead of them, and the idea presented is just one thought that can work, and that can improve the lives of millions. HSR TYPES: This book includes the various types of HSR that can be considered, built, and funded by governments, private corporations, public investors, and citizens on both sides of our southern border. NATIVE AMERICANS: There are several Native American reservations along the border and they can greatly benefit from having HSR provide access to their needs. NATIVE MEXICANS: There are several Native American reservations along the border and they can greatly benefit from having HSR provide access to their needs. US MILITARY: Our US Military will benefit in that it can move troops from coast to coast with their equipment in hours, not days. FOOD PRODUCTION: Using HSR from San Diego to Brownsville can reduce millions of tons of perishable food waste due to long delays in the moving of the products from the source to the retail establishments. WATER: Using the right of way, we can pump sea water to distillation plants along the entire HSR path, this water can be used for farming, manufacturing, and much more, thus energizing the now nearly wastelands of desert along the path. POWER: The project can bring safe, clean, environmentally green energy to millions of people while also powering the HSR system. SECURITY: The border will become harder to cross as one will have to cross HSR tracks that can be constructed to prevent people crossing, but still allow water, airflow, and wildlife crossing. Additionally, the addition of power, water, and transportation along the entire length of the border will vastly reduce the need for unwanted immigration, gun, and drug smuggling. AUTHOR: The author, William (Bill) C. McElroy is the author of Fences and Retaining Walls, The Painter's Handbook (Craftsman Book Company), and The Roof Builder's Handbook (Prentice Hall). He is the co-author of Electrical Blueprint Reading (Craftsman Book Company) and he has designed and built homes and duplex homes as well as having done extensive remodeling of both Row and Single-family homes. He has worked in highly technical industries for several decades and helped put a man on the moon, and a rover on Mars. He is a USAFSS veteran, and has owned and managed several businesses. Additionally, he has taught highly technical subjects in private industry, public schools, and at the Pentagon, and has over 45 semiconductor equipment manufacturing patents accredited to his name.

AUTHOR: The author has been in industry for more years than he desires to count, and his career has included tour guiding, tour planning, owning several businesses, managing multi-million dollar projects, and teaching college level courses on multiple subjects. This manual developed by the author is designed to include all the necessary subject matter that you will need if you want to become a successful tour guide or tour agent. WRITTNEN FOR: This book is a course in business management for the individual that wants a career in the lucrative tourist industry as a Tour Guide or Tour Planner. It covers all the basics that are needed for going into any small business, but with emphasis on the Tourism Industry and its insider information. 40-CHAPTERS - 40-DAYS: The manual is divided into 40 chapters, each being suitable for individuals, college, or technical school students that wish to start his or her tour planning and tour guiding business. The A2Z of the touring business is explained in 40 chapters that are designed to be completed one chapter per day. TESTING YOUR KNOWLEDGE: There are quizzes that will exercise the mind and require some research. There are many Internet website addresses that may be used to acquire important information on taxes, insurances, laws, employees, and licensing. (Current when book was written) REQUIRED BUSINESS KNOWLEDGE: As an Independent Tour Guide or Tour Planner you are a businessperson, and therefore you should know sales, advertising, accounting, insurance, tax liabilities, customer relations, and maybe employee relations. This book is designed to cover each of these subjects so you understand each and how each will affect your business planning and success. WHAT YOU WILL LEARN: This manual covers each and provides a good start to your new career. "What you will learn depends on you and what you want to learn, how much time and energy you will apply, and the amount of money you desire to spend on getting your tour guide business up and running." - Ref: Professional technical school instructor.

INTRODUCTIONNEW: As of February 2021, added Zip Code Search to help you find RV Parks near your intended destinations. Are you planning an RV vacation to Alaska or one of the US Western States? If so then you may be spending days to weeks researching locations of RV Parks, and you may be spending hours to days stranded in the great outdoors due to not understanding the weather, rules, traffic, reservation systems, etc. INCLUDEDThis is a sampler book for the person that is anticipating a trip in an RV to our western states; it provides the names of places that advertise themselves to be RV Parks with the proper facilities for the RV operator. ORGANIZATIONSThis guide booklet includes the names of several Recreational Vehicle Associations and also the names of RV Campground Associations that you might want to join or contact. INDEXThere is a comprehensive state-by-state index with an alphabetical listing of the RV parks in each. NOT INCLUDEDNot included are the hundreds of 'camping' spots, and 'state parks' that offer overnight spots for RVs, but may NOT have the facilities needed, such as electric and water hookups, and dumping stations for gray or black waste water, or slips where a 40-foot RV can fit, and turn around if necessary. RECOMMENDSpend the dollar, save yourself time and grief, and then recommend this booklet to your friends and to the RV dealer and RV park owners where you decided to stay. AUTHOR DISCLAIMERNote that the author does NOT accept advertisements or endorsements from RV sellers or park owners; his income is only from these books.

INTRODUCTION: One must believe in something when things go wrong or go right for him or her. I have in my 81 years on this floating blue rock found that even when things appear to go very, very wrong, the Guardians have something better in mind for me, and I always come out ahead of the game and always end up where I should be. A BETTER PATH: And believe me, I have over the years tried to take different paths, only to be pushed, dragged, shoved, and pulled to the path for which I belonged; the path that gave me certain riches, be each monetary or just happiness. ARE THERE GUARDIAN ANGELS: I have seen much of the world, and have much more to see, so I trust that my Guardians will allow me to continue my travels and adventures in safety, and do so having much fun in the companionship of Iris. So friends, readers, and thinkers, did I convince you that there are Guardian Angels that are looking out for us, or am I still here against the odds solely due to luck? You be the judge