Plan, listen, carry

By Lylah M. Alphonse, Globe Staff, 04/14/02

		Sensible traveler  Where they went  Travel gear  Student travel

Stay within the fold

Scully offers a carrying case that keeps your essentials secure and at your fingertips. The tri-fold black leather case has a separate zip-around compartment for your Palm Pilot or Visor Handspring, as well as a cell-phone holder, fold-out organizer, plenty of slots for credit cards, and pockets for your business cards and passport. It costs $105 from Colorado Pen Direct (800-766-7367); or online at www.coloradopen.com.

The tranquilizing tube

Keep the kids quiet on your next long road trip. Panasonic offers its Roadshow entertainment system, which sports a 9-inch LCD color monitor with a built-in VCR. The system comes in a compact padded case, and includes AC/DC adapters, two wireless headsets, and a remote control. Carry the whole thing inside, or route the sound through the car stereo system for a tailgating party. Available through the Frontgate catalog (800-626-6488) and online at www.frontgate.com, the VCR system costs $595; a system with a VCR and an ultra-thin DVD player costs $995. The TV/VCR alone costs about $280-$380 at most appliance stores and online at www.electronicsemall.com.

Goals you can reach

A trip planner can help make routing your next adventure so much easier. National GeographicÕs Trip Planner 2002 CD-ROM (for Windows 95/98/ME) can chart and print out maps and directions, access detailed national and state park guides, and check out more than 100,000 points of interest, hotels, and restaurants. And thatÕs just the tip of the iceberg (depending on where you want to go)! It costs $29.95 from National Geographic (888-225-5647), and online at www.nationalgeographic.com and www.amazon.com.