AAA Insurance Reopening in Manchester, Offers Travel Arrangements Too

AAA is not just about maps and roadside services; it's also about auto and home insurance plus travel plans, all from a local office with added offerings.

A fresh AAA Insurance group now serves customers throughout Missouri from a local office that reopened at 477 Lafayette Center, in Manchester's West Oaks Plaza. The staff recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony with the West St. Louis County Chamber team and members. (For instant news updates follow Patch on Facebook and Twitter.) AAA Manager Brad McCarty said the new, seven-member staff can assist with travel planning for both the U.S. and international trips, as well as auto and home insurance needs. "People may think of us for AAA membership, which includes roadside services, towing and help with breakdowns," said McCarty. "But now we can also assist them with cruises and vacation destinations, such as Disney and Universal Studios." He …

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Ask the Patch Pro: Local Experts Answer Questions About Planning Your Vacation

Our panel of experts are waiting in the comments to answer all your questions about planning your vacation in the latest installment of Ask the Patch Pro.

It's time for another edition of Ask the Patch Pro, where each week we tackle a different topic and open up the comments section for questions. Our team of experts stop in to help you out and answer your questions. This week we're talking about vacation planning. We still have a few months before it's time to get out the flip-flops and beach towels, but it's not too early to start planning your spring and summer vacations. Patch wants to help you get your questions answered. But we needed some help. We've compiled a team of experts to help us out. Meet the experts: Have a question for our experts? Ask below!

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Ken Curfman

8:50 am on Friday, February 8, 2013

here is a website to check out and see what's out there.. http://www.funjet.com/default.aspx?pLCode=71753630C3   more ›

Ask the Patch Pro: Seeking Local Vacation Planning, Travel Experts

Patch is looking for experts who can offer their expertise and advice about planning spring and summer get-aways this week.

We still have a few months before it's time to get out the flip-flops and beach towels, but it's not too early to start planning your spring and summer vacations.  Patch wants to help find the answers to questions about planning your great escape, but we need a little help. In the latest edition of "Ask the Patch Pro" we need local experts who can answer readers' questions and offer advice about vacation planning and travel.  If you are a local expert and can answer these questions and more, let us know two ways. One: You can leave a comment along with your email address on this post. Two: You can send an email to jordan.lanham@patch.com. We need experts to answer questions on Thursday, Feb. 7.   Curious as to what we are looking for? Take…

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Traffic Ahead: No Work Over Holiday Weekend

MoDOT is giving workers and travelers a break from Friday, noon through Tuesday, 9 a.m.

Traffic Troublemakers Each week Patch What's even more maddening than road closures and construction that slow you down? Inconsiderate, irresponsible drivers that make you just shake your head in disbelief. Each week on Patch, we'll highlight some of these Traffic Troublemakers, plus give you a look at what to expect on the roads courtesy of the Missouri Department of Transportation. Affton-Shrewsbury Patch editor Andrew Dana Hudson reports an unsettling encounter: I was on Holly Hills in South City and pulled up to the intersection with Gravois. I had a green light and needed to turn left, but I looked and four other cars zoomed through the intersection on Gravois. They had a green light too! It was a four way green light. Not only is …

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Traffic Ahead: MoDOT Workers Take Off Thanksgiving

All MoDOT work to stop at noon on Wednesday.

We opened up the horror stories to travel of the Thanksgiving sort this week. Traffic Troublemakers A local Patch employee relates an airport horror: An hour to get through security in terminal 2 at Lambert, and everyone had two, three, four bags plus carryons and laptops! AND lots of hollering kiddos in every other aisle of the packed plane ;-) Another Patcher recalls a road trip back to college (Michigan State) after the long weekend, driving the Ford LTD wagon on 2-lane roads. His brother was driving, the Patch guy was dozing in the shotgun seat, until he's awakened by the roar of the V-8 automatically downshifting to second, taking off like a rocket. The brother was passing, uphill, across a double-yellow. The adrenaline rush lasted a …

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MoDOT Worst Travel Times Warning

MoDOT says there are certain times to avoid areas of Highway 40 this month, including the stretch through Town and Country.

Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) said there are certain times to avoid areas of Highway 40, including the stretch through Town and Country, in June. MoDOT staff reminds drivers that with kids out of school and families taking vacations, summer brings traffic flow changes and changes the worst travel times during the peak hours.  To better understand area traffic, MoDOT traffic engineers conduct a monthly analysis of travel speeds. Most recently, they said there is increasing congestion on the stretch of Highway 40 from Route 94 in St. Charles County to Spoede Road in St. Louis County. This recent report focuses on eastbound travel from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. and westbound travel from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. In a news release, MoDOT issued …

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Do It In A Day

Lewis and Clark Confluence at Historic Site, Tower

Visit the metro area’s newest landmark and see where Lewis and Clark started their great westward journey.

Take a drive to Illinois and see where Lewis and Clark really started their great westward expedition. The Lewis and Clark Confluence Tower and the Lewis and Clark State Historic Site are both located in Hartford, IL and when visited together are well worth the drive. The Confluence Tower stands 180 feet tall and overlooks the spot where the Mississippi and Missouri rivers meet. The nearby historic site has a museum and replica of Camp Dubois, where Lewis and Clark spent the winter before sailing down the Missouri River. Hartford is less than an hour’s drive from west St. Louis County. The two attractions are about a mile apart. What To See: The tower is made of two connected legs, one named for Lewis and the other for Clark. Guided tours …

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