If I had a dime for each time my sister-in-law spat those words out during our Easter vacation… I’d be rich. My two older brothers are cellphone addicts—they take their phones everywhere. I will admit their addiction grew (somewhat) out of necessity. One is a firefighter and the other is the spokesperson for the county’s Department of Emergency Management. So each carries at least two cellphones at all times. Which, of course, means that during our spring vacation there was nary a moment that went by when one of their phones was not ringing. (And frankly, I couldn’t blame them for not turning them off. Of course, had it been my husband’s phone…)
Does our vacation scenario sound familiar to you? If it does, you are in good company. According to a wireless industry trade group, more than 230 million Americans—some 75% of the population—use cellphones, and last year they made 2 trillion minutes worth of calls on them. That said; save for having the willpower to turn off cellphones and Blackberries, is it possible to cut the cord to enjoy a peace filled family vacation?
In my previous blog I mentioned that California’s Death Valley is an ideal getaway for those looking to getaway from incessant ringtones and endless vibrations. As you might expect, most areas that are void of cellphone service are remote and sparsely populated. For example, mountain ranges, deserts, rural areas and islands. (F.Y.I.—Vast swaths of Nevada, California, Idaho, Arizona and Maine are signal-free.)
And then there is Alaska. Yes, parts the 49th state is a dream come true for the spouse or parent of a cellphone addict. If you really want to spend time in a land where cellphones don’t ring head to tiny Yakutat, Alaska. It’s a small fishing town on the Gulf of Alaska surrounded by mountains, national parks and wilderness. But, you don’t have to travel that far north to vacation near cellphone dead spots. The Angeles National Forest, located about an hour’s drive outside of Los Angeles, has spotty cellphone coverage, especially near the tree-covered slopes of the San Gabriel Mountains. In addition, Andes, New York, situated just three hours northwest of Manhattan in the Catskill Mountains, is also cellphone-free.
Before you leave a comment on this blog telling me that you in fact do get service in Yakutat, know this: cellphone reception depends on several factors, including the frequency of the cell tower your phone is communicating with. Other factors that affect reception include: weather, your phone’s antenna and wattage, and the size of surrounding structures. Then there is the additional factor of who provides your cell service. Someone who uses AT&T will have a different signal than a Verizon Wireless or Sprint user, and coverage between the companies may differ substantially.
My advice for a peaceful vacation–listen to my sister-in-law.
Related Articles:
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A Thief-Proof “Screaming” Cellphone
A Place To Turn ON Your Cellphones… And Let Them Ring, Ring, Ring