Dreams of driving Yellowstone, driving school, driving stamps

KATHY RENWALD FOR THE TORONTO STAR

Kathy Renwald likes the idea of a stop at the Rustic Inn on the Grand Teton Loop, as recommended by American Road Magazine ($29.95 U.S. for four issues).

Kathy Renwald

SPECIAL TO THE STAR

ME UNDER $50

My idea of a perfect gift is to get in a car, almost any car will do, and explore Canada and the United States. Can't do that for $50 or less, but I could fuel the U.S. part of the dream with a subscription to American Road Magazine. Then I'd be off and dreaming about driving the Grand Teton Loop, recommended by the magazine. Drink in Yellowstone Park, the plains, the mountains and a stop at the Rustic Inn at Jackson Hole. $29.95 (U.S.) for four issues, www.americanroadmagazine.com.

Lugging stuff is part of modern life, so do it with elan using the Isetta Tote Bag from Café Press. The graphics are pure Andy Warhol pop. The same snazzy image appears on T-shirts, aprons and postcards. $19.50 plus shipping. www.cafepress.ca.

GPS is groovy, but we still need maps. Spend some time at the Canadian Cartographics Corp. website and get ready for a graphic education. I would order the Southwestern Ontario Backroad Mapbook, perfect for test driving cars, the Harley-Davidson Ride Atlas of North America and, CCC tells me, another hot seller for people of all ages is the Driver Study Guide, available for all provinces. $16-$40, www.cccmaps.com.

PARTNER UNDER $100

I love my iPhone, and the Google Maps app that comes with the phone works pretty well, but I'd be happy to try the new TomTom app for the iPhone. It has spoken word, turn-by-turn navigation and Canada and U.S. maps. Order from iTunes, and take time to check the customer reviews; there are some complaints, but then again there always are. It's also handy when you're walking and looking for directions in the city. $69, www.apple. com/itunes/.

The U.S. Vintage Grand Prix is next Sept. 10-12 at Watkins Glen, N.Y. Historic cars dating to the 1930s light up the equally vintage track. The drive there through the Finger Lakes is half the fun. Advance tickets $35 (U.S.), www.theglen.com.

I think the Fins and Chrome stamps from the U.S. Postal Service would be a great gift, but they don't give a hoot about Canada and won't ship here. So the blue woody wagon stamps from Zazzle look fun; just don't try to use them as postage. $27.10 plus shipping, www.zazzle.ca.

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Maybe it's time for a skills upgrade. I'd head down to Birmingham, Ala., and enrol in the two-day women-only course at the Porsche Driving School. Skid pad, cornering drills, all in the absence of chest beating males. The next women-only event is next Sept. 29. $2,995 (U.S.), plus accommodation, www.porschedriving.com.

Say you're a passenger in an Audi S4 Cabriolet, and there's a chill in the air. Then why not wrap up in an Austrian-made supersoft blanket and decorated with a snappy red car. The David Fussenegger design could move from the car to the couch without missing a beat. $135, InHouse Etc., Burlington.

Some of us still take notes. I'd like to do it with the Mercedes fountain pen. Made by the Aquila Group of Italy, the Performance Collection Mercedes pens look racy and sleek. I prefer the silver finish fountain pen. $195 (U.S.), www.fountainpenhospital.com.

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