Submitted to me by email:
Hey Mighty Mike!
Though I have not toured for poetry, I have toured all over the US with a theatrical production. I can offer the following bits of advice:
1. CONFIRM EVERYTHING: I know this sounds like common sense, but really, confirm things yourself. Don’t leave it to a venue (be it university, club, local reading, whatever). Call your performance venue contact, your hotel/crash pad, and any trasnportation you will have while in the area if it is not your own. Call 1 month before, 1 week before, and 24-36 hours before. It’s obsessive, yes. But REALLY REALLY worth it.
2. DIRECTIONS: If you will be travelling by car, invest in a good map book. Go to a TA plaza (or other just-off-the-highway truck stop) near you and get the ones the truckers use. Yes, they are more expensive. They are also comprehensive, all the metropolitan areas are updated regularly, and they include info like approved travel routes (in case you are driving a van or some other vehicle which won’t fit under certain bridges). Call your venue and hotel and ask if there is any construction/roadwork/other traffic headaches in the area you should avoid. Espcially between crash pad and venue. This will help you time-wise.
-If you are renting a car, GET THE INSURANCE. Even if you have rental coverage on your won insurance. Yes it’s $10 extra a day. But if something happens when you are driving that unfamiliar vehicle at night in an unfamiliar area possibly in cruddy weather, you will owe the rental company NOTHING. You won’t even do more than fill out paperwork. THEY deal with all the insurance claims BS.
3. FOOD: Invest also in a medium-sized cooler and re-freezable ice packs. You can then shop at the supermarket for sammich stuff and not be eating fast food all the time. Even cheap-ass hotels will usually have fridges in the room (request one); or, you can ask the nice front desk person if they could please re-freeze the packs for you. Remember to get them back.
4. MEDICAL: Make sure wherever you are going has a branch of the pharmacy you use. CVS and Rite-Aid are pretty widespread. Skendarian Apothecary is not. And keep your doc’s card handy in case you do need a refill on the road at some local place.
-Keep a first aid kit with you, and keep up with the expiration dates on any medications (Aspirin, anti-bacterial ointment, etc). The first time you need tweezers and a band-aid for a sliver and no one has any, you’ll thank me.
5. WHAT IS THERE TO DO AROUND HERE ANYHOW: You’ll probably be busy glad-handing and hanging out. You’ll have no end of things to do, and you’ll be with locals. But eventually, you’ll be in some hotel somewhere, have the desire for a meal out or something to do. If you need advice from someone at the hotel, don’t ask the front desk or look in the room guide. Ask the housekeeping staff – they have the same amount of money to spend that you do. And they aren’t pushing you on partnered businesses. You get the housekeeper’s name, and before you leave, you make sure s/he gets an envelope with a nice tip.
6. I GOTTA PEE: If you are driving in the same area often, make a note of good bathrooms. Any travel plaza with a fast-food chain in it is probably OK. And every county has a Wal*Mart and/or a Target. Bathrooms are always near the service desk at both. And it never hurts to keep a roll of TP and some clean-wipes in your backpack.
Hope these are helpful!
-Syllie
