VIA readers know how to make friends when traveling: Smile a lot and talk up the town. Here are more ideas.

"Travel with your pets," suggests Rick Adams of Fair Oaks, Calif. "People freely approach me while I'm walking my dog."

"We ask for the best place to get some apple pie," writes Pattie Mugure of Hayward, Calif. "Everyone loves pie."

"I pull out my knitting and start clicking my sticks," says Jo Jenner of Ashland, Ore.

"We always bring a Frisbee," says Laurie Corson of Sonora, Calif. "Within a few tosses, there are usually children around and before long we're friends with their families."

"Carry tissues," says Elizabeth Winter of San Francisco. "You'll be surprised how many people you meet by handing hankies to sneezers in need."

How do you stay alert on long drives? Email otr@csaa.com. If we quote you, we'll send you $50 and a VIA T-shirt.