Top 10 travel insights from my latest trip

I traveled to Iowa and Florida (more on both trips once I decompress) and gained some valuable insights during my journey to the Great Wide World.

1. Seeing 30 baby strollers lined up on the jetway for a 6+ hour flight is not a good sign ... and neither is seeing the flight attendant reach into her pocket to hand out packets of earplugs.
2. Yes, you can see northern lights from the plane in October! (It almost made up for the need of earplugs...almost.)
3. Wow, I've heard of keyless entry cars but come on, pushing a button to start a car? And having to keep track of the lock-clicker thingy and remembering to push the button to shut off the car?
4. Using the "reverse" camera in the car makes backing up even more difficult than trailering a boat. (It took me three tries to back into my sister's driveway. Don't even get me started talking about the touch-screen XM radio gadget.)
5. Wireless internet is a wondrous thing, and I'm happy to see that most airports are now offering it for free (except O'Hare). But, it still does not work when it's windy. All the rest stops I stopped at along my route advertised wireless Internet, but it did not work at any of them.
6. If you're driving on the tollway from Chicago to Iowa, the tolls have increased significantly ($12 each way instead of $2 when I lived there) and healthy food options simply don't exist.
7. Chili's Restaurant marks which menu items are gluten free, offers wireless internet at the table and has a gadget at the table where you can slide your credit card to pay your bill. All good, nifty things!
8. If you were born in or before 1937, you are now allowed to keep on a "light jacket" and your shoes when going through airport security. (I guess there isn't much threat from those 75-year old terrorists roaming around out there. I didn't have the guts to ask what a "light jacket" is....)
9. If you are 12 or younger, lace up your shoes, because you can now keep them on when going through airport security.
10. If you're into taking a nip out of the liquor on the shelves at your local Walmart, you will have to curtail that habit ... at least at the Walmart's in Iowa. They now have a locking mechanism on the pricier liquor items. Allow extra time at the checkout for the clerk to futz around removing it.