You've heard and read all the dire predictions about travel in a year of uncertain economic conditions.

Just back from three trips, we thought readers might like to hear some hard facts about what it's really like out there.

Are roads empty of traffic? Popular places to stay empty? Gas (petrol) stations devoid of business? People hunkered down abandoning vacation plans? You will probably be surprised at some of what we learned.

Normally seeds we harvest in autumn from our prairie are delivered to the Midewin National Tall Grass Prairie the following spring. Seed from more than a dozen varieties of forbs, flowers and grasses, many endangered, are cleaned, overwintered and annually donated to that project.

This 19,000-acre project of the US Department of Agriculture, US Forest Service and Illinois Department of Natural Resources is located on what was the Joliet Arsenal, one of America's main wartime ammunition producers.

In the 11 years of their existence, America's first national parkland devoted to prairie preservation has made remarkable progress.

But driving out there is never the greatest pleasure, since the route starts out through some of Chicago's southwestern and western sprawl before hitting some interesting farm country.

So this time we decided to drive out to scenic Starved Rock State Park through prime farmland and spend three nights at its historic lodge as spring emerged, then drive back east to Midewin's prairie.

Built by the Civilian Conservation Corporation (CCC) in the 1930s on bluffs above the Illinois River, the lodge's dramatic log interior is not unlike Old Faithful Lodge. We've written about it here before.

Noted for its large American Eagle migration, bird-watchers find it especially interesting. Remarkably, the week before going there, five eagles circled the evergreen groves on our property, flying low as though looking to overnight, until scared away by mobbing crows.

Dates were April 20-23 and the Sunday we arrived was a full house. Off season, Monday and Tuesday were quieter but advance bookings as popular as ever.

Only 94 miles southwest of Chicago, there's a built-in market, something travellers will likely find at all such unusual properties near major cities worldwide. They attract a loyal return clientele.

"We're as booked as ever," reported the Front Desk. "We've seen no evidence of a slowdown."

But our reservation was an example how you have to ask a lot of questions about rates. We wanted a room in the newer wing where they're much larger.

"They're $135 a night off-season plus tax, with a 20 per cent discount for anyone who's a senior," we were told. Sounded good.

The day after we arrived, I read something in its promotional literature in the lobby about spring specials including breakfast. So I asked the front desk about it and they brought out the woman who had made our phone reservation and quoted $135. She said rather sheepishly: "Oh yes, they're $95 for the same room you have right now. Do you want to change it? That would make it $104 with tax and a $15 breakfast credit."

Naturally . . . so we had breakfast in the attractive, dramatic CCC-built dining room. But, interestingly, neither the massive stone fireplace in the truly Great Hall nor the almost as large dining room one was ever lit. An economy move?

When asked at the Front Desk, we were told: "People complain it's too warm." Too warm when April outdoor temperatures hovered around the 50s and 60s evenings?

Yes, gas prices fluctuate, sometimes almost hourly. Near the park we filled up at $3.49. By the time we reached Chicago's remotest outpost suburb, it had escalated to $3.79 and the day we left on our next trip, May 2, it was as $3.89 in our village. That already looks like a great bargain!

Buying a plane ticket at the last minute usually carries sticker shock. Interestingly our most recent one didn't. Barely home, we called to check flights to Reno, Nevada for an encore visit to the Lake Tahoe area we'd enjoyed so much last fall.

Calling on Friday, April 25, they had space for departure a week later, May 2, at $348. We wanted to also use 30,000 miles each to upgrade to first class.

"There will be a $75 expediting charge since your flight is so soon," said Bruce, a very personable, long-time American Airlines reservations agent. "I can hold it until midnight tomorrow."

That gave us a chance to call to check resort space for a week's reservation. Arranged satisfactorily, we called back to pay the ticket next morning, at which point we were told the cost will be $841 for two tickets.

Turns out the expediting fee had gone up to $125 overnight because it was now only six days to departure, something Bruce hadn't mentioned. But still reasonable overall, including the charge for talking to a live person.

Sitting on the tarmac at O'Hare for two hours before takeoff while a fierce thunder and lightning storm assaulted the airport, we observed another airline economy.

Rushing off to an early-morning flight with time for only a quick piece of toast, we were desperate for a cup of coffee ¿ better yet, a mimosa ¿ after struggling through hectic rush-hour and construction traffic.

Forget it. American Airlines had just announced the charge of $25 for a second bag on tickets purchased after May 12. AA was not about to challenge its troubled balance sheet further by offering first class passengers a beverage.

So we sat on the tarmac devoid of a beverage for two hours. Obviously no one wants to fly during a lightning storm, so the delay was certainly appropriate.

One of the great bargains of this trip turned out to be a one-week rental of a Chevrolet Uplander, an exceptionally comfortable six-passenger van. My brother Jim had just started checking on the rental of a van in Europe and was still recovering from the quoted price of $4,400 for an automatic diesel for three weeks. Last year it was around $2,500. Sounds more like a purchase down-payment than a rental.

"I can't believe it. At Reno airport all Alamo wants for a van or four-wheel drive is $335," reported a very surprised Jim. "That includes $21.99 daily for CDW (collision damage waiver) insurance." That was even less than the $409 for last autumn's similar rental. Gas cost $138 for driving 900 miles.

Perhaps you've heard about the never-ending rumble of earthquake shocks unnerving Reno residents for many weeks. They were widely reported in the Chicago area, since Illinois had just experienced an unusual 5.2 quake along New Madrid's fault, waking us in the night.

The Reno television station received in our California section of Lake Tahoe reported total quakes daily, from 2.0 up to more than 4.7 on the Richter Scale, frightening residents to the extent a special supplement addressing how to plan for a major one were distributed in Sunday papers.

It could cut off the major route from Lake Tahoe to Reno airport or seriously damage the airport itself. Experts were in a quandary how to analyse the situation. Total daily earthquakes were announced in newscasts, ranging from 44 one day to 32 the next, up and down daily.

While their velocity diminished, gas prices escalated: $3.75 in Reno, $4.09 at Tahoe City, $3.93 in gold mine country. Prices vary across the country from place to place.

Surprisingly, California's fruit and grocery prices seemed unexpectedly higher than at home. And since we had a housekeeping cottage and are very conscious of continuing a healthy diet even when travelling, we were in and out of a variety of stores.

But the wonderful bonus of being in the right place at the right time was the icing on the cake. Temperatures along Tahoe's beautiful lakeshore were mild. Flowers and blossoming shrubs of everything from dogwood, to ginestra and golden gorse brightened roadways throughout the gold country once west of snowy Donner Pass.

An amazing amount of snow still covered Sierra peaks and massive piles of it lined some roadsides, ploughed there to keep routes open during an especially snowy winter. When we attended church Sunday in spring clothes, snow was piled up in great banks in the parking area.

Skiers were still very much in evidence at Squaw Valley when we visited there on May 3 and 8. Lifts were operational, parking area crowded, slopes still very pristine.

We'd chosen those dates hoping mountains would still be snow-covered, but valleys comfortably warm. It turned out to be perfect. So were off-season rates of $1,328.25 for a week in a lovely lakeside cottage.

On May 27 we drove north 230 miles to Wisconsin's Door Country Peninsula, a very popular Cape Cod-like vacation destination visited since childhood. Again, benefits of off-season travel offered a daily rate of $200 plus tax for a bayside villa at Gordon Lodge including full breakfast, rather than $260 high season.

Five nights with tax was $1,110. It's considered the area's premier resort. Others cost less, but Gordon's offers an especially beautiful, unspoiled wooded 130 acre setting along Lake Michigan's shore.

Miles of cherry trees in bloom and temperate weather were perfect.