Last week in an unprecedented move, the House narrowly approved an energy bill that would limit harmful greenhouse gases--the first time any chamber of Congress has ever approved limits of this kind. Now the energy bill faces a tough battle in the Senate and already there is vocal opposition from many different camps.

Without access to Capitol Hill, I settled for the next best thing: taking straw polls at happy hour. I asked one simple question: If the climate bill passes, would you be more likely to offset your travels?

Today I'm stopping by The View from the Bay to do a round-up of the best summer travel gadgets. Savvy Window Seat readers already know about a few of the gizmos I'm going to talk about, but here are my top five (in no particular order):

So Uncle Sam gifted you a huge refund and you spent it on a ticket to Coachella? NICE. After six straight months of grim economic news you’ve more than earned a chance to blow off a little steam. But don’t space out yet. There will be plenty of time for that once My Bloody Valentine starts their set.

Here are some tips to make your Coachella experience rock.

Glowing is for Glowsticks:

I've been talking about getting your passport for a few years now, but this time I really mean it.  The Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative has had a rolling ID ramp-up requiring passports for people who are entering the United States from Mexico, the Caribbean, or Canada.  Up until now it only mattered for people who were traveling by air.  But as of June 1st passports, NOT JUST A DRIVERS LICENCSE, will be required for entry back into the US.

Like many New Yorkers, I don't own a car. This complicates weekend trips, of course, as I am forced to rent one.

I also rarely carry cash. I typically have about $2 on me. Why carry cash when I can use my debit card for practically everything? Unfortunately though you can't use your debit card at the toll booth. Until now! Sort of. From Jaunted, here's the headline that caught my eye: Fear No More Change-less Rental Car Drivers.

The Highway Toll Administration  recently introduced the TravelPass mail-order program that provides electronic tolling devices, or tags, to travelers who book car rentals through Travelocity.

Here's how it works:

When I was in my mid-20s, my then-boyfriend and I decided to pack up our few belongings and hit the road: California or bust. I grew up in Maryland, and California always held a mystique to me. It represented this far-away fantasyland where surfers rode endlessly into blazing sunsets, artichokes and olives grew plump and rampant, and giant trees with rich, red wood scraped the lower corners of the sky. We were going to drive there, and we gave ourselves two timeless weeks for the journey.

I always looked forward to family vacations as a kid. My parents would load the minivan with games and a cooler full of goodies, and we’d hit the road. Of course, my little sister and I would usually end up fighting in the backseat, but the conflicts were laid to rest with pit stops along the way and the occasional ice cream break at Dairy Queen.

The most memorable road trip was one that we took to Red River, New Mexico the summer after fourth grade. It was the first time I saw a mountain range. I remember winding our way through the beautiful scenery, stopping at various outlooks to relish the views and explore. To me, road trips have always been about more than just getting from Point A to Point B; they’re a chance spend quality time with family and to see parts of the country that you’d otherwise overlook.

Knowing that summertime is limited and road warriors have a lot of ground to cover, I consulted the road-tripping gurus at RoadTrip Wizard to get their recommendations on making the most of America by car. They suggested 15 drives to introduce the family to some of the country’s most beautiful, natural landscapes, but I whittled the list down to my five personal favorites:

There is almost nothing more American than a good, old-fashioned road trip. Fill up the tank, call up your friends, and take to the great highways. But if you’re anything like me, before you go, you load up your iPod with a road trip mix that is so well-crafted (and let’s face it, borderline genius) that surely your friends will oohh and aahh all the way to Albuquerque. (That never happens, by the way.)

My only problem when creating these mixes is the embarrassment of riches to choose from. Not only do Americans love riding along in their automobiles, but bands love to sing about it too, making the wealth of road trip songs nearly overwhelming.

Photo courtesy of IgoUgo member kwasiak.

A cab ride is like a snowflake: No two are ever exactly alike, and if certain conditions aren't met, it can lead to total meltdown. I've been in smelly cabs, music-blaring cabs, heat-cranked-high on a summer's day cabs and burn-rubber cabs. Perhaps most disquieting for me was the cabbie in San Francisco who, after gliding through a stop sign at the top of Nob Hill, answered his ringing cell phone with a cryptic "yes, they're kicking in, and, man, is this some good s*'&t."