Have you ever dreamed of taking that perfect road trip? You know the road trip I’m talking about. The one where you can take your time, see the sites that you really want to see and just enjoy the scenery around you. Me and my family just took one of those road trips. I’m going to give you some tips that made our road trip a success.
Plan ahead
Before you hit the road make a wish list of the sites that you want to see. Rank those sites by importance. If there is a site that you absolutely don’t want to miss make sure you put that at the top of your list. Plan your route so that you can see the most without wearing yourself out.
Read guides on the area you want to visit
I picked up a fantastic guide at our local used book store before our road trip. This guide helped us so much. Had I not read this book I would have never known about Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument or about many of the other little places we stopped along the way. A good guide can be a valuable asset to finding those off the beaten path places that you don’t want to miss.
Be flexible
When you make your list of places that you want to be remember to be flexible. You might find that one of the places you visit completely carries you away and you end up staying way longer than you expected. Be mentally prepared to not be able to visit all of the places on your list. Think of it as just a wish list. This is why you should add the things you aren’t super excited about at the bottom of the list. The things you wouldn’t be heartbroken about if you didn’t make it to see them.
Don’t drive too much
We broke our trip up so that we didn’t spend more than 2-3 hours on the road. This allowed us to really enjoy the places that we stopped so that we weren’t in a hurry to move on to the next thing. And it also kept us from getting too worn out from being in the car for too long.
Ask locals for recommendations
Don’t rely on stopping at the big chain restaurants or the typical tourist traps. Ask locals for recommendations for places to eat, stay and play. You never know what hidden gems you will find.
Plan way ahead for gas stops
If you are out west especially there are stretches of road where you will go for miles without seeing a gas station. Make sure to plan ahead so you don’t find yourself on the side of the road.
Download your Google Maps
Be sure to download your route on Google Maps just in case you drive through an area where you don’t have a signal. This will allow you to still use your map for navigation while you are in offline mode. You sure don’t want to get lost in the middle of nowhere!
Get off the highway
Don’t just take the highway your whole time. Take the more scenic routes. It may add more time to your trip, but I promise it will be worth it.
I hope you find these tips helpful! Have you taken an epic road trip? Let me know your tips and tricks in the comments!
