Just wanted to come at you with some talk a little bit about planning a road trip, started putting together a couple of thoughts on doing some road trips. Me personally, I like to drive and I like to do road trips.
I actually would rather drive then fly when possible.
Some of my fondest memories of my children’s youth are of when I would come home from work on Friday afternoon, grab the kids, some clothes and some snack food, hop in the car and just take off for the weekend.
This post is basically about how to prepare for a road trip. Not everybody’s done extensive road trips, not everybody has taken a few common sense precautions before they do and they paid the price.
So my top best road trip tips:
#1 Make sure your vehicle is up to the task
If you own a 1973 hoopty with 933,000 miles on it and you haven’t done an oil change in this millennia … might not be the best car for you to take.
If you’re planning a road trip take your car to the mechanic ahead of time get an oil change, check the tires and tell the mechanic to look over your car to make sure it’s up to the trip. He will probably charge you an inspection fee but spending $100 or so and it saves you hundreds if not thousands of dollars while on the trip then it will be worth every penny.
#2 Map out your trip ahead of time
Use your GPS, Google Maps, or good old fashioned paper maps and figure out the best way to get there and back.
Then do yourself a favor, get a piece of paper and a pen and write down the general directions. You don’t have to write down every turn and how many miles till the next turn but at least write down on a piece of paper the major highways you’re going to be taking. Like 95 south to 495 West to 266 South.
Why? What are you going to do if you are in the middle of nowhere and you lose signal or there’s no satellites above you?
#3 have some cash on you
Credit cards, debit cards and electronic wallets are great and definitely makes life easier but what do you do if your car is on fumes, you pull into a gas station and their computers are down?
Grab $100 in twenties, throw it in your wallet or in the glove compartment and just leave it there.
#4 Start out clean
The day before you leave, take the car and get it washed inside and out. Clean out the the old McDonald’s wrappers and Burger King boxes because you’re going to accumulate stuff along the way at the very least if you start out clean it it’ll make the trip a little more pleasant.
#5 Eat and drink smart
So anybody that’s ever taken a road trip with me knows that when I’m behind the wheel, the gas tank starts at full and the car doesn’t stop until it’s on empty, well maybe not empty but below a quarter tank.
So you know if your on a road trip with me and you bring along a two liter bottle of soda with you and you drink it in the first couple hours, guess what you’re gonna be holding it or using the empty bottle for a completely different purpose then intended!
I just don’t stop unless I have to.
So if you’re going to be on a 12,16 or 18 hour road trip don’t bring 48 ounces of coffee and 20 ounces of water unless you are okay with a 12 hour trip taking you 16 hours!
#6 Take turns driving
Yeah, this one and it kind of depends on the person … ask anybody in my life, I don’t like to give up the wheel. I’m a horrible passenger.
But if nobody in the car is obsessive about driving like I am, take turns, drive two hours and then switch. It does make the trip go easier.
#7 Take a break every few hours
This one is dependent on who is in the car with you. If you have little kids in the car, or people with tiny bladders, or people that need to stretch their legs regularly then plan on taking breaks regularly.
#8 Prepare a playlist
I like books on tape. So when I’m driving, particularly if I’m driving overnight, and there are other people in the car that don’t like books on tape, I will listen while they’re sleeping.
I try to put together a playlist of different kinds of music so there is something for everyone to listen to. Obviously, it helps if you know the people in the car.
#9 Know the people you’re traveling with
If you can know their personalities, know if they are a type A or if they have a tiny bladder, as we’ve already talked about. Can they not sit still? Do they talk non-stop?
I’m not saying don’t take a trip with them, but know what you’re getting into before you start the trip. I was on a road trip a couple years ago, and the couple that we were with, they’re really good people, and I love them. But they have very different ideas of a road trip than I do. When I get on the road and Google Map says it’s going to take 12 hours to get there … my goal is to beat Google and get there in 11 and a half hours or even better.
Other people don’t feel that way. It’s not a race against Google to them, to them it’s a stop every hour to smell the roses and eat at every rest stop that you pass kind of trip.
So that’s my basic top road trip tips & tricks for how to plan for and prepare for a road trip.
If you have anything that that I missed that you always consistently do every time you go on a road trip, share in the comments. l
Talk to you soon.
