Over the last four years, I’ve been lucky enough to see quite a bit of the United States. My boyfriend moved from New York City to Los Angeles for school and we decided to drive for three weeks, seeing friends and family. When I moved from Missouri to Los Angeles myself, we decided to once again drive across the country, although we only took a week for that trip.
Over Thanksgiving, we traveled to Phoenix for a meal celebrated with friends and then on to Santa Fe, NM to see an art exhibit and back to LA in just three days. We are planning our next trip over the summer for the American Southeast. The key to a great road trip is a partner with whom you don’t mind spending hours of time. There are so many factors involved, one’s listening tastes, driving habits, napping tendencies, and of course, a willingness to stop at any roadside attraction that catches the eye.
As far as navigation was concerned, I felt like the GPS was our only option, but my boyfriend is a staunch advocate of maps. We ended up using both for different things. The GPS was great to have in terms of knowing our estimated arrival times, but the map was great to see what cities we were close to and which scenic route we wanted to take. If you have the time, ALWAYS take the scenic route. So much of our trips, especially in the Southwest and desert areas were beautiful to drive through because we took the scenic route. It’s definitely worth the extra driving time to be able to see the incredible landscapes.
We were lucky enough to have lots of friends with a spare couch for us to stay on which saved us money, but we also used Air BnB and the occasional hotel in a pinch. The great Air BnB’s will have recommendations on places to eat in the area, but we also liked driving around and letting something catch our eye. As for eating on the road, I recommend bringing your own snacks. Fruits, veggie sticks, crackers, and cheese, are all easy to eat on the go. Plus if you bring your own snacks you are less likely to buy that very tempting bag of Cheetos at the gas station!
Having a few major stops is never a bad thing when planning your road trip. Maybe you want to see the Loretta Chapel in Santa Fe? Maybe you would rather see The Tetons or The Arch! Don’t forget Route 66 or a stop in a ghost town. Having a general itinerary helps you to figure out how long the road trip will take but I think you should also be okay with adding stops or throwing stops out as you go. The key is flexibility and a sense of adventure. I keep thinking that I’ll get tired of the road, and to be fair driving can be pretty boring, but with good music, good company, and some incredible scenery I think they’re one of the best ways to spend a vacation!
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