Road Trip Travel Tips

The first time I drove cross country was in college. Hanna had an internship in New Mexico, and in May we packed up her Ford Escort station wagon with everything it could hold (including putting luggage on the roof and our bicycles on a rack) and set off for a three day journey across the country. The first day was great. We got an early start, spent the day listening to music and talking while we watched the country roll by. We ran into a terrible thunderstorm in St. Louis, but got to visit some old friends from high school who graciously gave us their couch for the night. The second night, however, was terrible. Hanna and I had been traveling across the northern panhandle of Texas, and instead of stopping when we should have, we decided to try to make it all the way into New Mexico that evening. As it grew dark, we both grew tired and irritable. Finally we decided that we weren't going to make our goal, and that we should stop somewhere. But after making that decision, it was several hours before we could find a place to stop -- or rather, some place we felt halfway comfortable stopping at. Finally, outside of Amarillo, we found a sign for a campground. We had hoped to not spend any money on lodging during the trip (broke students that we were) but we were too exhausted to push any further, and the thought of a campground with a shower was inviting. The reality turned out to be quite a bit different. Our borrowed tent had two pieces of major structural damage, requiring some creative repair on our part. The shower at the campground could have been a set for a horror movie; the flickering florescent lights that came on when we flipped the switch only served to make the water and sewage in the floor more visible. i spent a sleepless night in our busted tent, listening to the howling wind, the interstate traffic, and imagining all sorts of crazy scenarios involving drunk Texans preying upon hapless college students. The morning light actually made things worse; now we could see the piles of rusted car parts and garbage all around where we had stayed the night. I was so tired from the ordeal that after we finally got to our apartment in New Mexico, I slept for almost 16 hours straight.

I learned many things from that trip (not the least of which was to avoid Texas if at all possible). Recently, a friend was planning her own cross-country trip, and asked me to share some tips learned from all of those miles on the open road.

• Make sure your vehicle is ready for the trip. Before you travel, make sure your car can handle the journey -- get an oil change, top off the fluids, and make sure you've got good tires and windshield wiper blades. If it's an older car, you might want to have your mechanic look it over. You don't want to be stuck in the middle of Tennessee on a Sunday morning trying to find a towing service or auto repair shop that's open -- trust me.
  
• Know your route. Before you set out, make sure you've looked at your route on a map, and that you are familiar with the roads you're going to be taking, where you plan to stop (and for how long), as well as any potential hurdles on the way, such as driving through major cities. As you review your trip, have an idea where you'd like to stop each night. Whether you're staying in posh hotels every night, camping at state or national parks along your route, or sleeping in your car by the side of the road, have at least a general idea of where you'd like to end up each night. It's a good idea to keep an atlas in the car as well, in case your plans need to change. While GPS devices and services such as Google Maps make planning travel much easier than it was a few years ago, a good old fashioned map is still hard to beat.
  
• Lay in provisions for the journey. While gas stations and restaurants have plenty of things to satisfy the road munchies, you're going to be paying extra for the convenience. It's better to prepare drinks and snacks before you set out. A lunch box or small cooler with an ice pack is good for packing sandwiches, cheese, and similar perishables, and water bottles or thermoses are good for keeping your beverage of choice close at hand. I also like to buy nuts, dried fruit, and M&Ms in bulk and make my own trail mix in for long trips -- it's easy to eat while driving.
• Prepare for the unexpected. While most cross-country trips I've taken have gone smoothly, there have been those times where things went wrong. Bad weather, construction, and accidents can all sabotage your travel plans. While you can't prepare for everything, it's good to take some basic gear with you to help with most emergencies. Road flares and jumper cables should always be in the car. Know where the spare tire kit is in your car, and how to use it. I also keep a pair of extra winter gloves, ice scrapers, and a brush for snow in my vehicle -- a lesson hard learned one January night. (And remember, changes in elevation often bring dramatic changes in weather; this is especially true in the West.) Keep some cash and a roll or two of quarters in the car for tolls. You might also want to look into joining AAA, as their services can come in quite handy when you're in unfamiliar territory and something has gone wrong. Your auto insurance, cell phone plan, or credit card may also include some sort of roadside assistance.
• Know your limits. While I've dealt with my share of bad storms and flat tires, the biggest danger I've faced on long road trips has been fatigue. Falling asleep at the wheel is a technique guaranteed to cause a bad day. If you feel yourself getting tired, pull over -- that's what rest stops are for, after all. Walk around. Have a cup of coffee or a bite to eat. If you need to, have a quick nap in your car. Don't drive if you don't feel alert. If you are traveling with someone, make sure that you give each other regular breaks. Hanna and I used to switch every time we stopped for gas (though this rule no longer works, now that we have a hybrid car that can go almost 600 miles on a tank).
  

Have tips that I've missed? Leave your own cross country experience in the comments.