30 Tips from 30 Days on the Road
We’ve been on the road for just over 30 days at this point, and oh man has it been a trip of a lifetime! We’ve gotten into a pretty good routine that keeps us happy and clean (important) while traveling this much, so we figured we would share some of our road trip tips. Please feel free to leave us a comment at the end with any of your hacks that make life easier on the road!
1. Pack Snacks! No one likes a hangry road buddy.
2. When you see a rest stop, take advantage of the restrooms. You do not want to have to take a sketchy exit at 1 a.m. to pop a squat next to the railroad tracks. Google does a terrible job of locating rest areas, so don’t even try to count on them. Some states have the rest areas by mile marker on their DOT website, but even then, they can be so spread out your poor bladder will end up hating you. Use the damn rest stop when you see it!
3. Sleep as much as you can, when you can. You really have no idea what the next day is going to bring; 16 hours of driving and then stand-still traffic, sleeping in the back of your van on the street because you arrived late and don't want to wake your friends at 2 a.m., bar hopping way past your bedtime. Your internal clock gets twisted when you’re on the road, so if your partner is sleeping soundly for the 10th or 11th hour in a row, let ‘em snooze.
4. Stopping to enjoy nature is well worth your time, even if it pushes back when you’ll arrive at your next destination. Get out of your car, walk around, do some stretches, take a deep breath, and then keep moving.
5. If your road buddy insists on driving 14+ hours in one day, don’t let him! Even if he claims driving is more engaging than being bored in the passenger seat, DON’T LET HIM. He will end up a cranky old man (or woman) and it will take days to recover.
6. Don’t forget to get the oil changed every 5,000 miles! And check your fluids and tire pressure regularly. No one wants to be stuck in the middle of a million acres of Midwestern cornfields, with no cell service and a hot mess under the hood. It hasn’t happened to us (knock on wood), but we have certainly noticed the occasional ‘dead zone’ that Verizon has yet to discover. “Can you hear me now?” No.
Having a beer in an old bank vault. Somewhere we would have never found without a local’s advice!
7. Local knowledge is gold. Reach out to all the friends and family you can think of and then the friends of friends in the cities you’ll be visiting. When we are planning activities in a particular area, we typically go about it one of two ways: either we perform an extensive internet search of “things to do in _______”, or if we have the opportunity, we will ask our ‘local contacts’ for advice. Hands down, we have received far better advice from locals than we have from Google or the internet in general. You may also end up having a great time breaking bread with some awesome people you haven’t seen in a while. Not only that, we have been led into many disappointing and over-priced restaurants because the place had 4.6 stars on Google. Even if you don’t know anyone in a particular town, find a social atmosphere such as a bar or restaurant, and ask the locals where you should (and shouldn’t) go. Nine times out of 10, you won’t be disappointed!
8. Carry a cooler and a camp stove, and go to the grocery store! You will save SO MUCH MONEY by not relying on a restaurant for every meal. And your digestive system will thank you. We LOVE a good restaurant, but find that they are more often too heavy on protein and fat, lacking adequate vegetable portions. I also think it’s really fun to see the vast array of grocery stores across the country, and how prices vary. Skip the Safeways and the Krogers, seek out the local chains with something new and exciting to offer!
Arthur manning the camp stove during a lunch break from driving
9. Talk to strangers. Forget what your parents told you as a kid, talking to strangers is ok and can be really fun. We’ve had some great conversations with random people that began by saying hello. Obviously not everyone is your friend, so use your best judgement, but step outside your comfort zone and strike up a conversation!
10. Make plans. Don’t set out for the day without a plan. You don’t need to jam pack your day full of activities, but ALWAYS have at least one point of interest. You will not necessarily have a good time just wandering around looking for something to do, especially in a bigger city. Trust me on this, we’ve tried time and time again, and we always end up stressed out by all the options, stressed out because we end up on a street with NOTHING, or pissed off that we picked a random mediocre restaurant because somebody’s blood sugar was wayyyy too low and we had to make a disappointing decision (don’t forget Rule #1: always pack snacks).
11. Don’t be afraid to break your plans. I know I just preached about making plans, but if something more awesome pops up or you have to take a detour to visit the “coolest small town in America,” pushing some of today’s activities to tomorrow, DO IT. You have to let go a bit when you’re traveling. Some our of favorite activities were spur of the moment.
12. Always have a craft beer on hand. One of the most valuable pieces of equipment we have in our van is a growler. It’s a great way to enjoy local breweries along the way, and you’ll avoid a bunch of recyclables clinking around in the back.
13. Get some alone time. If you’re traveling with your partner, make sure at some point you get a little alone time to do things like cuddle and discuss your crazy plans to take over the world in private. Visiting family is one of our favorite things to do, but it needs to be balanced with a healthy dose of alone time. Find a campground, hotel room or AirBnB, and get some time to yourself!
14. Less is more on the road. We don’t have experience with many camper-style vehicles, but in 30 days we have decided that a minivan is the PERFECT size vessel for our budget and needs. Anything bigger, and fuel costs would eat us alive! Anything smaller would make sleeping overnight nearly impossible (we sleep like BABIES in the back of our 2006 Dodge Caravan). Bottom line: if you want to see our beautiful country on four wheels, it can be done on a very modest budget. But pass on the Winnebago and get yourself a good-running, stylish, 10-year-old minivan!
15. Caffeine is your friend. Even if you’re not a coffee drinker, we would strongly advise keeping some emergency caffeine and/or 5-hour energy type of elixir on hand. It might not be the healthiest thing on earth, but it could end up saving your life on long hauls. Don’t drive drowsy! It’s not always safe or convenient to pull over and take a nap, and therefore we have occasionally resorted to powering through with the help of an energy supplement. Our preference is the Kirkland (AKA Costco) brand 5-hour energy, if you can find it.
16. Make sure to get your daily serving of fiber. Vegetables can be hard to come by in typical American fare. Do yourself a favor and pick up a pack of broccoli florets and a container of hummus every now and then at your local grocery store. Eating funky food in every state you visit can really confuse your digestive system. The moment you have to ask yourself “when was the last time I pooped?” is the moment you’ll realize you’ve been eating too much cheese and not enough greens.
17. Make time to stretch and get some exercise. We have been on perpetual vacation for a while now, but it’s important not to eat, drink and be lazy like every day is Sunday. Some rest areas offer a short paved walking trail, which you can walk or run over and over to get your daily steps in. We even found a rest area in Wisconsin with the adult equivalent of a jungle gym (or maybe it was actually a kid’s jungle gym, who cares?). Do some push-ups, pull-ups, and hamstring stretches to justify the pint of craft beer you’ll treat yourself to in the afternoon!
18. Document your travels with photos, sound clips, videos and/or a journal. In our opinion, a journal is the way to go. A picture may be worth a thousand words, but nothing beats a journal for planning out your trip and organizing your thoughts about all the activities and food you indulged in. A year from now when you’re planning a return trip, it’s nice to remember which campground had the cleanest bathrooms and what hole in the wall restaurant had the best smoked fish dip.
19. Sun protection is your best friend! Being sunburnt can really put a damper on your plans. Don’t be stubborn! Sunscreen, SPF clothing, hats, sunglasses: get them all and use them!
20. Never pass up an opportunity to take a shower. At some point jumping in a lake just doesn’t cut it. You never know when you’ll get another good shower on the road, so cherish every single one, and no skipping!
21. ALSO, never pass up an opportunity to do laundry. The first couple of times, it might feel awkward to barge into a friend or relative’s house with a big bag of laundry over your shoulder, but if they are offering, TAKE THEM UP ON IT! Laundromats are the worst, so any opportunity to avoid the laundromat is time well spent! Side note: pack light! Bring lots of underwear and socks, but other than that pack about half of what you think you need. This will make the laundry situation less cumbersome and save room in your van for maybe a second beer growler.
22. Unplug. Turning your phone off or on silent while you’re touring a museum, going for a hike, or just enjoying a cup of coffee by a lake really makes you appreciate your surroundings more.
23. Keep a good selection of books on hand.
24. Download Waze. This app will save your ass on many levels. It not only routes you around heavy traffic and construction (if possible), but it will alert you when there are road hazards or speed traps up ahead. I’m not condoning speeding here, but we’ve all zoned out on the road and forgotten how fast we’re going. Waze will make you check yourself (before you wreck yourself) when the alert comes on. Added bonus, you can pick the Cookie Monster as your narrator.
25. Call your mom (or your equivalent of)! People worry when you’re on the open road and no one has heard from you in days. Keep someone updated not just for their sake, but also for safety.
26. Don’t be afraid to take a rest day, or two. When you’re on the road for an extended amount of time, you absolutely need to take time to chill out. Don’t go to a museum, don’t try to hit 5 food establishments in one day, don’t tell yourself you need to hike X amount of miles. Take it easy. Find a coffee shop or a bar (our go-to), a park or lakeside, just hang out for the day and decompress. Whatever you need to do to slow yourself down, do it.
27. Make a first aid kit and use it! Nothing ruins a road trip more than an infection you could have avoided. Peroxide, band aids, and antibacterial cream take up almost no space! Don’t wait until you need them to get them! Keep your cuts clean and your ass out of Urgent Care!
28. Appreciate your hosts! If someone lets you stay with them, be respectful of their space and clean up after yourself. Also don’t be shy: offer to cook dinner one night or buy a round of beers. Food and alcohol are a sure way to let your hosts know you’re grateful for them.
29. Keep your devices charged. Always plug all your devices in at night so they’re ready to go the next day. If you’re staying with someone or in a hotel, this usually isn’t an issue, but if you go camping you may be without electricity. This is when you realize how terrible the battery life on your iPhone is. I always keep my phone on low battery mode in these situations and carry my charger around with me. It’s not uncommon to see us posted up at a brewery, in the corner, next to an outlet hoping our phones charge up before we finish our beers.
30. Keep your eyes peeled for free activities. Some of the nicest museums, parks and concerts, especially in bigger cities, are FREE! And when it comes to museums, they’re ALWAYS air-conditioned! Stuck in Nashville on a 90-degree day in July? You’re in luck, because the Tennessee State Museum is FREE, open 6 days a week, they keep it a frosty 68° Fahrenheit year-round, and they have a fantastic array of art and history exhibits.
What are some of your “travel hacks” or “pro-tips”? Leave us a comment below. We’re always looking for ways to improve!
Happy traveling!