Planning an Upcoming Road trip?

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There's no question about it; road trips are fantastic. Nothing can beat the excitement of setting out on new adventures, cranking up the music and hitting the open road.

• Be sure that your driver's license, car tags, and automobile insurance are current (keep a copy of your insurance card in the car.)

• If your insurance policy doesn't offer roadside assistance, join one like AAA. Having that number will immediately get you to an approved local tow service and mechanic and save you a lot of stress and hassle of being stranded along the road.

• Make sure your vehicle has had recent service.

• Check the oil, water, tire pressure, and lights.

• Fill your windshield wiper fluid.

• Clean your car from top to bottom and create an organized system for packing (placing the things you may need most often towards the back.) Also, go ahead and clean your car out any time you stop. You really don't need that empty water bottle, chip bag, and candy bar wrapper.

• Create an awesome playlist on Audible for your trip.

• If you enjoy listening to books or podcasts, download some of them from Audible. However, not too many. You don't want to be distracted by all of the scenic views!

• Download the Roadside America App to use when you may need a short break or want to do some unplanned exploring.

• Make sure you have power cords for any electronics you may be taking.

• GPS or a downloaded map on your mobile device.

• Plan your route: If getting to your destination is the primary goal, I would always stick with the recommended route offered by Google Maps (or your GPS of choice). However, if you are willing to add a little time to your adventure, take a look at some alternate options for getting from Point A to Point B. This will allow you to see more of the country and enable everyone to travel more scenic roads. Additionally, anticipate any trouble spots like getting through large towns or across bridges at rush hour.

• When possible, take a cooler and prepare/take some food and drinks with you to cut down on costs.  Always ask the locals where to eat. They often have the best suggestions for the most fantastic restaurants. 

• Always keep some cash with you. It is hard to imagine, but you can still run into areas that do not accept credit or debit cards. However, they may have an ATM machine that will charge you high fees. You also may encounter tolls and unexpected purchases.

I hope you have found some of these tips useful for your upcoming adventures. Do you have a suggestion that I didn't mention? Please let me know! I would love to focus a forthcoming blog article from my readers on their "Tried and True" tips. 

Let the adventure begin!