While most people tend to associate adventures and exciting getaways with the summer season, nothing quite comes close to the cool, crisp weather of the autumn season, with leaves changing color and scenic routes transforming with each passing day. And if you haven’t taken the opportunity to travel and free yourself from staying cooped up at home for the past few months, then there’s no better chance than now, right before the cold of winter starts to take over.
However, one common mistake we see a lot of people make out of too much excitement for adventure is that they often fail to plan appropriately, leaving them with a flurry of road trip disasters like not knowing where to go, not having enough spare change, or, worse, finding out they misplaced the car’s title. And so, to help prevent any of these untoward mishaps from turning your would-be revenge adventure into a fiasco, we’ll be going over the essentials of what you need to plan.
Set A General Route But Don’t Be Super Strict
As with any proper travel plan, we strongly recommend that you set a general route to follow to keep things a bit systematic during times when needed but still offer some leeway when you see a fun little distraction while on the road. In doing so, you won’t get caught up doing things you didn’t intend to explore and prevent getting lost out in the middle of nowhere with no cell signal.
- Your Itinerary And Maps Are Your Best Friends: You see, while our smartphones and modern-day cars are equipped with excellent GPS tracking systems to keep us posted on where to go, they often fall sideways when dealing with the great outdoors. So if you want to stay safe from swerving onto the wrong route, keeping your itinerary and some physical maps in the compartment is necessary when a cellular network can’t help you.
- Fun Detours Are Part Of The Adventure: Allow us to reiterate that your itinerary is but a rough sketch of what your adventure will look like, and it shouldn’t be something that you follow down to the last detail. If you find some curious-looking excursions on the sideline, then, by all means, feel free to take that detour because that’s just a natural part of the Great American road trip experience.
A Well-Established Travel Budget Will Keep You Safe
Money and budget plans are the least two things you’d want on your mind while on a road trip, but we can’t deny that having a well-established travel budget does keep the pack safe, especially when something can’t be solved with a bit of elbow grease. As a result, it’s always much smarter to think ahead of the potential costs and expenses you will incur on the road trip to guarantee that money won’t be a problem while you’re traveling from one destination to the next.
- Research Costs But Always Have Extra: There’s nothing wrong with having a little extra ready, and the same logic applies to travel budgets because there’s just no guarantee of what you’ll end up meeting and spending on during a road trip. So, for your safety’s sake, review the costs you’ve looked up and be sure to add a little sprinkle of love on top.
- Don’t Ride Solo, Share The Fun, And Split The Bill: While solo adventures are fun and pretty trendy because of how therapeutic it is to see the world by yourself, having a travel buddy tag along is just objectively more fun and better for your wallet as well. Sure, it might come off as stingy to think that splitting the bill is why you’re getting a second or third person, but rest assured they’re more than willing to lessen the load on expenditures just as much.
Please Research Local Health Restrictions And Guidelines
Last but not least, let’s not forget that we’re still in the middle of a global pandemic. While domestic travel doesn’t have as many restrictions, it’s always good to research local health restrictions and guidelines to understand the procedure. One state’s intervention measures can be completely different from the next, so to prevent you from looking dumbfounded or making a mistake, practice due diligence in learning about your destination’s regulations first.
- Always Keeping A Face Mask Within Reach: Face masks are simple protective equipment, super easy to carry, and can save countless lives when used responsibly. And because you’ll be going out and will sometimes need to enter places with a few people in proximity, always keep some in handy and pack a box to keep you good for the entire road trip.
- Keep Away From High-Risk Areas And Crowded Places: We know how tempting it may be to gun for popular tourist spots or nostalgic places, but please avoid anywhere that’s high risk and super crowded. It’s never good to push your luck, especially with the virus still running rampant, so it’s better to be safe than sorry when you come back home.
Make Your Great American Road Trip A Success!
Overall, it doesn’t take a lot of planning to make your next Great American road trip a success, and with all the time you have to spare, you might even consider thinking about getting a DSLR camera for the trip. So, good luck on your adventure, and feel free to share this advice with your travel buddies as well!
