One of my very favorite ways to travel is by road trip. It is one of the best ways to cram a ton of unique experiences into a single trip. It can often be done at a fraction of the cost of flying. While The United States is known for its epic road trips, you can build a great one just about anywhere.
Granted, traveling by road may not be everyone’s cup of tea. That being said, I would bet dollars to donuts that more people think they do not enjoy road trips vs. those who actually do not. Like everything else, it requires a bit of planning and some experience to find the right fit for you and your co-pilot(s). The potential reward is hundreds of mini once-in-a-lifetime experiences that you may miss otherwise (I’m looking at you “World’s Largest Ball of Twine”).
We road trip quite a bit. One of our birthdays lands on a holiday weekend, so we typically have 3 days off. We want to travel on the extended weekend, but also want to avoid holiday airport chaos. The solution (years ago) was “why not do a four day road trip?”. I love to drive, Leena, not so much. Neither of us had much experience traveling with someone, just for the sake of traveling. Fast forward five years and this has become a yearly birthday tradition. It is a great way to see, often overlooked, parts of the United States (we are based in Colorado). Likewise, it is a great way to supplement our yearly travels, turning one annual trip into six.
Table of Contents
1. Location
2. Camping & Boondocking
3. Food on the Road
4. Car Care
5. Essential Packing For a Road Trip
6. Essential Apps and Resources
7. Final Thoughts
Location, Location, Location
You probably have a few great road trips available to you right from your home, even if you don’t know it. Apps like Google Maps and Road Trippers and WithinHours will help you find what’s close. I typically work a combination of the three, using WithinHours first. As its name implies, WithinHours will help find what is within (up to 6) hours of any starting location, giving you a solid framework for a potential road trip. Once I have a few solid stops mapped out, I will create a trip in RoadTrippers. After entering a few waypoints, RoadTrippers maps out a path, complete with drivable attractions, lodging and food. You can filter by type of stop and it even calculates gas costs for your trip. Finally, I always have Google Maps (or Waze) running as my GPS as both are pretty reliable GPS systems.
The Art of The Co-Pilot
My golden rule for traveling by plane applies for road trips, as well: Make a plan, but remain flexible. We have had more “oh shit” moments (or “accidental discoveries) when we “take the scenic route” or find a last minute pit stop. Quaint general stores, ghost towns and great slices of pie (or, glasses of wine) will appear in unlikely places. That being said, the ability to call strong audibles during a road trip is dependent on having a strong co-pilot. Someone that can be trusted to find the next restroom for pee breaks or hone in on the small detour that will be a perfect spot to post to your insta.
To co-pilot is not to just eat snacks and take naps. A proper co-pilot should be aware of surroundings within 15-30 minutes from the road. If you are lucky enough to have a co-pilot as strong as mine, you are surely in good hands.
Camping & Boondocking
OK, yes. You could theoretically stay at a hotel or Airbnb on a road trip (and I have). There are plenty of resources, this site included, that can instruct you on the best way to book those. I am not going to do that here, for a couple of reasons. First, it has been covered exhaustively and is pretty simple to accomplish. The other reason I am opting to not discuss them is that each one inherently counteracts the golden rule above. If you book accommodations in advance, you spend a good portion of your trip, racing to the next hotel. Sometimes that fits.
Last year, four of us flew into Nashville TN and then drove to Lexington KY. In KY, we stayed at a gorgeous farmhouse Airbnb and experienced the Bourbon Trail for two days. Afterwards, we drove to Ashville NC and Great Smokey Mountain National Park where we spent two days. Finally, we drove back to Nashville and flew home. The Airbnbs worked for us here. We were able to experience the three main hubs of our trip (Nashville, Lexington and Ashville). We were also able to spend plenty of time in the car on a multi state exploration. The trip was chock full of accidental discoveries…like Pigeon Forge, TN (if you know, you know), and Mammoth Caves National Park. By sheer dumb luck, we also got to see a family of black bears hopping from tree top to treetop (it is wild).
All that being said, The true key to road trip mastery, is an ability and desire to uncouple yourself from pre-planned accommodations. This is done by camping, or (better yet) boondocking.
What is Boondocking?
Alright, first things first. While I am sure most of you are familiar with the concept of camping, I am sure some of you are scratching your head at the term “boondocking”. The difference is simple. Boondocking typically refers to dispersed camping (camping outside of a managed or designated campground) on public land. In other words, true camping. Usually more remote than a managed campsite (no running water or facilities. Maybe a firepit). Also, no charges or fees. This might sound crazy to you, or you may be salivating at the thought of learning more. Either way, hear me out.
(Boon)D-O-C-K in the USA
Boondocking in the Western United States is pretty easy. This is due to The Bureau of Land Management (BLM). In a nutshell, BLM’s mission is to protect and sustain public lands. Public lands are, well, public. They belong to us. As such, there we are free to park, camp and enjoy them as we like. Most BLM lands are located in the following states: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming. You can check this BLM Interactive Map for BLM Lands available. Also, be sure to check BLM’s website above for any current rules and expectations, like the maximum length stay (14 days at time of writing). Also, as with all camping and outdoor recreation, be sure to follow Leave No Trace (LNT) principles.
In addition to BLM land, another great resource for free camping is the US Forest Services (USFS). USFS Lands are also public domain, however they are not relegated to the Western US only, but can be found throughout the entire country. Camping is allowable in United States National Forests and can be some of the most memorable experiences ever.
A great free resource for finding all types of free camping is by using freecampsites.net. This site is great in that, not only does it show options all over the world – but it is also crowdsourced. This keeps it pretty up to date, with pictures of the campsites and visitor ratings and descriptions (including things like nearby amenities, and cellphone service). It includes BLM land, USFS camping and also free camping outside of the US.
If you are looking for a few more bells and whistles, The Dyrt has a PRO version ($34.99/yr) of their GPS app that includes a public lands layer similar to freecampsites.net.
Boondocking Outside of the US
Rules and regulations vary by country, and while the non-US based resources above will show locations outside of the US (I actually found one of my all time favorite campsites in British Columbia on freecampsites.net) I would recommend checking resources dedicated to the country you are planning to visit. Canada is one of the most accommodating counties when it comes to wild camping, even more allowable than the US. Many countries in Europe, as well. Ridestore Magazine has a great article on camping and camping laws in Europe, by country.
Skipping the Tent
I get it, pitching a tent is not for everyone. If I am speaking frankly, sometimes I lack the desire to do it myself. If you have an aversion to tent camping, another great alternative is car camping. You will be able to get to most of these sites by car (in some cases 4WD necessary, but freecampsites.net will tell you if that is the case), and more cars than you think are able to accommodate two average sized people. My wife and I are both just on the small side of the spectrum, and we are very comfortable in my fully packed Hyundai Santa Fe without having to remove much at night. Something as small as a Subaru Outback can have the same room as a two person tent once the seats are down.
Food on The Road
One of the best parts of an epic road trip, is experiencing the foods that shape a particular area/location/state/Provence/whatever. I am not exaggerating when I say that the best hamburger I have ever had in my life, was by accidentally walking into a butcher shop in Tupelo, MS on my way from Florida to Colorado (for real, Neon Pig – it has since been named one of Thrillist’s Best Burger In America). The best advice I can give is to do a bit of research on the areas you will be traveling to or through. I usually opt for local Facebook foodie groups where you can strike a conversation as opposed to one-sided TripAdvisor reviews (as they are mostly written by tourists). Beyond that, speak to locals once you are there and don’t shy away from street foods.
Beyond the local cuisines, preparing your own food while road-tripping (similar to camping) can be an experience in and of itself. Learning to work with less can yield some very creative results. These are some of the tips we’ve picked up over the years that make food preparation a bit easier while on the road:
- Try to do as much prep work before leaving (cutting, par-cooking, etc).
- Vacuum seal what you can, to maintain freshness and save space.
- Pack an electric kettle in addition to your stove to handle things like morning coffee or dehydrated foods (instant potatoes, cous cous, etc).
- Freeze gallon bags of filtered water (found below). These can be used to keep a cooler cold and drank as the ice melts.
- Create a meal plan and pack your cooler according to order of use.
- Keep the cooler within reach of your co-pilot, if possible.
- Know what animals live around the areas you travel and know how to properly store food and waste, to avoid incident.
Car Care
Did you know that car tire pressure can increase and decrease (sometimes rapidly) at different outside temperatures? In general, tire pressure increases or decreases with every 10 degrees increased or decreased. I once drove from Denver to Las Vegas, and somewhere between Zion National Park in Utah and Arizona, my car’s tire pressure went from 32psi to 41psi – in a matter of minutes. You need to be aware of things like that to avoid a potential disaster. Here are some tips for making sure you don’t get stranded, or worse:
- Make sure you schedule regular maintenance checks, and especially right before a long road trip.
- Make sure your tires are in good health and your oil has been changed prior to any long road trip.
- Make sure you have weather appropriate tires and battery for wherever your travel may take you.
- Pack a portable jump start (below).
- Make sure to pack a manual tire gauge (even if your car has sensors).
- Have a roadside assistance provider, like Geico or AAA, paid up to date.
- Make stops every few hours.
- Don’t go below 1/2 of gas – some stretches between stations can be way longer than you think.
Essential Packing For a Road Trip
This list is not comprehensive, I will do a full article later…But, these are some of my top Must Pack items when taking a long road trip.
Collapsible Water Container Bags: Obviously, a potential lifesaver – These are great for carrying water and can be frozen and kept in a cooler to keep foods cold. As they melt, you can pour from them and drink.
Portable Jump Start:
The last thing you want is to be caught in the hills of Yosemite National Park with a dead battery and no one around. This is another ABSOLUTE “must have” in my car at all times.
Manual Tire Pressure Gauge:
Even if your car has a tire pressure sensor, do not leave home without these. When my tire pressure increased wildly do to a rapid increase in outside temperature – the sensor eventually crapped out altogether
Electric Car Kettle/Water Boiler:
This thing has been an absolute dream. I can’t fully explain the convenience boost of being able to wake up, hit the road and have the co-pilot start boiling water for coffee. We have also used this for quick stops to mix instant mashed potatoes, cous cous and other fast cook items. I honestly can’t remember what life weas like before it.
Car Window Nets:
These are great if you are car camping. Just wrap around your windows, close your doors and roll the windows down. Fresh air, nature sounds, all the things.
Essential Apps and Resources
section coming soon
RoadTrippers
Gaia
freecampsites.net
GasBuddy
Final Thoughts
The road trip is a great way to, not only, get from point A to point B…But, also an infinite amount of experiences in between. It is truly a secret weapon in the travel hunter’s arsenal. The best part is, there are so many ways to go about it, while still getting the most out of it. I would love to hear how you all build your perfect road trips below. And look out for my upcoming series on some of the trips I have taken recently.
Safe Travels!
