Savoring the Journey - Six Tips for Your Next Road Trip

If you’re thinking about packing the car and heading across the countryside for a lengthy road trip, there are some things you can do to make that journey a fun one. I have lots of miles under my road trippin’ belt and, depending on the destination and my traveling buddies, I can tell you a little bit of preparation and a lot of flexibility can go a long way to reducing stress and strife.

When my children were young it was frequently easier and more cost efficient to hop in the car and make a road trip adventure out of it. Sometimes we flew, sometimes we took trains. But some of the best memories come from those many hours sharing the space of a minivan! Recently I embarked on a road trip adventure with my partner as empty nesters; trading the minivan for a sedan. Just the two of us and the wide-open road from the east coast to the southwest USA. 5,000 miles and eight states later and I can happily report we enjoyed the adventure 100%. We embraced the focus of the month to bring a child-like sense of wonder to our trip and time together.

Speaking loosely of childhood....something I didn’t plan to do just naturally occurred and I think it stems from the many trips taken with children where it was a favorite activity: cataloguing how many different state license plates we saw on the highway! Pictures were taken of each “welcome to……” sign, also a throwback activity, I think.

In today’s blog, I share with you six lessons learned (or reinforced) for making your road trip adventure a joyful experience.

Number 1: Travel with someone you like. A LOT. Travel with someone who you feel completely comfortable with. (‘Cuz sometimes you gotta pee or pass gas.) Your travel buddy needs to be someone you can easily sing out loud with AND sit in comfortable silence with.

Real life experience: I’ve traveled with many people over the years and for one trip I was going to be driving about 17 hours with a relative I didn’t have a strong relationship with. In fact, the relationship historically was often wrought with conflict and a fair amount of discord. You might ask, "Why would I even consider traveling with this person?!?" Well, I’m always game for a road trip. I was also available. And despite having a rocky relationship with this relative, I knew the reason for the trip was important to them. Prior to the trip we had a frank conversation about how we would handle interactions that escalated or how we could communicate we needed a “time out”. We then agreed on topics we would steer clear of and identified what triggers we each had when it came to getting aggravated with the other. We also developed a plan for what to do should those situations arise. For example, we could pull over at a rest area and each get out of the vehicle, take a walk and get some fresh air. Turns out this trip was fantastic and none of the obstacles we considered got in the way of peaceful traveling. The take away…..be aware of personality conflicts and address those factors in a reasonable, non-threatening manner to identify positive mechanisms for interacting while in close quarters.

Number 2: Have a plan yet be flexible. It’s a good idea to scope out activities ahead of time and plan how much of your time will be consumed with these activities. Many websites offer suggestions for how much time people typically spend at their business and what times of day draw heavier traffic. This is super helpful for planning purposes.

Real life experience: For this most recent trip I created a spreadsheet that broke down each day into 18 hours segments and I plugged each of the activities planned into a targeted time frame. Dining out, travel times, checking in and out of lodging, and visiting with family/friends was all mapped out and color coded for easy reference. (Estimated gas and food expenses were also noted here in keeping with a budget. See #3.) This made it easy to see where there was room for rest and relaxation which was also a part of the vacation experience. The spreadsheet gave a snapshot of the trip but in reality, even though we largely stuck to our plans, we did modify a bit here and there. It was a helpful tool so that we included the activities and sights that were important and allowed some wiggle room should something unexpected pop up or if we were tired.

Number 3: Stick to a budget. There is nothing worse than returning home after a lovely trip and having buyer’s remorse taint those feel-good feelings. Focus on the moments and memories and save some money….you really don’t need those trinkets and neither do other people. Postcards are an economical way to let others know they are on your mind as your travel.

Real life experience: When reserving Airbnb’s (which I highly recommend), have a price per night number in mind and narrow your search criteria to fit within that price point. Doing a search without a definite price parameter can leave you feeling overwhelmed, discouraged and runs the risk of booking lodging based on aesthetics (which are quite alluring!) rather than booking based on your actual budget. Embrace a minimalistic mindset with regard to souvenirs. I am not much of a shopper but if I am going to spend money it typically is on two things: great food experiences and one-of-a-kind art pieces. I usually don’t go wrong with food. But sometimes I have purchased an art piece (even something small like a handcrafted ornament) and felt a twinge of regret after getting it home. If at all possible, if you can come back the next day give yourself that opportunity to delay the purchase and see how you feel about it after the initial moment has passed. Can’t do that? Then give yourself permission to make one or two small purchases (if you are following a budget) and limit yourself to that. Post cards are truly the ultimate way to memorialize each stop on your journey.

Number 4: Speaking of postcards, don’t leave home without postcard stamps and your address book! Then, as you travel from place to place, send a postcard to your loved ones AND send one to yourself as a memento and bonus postmark from each location you visited. These make affordable and unique additions to your scrapbook.

Real life experience: As a little girl, a family friend was traveling to their home county of Egypt and noticed that I liked to collect postcards. This person promised my 7-year-old self they would bring me postcards from their travels. I was delighted when a package with over 50 postcards from Egypt arrived! I’ve collected them all my life. My adult twist is to actually mail postcards from where I’ve traveled so I have that added pleasure of seeing the postmark from the place I visited. People love to receive happy mail and postcards are an affordable way to let people know you are thinking of them without cutting into your budget.

Number 5: Keep a travel journal! You’ll forget the little towns where you saw something unique, the elevation of a huge mountain climb, the wildlife on the side of the road, landscape variations for a particular geographic area, a chance encounter with a stranger, and on and on. Having a journal (and pen) in the front seat area will be handy for jotting down these tidbits of your road trip.

Real life experience: I keep a journal for just about everything and traveling is no exception. My journals capture not only the interesting scenes, encounters, moments that make for a memorable trip, but they also track running card game scores while traveling, weather patterns, gas prices, highlights, road markers for another trip, etc. If you’re the creative type, like I am, you’ll likely incorporate bullet journaling techniques and save trinkets (like napkins, ticket stubs, postcards) in your journal also. You think you will remember the small details, but more often than not, these will fade ten miles down the road. Having a journal will help you create a robust and detailed story of your travels. And down the road of life it will likely spark memories that have long since faded.

Number 6: Plan for at least one fabulous dinner out. Reserve the $$ in your trip budget for a fine dining experience and make reservations ahead. Nothing is worse than looking forward to a great dining out experience only to find there is no seating available.

Real life experience: Cut your food costs where you can when traveling……pack a loaf of whole-grain bread, a jar of peanut butter and jelly, a bag of baby carrots and some trail mix with dried fruit and munch on these throughout the drive. Breakfasts out are usually your least costly meal of the day. If you must dine out then try local restaurants and not your average chain-restaurant options. On my most recent trip we prioritized a dining experience that would include locally sourced, unusual wild game options. In so doing, we planned ahead and made this particular meal our last meal out on our road trip adventure and it made a perfect capstone to our vacation. No regrets and a most memorable culinary experience!

Travel is a luxury for many though road trips can be an affordable and convenient option for a getaway. Seeing different landscapes and interacting with people and in settings unfamiliar are inspirational and gateways for growth. I hope you find these suggestions and real-life scenarios helpful as you plan your next road trip! Savor each moment and each mile. Catalogue them with photos and anecdotes. And remember, traveling - as in life - is truly about the journey and not solely the destination.

"Blessed are the curious, for they shall have adventures!" - Lovelle Drachman