7 Tips for an All-American Road Trip

How long has it been since you and your family have planned an old-fashioned road trip in the car along America’s scenic highways? If it’s been awhile, this American Patriot advises you to pack a cooler, grab the kids and get in the car. Take an All-American road trip. There is still time in the summer left for a vacation. Here are some tips for a successful road trip with the family driving through any state in this beautiful country!

1. Snacks and drinks

Pack plenty of fun snacks and a cooler of refreshing drinks and fruit. Well, maybe some unhealthy snacks too. Part of the fun of a road trip is chomping down on a Twizzler as you look out the window at the beautiful scenery. It doesn’t matter which state or states you drive through. They are all beautiful.

2. Plan activities for the drive

If you are traveling with kids, make sure to have plenty of activities. Let the pack their “car backpacks” of things to do. Or, you can pack a surprise bag of things to haul out when “Are we there yet?” starts happening.

3. Bring a navigator

Buy a Road Atlas. I know you have all the whistles and gadgets and don’t need an Atlas but get one anyway. It’s fun to look at a map along the way and if you have kids, it’s a fun and beneficial skill for kids to learn.

4. Rest stops

Plan to stop every 2 or 3 hours to stretch your legs and just look at overpasses and various landmarks. I stopped at Donner Pass just because it was beautiful and the road I had just taken was pretty much their route. I can’t even imagine doing that on foot.

[wps_products_gallery product_id=”4333982449715, 4345885818931, 4334003716147″]

5. Appreciate the experience

Speaking of traveling this country on foot, try to think about that as you drive. We fly from coast to coast and don’t even blink. Driving slows things down just a bit. Try to imagine those earliest settlers as they traveled west with everything and lost most of it as they journeyed on, because the path forward was so harsh. The few who survived did so with very little left.

6. Document

Keep a photo journal of everywhere you go. Take pictures of you and your family by every state line. To take an All-American road trip is to soak in the whole experience. Enjoy each and every place you visit and when you take pictures, try to get family in each shot. The pics will be more memorable with family in the scenery.

7. Take your time

Don’t overdo each day, especially if you have young children. Stop for the evening early enough to swim in your motel or hotel and enjoy the area where you are staying. Maybe there is an attraction at this location you want to see. Late afternoons and early evenings are perfect times to leisurely visit some places after you have relaxed and rested from driving.

Conclusion

The key to an All-American, old-fashioned road trip being a success is the joy you bring with you for the trip. The United States of America is beautiful around every bend. So many mountains, rivers, deserts, farmland, and just beauty everywhere. You honestly need a road trip of some kind more often than once a year. Getting into the car and driving across this great land is something people in other countries don’t have like we do. This is an amazing country with 58 national parks and almost 2600 National Historic Landmarks. If you don’t have a destination in mind for your All-American road trip, pick one of these national parks or landmarks and start packing!