eSCAping Type 1

No road trip this year, since we have a slightly different adventure planned for March. (EDIT: The coronavirus pandemic would’ve prevented a 2020 road trip anyway – good thing we didn’t have one planned!) Instead, here’s some advice and encouragement so that I can live vicariously when you take a trip of your own…

♦ If you need some initial inspiration, read about all three of our cross-country road trips here:

1. 2016: San Diego
2. 2017: Key West
3. 2018: Seattle

Timing

Despite what everyone seems to think, we’ve never done a road trip during the summer. We only do one a year, during my two-week Spring Break time in March/April. The time of year is definitely going to be a HUGE influence on your trip, so it really should be the first thing you consider. When you’re going affects where you go and what you do there.

For example, you can’t sleep in a hot car. You also can’t leave your pet in a hot car. So, had we gone during the summer. we would not have been able to bring Bogart, and we would’ve spent a lot more money on hotels. Our trip south would have been pretty different had we gone in July. However, traveling west at the end of winter caused us to drive through a state-disaster-level blizzard in Colorado, explore a mostly-closed Yellowstone National Park, & prevented us from ever visiting North Dakota.

Regardless, I honestly LOVED all of our adventures… Maybe a May/June trip would be better, though?

Itinerary

Obviously where you’re going influences your trip almost as much as when. But road trips work whether you outline every minute of every stop or if you just fly by the seat of your pants. I swear, both Type A and Type B people were made to explore our fascinating country.

We did not plan Road Trip #1 at all. We knew we had two weeks and wanted to go to Denver at some point, but everything we experienced (Arches, Zion) came from rest stop brochures and local advice.

Road Trip #2 was very planned because we were visiting certain people at certain times and had a few set destinations (New Orleans, Key West, Charleston). I did it all ahead of time using Google Maps, down to how many hours we could stay in each state.

Road Trip #3 was a blend between the two. We knew our goal was Seattle, so I determined a route ahead of time, and we picked out places we wanted to see along the way (Mt. Rushmore, Yellowstone). We had a rough plan of where we had to be at what time in order to accomplish everything, but no set itinerary. 

Sleeping

Everyone seems to be real concerned about this part, and it’s probably the most spontaneous piece of our road trips, so I’m not sure how helpful I’ll be. Basically, where you sleep is going to depend on personal preference and en-route destinations. 

If you have more driving to do, your best bet is sleeping in the car at a thruway rest stop, truck stop, or Wal*Mart. You’ll always find one of these right on your route, and you don’t even have to leave your car. I’ve never been nervous doing this, though having a Marine husband and German Shepherd with me probably helps. Most places even have some sort of a security guard. And these locations always have a handicap-accessible bathroom. Just be sure to park under a light near other cars, even though those dark, secluded corners seem more sleep-worthy.

If you reached a spot you plan on exploring, I recommend using Air B&B. I love that the app now includes an accessibility filter, so you can narrow down searches even more based on features like entrance lights, shower seats, and no stairs. Some of our favorite nights were because of Air B&B – from literally sleeping on a boat anchored off of Key West, to snuggling in a cute and cozy camper in Seattle. It is helpful if you can book these ahead of time, and be sure to read the reviews, but this is a great way to ensure you’re enjoying literally every second of your road trip.

And, of course, hotels are always an option. I swear, nothing is more luxurious than a Holiday Inn during the second week of your trip. At some point you’re just going to want a good shower and a good bed. Plus, it’s actually really easy to find a hotel that allows pets by using the BringFido app. Though you will probably have to pay an additional fee.

Activities

Visiting National Parks is our favorite thing to do while on road trips. Not only are they “committed to making facilities, programs, services, and employment accessible for visitors and employees with disabilities,” but if you have a permanent disability, you can get a free lifetime access pass (even though only 1/3 of the Parks charge an entrance fee).

Try this: Google “National Parks,” look at the beautiful pictures, and know that they don’t even come close in comparison to real life. But don’t take my word for it :).

Not feeling the NPS? TripAdvisor is actually a good app when you’re looking for more popular recreational recommendations, like museums. Or Roadtrippers is a great way to find those hidden gems, like sculpture parks and ghost towns. Better yet, stop somewhere to eat and ask the locals for some recommendations – people love bragging about where they live.

What to Pack?

Clothing is obviously going to entirely depend on where and when you’re going. I regularly live in Yoga Pants, but this is especially true on road trips. And unless you’re a self-proclaimed Instagram model, you’re probably going to wear the same outfit repeatedly. Especially if you’re just sitting in the car in it.

As far as toiletries go, take advantage of that travel-sized stuff you can get at Walmart or Target. Remember, not all Air B&B’s provide shampoo and soap, so make sure you have those just in case. Also, I recommend keeping bathroom stuff in a small separate bag you can keep up front near you – you’re going to need to take it with you a lot more often than your big suitcase full of clothes.

And here’s a list of items you’ll want for the car that you might not think of:

– A GOOD Car Phone Charger – let it be known, these were not all created equally. ESPECIALLY the car ones. Do your research, and don’t be afraid to splurge a little if you have to. Your phone – with its camera, apps, music, GPS, and general ability to contact others – is going to be one of your most-used road trip items, like it or not.

– A Road Atlas – while Google Maps is great for finding the fastest route to a destination, I think it’s more fun to actually navigate where you’re going. Plus, sometimes you don’t have internet access, so we bring that year’s Rand McNally every time.

– Grocery Bags – when you’re literally living in your car, you’re going to have garbage. These are the perfect way to stay organized and clean until your next stop. (And I know they’re not environmentally friendly, but neither is emitting gas across the country, sooo…)

– CDs – unless you have Sirius radio, finding a good local station isn’t always easy or practical. Plus, you won’t always have cell service for Spotify or Pandora. So, here’s a great opportunity to bust out those high school relics. Or, better yet, use a (probably illegal) website to download your own choices to make a good ‘ole mixtape. (For the record, on Road Trip #1 we were so excited that we listened to every CD I made before even hitting Ohio… Also, First Aid Kit will forever remind me of Colorado since that’s what was playing the first time I saw mountains…) 

– A Mattress Topper – if you plan on sleeping in the car at all, buy one of these! We used a 3-inch foam twin-sized topper on Road Trip #3 and it was honestly life-changing.

– Mocassins/Flip Flops – really just something you can quickly slip on and off at rest stops

– Sunglasses – you’re going to want these even if you’re going somewhere cold & don’t plan on getting out of the car. It seems like common sense, but for those who don’t know: sunlight reflecting off snow is the brightest/most annoying thing ever (and was actually the cause for my sister rear-ending me one time, but we won’t go there…)

– Dry Shampoo – as gross as it may seem, showering tends to be less of a priority on road trips. While most remember to pack good deodorant and face wipes, dry shampoo is a necessity that should not be overlooked.

– Bottled Water – I know we live in 2020 and drink out of travel jugs with metal straws and all that BUT packing a case of water is just so much more convenient and (in my opinion) sanitary. You’re probably going to want snacks, too (Twizzlers, cereal, trail mix…), but you’re definitely going to want water.

Random Stuff

– We’ve been to 42 states. We’ve never road tripped through Alaska, Hawaii, Kansas, North Dakota, Michigan, Nevada, Vermont, or Arkansas.

– The longest amount of time we’ve driven consecutively is nine hours, and it sucked. Four is a good number to stick with. (Like, drive for four or less to a set destination, get out of the car to do something, and then drive more…)

– We play the License Plate game every time and keep track by checking off states on our atlas’ table of contents. We start brand new with each trip, but the only state we’ve never seen is Hawaii.

– I bring a backpack full of work with me every time & have never once graded a single paper.

– The only times I’ve ever driven are through Arches and Badlands National Parks. And that was just because Cody decided my photography skills were worse than my driving skills, so we switched roles for just a few hours.

– Our Top Three Road Tripping goals include driving through Canada and around Alaska, going down the entire west side of the U.S. via the Pacific Coast Highway, and exploring all of Texas.

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But until we figure out how to road trip with a baby, it looks like those adventures will be put on hold. I can’t wait to see where you all go though!