4. Put your trip together. This is the fun part!
Once you've amassed a pile of ideas and information about routes,
destinations, and places to stay and eat, you can start putting
the puzzle pieces together. Once again, our RoadTrip
Forum can come in handy. Let's say you've sketched out a trip
from Las Vegas to San Francisco in December. A quick post asking
for advice would bring you the helpful news that your route through
Yosemite won't work. Tioga Pass is closed in winter. You've just
been protected from a 300-mile detour. You can also find out about
cool events and attractions that fly under the radar of national
media. Did you know, for example, that Lake Isabella, California
holds a Turkey Buzzard Festival
in September, or that there's a "World Famous" Gopher
Hole Museum not too far from Calgary, Alberta?
5. Make sure your vehicle is adequately
equipped, and be prepared for emergencies. Whether you're
traveling by car, RV, truck, bike, motorcycle, or sit-down lawnmower,
your road trip will be smoother if it's in excellent mechanical
shape. Depending on your route and destination, carry appropriate
emergency supplies, and consider getting
a CB radio. Even though cell phones have become ubiquitous,
there are still plenty of areas where they don't work. A properly
installed CB will always work, which is why truckers still use
them and police still monitor them. Learn about weather
and road conditions for the areas where you'll be driving.
Do you know what to do if tornadoes start touching down around
you? Have you ever driven
in snow, or on a mountain
road? There's a state highway in Washington that's a beach.
Is it safe to drive on sand in an ordinary car? What about an
RV? Will you need four-wheel drive on the route you've chosen?
Make safety a part of your planning, and you'll reduce the chances
that "acts of God" will interfere with your trip. One
of the nation's leading experts on defensive driving write a weekly
column for RoadTrip America: Drive
Safe with Uncle Bob.
