Feature Article: Planning a Road Trip Adventure

June 2006

Planning a Road Trip Adventure

Many visitors to TakeMyTrip.com have the same question: how do I plan a road trip? Since I've been taking road trips for years, I've never given much thought to exactly how I make my plans. But I can offer a few suggestions, and a few steps, that might make it easier for you to plan yours.

First, you need to decide on a general area to visit. Do you want to be surrounded by mountains? the desert? lush forests? tall buildings? Perhaps there's one particular national park that's peaked your interest, or a section of coastline that's always tempted you. Choosing one or two destinations is just the first step, though, since when it comes to road-tripping, the journey is arguably more important than the destination.

OK, you've decided on your general area of interest (for the sake of this example, let's say the southwestern U.S.) and perhaps one big destination (perhaps the Grand Canyon). Hopefully you have a month or two before your departure--that will give you plenty of time to research. Pick up a couple of copies of a good map (for example, the Southwestern U.S. map offered by AAA, which shows the entire region) and a good regional guidebook, such as one published by Fodor's or Moon. These two tools, and a highlighter pen, are all you need for the next several weeks.

Unfold one of your maps on your dining room table, or tack it up on the wall. Grab your pen, and highlight the places you know you want to go. For example, circle the Grand Canyon, and if you're flying into the area, highlight that city too (probably either Phoenix or Las Vegas). Now look at the roads. The thinnest lines are often the most intriguing, and state routes can take you further off the beaten path than U.S. highways. Look for curvy routes instead of straight ones--they're more likely to climb mountains and lead to scenic vistas. Some maps (like my favorite road atlas, printed by American Map) indicate scenic routes, state parks, and other regional attractions. Spend some time reading your travel book, and make a note of any towns that offer offbeat points of interest. Jump back and forth between your book and the map, highlighting anything that looks interesting, even if it seems a bit off course. The Internet can be helpful at this stage, too. Perform image searches to find pictures of different areas, in order to develop a better sense

Using our example of a trip to the Grand Canyon: you'd probably want to mark Old US 66 through Peach Springs, Hoover Dam, Sedona, Monument Valley, Sunset Crater National Monument, Williams, Lake Powell, and Lake Meade. These destinations take you across half of Arizona and into southern Utah, and you might not have time to hit all of them. But at this point, that's OK.

Once you've pondered your various routes and destinations, it's time to start connecting those lines. Take into consideration the distance between cities (especially those which will have hotels or other accommodations). If you're traveling in Interstates, you can probably cover 300 or more miles a day, even with a few hours for sightseeing. If you're traveling back roads, 200 miles or less per day is a good idea, since you'll probably be driving much slower. Desert travel is an exception--you'll probably zip along at 70 miles per hour or more, no matter what type of road you're on.

By now, you should begin to see your road trip taking shape. You can rule out roads that take you out of the way for no reason, or destinations that just don't seem as important, when weighed against other items on your itinerary. Take out the second copy of your map, and highlight a more definite route, looking for potential places to take a break or stay the night.

Hopefully, you still have a week or two to plan before your road trip. Use the time to get more comfortable with your route, fine tune the plan, and consider any last minute cuts you can make, in case you start running behind. If you're a AAA member, visit their web site or a branch office to pick up all available maps for individual cities and states. Perform some more web searches, and print out important information (directions, admission fees and hours, etc.) on any interesting places. Buy a plastic folder at an office supply store and take everything with you. You never know what you'll need, and you may not have access to a computer, in order to look it up, later.

By now, it should be time for your road trip, and with any luck, you'll be ready to go!

Research your trip - Select from the Road Trips here on TakeMyTrip.com
Read other feature articles


State - By - State Maps	Road Trip Routes

View this website's best photos in the Gallery

I welcome your feedback. Your thoughts will make this a better website. Click Here to Contact Me.
All photographs on this website may be available for purchase. Many are featured in the Gallery.
Click here for information on ordering prints.