It sounds like your trip is more about the end destination than the journey. In that case, go for efficiency and execute a plan. Choose the cities you want to stay in each night, and know exactly how long it will take to get to each one, give an extra 10% for delays. Maximize daylight, when you stop, do as many things as possible at one time to avoid stopping again.
Use a GPS but don't rely on it... paper maps are always a good idea. AAA can print you some maps for free. Do some research on food stops along your journey, eat smart because you don't have time to be shitting out bad fast food every hour.
Stock your car like you are going into a zombie apocalypse. If you really want to go on a budget then bring a cooler with food. Make sandwiches, trail mix, fruit, snacks, and drinks... coffee or water were my favorites. I used to use my camping stove to heat up cans of soup at rest stops. Just set the can right on top of the stove, open the top, and wait 5 minutes. Cheap, quick, hot meal. You can also make it an entire day on peanut butter and jellys.
A flat tire on the interstate can be extremely dangerous. A can of fix-a-flat might save your life.
I would always recommend camping but if not, stick with cheap hotels just outside of major cities. No use staying in a city, more $. If you can shop for hotels in advance, you can often do better online compared to showing up and purchasing a night.
One of my favorite things would be to talk to the locals in each stop. There are also tons of resources like Yelp, TripAdvisor, Google etc.
Bring a good camera and charger. Laptop can be handy if you stay in hotels with wi-fi, you can plan your next day on the fly. Pay attention to the weather.
Be mindful of the way you pack your car. I like to put key items on the passenger seat, and next most important items on passenger floor, 3rd most important items behind driver seat so you can reach back and grab something.
A wide variety of music a good idea, never know what you will be in the mood for. Use the music to shape your mood, if you are tired, try more up-beat music.
That's all for now.
02-10-2013, 08:33 PM
Linear Mode
