It’s great to visit family and friends residing in other places or states. You get to see the country and enjoy time with them. Before hitting the open road, make sure to check several things in your car.
Make sure that your vehicle’s tank is full. Prepare the apps that will help make your trip bearable and enjoyable. Download the apps and movies you need. This is even more important if you have small kids. Always perform the essential checks before a long drive.
Apart from these things, you also need to plan your rest stops along the way. It doesn’t matter if you will just be driving for three hour or 24 hours. It’s important to schedule breaks and rest to keep your journey safe. On long trips, you will need to stop every few hours to stretch your legs and arms. And if you are really sleepy and drowsy, a 15-minute power nap can be heavenly!
The shortest way may not always be the best because you may be risking missing beautiful, historical, and informative spots and stops. Like preferred hotels, destinations, locations, beaches, parks etc., rest stops can and should also be chosen as per your liking.
With Google Maps and Waze, it’s easy to identify rest stops en route to your destination. In fact, you will have a lot of options for stopping, unless you will go through the desert areas of the USA. You can also schedule stops on nice, scenic spots like national parks.
The rest areas or pit stops for long road trips provide travelers with basic comfort and amenities like toilets, showers, refreshments, information, and relaxation areas to help wear off the tiredness. Depending on the route you can identify a number of rest areas with the help of travel apps or location maps. It is a wonderful idea to take time out and explore the many rest stops on your way.
In choosing a rest stop, look for the following:
- Basic amenities: restaurants and clean rest rooms
- Scenic views
- Nature and wild life
- Gas stations
- Historical and cultural sites
- Architectural beauty
- Pet friendly areas
Consider your rest stops as detours. These can add to your experience in local food and culture, regional history and modern architecture, picnic grounds with breathtaking locales among others. Many of these stops have play areas set up for children so even they can take a break and enjoy a little of outdoors.
If you are planning to stop over for the night, book a comfortable room in a budget-friendly motel in advance. This rest stop helps you relax, catch up on sleep and wake up refreshed and recharged to hit the road again. I usually book through Booking.com for this purpose.
Another great idea while choosing a rest stop is to time it according to your meal hours so you can eat while enjoying the beauty of your surroundings. While on the journey back home you can visit the safety rest areas you missed earlier. You can embark on a memorable, adventurous and inspirational journey with your loved ones by simply being hands on with your travel plans. Once all the necessary points are ticked off the to-do list you are set to make the journey of a lifetime, every time.
