Road Tripping USA Style

I’m sure if you ask someone where they might like to do a road trip the answer is more than likely going to be AMERICA!

That infamous journey on route 66, a convertible down the California coast or free-styling across the country, through the middle of absolute nowhere. There are so many different places to see and things to do throughout America and what better way to see as much as possible than jumping in a car and driving from state to state.

I have done what I would describe as an ‘epic’ road trip across America, from San Francisco to New York City and many places inbetween, though still have barely scratched the surface on places I would like to visit in America.

My road trip included a visit to Texas for a rodeo, to Elvis’s home and trips to various beautiful coastal towns through California.

Here are a few tips for your road trip across America.

– Don’t plan too much. We had a general idea of where we wanted to go and how long it might take us, but had enough flexibility to stay extra nights, stop at random places as we found them and change our minds if we wanted to. Too much planning and your are sure to set yourself up for disappointment.

– Hire a suitable car. Now what accounts for suitable depends on where your trip across the USA takes you and your budget. I hired a convertible to travel down the coast of California and to Las Vegas but then we swapped for a smaller (and cheaper) car for the rest of the journey across the country.

– Research festivals of all kinds. We happened to come across several little festivals on our trip, from a flower festival in San Antonio to a jazz festival in New Orleans. We just happened across these, but there is so much stuff going on all the time that a little research could mean you make a slight detour to stop by an amazing food and wine festival or America’s best burger party. Who knows?!

– Don’t book hotels – there are motels and hotels everywhere in America, and you are sure to find cheap places with space as you move along the long American roads. We bargained motels against each other to make sure we got the best price. If you turn up late when they are unlikely to sell the room to anyone else you are sure to get a good deal.

– Be prepared to eat big! We all know American portions are big, but you aint seen nothing until you eat on the road. Trucker sized baked potatoes and buckets of coffee. Go big or go home.

The possibilities for roads to travel, motels to sleep in, cities to walk around and burgers to eat is endless. Your car will take you anywhere…

So go on, get on with it, book that road trip and get driving.

America is waiting.

🙂