Written by: Jeffrey A. Epps, MBA, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
Road trips, in my opinion, are the absolute best way to see any destination anywhere in the world. Whether you’re driving a vehicle or a motorbike or whatever, having the right set of wheels, and the right plan, will enable you to explore the roads (& unbeaten paths) at your own pace. Here is a guide with 10 of my favorite basic tips to help you get ready for your next American road trip.
I’m a Big Road Tripper
I embarked on my first major cross-country road trip in the summer of 2019 when I was between China teaching jobs. I had finished my contract with my school in Wuhan and was in the process of starting a new one in Beijing three months later. So between July (when I left Wuhan) and October (when I arrived in Beijing) I decided to start a project called, Heritage: A Travel Campaign, when I visited 15 Southern states and 10 Western states in an effort to explore my own personal American heritage. I drove about 20,000 miles (32,000 kilos) and split it into two halves, with Labor Day being the intermission. The Southern half was done between mid July and late August, and the Western half was done between early September and mid October. I learned more about my Country during this time than I did during my previous 40 years of life. Heritage is an ongoing project.
I embarked on my second major cross-country road trip in the summer of 2020, after I was released from 3.5 months of lockdown in Metro Manila in the Philippines. I was finally able to get the paperwork I needed and the flight back to the States was on July 1st. Since I couldn’t travel anywhere internationally at the time (aside from Mexico and a few other places), I decided that I was going to create a new project called, Road Trippin’ USA: A Travel Adventure Series. However, this time I was going to tackle many of America’s most notable road trip routes, with the help of www.roadtripusa.com, an online American road trip website that elaborates on 11 famous American road trip routes with useful info and suggestive stops along the way. This website was created by Moon Travel and is one of my personal favorite American road trip guides that I recommend to people (aside from the Roadtrippers app). I was on the road from early July to about early October. Road Trippin’ USA is also an ongoing project.
Heritage: A Travel Campaign, a subseries to Road Trippin’ USA: A Travel Adventure Series, both can be found on my YouTube channel, as I’m always posting new content for both of them.
I am also working on several international road trip projects that will be publishable in the future.
This guide is mostly geared toward solo travelers, like myself, but can be useful to others.
Now here are 10 basic tips that will help you have better road trip adventures across America.
Tip 1: The Trucker Barcode
NOTE: You may or may not agree with this tip, depending on your moral flexibility.
Before I embarked on my Heritage road trip back in 2019, I was in southern Georgia staying with my old Army buddy whom had recently picked me up at the Airport in Jacksonville, Florida. He had been a truck driver for several years and he did me a huge favor that I will forever be grateful for. He took a screenshot of his Love’s Travel Stop account barcode and sent it to me. Since he drives for a company and never pays for his own diesel fuel for his truck, he is always accumulating reward points with his Love’s app and therefore gets all kinds of perks at Love’s Travel Stops. This includes unlimited showers, free coffee refills and the option to use points for purchases. I thought to myself that this was a brilliant concept for road trippers, and if you can find an over-the-road truck driver with a Love’s account who is willing to share their barcode with you, then you will never ever have to pay for a shower or a cup of coffee (assuming you have a refillable mug) at a Love’s Travel Stop. Of course, this all depends on your moral flexibility.
But if a trucker doesn’t mind you using their barcode from their app, you’re not costing them anything. In fact, if you use the app when making all purchases at Love’s, then you will help them earn points that they can use themselves. Just don’t use their points!! If a clerk raises an issue about this, and you have the trucker’s verbal consent, it shouldn’t be a problem. You can always have the trucker call the store to confirm you have their permission. The trucker can just say that they owe you some money or something. I’ve never had an issue with it. I was at a Pilot Travel Center once, where I didn’t have a barcode, and I didn’t want to pay $18 USD for a shower. As I was about to bite the bullet and pull out my debit card, a friendly trucker behind me said, “I have an extra free shower, you wanna use it?” I thought, “holy shit!!” I took him up on his offer and I offered to buy him a coffee, and he declined. The clerk didn’t have a problem with this at all, as I had the trucker’s verbal consent to use his Pilot app. I saved $18 USD.
Needless to say, when I road trip, about 90% of the time I’m camped out at a Love’s Travel Stop. And I don’t just freeload and use my buddy’s free showers and free coffee refills, I purchase fuel at Love’s, along with road snacks and other items that I may need for my upcoming journeys. Every time I make a purchase, I always use my buddy’s Love’s barcode so that he earns points. You can have them scan it before you purchase what you’re paying for. They may ask, “you wanna use points?” You just say, “no.” But if you have the trucker’s permission to use their points then do it!! With the showers, you just go to the shower area, have the barcode ready, and tell them you need a shower. They’ll scan the barcode, print out a receipt with your personal number and a five-digit code you’ll need to enter the shower stall. They may tell you which shower to use, but it’s also on your receipt. Sometimes you’ll need to wait if they’re full and then it will be announced over the PA. You can even hear it outside. Once your shower is ready, you’ll proceed to your designated shower number, punch in the five-digit code followed by “” and the door will make a buzz and then you can enter. Towels are provided by the Love’s staff.
Staying the night at Love’s Travel Stops, taking free showers and getting free coffee refills (w/ a Love’s reusable mug) have saved me well into the thousands of dollars that I would have otherwise spent on accommodation expenses. Many Love’s Travel Stops also have laundry facilities and if you have your own food and dishes, you can use their microwaves and sinks. There are Love’s Travel Stops all over the Country, with more of them being built all the time. They even have special RV parking with dump stations, and fenced-in dog parks so that you can let your animals loose. “But I don’t wanna sleep in a car,” you say? Next I’ll tell you which vehicles can be turned into makeshift mobile homes, which are also fuel efficient and spacious.
Tip 2: Which Type of Vehicle to Use
NOTE: If you own your own vehicle, it may not be the best vehicle for long road trips, comfort-wise and expense-wise, and you may want to avoid putting additional miles and wear and tear on it. This is when renting a more suitable road trip vehicle would be more ideal.
This is really all subjective, depending on the type of traveler you are. I’m a solo traveler, so I don’t need much to satisfy myself on the road. I mean, I do have my standards but probably not nearly at the same levels as couples, families, sports teams or even other solo travelers.
When I first started road tripping in 2019, my first vehicle rental was a Nissan Sentra from a southern Georgia Nissan auto dealer. I did this because at the time I had no credit card and they were willing to rent to me with a great deal of flexibility. The rates were reasonable and the rental manager was someone I got along with pretty well. I just needed a valid driver’s license and my own auto insurance, and I was able to get non-owners liability insurance with Geico for a great rate. He was also flexible about when I paid, which I paid by the week. I did try and go to Enterprise first but without a credit card, I had to show proof of local residence, pay a $500 USD deposit and some other stuff. I didn’t pick up a credit card until 2020, and with a credit card, it makes renting vehicles much easier (more on this later).
The Nissan Sentras, or similar vehicles, are wonderful if you’re looking for fuel efficiency as they can get about 35+ miles per gallon on flat highway terrain. They also drive pretty well. However, trying to sleep in those suckers can be a real challenge, even for a short person like me. I’ve tried curling up in the back seats and adjusting the steering wheels and seats in the front. I’ve never been able to get comfortable enough to get a good-night’s sleep in those cars. So basically, while I was driving the Nissan Sentra in 2019, I was tired just about every day. Sometimes, on rare occasions, I’d get a hotel room or pitch a tent at a campground. I would be able to catch up on some much needed rest this way. But I’d only do it about once every two weeks, if that. I do recommend doing this no matter what you’re driving. Even truckers book hotels on occasion.
From my 2020 to 2023 road trip excursions, I wised up and started renting bigger vehicles like vans and SUVs. With these vehicles you can drop the back seats down and create a bed to sleep on. Now this is when being a short person does come in handy. You can buy an inexpensive 3-inch foam pad from Wal-Mart or something else soft to make a mattress and then add a sleeping bag, blankets, pillows, etc. to create a cozy makeshift bed for yourself. Later I will talk about accessories that can be added, and where to buy them, to help turn your ride into a makeshift mobile home.
Nowadays, for long road trips, I almost always rent an SUV. I’m not particular about the brand but I do try and get a 4-cylinder if I can. If not, then I have to settle for a 6-cylinder. The reason is obvious, as the former gets better gas mileage than the latter (but the latter has more power).
Tip No 3: Who to Rent Vehicles From (If You’re Renting)
NOTE: Geico and USAA both offer decent non-owner liability coverage. I always use one of them when I take long trips. They both offer 6-month packages that you can opt to pay monthly, and that can be canceled at any time, and if there are any days remaining for the month that you cancel, they’ll prorate refund you the difference for that month. For short trips, I always use the rental companies’ in-house liability coverage, payable per day as it’s more convenient (but more pricy). I keep digital insurance documents on my phone with a screenshot, and I also print out a copy and keep them in the glove box compartment. There are different insurance packages.
Enterprise
National
Alamo
Hertz
Avis
Dollar
Budget
Thrifty
I don’t have an overall favorite, but nowadays if I’m in Miami, I will always rent from the Hertz location in downtown Brickell. I am a Hertz Gold Member and if I book at this location via my Expedia app, then I can rent vehicles for around $20 USD/day (most of the time). Once I booked a car for $19 USD/day this way at that location. There is something called “travel hacking” and if you have the right points or rewards with the right companies or with the right credit cards or online booking platforms, you can combine what you have to add up to some great savings. In the early days of my road trip adventures, I’d book with Enterprise, though they do have higher rates typically in the $40s per day. But they have decent customer service, at least most of the time, and you can extend your rental at any Enterprise with the locked-in rate that you began with. Of course, you can do this with many rental companies. I think most people tend to lean toward Budget because they do have competitive prices, but they’re notorious for awful customer service and their vehicles tend to be dated. I’ve rented with Budget in Miami before and the lady was always rude as hell, but then again, that was Miami customer service. Budget will allow you to rent with debit cards, but only after they use your debit card to run a quick credit check on you and the check they perform isn’t always reflective of your actual credit score. Your deposits with Budget will be higher with a debit card as well, and you may not be able to book a reservation online with one; but you’ll be able to make a payment with one. I didn’t get my first credit card until 2020, after I returned from lockdown in Metro Manila and before I booked a rental car with Enterprise in southern Georgia. Having a credit card makes renting a vehicle so much less of a hassle, so it’s advisable to have one. You really shouldn’t be a traveler without one anyways, as it just makes your travel life easier across the board.
I always try and find deals via my Expedia account, because I always have points to spare and since I use Expedia quite a bit as a frequent traveler, I’m very familiar with their platform. I don’t just use Expedia, though, I try looking and booking with other online platforms as well. Sometimes you can actually get the best deals by booking directly with a rental company’s website or at their local office, and this is especially true if you have some kind of membership with them. And sometimes, you should take advantage of partnerships like hotels with rental companies that have offices set up directly in their hotel lobbies that may or may not offer you discounts for being the hotels’ guest with a hotel membership. I’ve learned that bundling on Expedia or other online travel platforms can also save you big time. There are numerous ways to save when booking a rental vehicle, so don’t just take all prices at face value.
Avis and Budget are both a part of the Avis Budget Group, which also owns Zipcar. So it’s surprising that Forbes would actually rank one (Avis) higher than the other (Budget), given that they are typically at the exact same locations together, and often have the exact same people working both brands. From my limited understanding, Budget rents out the older vehicles and Avis rents out the newer ones, making the pricing and quality different for obvious reasons. But you will often still deal with the same people when it comes to customer service.
I literally only have direct experience with Enterprise, Budget, Hertz and Thrifty in the USA. I won’t mention companies that I’ve rented from internationally, as this article is about road tripping in the United States. It really all depends on you when it comes to selecting a car rental company. I’d say most people are going to lean toward the cheapest rental company in any given location, and Budget usually tops everyone with pricing, but not always. There are mom-and-pop rentals with more competitive rates, but you may get what you pay for, and they could hit you with other fees, like higher deposits. I recently booked with Thrifty at the Southwest Georgia Regional Airport via my Expedia account, they had the best prices and they still weren’t cheap. But this is mostly because I booked at an airport, which is why I need to also mention, avoid booking at airports at all costs. It may be convenient, but they are almost always higher in price, especially when it comes to deposits. You may also have to deal with very long lines. Once I contemplated booking a car at the Miami International Airport and even the discounted car rentals, including the mom-and-pop ones, wanted a minimum $400 USD deposit (w/ credit card & memberships). The daily rates are also at least 10% higher compared to a non-airport location in Miami. Avoid renting vehicles at airports. There are local rental companies that are not located in the airports, but nearby, that often provide complementary airport shuttles to pick you up.
I mentioned the importance of credit cards above, allow me to put this into perspective; at Enterprise, Hertz, Thrifty and others, if you use a credit card to book your reservation you will only pay a $200 USD deposit (in most locations), but if you try and book with a debit card then you’re looking at an easy $500 USD deposit (in most locations). You need a credit card to rent vehicles if you want your booking to go more smoothly and if you want to pay less up front. Many credit cards also allow you to earn points and rewards for using them, offering more incentives. Some credits cards are even partnered with some rental companies to provide additional perks. According to Nerdwallet.com, credit cards that are a part of the Visa Infinite program entitle you to upgrades, discounts and elite status with the car rental loyalty programs from four rental car companies: Avis, Hertz, National and Silvercar.
Who to rent from will depend on many factors; your location, your preferences, who is available to rent from, what they have available, time of year, and how much you can save with what online accounts you have and what cards you have to use. Being a member, like a Hertz Gold Member, comes with its own special perks, like skipping the lines. So I can’t recommend one over the other, I just know what works for me. Some of them, probably all of them, also have a rental term limit and with Hertz it’s 63 days per rental period. Make sure you know this information if you plan on renting long-term, Iike I often do. If you need to extend your rental and you can’t, it’s a real headache and this is especially true if you’re nowhere near your drop-off location.
Also, some rental agreements will allow you to drop off vehicles at Point B, if you rent from Point A. If this is your plan, you need to make sure you can do this and how much it will cost for the drop fee (if any). Some rental agreements do not allow this, and you will need to return the rental vehicle at the exact same destination that you rented it from. Airports have higher drop fees, usually, if you’re dropping off a vehicle from a different location.
For those who are vanlifers, you have a unique makeshift mobile home that you’ve custom-made for yourself and others, and you don’t need to worry about the hassles and headaches that come with renting vehicles. And if you are a vanlifer and don’t know about Ben Jamin’s Kombi Life YouTube channel, I highly recommend it https://www.youtube.com/kombilife. Much of the content on his channel is free, but you can access exclusive content at different membership levels. I became a fan of Ben’s channel when I started watching his Hasta Alaska video series, and this was before I became a serious road tripper.
NOTE: Some vehicle rental companies will tell you that they don’t take “deposits;” instead they put a “hold” on your card. I want to be clear that there is no real difference between the two; you are without the money they take from you, whether it is $200, $300 or $500 USD for the duration of the rental term, and you won’t get that money back until you return the vehicle and there are no damages and the fuel tank is at the right level. I feel that some companies use different language to sound like they’re better than others because they don’t take “deposits” from you. Don’t let this fool you.
Tip 4: Have a (loosely) Planned Itinerary
It’s always good to have a plan with anything in life, and when it comes to travel, this is doubly true. Anyone can just jump in a car and hit the road and say, “I’m headed to the Rocky Mountains.” Unfortunately, this is not a well-defined plan that is needed to have a great, thorough adventure in the Rockies. I mentioned above the website www.roadtripusa.com and the excellent itineraries that it has for 11 of America’s most notable road trip routes. This website is a great place to start, but it doesn’t have all the routes and it doesn’t mention all the attractions. You may need to get creative and map out your own routes and itineraries with the Roadtrippers app. The USA is huge with many official roads and unbeaten paths that can and have been explored by others. I mention the website above because it is among my favorites, but there are dozens of websites and apps to use when planning an American road trip. I will mention some of my own road trip routes in future articles. Since this is my first road trip piece, I wanted to just offer the icing on the cake, or share some basic tips on what helps me to be a better road tripper. Later, I will mention some of my personal favorite road trip routes that are popular.
Whether your road trip itineraries are long-distance or short-distance, you should always make sure that you’re well-equipped for these trips. You want to have sufficient funds, the right gear, the right company (if you’re not a solo traveler) and most importantly, the right vehicle. Aside from the personal health and safety of the people on your trip, your vehicle is your single-most important asset that you have, obviously. You want to get everything on your vehicle checked out before you leave for your trip, and during your trip, make sure that you’re keeping up with your tire pressure, fluids, oil changes, etc. And keep your vehicle clean, inside and out.
When planning your itinerary, you should take a multitude of factors into consideration, with money and time being two of the most important. When traveling from Point A to Point B, how many side roads you take and stops you decide to make will often depend on how much money you have to spend (food, drink, fuel, tickets, souvenirs, etc.) and how much time you have. The truth is, the longer you stay on the highway without making stops, the better gas mileage you’re going to get and the more money you’ll save. You have to have the funds for the essentials such as fuel, food and drinks BUT you can cut back on the food and drink expenses if you pack your own stuff. You can save money on fuel by purchasing it in cheaper states, but there is no way to dodge purchasing fuel UNLESS you’re driving a Tesla or other electric vehicle, then you have a different set of challenges. Since this article is geared for fuel-powered vehicles, I won’t even elaborate on the electric vehicle challenges and tips. I’ve never even driven an electric vehicle. However, if you do drive an electric vehicle and you want route information for electric vehicles, with info on charging stations along the routes, then I would recommend checking out Road.Travel https://road.travel/en/trips/electric
I recommend a loosely-planned itinerary because you never know when unexpected events may occur. Perhaps you see a sign for a festival that you didn’t know about while researching your trip and you may want to stop and check it out. Sometimes the weather can impede your plans or you or someone on your trip gets sick and needs to go to the hospital. Or you stop at a scheduled stop and you decide to spend longer than anticipated, you need some cushion time for this. I’ve never been too strict about my road trip itineraries. I mean, I know what I want to see and do but I never stick to it too strictly. This is because with my experiences on the road, I know that accidents can happen or plans can change for reasons unexpected or beyond my control. Have a loosely-planned itinerary when road tripping, as this allows you the flexibility you need to make unexpected, last-minute changes for whatever reasons.
Tip 5: Which Apps Should You Have For Your Road Trips?
Google Maps
This is by far, in my opinion, the most important road trip app that you will need, as it will help you navigate your way from Point A to Point B and it’s FREE. Some apps will charge you for their “premium” services. Google Maps will give you the distance, the time it takes, speed traps along the way and you can add as many stops as you want. You can even program it to tell you where the nearest fuel stations, restaurants, campgrounds, etc. are along your trip. It talks to you!!
Much of the time, it will even tell you the speed limit of the route your on and will even tell you about quicker routes, toll and non-toll roads and even when there is traffic congestion or road construction ahead. I’ve personally used Google Maps for my road trips all over the world.
It’s not without its flaws, as sometimes it will take you somewhere other than where you want to go, but it is reliable 99% of the time. It’s a must-have app for any type of road tripper.
AAA (American Automobile Association)
AAA can offer everything from auto insurance, to travel planning, to discounts on travel-related products and services, to banking, to nationwide up-to-date fuel prices and more. You can join AAA by paying an annual membership fee for additional perks, but you don’t have to join or pay anything to reap the benefits of all the free information that is available via their online platforms.
I mostly use this app (or desktop version) to see the fuel prices in the states that I plan on traveling through. As far as all of its other products and services, I sometimes see what they have to offer but mostly I’m focused on the fuel data. Now most people don’t think about this, but if you will be traveling through a state with high fuel prices (Illinois, Utah, Idaho) and you’re coming from a neighboring state with much cheaper prices (Missouri, Colorado, Wyoming), then it’s a good idea to fill up on gas in the cheaper state before entering the more expensive state. I don’t do this, but some people, especially vanlifers, will bring two or three spare fuel jugs and fill up on cheaper gas. When they get low, they’ll fill up their tanks with the jugs rather than bite the bullet and spend a dollar or so more for a gallon of gas at a fuel station or truck stop. Since my road trips are already pre-planned and I know where I’ll be traveling, I already have a pretty good idea of what I’ll be paying for fuel and other expenses, as I have a budget. So I don’t bother with the jugs but I do fill up on fuel in a cheaper state before entering a more expensive one. This habit alone will save you a great deal of money in the long run, especially during the summer months.
GasBuddy
GasBuddy is another useful road tripping app to have, as it is basically a database of information for about 150,000 fuel stations in the U.S. and Canada. Anyone with the app can submit information about fuel prices and the dates of the submissions will tell you how recent (or not) they are. Fuel is a must-have for any road tripper and knowing where to find the best prices is important. GasBuddy offers a free gas card that can be linked with a debit card, which can help members save up to .25¢/gallon on fuel purchases. GasBuddy also offers a trip cost calculator and even has a blog and a podcast. Every road tripper should have the GasBuddy app (& gas card).
Roadtrippers
Roadtrippers is probably the most popular app for planning road trips. The app offers information on national parks, scenic routes, extraordinary places, commentary from other road trippers and more. The most notable and useful feature on the app is probably its vast information and guides to road trip routes. The app offers different road trip route categories such as “Classic American,” “National Park,” “RV & Family,” “Themed” and others. People can also literally pick and choose where they begin, where they end and all the stops in between to create customized routes with an interactive map. People can access a lot of free tools on Roadtrippers, such as adding up to 7 waypoints on their routes, but you can pay an annual membership fee and add up to 150 waypoints and also access other premium features with Roadtrippers Plus. Other premium features include the ability to customize road trip routes specifically for RVs, ad-free service, discounts and collaboration opportunities.
HotelTonight
Most of the time when I travel, I use Hotels.com or Hostelworld.com or simply go to Google Maps and see where the cheapest accommodations are in the area where I plan to sleep. This is assuming that I’m not staying at a Love’s Travel Stop or at a campground while road tripping.
The HotelTonight app is unique in its own right as it offers a feature known as “Daily Drop,” which can be used once a day to find great discounts on accommodations listed on the platform. The app also offers the “Look Ahead” forecasting tool which provides a 7-day outlook on which discounted accommodations are available that can be booked throughout that timeframe. For people wanting to find last-minute room deals at select hotels, HotelTonight is useful.
Tip 6: How to Save On Food
Food expenses can really eat into your road trip budget, especially if you make a habit of going through the McDonald’s and Taco Bell drive-thrus. And as much as I love Love’s Travel Stops, they are typically higher with their store-wide prices than many other places (but again, you can use their sinks and microwaves if you have your own food and dishes). If people can save money on food, this means that they can spend more money on other things like fuel, vehicle maintenance, souvenirs, national and state park entry fees, accommodation and other stuff.
In my early days of road tripping I did just about everything wrong. One major mistake I made was the amount of money that I was spending on food expenses, and not to mention, what it was doing to my health. Remember, most people who are road trippers tend to neglect their health in more ways than one with lack of exercise and a poor diet being two big culprits. So by being smart with your food purchases, with respect to where you buy and what you buy, it can truly serve as a dual benefit. But it does take some discipline and self-control not to stop at a McDonald’s alongside the highway and feed your face with junk when you’re hungry.
Two places that I recommend shopping at when it comes to purchasing food and drink items are Wal-Mart and Dollar General. The former I recommend once a week and the latter I recommend shopping at throughout the week. The reason for this is that Wal-Mart visits take longer as they’re not always conveniently located off the side of the road you’re traveling on, and they’re bigger and more crowded and so you can’t get in and out as fast as you can a Dollar General. However, many Wal-Marts are open 24/7 and they have a very wide selection of not just food and drink items but also other gear that you may need for your trip. Dollar Generals tend to be more convenient for quick stops as they are very abundant and easily accessible off both the highways and the back roads. They have more than just food items that can be purchased there, though they’re not as elaborate as Wal-Mart. Most importantly, Wal-Marts and Dollar Generals have competitive prices compared to other places which are great for your road trip budget. One stop at a Dollar General may cost me between $20 and $30 USD and the food will last me for a good week. You can also grab basic camping gear, including firewood, at many Dollar Generals. There are other places that are cheaper, like ALDI, but they lack non-food supplies and they don’t sell the best quality food and drinks, and they’re not nearly as abundant on the road as Wal-Marts and Dollar Generals are.
Tip 7: Road Trip Accessories
NOTE: As I noted in the beginning of this article, what I mention here are personal recommendations for solo road trippers, or to be more accurate, what works for me personally. If you’re traveling with others, including animals, or have special health needs or you are just a different kind of outdoors person, your list of accessories will vary.
Electric Coolers
First I’d like to mention the electric coolers that can be purchased at places like Wal-Mart, Love’s, Lowe’s, Home Depot, BougeRV.com, RTIC Outdoors and other places with prices between $35 and $300 USD. I’m not going to list the individual prices of these because the prices are always changing, but I will say that electric coolers are handy to have in your vehicle as they can keep your food fresh. I purchased an electric cooler at a Love’s Travel Stop for around $100 USD but I had to also purchase a 200 watt inverter for around $30 USD to give it the power it needed for it to be cold. Electric coolers, like the one I purchased, can be plugged into a 12V socket. The 200 watt inverter that I bought plugs into a 12V socket and it also has two 12V sockets on it. Some SUVs have a 12V socket both in the front and in the back of the vehicles. Electric coolers basically serve as mini fridges that often require less space and less power. They will keep your lunch meat, beer and other items cold but many are not cold enough for frozen foods like ice cream.
First Aid Kit
No road trip would be complete without having at least a basic first aid kit. You can buy these at several places, including Wal-Mart. Whether you are traveling alone or with other people, it’s nice to have one of these. You may cut your finger while camping, fall during a hike and scrape your knee or get bitten by a bug or whatever. Different types of first aid kits can be purchased at Wal-Mart at prices between $10 and $40 USD. They are small and easily storable.
Phone Mount
I personally don’t use phone mounts as to me, they are excess baggage. Phone mounts are small devices that you can put on your dash or attach to your windshield to hold your cell phone. I just put my phone in one of the cup holders and it works just fine with Google Maps. However, a lot of people do use them and they are convenient. You can purchase phone mounts at Wal-Mart from prices between $7 and $30 USD, depending on what you want and need.
Outdoor Gear
I like to camp, hike, fish and do other outdoorsy kind of stuff when I road trip. I feel that any road trip without at least some of this is incomplete. Also, you will gain some weight while spending too much time in a vehicle, and hiking is a great way to stay in shape. There are just so many great national parks, state parks and other recreational areas that every road tripper, in my opinion, should totally take advantage of. Of course, there are different strokes for different folks. I always have a small tent with me just in case I decide to stop at a campground for the night. I also have a utility lighter (AKA candle lighter) and a couple of bottles of lighter fluid to help me get my campfires going. I recommend buying a couple of long-burning packaged firelogs to help get your fire going and also burn longer. Having a box of matches is also handy if you’re having trouble getting a fire started and need to use a whole bottle of lighter fluid, you’ll want to throw a match on that. You can buy firewood at many stores, including many Dollar Generals.
When hiking, I often carry a pair of hiking sticks, some packaged puree or a banana with a bottle of water. A good, durable backpack is a must-have for long hiking excursions. I also equip my vehicle with a folding hunter’s chair, which can be small and convenient to enjoy a campfire or to do some fishing with. I get a deep pan, which can also be used as a pot to do some campfire cooking. A Swiss Army knife, or something similar, is handy to have along with eating utensils. A refillable water bottle is very handy and can be used for any beverage. A machete and a hacksaw will help if you’re in pursuit of additional firewood at your campsite. Some bug repellent is also necessary, especially in the summer in the Deep South, I recommend “Off! Deep Woods.” Some separate hiking shoes may help, though I don’t have a pair. Sunglasses or a hat will help regardless of what you’re doing outdoors. Different states offer different fishing license deals and every state sells fishing licenses and everything else I mentioned at Wal-Mart, a very convenient and often cheaper one-stop shopping venue in the United States. You will need to purchase a separate fishing license for every state you want to fish in. However, if you’re fishing at a campground, like a KOA, or other private places, you won’t need a fishing license to fish. I have a telescopic fishing rod that is easy to store, and you can also find them at Wal-Mart along with plenty of tackle. Since I’m more partial to SUV road trip travel these days, I seldom use tents any more for camping since I can just sleep in the back of my vehicle.
No-Brainer Road Trip Accessories
There are no-brainer road trip accessories that everyone should, or should consider getting for their road trips. I call them “no-brainers” due to them being obvious items that everyone should have, at least for the most part. These accessories include a first aid kid (essential), spare tire (essential), drinking water (essential), jumper cables (essential), tire jack (essential), basic tool kit (essential), tire repair kit (essential), orange triangle signs (optional), tire pressure gauge (optional), wet wipes (optional), tissue (optional) dash cam (optional), air fresheners (optional), hand sanitizer (optional), car trash bin (optional), reusable water bottle (optional), reusable coffee mug (optional), plastic food storage containers (optional), seat cushion (optional) resistance bands (optional) for exercise and whatever else you feel you need or want for your road trips.
NOTE: When I’m not taking long road trips, I keep all of my road trip accessories in a single storage facility in southern Mississippi. Storage facilities are super cheap there. While coming from and going to Florida, I often stop at this place to pick up and drop off old and new accessories. I recommend having one place to store all your road trip gear when you’re not using it.
Tip 8: My Favorite Road Trip Website Resources
I mentioned above about having a loose itinerary and being flexible to alter your routes, just in case you see something along your trip that you may want to stop and check out. Sometimes when I’m parked for the night, I may decide to check out what’s going on in the area around me, if there are any hidden gems to find or unknown attractions that may be of interest on my routes. There may be a local restaurant or bar that is only partial to the area I’m in that’s worth stopping by to see. I also mentioned apps above, but some websites are better than their app counterparts. For me, websites are sometimes easier to navigate around and they just perform better than the apps, and a bigger screen and multiple accessible link tabs are also helpful.
I like festivals and many of them occur in the spring, summer and fall. Here is one website that I like to use that serves as a database for nationwide, year-round festivals is https://festivalnet.com/. Some states, such as Florida, basically have an abundance of festivals to choose from year-round, with the suitable weather, and if you’re like me and spend a lot of time in this state, then needless to say there is never a dull moment or shortage of stuff to do.
I’m also a big conference-goer, as I’ve been to conferences all over the world and I used to work as a conference coordinator for BIT Congress in China. They are great for vast networking, for educational purposes and for business opportunities. There are multiple websites that can be used to find conferences, worldwide, but my favorite is MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Executives) https://www.mice.com/. This will help you find events in the USA.
A third website that I’d like to share that is suitable for any kind of traveler is www.internations.org, which is basically an online social network, like Facebook, but specifically geared for travelers, expats and locals. You can start a free account and start connecting with people, join a chapter anywhere in the world, and attend either free or paid informal or official events. You can also become an Albatross member for additional perks, the longer your membership duration, the cheaper it will be. Since prices are always changing, I will just refer you to the website to find out what the current prices are for Albatross membership. I’ve been to several InterNations events around the world and they are typically held in great venues in great cities, they’re affordable and you can meet a lot of people at them. They’re a lot of fun. There are about 420 InterNations chapters, worldwide, with a chapter in just about every major American city. While you’re on the road, if you decide that you’ll be staying the night in or around a major U.S. metropolis, then you can utilize InterNations to see if there is anything going on.
Perhaps this one should have been mentioned above in the “no-brainer accessories” tip but www.weather.com is a great website to use every day. It is absolutely imperative that you know what kind of weather to expect while you’re on the road, especially if you’re in Florida during the hurricane season, in the South during the rainy season or California during the summer months when wildfires are burning (no that’s not a joke). The weather can impact your trip a lot.
I know that every person is partial to their own road trip go-to websites.
Tip 9: Keep Everything in a Designated Place
This is a very important tip, as you need to make sure that you keep all important items in places that you will never forget to find them. This includes vehicle insurance documents and other important papers, wallet, medications, digital equipment, etc. This sounds like common sense but if you’re on the road for a long time and you’re accumulating new items all the time, it’s very easy to produce a cluttered vehicle where you will have a difficult time finding things. I try to keep a clean ride and have a designated place for all important items.
I keep my wallet in the center console box between the seats (most new vehicles have these) along with any spare change and other small necessities that I frequently need. My phone is plugged into the console USB port and sits in the closest cup holder. I keep my refillable coffee mug from Love’s in the other cup holder next to the phone. I always have a small bottle of water or a reusable water bottle in the driver’s side door cup holder. I keep all important documents, including vehicle insurance, in the glove box compartment. I keep a first aid kit under the driver’s seat and any book that I’m currently reading (not on Kindle) in the driver’s side door pocket. Any important documents that can’t fit in the glove box compartment, I put in the pocket behind the driver’s seat in a folder. A basic tool kit goes under the passenger’s seat. My laptop goes in the passenger’s seat and my backpack goes on the passenger’s floorboard. Since I’m mostly driving SUVs nowadays, all clothing items, coolers and other larger items go in the back. I always have the rear seats down so I can have more room and so I can make a bed in the evenings.
If you make a habit of giving all of your important items designated places in your vehicle, it will become second nature for you to place these items in and take them from their spots. You will never ever lose anything, and this will lead to a happier, more hassle-free road trip.
Tip 10: Suggested Notable Road Trip Routes (My Personal Favs)
There are so many road trip routes in the USA that I can’t include all of them as just one part of an article about road trips. There are historic and notable ones, and then there are those that people create themselves with the help of apps like Roadtrippers. Eventually, I will probably create a separate article that is entirely dedicated to American road trip routes, including my own custom-made ones. For now, I’ll just briefly mention a few of them that I truly appreciate, most of which I’ve traveled on myself.
Overseas Highway (Miami to Key West)
This route isn’t mentioned on a lot on the websites that I’ve explored about road trips, but it should be, as it has a great deal to offer people who want to venture on this approximately three-and-a-half-hour (minimal stops) trip. My favorite attractions on this route include John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, Theatre of the Sea, History of Diving Museum, Windley Key Fossil Reef Geological State Park, Seven Mile Bridge, Lorelei Cabana Bar and Restaurant (Tiki Bar), National Key Deer Refuge, Duvall Street (Key West), Key West Key Lime Pie Company, Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville (Key West), U.S. 1 Mile Marker 0 (Key West) and Fort Jefferson and Fort Zachery Taylor Historic State Park are both in and around Key West.
The Overseas Highway is one that I’ve traveled on several times, as I’m partial to Miami and south Florida, and I’m a Florida resident. My favorite part about this trip, aside from Duvall Street, would probably be the Seven Mile Bridge. But with so much to see and do on this route, it’s really difficult to pick a favorite attraction. A big plus is that it’s a relatively short road trip route.
More information about this route can be found on the Roadtrippers app and on Tripsavvy https://www.tripsavvy.com/overseas-highway-miami-to-key-west-1513542
Pacific Coast Highway (San Diego, CA to Neah Bay, WA)
This is one of the most popular road trip routes in America, aside from Route 66, and for good reason. I traveled this route back in 2020 from San Diego to Neah Bay and it was so spectacular in so many ways. I just wish that I would have done some thorough planning before I went as it would have made my trip better. First of all, with respect to money-saving accommodations, many of the campgrounds on or near the beaches are fully booked and you will need to book them several weeks in advance, and most of the major truck stops are about two hours inland from the coast. Another reason why pre-planning would have benefitted me is that California is expensive in almost every aspect; and this includes fuel, food and accommodations. A third reason is that there are basically an infinite number of attractions that one can see on this route, and better prior planning would have helped me to select more stops to make to catch more goodies along the way, or to be more selective. Sadly, a fourth reason why I should have done more pre-trip research was due to the crazy wildfires that were burning in just about every part of the state, which did force me to change my plans quite often.
With all that said, allow me to emphasize some of the positives of this route that you must check out if and when you decide to take this some 1,500-mile (2,400-kilo) journey. My favorite attractions on the Pacific Coast Highway include La Jolla Beach, Mission San Juan Capistrano, Laguna Beach, Huntington Beach, Griffith Observatory, Beverly Hills, Pismo Beach, Hearst Castle, Big Sur, 17-Mile Drive & Pebble Beach, Golden Gate Bridge, Chandelier Drive-Thru Tree, Humboldt Redwoods State Park, Oregon Dune Country, Tillamook Creamery (Oregon) and Olympic National Park (Washington). I did take a detour to Bakersfield, California and it was nice.
There were many great moments during my Pacific Coast Highway trip, but I’d have to say that the Oregon coast was by far my favorite experience of it all. It’s so beautiful and breathtaking!!
I also want to mention that you will get a gorgeous sunset every single night (weather permitting) while traveling along the Pacific Coast Highway. The two major highways are SR 1 and US 101 and you can drive south to north or north to south, either way will give you the same route.
The Pacific Coast Highway will inspire you and you can find a more elaborate route with more attractions on both https://www.roadtripusa.com/pacific-coast/ and on the Roadtrippers app.
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Route 66 (Chicago to Los Angeles)
NOTE: The original Route 66 was commissioned from 1926 to 1985; this is information for Historic Route 66.
I’ve personally never traveled the complete Route 66; I just haven’t tackled it yet. But it is legendary and is arguably the most famous and historic American road trip route there is.
Though the Route has changed a bit since its inception in 1926, there are still many of the same (& new) attractions that can be seen on it. These attractions include the Route 66 Hall of Fame Museum in Pontiac (Illinois), Cahokia Mounds, St. Louis, Meramec Caverns, Branson (Missouri), Cars on the Route, Hamburger City, Lucille’s Roadhouse, Cadillac Ranch, Palo Duro Canyon, Tinkertown, Santa Fe, Flagstaff, Grand Canyon, Mojave National Preserve, San Bernardino, Los Angeles and Santa Monica, just to name a few. It is a very elaborate route that covers several states. For any road tripper, or any traveler, completing Route 66 is a true badge of honor.
An elaborate guide that highlights more attractions can be found here and the Roadtrippers app.
Appalachian Trail (Atlanta to Mt. Washington)
I drove the Appalachian Trail road route in 2020, which is basically the road version of the famous hiking trail that gives you access to all the awesome attractions and stops, minus the blisters on your feet. It truly is a breathtaking experience as you get to basically drive through the Appalachian Mountains and soak up some great weather while enjoying all sorts of outdoorsy experiences like hiking, camping, kayaking, fishing, sightseeing, etc.
Notable attractions on this route are Tallulah Falls & Gorge, Black Rock Mountain State Park, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Cherokee Indian Reservation, Biltmore Estate, Mount Airy, Shenandoah National Park, Harpers Ferry, Catoctin Mountain Park, Antietam National Battlefield, Gettysburg National Military Park, Lancaster County Amish, West Point, Hancock Shaker Village, Woodstock, Green Mountains (Vermont), White Mountains (New Hampshire), Stephen King’s House, Mt. Washington and many others.
My favorite experiences on my Appalachian Trail road trip were Tallulah Falls & Gorge, where I did a lot of hiking and took a million photos and videos (burned many calories, too), Harpers Ferry with all of its history and beauty, the Amish experience in Lancaster County, as well as the Green Mountains of Vermont and the White Mountains of New Hampshire. Stephen King’s House in Bangor, Maine was really freaking cool.
You can learn more about the Appalachian Trail road trip route on https://www.roadtripusa.com/appalachian-trail/ and on the Roadtrippers app.
Rocky Mountain Road Trips
I say “trips” because to my knowledge, there is no one definitive “Rocky Mountain Road Trip Route,” but then again, there are no definitive routes for any road trip. Since the Rocky Mountains cover such a wide range of space, it makes sense that people would come up with their own, custom-made trips to suit their own interests. With that said, I’ll mention just a few of my own personal favorite stops across the Rocky Mountain range which covers multiple states; including Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Utah, Colorado and New Mexico.
If you decide to embark on a Rocky Mountain road trip, then I suggest that you at least check out Glacier National Park, Little Bighorn Battlefield, Yellowstone National Park, Grand Teton National Park, Logan Pass Visitor Center, Continental Divide of the Americas, Whitefish Mountain Resort, Bear Lake, Silver Mountain Resort, Hells Canyon National Recreation Area, Devils Tower National Monument, Buffalo Bill Center of the West, Fort Laramie National Historic Site, Zion National Park, Arches National Park, Great Salt Lake, Bryce Canyon National Park, Monument Valley, Rocky Mountain National Park, Garden of the Gods, Colorado National Monument, Carlsbad Caverns National Park and so many others. These are ones you should try and see for sure, in my opinion.
You can plan your Rocky Mountains road trip with the Roadtrippers app and also here is a link with five recommended routes from Tripsavvy.
When it comes to road trip routes, the sky is the limit as there are infinite places to visit.
In Conclusion
I plan on covering as much of the earth as possible in a vehicle, and I will continue to learn and share ideas that work for me, with other people. With respect to American road trips, the only two states that I’ve yet to venture around in a vehicle are Alaska and Hawaii, which are the only two states that I haven’t been to yet. I will write several more articles about road trips for Brainz Magazine and also for my website.
I will also include my adventures on my Road Trippin’ USA: A Travel Adventure Series collection on YouTube, as well as Heritage: A Travel Campaign, a subseries to the former.
Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, Pinterest, Youtube and visit my website for more info!
Jeffrey A. Epps, MBA, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Jeff manages his travel business, Outcast Vagabond, where he provides marketing and consulting services to travel-related brands and individuals. He has been to over 100 countries and aspires to travel to every country and territory in the world. He spent 7 years living and teaching in 3 separate Chinese cities, from 2012 to 2019, and has been teaching online, part-time, since 2020. As an avid investor, he helps to coach others on money management and with investment advice. He has 3 college diplomas including a Bachelor's in Marketing (SIUC), MBA in Marketing (SFASU) and a MALS degree from the University of Miami. He is currently based in Makati, Metro Manila, Philippines.
