Road Trip – How To Create an Epic Weekend Adventure

Let’s Plan a Road Trip!

It’s time to pull out a map and discover what’s within a day’s drive of home. . . and we’re adding an overnight! Who’s ready for a Road Trip!

You’ve Explored Your Backyard and you’ve Explored Locally. Now it’s time to spread your wings and experience a regional wonder.

Are you ready for an exciting Weekend Adventure?

This is the beginning of a magical experience and it’s where you get to learn what really interests you.

Pick a Place

If you’ve never planned a trip for fun with an overnight stay, I’d guess you’re feeling overwhelmed.

Take a deep breath because you’re in for a real treat.

Pull up your Google Maps or track down a road atlas and make a big circle around all the places that are three to five hours away.

I live in Salt Lake City so my options are overwhelmingly numerous. I would guess your options are unlimited as well.

Grab and pen and paper, it’s time to make a huge list of places to visit. We’re going to include National Parks, State Parks, hot springs, museums, cemeteries, hikes, well-known sites, tourable homes, fun shopping malls, amusement parks, churches . . . the list goes on and on.

Whatever you’re into, whatever brings you joy and has a nearby hotel, add it to the list. 

My Road Trip List

• Zion National Park 

• Timpanogos Cave 

• Great Basin National Park 

• Capitol Reef National Park 

• Bryce Canyon 

• Golden Spike 

• Arches National Park

• Yellowstone 

• Lava Hot Springs 

• Hot Springs Near Twin Falls

• Hiking in St George 

• Shakespeare Festival in Cedar City 

• Swiss Days in Midway (with Sheep Herding Festival)

• Las Vegas 

• Extraterrestrial Highway

The list is enormous and only includes what’s north, south and west. I haven’t included anywhere east of Salt Lake City!

If you need help narrowing down your list, do a little research about the places you’ve written down. See what makes your heart beat a little faster.

I’d suggest you start by searching “Best Month to Visit . . .” 

Time To Plan Your Road Trip

You’ve done your research, now it’s time to pick a place and commit! Jump into your adventure with both feet. 

Today my back is achy so I’m going to choose Lava Hot Springs as our overnight trip.

Lava Hot Springs is about a three-hour drive north and there’s a cute turn-of-the-century house-turned-hotel I’ve wanted to stay at.

Before I get too deep into the actual planning, I’ll visit Booking.com to make sure hotels are a reasonable price and/or available before I set my heart on this adventure. Trust me, there’s nothing worse than waiting until the last minute to book a hotel only to discover that everything is oversold, or that the one-star budget motel is $1,000 per night because WWE is in town (I’m talking about you, New Orleans).

We’re fortunate enough to travel multiple times a year so I don’t mind planning our trips around reasonably priced hotel rooms. If you’re lucky enough to have no travel budget, you’ll still want to make sure hotel rooms are available, especially during peak season.

If there’s a hotel you’re dying to stay and your trip will be hampered if you can’t stay there, I’d suggest booking your room as soon as you get your dates set.  

I recommend staying at a hotel or motel for this specific journey, especially if you rarely get the opportunity to sleep away from home. It’s good practice to book a hotel online and then experience check in with a clerk who speaks English before attempting the process in a foreign language. I’ve also got some helpful tips for reserving Hotels.

A Note About Camping

I don’t recommend camping for your first Road Trip, but if you need to save some cash, it is an option. If you choose to camp I’d strongly recommend booking your site in advance. Camping has gone mainstream and for the most part the days are long gone where you can pull up to a campsite and pop open your tent, unless you’re camping way out there, you know, without water.

Or a working potty. Ewww.

The only thing I know about camping is that spots are often pre-reserved and campgrounds sell out. I won’t agree to camp unless the site has flush toilets and showers and even then I make a very sad face and we usually end up at a hotel . . . Trust me, you don’t want my advice about camping.

Planning Your Road Trip

You’ve picked your destination, you’ve determined your travel dates, you’ve ensured your hotel isn’t astronomically expensive and/or unavailable. Now it’s time to plan your road trip!

You’re about to set out on an adventurous two-day journey. This is not a sprint to the finish line.

I’d suggest you map out your route and find some interesting things to see between your house and your destination. Apps and websites like Roadtrippers and Trip It are widely used and loved.

Personally I make a Google Map and search for unique places to stop along our route.

If you’re having trouble finding interesting things to see you can always do an internet search of, say, “Things to see near I-15.”

Google is both a stalker and your best friend, use it to your advantage!

Sites to See Along The Way

I like to stop at quaint museums, cemeteries, open churches (churches are a great place to see art in the setting it was intended), mom-and-pop restaurants, ice cream shops, creameries or snack shops.

Locally owned grocery stores are fun to wander through, as are craft stores and gas stations.

Side Note

Gas stations can be hit and miss, but should still be explored. You never know when you’re going to find the “World’s Best Potato Log” or “Grandma’s Fresh Homemade Cookies” that are totally worth wasting calories on. Don’t be surprised if you find yourself planning trips in the future so you can swing by that same gas station again and again. 

Search social media for any Must-Sees along your route. You’ll know if somewhere is a Must-Stop place, lots of people will recommend it.

Be Nosy, Ask Around

Ask your friends and family if they’ve made a similar trip and if they stopped anywhere noteworthy . . . you never know who’s secretly an excellent resources of local tribal knowledge.

We all have that “one” friend who knows amazing off-the-beaten-path mom-and-pop restaurants. Reach out to them, they’re one of your best resources, and they’ll be happy to share their street smarts.  

Watch Your World Expand

I bet as you start to explore outside of your sphere, you’ll find yourself paying closer attention to news stories and articles about places you’ve been.

For example, when I heard the Louvre opened a new museum in Abu Dhabi I knew I had to go even though that journey seemed impossible. I imagined the only way to get there was by chicken bus across the desert. Boy was I wrong!

Research Your Destination

With your road journey mapped out and potential stops planned, it’s time to research the place you’re planning to visit.

Start by checking the website or calling the place you plan to visit to find out if:

• The site itself is open the day you’ll be there
• They recommend you buy tickets in advance

We went to Yosemite in August of 2020 and thankfully we did our research because we needed a “ticket” to get in line to buy our Yosemite passes (they were only allowing 5,000 cars in per day). We paid $2 to reserve our “free car ticket” in advance, otherwise it would have been a long, sad drive back to Fresno . . .  and we saw quite a few cars turned away. 

Does Your Road Trip Destination Have:

• Wikipedia articles
• Recent news stories
• Are of historical significance or importance
• Hashtags (if there isn’t a hashtag, you can create one! How exciting!)

Other Questions to Ask:

• Is there a famous person who was born or died nearby?
• Is the area infamous for anything unsavory?
• What do the locals do for work, especially if the location is remote?
• What makes the place you’re visiting special?

Knowledge is power and luck favors the prepared. If you’re going to take the time to go on an exciting Road Trip, take the time to do a little research and make your journey as hiccup-free as possible.

Research takes a bit of time, but it can also save a huge headache when you arrive.

Your research is done, your hotel is booked and your overnight bag is packed. Check the weather, view my Packing Tips, gather everyone up in the car, start your map, stop at the gas station for drinks and treats and you’re on your way!

I hope you’re excited and ready, this is the first step to becoming a world traveler.

Time To Head Out 

Take your time, don’t rush and enjoy the experience. Read all the captions, take pictures and don’t hesitate to deviate from your original plan if you find something that interests you.

Just because you created a plan doesn’t mean you have to stick to it (unless you bought timed tickets for something).

Savor your meals (try to eat local if possible) and enjoy every bite of the World’s Best Jerky you bought from a roadside stand on that long, lonely highway.

View your Road Trip through the eyes of a tourist and consider why you would, or wouldn’t tell your BFF make the same journey.

Recommendations for All Your Trips

I don’t want to tell you how to do your exploring, but I do have some suggestions to make your trip more meaningful. (Borrowed from the Explore Your Backyard/Explore Local section if you skipped them.)

Local food, drinks and snacks should be a part of every journey. If there’s a family-owned shop or restaurant, make it a point to eat there before, after or during your trip. (Burger King has plenty of money, let’s give our cash to someone who could use it.)

If a family in town makes “The World’s Best Ice Cream” pop in and buy a scoop or two.

Part of the fun of traveling is experiencing the local food flavor and supporting local business. Don’t skip this important aspect of your journey. If there’s no local food place, pack a lunch and enjoy. 

If you start your travel journey with good habits, they’ll serve you in the long run. 

Souvenirs/Geocache

Before you set out, there’s one final thing to consider . . . is there something you want to collect from the places you travel?

I collect Christmas ornaments, bracelets and earrings . . . things I use in everyday life. Alex collects rocks, pins and patches. Not every place we visit sells what we collect . . . except for rocks . . . unfortunately there are rocks literally everywhere.

Consider what you’d like to collect and start now if you can. Here are some helpful tips so your Souvenir collection doesn’t become overwhelming.

Lots of people with or without kids Geocache during their travels and collect Geocache virtual souvenirs, which can also be fun, although do your best not to look like a terrorist.

BE INSPIRING 

Make sure your phone or camera is charged. I’d suggest you take some pictures of your big trip!

In fact, I dare you to post pictures of your regional trip (you can hashtag #roadtrip).

You never know who you’re going to inspire to step out of their comfort zone by stepping out of your comfort zone.

The truth is, it’s exciting to explore and it doesn’t matter if you’re in your own backyard or on the other side of the globe. There’s a good chance that Sara from Tokyo is interested in that odd spider web you saw . . . give her the opportunity to see it. 

When you get home, pull out your travel journal and make a few notes about your day. I guarantee you’ll smile when you’re later journaling about visiting The Great Barrier Reef or taking an Alaska cruise and you reread your original post about the day you bravely ate a lobster roll at the Milwaukee Market.

Taking a Road Trip to a regional site is an important step and shouldn’t be skipped. It’s practice for bigger, more exciting trips to come. I hope you find the journey rewarding and exciting.

If you aren’t ready to move on to the next step (an airplane ride), take a couple more regional trips (even longer ones).

The next step is a biggie and I want you to be ready!

Thanks for Popping By

Please feel free to share your questions or comments below. If you see any typos, let me know!

I encourage you to share my tribal knowledge with someone who loves or would love to travel.

The Art of Travel (TAOT) ~ Written by Kylie, a huge thanks to Alex for the great photos.