I remember the moment like it was yesterday. We were walking to get coffee from a local cafe and trying to decide whether we wanted to spend $5,000 on a down payment on a car - or a deposit on an apartment in Miami, where putting down ‘first, last, and deposit’ to move into an apartment is the norm.
You can probably guess which one we chose.
So a few days later, we pulled out of the dealership with our new-to-us car (which we still have, over two years later) and started to plan our journey. We were going to go to Los Angeles by way of Virginia to see some of Chara’s friends on the west coast and get an idea if that could be the place that we would settle down in. At the time, neither of us had ever driven anything even close to that far in one go, but we felt confident that between us we could manage it. After all, it was only about 3,500 miles in all, how hard could it be? (Side note: each time it ended up being WAY more than that because we decided to add in stops like Niagra Falls and Chicago which are clearly not en route from Miami to Los Angeles.)
Our first journey:
We ended up making some version of our cross country trip three times in the end, each time going a slightly different route and going about things in a slightly different way. The one thing that they all had in common aside from being a very long drive? They gave us a once (thrice) in a lifetime opportunity to see so many of the different sides of the US from our own eyes.
Over those three journeys, in addition to collecting memories and experiences that we’ll remember forever, we also learned a few things that we think could be valuable for you - especially if you’re planning a significant road trip that spans over several days. One day I’ll tell the story of why exactly it took us three trips to settle down in California (and why we chose here over Florida), but today we’ll keep it on topic.
> > Invest ahead in your peace of mind
When you’re driving through somewhere in Utah (according to the GPS on your car), neither of you have cell phone service, and you haven’t seen another car in an hour, you don’t want to be wondering how your car’s tires are holding up or when you last changed the oil.
So, invest in your car: replace your tires (if you need to), and spend the time and the money to get your car maintained properly. It’s also worth investing in a service like AAA and a package that includes unlimited towing miles. I ended up needing this on a different journey many years previously and it saved me probably several hundred dollars in towing fees, not to mention knowing that I had access to basically a *free* tow truck in my pocket.
> > Don’t try and pre-book your hotels (unless there’s no cancellation fee)
OK hear me out. I am a planner at heart and the first time we did this drive, I spent an afternoon drawing out maps and mileage so that we could stop at predetermined locations to give us optimal rest and pricing. We ended up cancelling basically all of them.
When you’re taking the time to do a cross country roadtrip, it’s important to keep some of the spontaneity that comes along with it. That and it’s harder than you might think to stay on schedule when you have no control over things like traffic and weather, which can totally upend any planned stops. If you’re anything like I am, you want to choose and book your hotels so you a) don’t have to think about it on the road and b) know what the price is so that you can plan for the rest of the stops, this may feel counterintuitive. But it’s for the best.
We tried Hotwire a few times (it was OK, but wouldn’t recommend overall -- too unpredictable). We tried Expedia and just going straight through Google. But in the end we found HotelTonight and that probably saved us many hours and a few hundred dollars over the course of our journey. I use them for almost all of our hotel booking now, which is partially because I’ve given up on trying to book hotels in advance, and partially because we found some really cool hotels for great rates along the way.
{PS: use code - FRALING to get 20% off your 1st booking 😎}
> > Buy your food from grocery stores
As convenient as it is to buy chips, snacks, and bottles of water from the gas station, it’s just inflating your waist and deflating your bank account. So just don’t do it (if you can avoid it). Instead, take the extra time on your journey to buy fresh foods that you enjoy. Not that it isn’t fun to get some french fries or a donut as part of your road trip adventure.
We started doing this on our most recent trip and it seriously leveled up the entire experience. When you have fresh fruits, higher quality prepared foods, and a better selection of snacks, you make better choices. And considering that your daily physical activity has likely gotten pretty low as part of your journey, not supplementing inactivity with extra calories is definitely the better choice. Not to mention that it saves you a whole bunch of $$ over the entirety of the drive. Another bonus? It gives you a chance to check out the local life and get some much needed exercise (kinda).
> > Diversify your entertainment options
Having Sirius radio was a lifesaver for us personally. This is for a few key reasons:
No commercials
It works across states and where there’s no phone signal or radio outside of static and country
It takes away the pressure of having to be the DJ
You can easily pass an hour just clicking through the channels
This in conjunction with YouTube Music, Spotify, Podcasts, audio books, and occasionally talking to each other does the trick. If you’re sitting shotgun you also get to spend some time looking for grocery stores and hotels, so there’s that as well.
>> Remember to enjoy the journey
It’s not all that often that someone embarks on a drive across the USA, so while it’s important to move with a purpose, it’s also important to enjoy the ride. You’ll see parts of the country you wouldn’t normally travel to. Plus many hours of one-on-one time with your copilot (who is hopefully someone you love).
So, take those extra few minutes' journey to the local grocery store. Or stop at one of those wacky roadside attractions to get a giant peach or 40 fireworks or whatever else they have available. And don’t forget to appreciate it. There’s not many places in the world where you can drive for days in a straight line and remain in the same country.
Here’s the drone footage from one of ours:
So there you have it - some of the things I wish I had known before going on my first cross country road trip. One final tip? Be sure to go easy on yourselves. It’s a long drive and it can be mentally exhausting to keep yourself ‘on’ constantly. So give yourself and your road trip partner a break. And a snack. :)
Got more tips? I’d love to hear them! Leave them in the comments below.