by Kasen Stephensen

The Great American road trip in all of its beauty and appeal is still very intimidating.  Here are 5 tips to help turn a wishful daydream into an awesome vacation.

1.  Check your vehicle.

Roughly a week prior to starting a trip, make sure that the vehicle being used has a thorough check-up.  Tires should be rotated and fluid levels checked.  Make sure to bring a fully-inflated tire and jumper cables just in case.

2.  Have a loose plan.

Although having no plan is for the truly courageous, having a loose plan will help make sure the trip is more enjoyable.  This will allow road delays or traffic to make a minimal impact on schedules.  Plan out locations and have a rough idea where to stay.

3.  Use online resources to plan.

Roadtrippers.com is a fantastic resource for planning road trips.  It allows for one to set up a route and provides information for tourist spots, hotels, and food as well as an estimate of the overall trip cost.  There are also plenty of online road trips that are already created and ready to follow.     

4.  Ask the locals.

Locals will often know great places to eat, leading to inexpensive and/or great food. They might also know locations of unique attractions that aren’t as well known.  

5.  Stay in national parks.

Camping is much cheaper than hotels and National Park campsites often have basic hygiene facilities.  Annual passes are available for free for military personnel or dependents or $80.  Passes cover entrance fees but will not cover fees for amenities like camping or utility.  Caesar’s Creek has an office where these passes can be purchased.