One of the American dreams is to hit the dusty highways and get to know this little plot of Earth we call “home.” Most Americans have visited alarmingly little of this country and that’s too bad: there’s so much to see and so much to do, so many little nuances of this land that every American should expose himself and herself too before it’s too late. And we’re not talking about one of those retirement bus trips where you get on board and see the country though the bus windows and as a horde of sheep being shepherded by border collies through the gift shop. No – it’s time to take to the highways and see the country. Here are some tips to doing this.
Couch Surfing
Any fool can roll into a township and find a motel or even a B&B. You may think you’re saving money and maintaining comfort, but one of the best ways to see the land is to make friends with people who actually live there. If you use a crowd sourcing lodging site like Couch Surfing, or do an Air B&B where the residents are resident, then you’ll have a chance to make actual personal connections with the people in the town you happen to be in. At the very least you can talk to someone local, and at best you can have a new friend to show you all the spots that are actually worth seeing as opposed to what some website tells you.
Get a Comfortable Road Tested Car
Your means of road tripping is of the utmost importance too. You don’t want to be in something that has a chance of breaking down, so if you need a new car, go ahead and get yourself one before the big road trip. At a place like Valencia Nissan you can get a good used car or even a great deal on a brand new car. We recommend getting something low miles that is a few model years old so you’ll know it’s ready to hit the pavement. Make sure it has nice and cold A/C for that long run across the 10 in New Mexico and Arizona! Look at the road tripping options you have here at www.downtownnissan.com.
Always Bring Snacks and Water
Something that adds up quick is stopping a few times a day for snacks and water. You’ll want to get a nice water bottle that you can reuse and fill it up at the soda fountains across the land. Most rest stops have a soda fountain with the water tab, and if you’re in a place that doesn’t have that, most Subways actually have that feature. And snacks add up too, so don’t miss the opportunity to go to a CostCo or store like that and stock up on all the trail mixes and beef jerky you’ll need for those final hours of the long haul. Nothing makes a long haul longer quite like stopping for a snack every hour or so.