Road Trip USA

Low-angle view of an empty asphalt road with center lines leading toward distant mountains, surrounded by trees in golden hour lighting.

Summer is here and many people take time to travel. While some travel abroad, sometimes we forget that there is so much to see right here in the United States. What better way to see the US than a road trip?

Road tripping may not be appealing to everyone, but it is a great way to take in the majestic beauty of the country. I have taken many road trips, from short distances to thousands of miles. I have learned that there are several things that must be done to prepare for a trip. First is to plan your route. What is the destination that you are looking for? For most places there are many different routes that you can take. However, I feel the most important thing to consider are the options along the way. Interesting stops, sites to see, and fun activities to do. Taking the time to explore local towns - sometimes just the local food is well worth the stop! This step can take some considerable research but is well worth the time. Add in spontaneous stops, too - you never know what you will find along the way and how much fun you can have!

Next, have your car thoroughly checked. Make sure your insurance and roadside assistance are current and the navigation system is working properly. You may want to explore but you don’t want to get lost. That being said, it's a good idea to have maps and an atlas with you as backups. I always say, technology is great until it doesn’t work!

Don’t forget to pack plenty of snacks and water. While you will probably stop for meals along the way, you won't want to stop in between. Also, shopping at a gas station every time you need a snack can get expensive.

When my daughters were young, we did several road trips. Road tripping with kids can be a lot of fun, but planning is even more important so everything goes smoothly. One year we drove from New Jersey to Naples, Florida. We planned several stops along the way, including Washington D.C. We had anticipated only one day there but ended up spending two, which was fine because we had plenty of time. But what the girls remember most about this trip are the audiobooks we listened to and that we gave them an atlas and a highlighter to follow our route. No iPads, no phones and no movies (to be fair it was before these things were popular).

Another trip we took was from New Jersey to Colorado. This was a fun trip because I found a list with a map of things that are considered the “world’s largest.” For example, we found the world’s largest ball of twine in Kansas, world’s largest praying mantis sculpture in Ohio, and many more. This made the trip fun and like a scavenger hunt. Often we had to get out of the car to find the object, so we were also able to get out and stretch our legs.

And don’t forget about the area that we live in. New Jersey has many beautiful places to visit and things to do. It is called the Garden State for good reason!

There is a lot to see in our beautiful country so get out there this summer and plan a road trip. Come into your local Mercer County Library System branch to find plenty of books to help you get started on planning your trip.