While the ideal road trip may not be as crazy as the movie versions, you can still have a lot of fun if you know where to go, what to bring and what kind of things to expect along the way. This will be the first of a few posts in which I’ll be talking about how to have the perfect road trip, culminating in me sharing with you my own road trip experience with a few of my friends.
Deciding where to go for your road trip may be the toughest thing to do but I hope these suggestions can help you figure out which is best for you.
Great Summer Spots
Niagara Falls, Canada. Now you are required to have a passport to get into Canada, but it is still an inexpensive vacation spot. The area is tailored to tourists and has basically everything you need to enjoy the experience.
Virginia Beach, Virginia Great for the younger crowd but also very family-friendly. There are lots of things to do in the area, besides the miles of beautiful beach. For more info check out the visitors site http://www.vbfun.com/visitors/default.aspx
Any national park with camping. A lot of national parks have reasonable camping rates which can add to the experience of enjoying a national landmark. Mammoth Cave in Kentucky is a great example. This is a great time to make smores, pitch a tent in the woods and tell ghost stories while taking in the wonders of the cave.
Washington, D.C. Obviously our nation’s capital is filled with museums and countless historically important statues and buildings, but be sure to check out the rich food culture that engulfs the area. There’s even a detailed web site to attest this
Don’t forget to consider what is on the way to your destination. If you choose Niagara Falls, you can make a stop in Buffalo, NY where you can try the world famous buffalo chicken wings at Anchor Bar. The places I listed are all within reasonable driving distance from Dayton, Ohio as well!
In debating where to go, my group decided on the Virginia area. My dad lives in northwest Virginia in the small resort town of Massanutten. D.C. is only about two hours away and Virginia Beach is a little over four, which make for easy day trips. The best part about this decision is we will save money by not having to get a hotel!
After deciding where you want to go, a timetable for your trip has to be chosen. Major holidays should definitely be avoided, as they create insane traffic jams and overcrowded vacation areas. When traveling during the summer, for example, Sundays tend to have bad traffic as people are returning home from vacation. So if possible, try to leave for your trip on a Thursday or early Friday and return very early Sunday or even Monday.
As for deciding when we wanted to go and for how long, we had to pick a time period that would allow us to include everything we wanted to do. After much debate, July 22-26 was chosen. We will begin our trip on a Thursday and return on a Monday, giving us hopefully clear roads. We chose to go to Virginia Beach on Saturday and D.C. on Sunday, leaving Friday to enjoy the local activities of Massanutten.
Be sure to read the next piece of this series which will detail what to bring during your road trip.
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