Can You Solo Road Trip?
I can! If you have any empty nest, you can too.
In this post I talk about my best practices for traveling. I also give a few handy tips too. You may have done solo trips before, but I betcha you’ll like my tips. Hopefully you will also hear something new when I talk about a few important things I always do like these:
- gassing up
- starting early
- Getting oil changes
- Rest Stops
- Hotel Apps
- Traveling at night
See, the list isn’t to bad is it? I go over things a little more in details so as to help you be a little more comfortable with your own trips.
Don’t let the fear of doing something you like hold you back. Having an empty nest makes freedom much more inviting in every way.
With the right mindset, street (highway) smarts and lots of snacks. It’s a breeze! Take it from me. You can do it. Check me out.
I’ve always loved road trips. But now its a little different. I have no responsibilities. See, my nest is empty. My child can take care of herself. She lives 5 hours away. I don’t have to rush home anymore. I can just get up and go anytime for any reason. And when I am gone, I don’t have to rush home. I can stay gone as long as I like.
But – I still have to check in. My daughter is very protective. My man is a protector too. But lets talk about my little girl. She likes for me to check in every morning and every night. How? She calls me before work and after work. She tells me she loves to hear my voice. Then she fusses at me. Why? Because the roles seem to have reversed and now, because she is settled in as an adult, she is trying to keep up with me. She calls me a free spirit, wild woman, too grown. All in fun. But I know she would rather me stay still.
So, I assure her I can do it again and again. Do what? Road trip solo. Why? Because I don’t plan to stop doing it. Roadtripping is a deep deep part of me. I have the basic fundamentals of a roadtrip pat down and I practice my safety measures at all times. I also make sure she knows them because every now and then, she road trips with her friends also. Because of this, I have to make sure she knows the smart way to travel also. I do this by practicing what I preach and doing the things I tell her to do. It’s only fair right?
- Oil Change: Get a fresh one a few days before travel so that you know the basic condition of your vehicle. Each time I get one, they rotate my tires, check my fluids and make sure there is nothing I need to be aware of. What a cool way to get my car checked. These are just the basics. Your car made need a lot more than this. Don’t hold me to this!
- Early Start: Around 4-5am. Leaving at this time helps me beat the local traffic. By 8am, I am on the highway. Traffic is always moving there.
- Gas: Fill up at every half a tank. Don’t want to take the chance of running out of gas. A very important thing I learned from my favorite trucker is that I should always stop only at truck stops. Why? They are fully staffed, usually many people are stopping there too and the restrooms are clean in order to continue attracting travelers. These stops are usually stations that you can see the signs from the road Pilot Flying J’s and Loves. If you can’t see the signs from the road, you may not want to stop there.
- Rest Stops: All rest stops are not built the same. I only stop at the welcome rest areas that are situated at state line. Many of them are fully staffed with security, clean up and locally staffed personnel that are familiar with the local area. Welcome areas are the best places to walk a little. If you have dogs, many of them have the cleanest dog areas.
- Hotel App: I never know when I may get tired. I keep my favorite hotel app on my phone so that I can always make a reservation at the last minute.
- My favorite app also shows me the best route to take to my hotel. I always have lots of points and I love Starwood and Marriott Properties.
- I always select hotels that in major travel areas and surrounded by other hotels, restaurants and possibly tourist attractions. Traveling alone requires that you are not alone on the road.
- If I book my hotel on the app at least 30 minutes before arrival, my room has always been ready when I get there. Exactly what I want!
- Hours of darkness: I don’t drive to much when it’s dark anymore. By the time the street lights come on, I am usually off of the road and already in a room. I see no need to temp the freaks that are on the road. This could happen when you least expect it at night when there is a high probability of being stuck in traffic or getting lost in an unfamiliar area because I can’t see.
See, if I am in a room early enough, I can get a good meal near the hotel, relax, get enough sleep and be ready to start back driving early the next morning.
Road tripping the right way is possible. Try some of my tips and let me know how it goes…
Disclaimer: Just want to let you know. I love the products I mention but I do get compensated if you love them too.