3 Road Trip Planning Resources to Keep in Mind

Truly, we love road trips. It’s how I was raised, with an atlas of the UK on my lap, navigating my heart out. The road trip was part of the adventure, which is the opposite of how Stuart was raised. It’s taken years for our road trip experience to turn into something special for both of us, rather than stressful and confusing. Yes, you might be thinking, sure Laura, it’s fun for you because you don’t even have a driver’s license! Excuse me! I take my road trip responsibilities very seriously!

On a trip with me, you will notice, I have curated a playlist and it’s ready to go. You and your musical tastes have been taken into account. Furthermore, you will also see there are snacks and treats, and some of them are homemade – I bake sandwiches, sausage rolls, and muffins. There’s likely a bag of muddy buddies ready for you too. Also, I do not sleep. You will absolutely find me awake, prepared, and dedicated to keeping you company the whole time. I have references to these antics if you don’t believe me. (not even kidding.)

Finally, I will have an itinerary of stops mapped out and it’s cool if we blow past some. Because the goal of these road trips is to keep them stress-free and memorable.

Without further ado, it doesn’t take much to make your trip epic with these tried and tested trip-planning resources:

1. Roadtrippers app.

This is a favorite app we’ve depended on during various trips this past year. To begin, add your start and finish locations and it shows you EVERY attraction along the way. From places to eat to hotels, sights, attractions, activities, and experiences, etc. Next, add the specific stops you need to make and see how many miles and minutes are between each. Then, add pitstops from their list along your route. This is a gem of a resource. Tip: Not interested in the paid subscription? Use the free app to plot 5 stops for each day of your trip rather than only choosing 5 stops for the whole trip.
However, if you’re on the fence, the yearly subscription has been worth the investment for us.

2. Roadside America.

Next up, this site shows you all the quirky stops. You’ll find some seriously amazing things here and it’ll make you excited to get out on the road! Plus, these stops will take your trip photo album up a notch and the memories will be seriously memorable ie. remember that time we stopped at that glass bottle ranch? Also, how about the time we stopped at those huge colorful painted rocks in the desert? Or the time we kicked Autumn out of the van in Grants Pass, Oregon at 5 in the morning to take a picture with a bear dressed like Harry Potter? Or or or! So many memories!

3. Ghost Towns USA.

Lastly, if you have a specific fascination it’s time to really look into that. For me, it’s Ghost Towns. Check this site out and see what’s near you. Have you visited any? And, was it amazing? However, if ghost towns aren’t your thing maybe natural hot springs, murals, doughnut shops, or waterfalls are. Whatever it is, there is probably a website for them. And I definitely want you to tell me about it in the comments!