6 Tips for a Road Trip

by

The Beacon Bolt is a publication of the student body of Northwest Christian University. This Spring break I was lucky enough to embark on a crazy road trip to Vancouver, BC, Canada. I drove up through Seattle into Beautiful British Columbia, completed some touristy activities, and then traveled back through central Washington and visited Leavenworth. Leavenworth is an endearing little German town hidden in the mountains of Washington. After Leavenworth we drove back to Eugene through central Oregon and stopped in the small town of Sisters for some delicious ice cream. All along the trip I experienced many different sites and events and would like to share some quick tips to improve any road trip you may be planning!

  1. Music

This is an obvious statement for a road trip, but you must understand that music is crucial to the atmosphere of the vacation. Creating a playlist with a few hit jams is great, but once those have been repeated for the third day you better have your backups. Another tip involving music is to not to rely on Pandora or Spotify. While driving you may hit areas with no service and lose all connection to your music. So be prepared to jam!

  1. Gas

The most critical component of a road trip is whether your vehicle can move or not. Paying for gas is a cost that should be split between every involved party. My rule for our road trip was to fill up the gas tank whenever it hit the halfway mark. Be prepared for emergencies such as getting lost, or having someone give poor directions. A great app to help solve all your problems and find cheap gas is “Gas Buddy”.

  1. Currency

When traveling out of the U.S. you have to take into account that the currency will change. The two options to take into account before you leave is submitting a money order, or going directly to a bank when entering the country.

  1. Motels or Hotels

When deciding where to stay, always go for cheap. It adds character to the experience and you can devote money to more important things like food and activities! On the trip I went on, our motels were all quirky and provided amusing experiences along the way. Below is a photo of a giant knight in shining armor that was perched outside of our motel in Leavenworth, Washington.

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  1. Roadside Attractions

Looking up roadside attractions can add excitement to your trip if done right. Before we left I spent hours on a website reading up on all the quirky sites to see along our trip. A few of my favorite were the Gum Wall in Seattle, the Fremont Troll, located outside of Seattle, and the Vancouver Totem Poles.

Check out http://www.roadsideamerica.com/ to find attractions on your route!

  1. People

Always bring good company when going on a road trip! There is nothing better than being trapped in a car with your best friends rocking out to “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” with all the windows down.

Go ahead and start planning a road trip this summer! Pick a destination and get lost on the way finding adventures and creating memories with the best of friends!

Category : Activities, Arts & Culture, Helpful, International