10 tips for a great long distance drive
Number six will shock you
I recently hit the 7,000 mile mark on my trip. With all of that driving, you would think I’ve become some sort of expert on the topic. Well, I’ve come up with nine tips to help you out on the open road if you happen to be planning a road trip of your own. Results guaranteed or your money back.
- Stay to the right
In Germany, there is the autobahn, which is famous for having segments where drivers can go as fast as they want. There is also a rule on the road called “rechtsfahren” which means drive to the right (trust me I have a minor in German). My number one tip to all drivers, even those not on the autobahn, would be to stay to the right. If I’ve learned one thing in my weeks of driving, it’s that there is always going to be someone going faster than you on the road. Only use the left lane to pass. It’s not just courteous; it helps the flow of traffic. If there are three lanes, stay in the middle lane. The right lane is for merging and the left is for passing.
2. Signs are your friends
On the interstate, signs are very useful. When you’re travelling long distances, you might not see one for a long time, so it’s important to know what they are telling you. Here are a few tips:
a. mile markers
Every mile on the interstate is marked with a small green sign on the side of the road. Heading west or south, the numbers go down. Heading east or north, they go up. At the state border, the counting resets.
b. exit signs
Exit signs go hand-in-hand with mile markers. In a vast majority of states, the exit number matches the mile number. These are very important when trying to figure out how far away the next gas station is. On the large green signs that are stationed over the road, the exit number is marked. If the number is in the top right corner, the exit is to the right. If the number is in the top left corner, the exit is to the left.
c. signs that indicate services or lack thereof
Prior to an exit, there are a few blue signs that tell you what services will be at that exit. These include: gas, lodging, food, and entertainment. Sometimes these signs will be blank, so you know that you didn’t miss the sign. Another blue sign, not related to exits, will tell you when a rest area is coming up. It will also tell you when the next rest area is, so you can figure out if you can hold in your urine over that time.
3. Have something to listen to (keep your CDs close…)
It’s very important to keep your mind occupied while you are driving. This is especially key if you are driving solo like me. In my first post I talked about the virtues of podcasts. Despite popular belief, podcasts aren’t infinite. Plus, your phone doesn’t have too much storage space for them. That’s why I brought quite a few audiobooks to help me pass the time. I have the last two Harry Potter books and a thriller by Preston & Child on CD. On my phone through the library I downloaded two books by history writer Sarah Vowell: “Lafayette in the Somewhat United States” and “The Wordy Shipmates.” I enjoyed the book about Lafayette for a multitude of reasons but the most important is that it’s read by the author (who voices Violet in “The Incredibles” franchise) with help from famous actors. If you ever wanted to hear Nick Offerman aka Ron Swanson be George Washington, this audiobook is for you. I will mention in regards to CDs, it does get a little difficult to change every hour or so. I kept the box on the driver side door, the closest spot to me.
4. Have water and easy to open snacks on hand (…keep your snacks closer)
It’s very important to keep fed and hydrated during a long drive. If you’re like me and wanted to limit fast food stops, you need to be well stocked in snacks. I packed two boxes of granola bars, a few Clif bars, over 20 bags of chips, three packs of beef jerky, and a few bags of crunchy popcorn. I would also pick up fruit along my journey and eat that in the mornings. All of this food was stored on the passenger seat within easy reach while driving. Sure, you may still get hungry, but you may be able to convince yourself you already ate and don’t need food. And water is important too because dehydration might become a problem if you’re not paying attention.
5. Stop when you need to (but not too frequently)
Don’t be idealistic and think you will only stop for gas. You can stop just to take a bathroom break, no one is stopping you (except yourself). One thing I learned is that an eight hour drive is over around 4 p.m. if you leave at 8 a.m. That still gives you lots of time after arrival to kill. Why not kill it on the road? That being said, don’t make them too frequent. You don’t have time to stop every hour.
a. pay attention to your body (physically and emotionally)
A corollary to tip five is that you need to know how you are feeling in order to know if you should stop. Feeling hungry? Eat some snacks (see tip no. four). Those don’t help? Stop for food. Tired? Stop at a rest area and take a break. There’s no shame in it. Getting bored? Change what you are listening to. That also goes for if you are feeling sad too. On the open road it’s just you and your car. Make sure you take care of you.
6. Don’t get frustrated with slowdowns
Of course, it’s not just you and your car. There are other drivers out there on the road too. And sometimes you run into traffic or construction slowdowns. I know it’s easy to get frustrated by these. But you don’t need to. As I mentioned earlier, if you planned right there is plenty of time to spare for stops. Heck, I was on an interstate in Utah and was at a complete standstill because they were only letting traffic go in one direction at a time. I just put the car in park and enjoyed the scenery and my book. It felt good just to relax for 10 minutes. This isn’t your workweek; traffic should not be stressful.
7. Stop early for gas
The worst experience you could probably have on a road trip is standing on the side of the highway, out of gas. That’s why I also stop really early for gas. I’m afraid I’ll run out. What I do is keep the range feature on the odometer. When there is fewer than 150 miles on the range, I start looking for gas stations and planning when to stop. I never let it go under 100 miles. Paying attention to the signs is very important. It’s also important to check billboards. Sometimes, they will advertise service centers or restaurants 20 or more miles beforehand. You can use those to figure out when you will next be able to stop.
8. Enjoy the scenery (but not too much)
You’re supposed to be seeing America. So, when it’s safe, look out your window every once in a while instead of your windshield. You’ll be amazing at what you see.
9. Pay attention to the route numbers
On interstate highways, the route number tells you a bunch of information. If the number is even, the road is east-west. If the number is odd, the road is north-south. For example, near Cleveland the two major interstates are 271 and 480. The former is a north-south road while the latter is east-west. Also, if the route number is three digits, that means it connects to a longer interstate. The last two numbers of a three digit number indicate the road it connects with. Using the previous example, I-271 runs into I-71 and I-480 runs into I-80. If the first digit of a three digit interstate is odd, the road does not return to the main route. If it is even, it does. Numbers divisible by 5 are intended to be major routes, the longest in the country. Most of my time has been spent on I-90, which runs from Boston to Seattle. All of these notes are just for the interstate highway system, designated with the blue and red shield. There are different tips for the U.S. Highways, designated by white badge-shaped signs.
10. Sing to yourself!
It’s fun, and a good way to de-stress. Have a nice road trip playlist (or get your friends to make you one) and jam out. I’ll finish with a link to my playlist.
My next post will be about my travels near Spearfish, South Dakota.
