This is by no means an exhaustive list, but these are some things that I jotted down as I progressed through a 53 day journey across the United States with my two kids, Olivia (13) and Drew (10):
- Front seat / back seat separation - this is definitely not always possible, but the physical separation between siblings really makes a big difference on tempers and space constraints. The simple act of "looking" at a sibling can set the other one off. It also does wonders for the driver's patience and attitude.
- Use campgrounds with pools/lakes/oceans - Allowing the kids to get some good exercise after a long day of driving is key. It is a great way to cool off/down and it also allowed me to get some alone time for blogging, etc. Every KOA states that a parent needs to be present at the pool. I ignored that rule at every single one. They only got kicked out once and that's because the pool was closing for the night.
- Driving a truck & towing a trailer - not always convenient when trying to park, but being able to unload the trailer at the camp site or friend's house and then explore using just the truck created a lot of flexibility.
- Make sure the navigator has their own phone to research rest stops, places of interest, gas stations, etc. while the driver's phone is used for directions (mounted on the dash somehow).
- Identify which campgrounds have water/electric hookups ahead of time - I wish I had made note of it prior to leaving so I knew if we had to boondock/dry camp at the next stop. Our trailer has a water well and it makes a difference in weight and performance if you have to fill it up and drive with it. It also makes a difference if you know you won't be able to charge electronics.
- Make sure tires and batteries are new on your trailer - this was an expensive lesson to learn after our wheel well blow out due to an old tire getting flat and pretty much disintegrating. A week unexpectedly stuck in Moab, UT is not a great way to start a long road trip while waiting for a poorly communicating mechanic.
- 50 cent laundry bags from the dollar store - everyone gets one and it helps separate the dirty clothes from the clean clothes. It also really gives you a good sense of how much time you have left before having to do laundry again.
- Don’t put food and laundry detergent next to the wheel well - if you have a tire blow out and it takes out the wheel well, expect the carnage to become like a giant food processor. The smell is terrible (especially in 100 degree heat) and the mess is even worse.
- Don’t worry about over packing - you're really not saving a bunch of money in gas mileage and you'll never know what will come in handy. I pretty much used everything I packed with the exception of warm clothes, a blow-up rowboat, the nice camera, and the GoPro. I could have easily used the last three, though.
- Don't regret not seeing everyone and everything - You can only do and see so much. Yeah, I wish that I had time to see more people when I was in my hometown and I missed out on some sites, but I also had the attitude that it's OK. I'll always come back to my hometown at some point and it was really more important for the kids to experience a little bit of everything. Hey, it might set up another adventure down the road!
- AC is a must - I wrote an entire blog post on air conditioning and how dependent we have become on it. AC makes a huge difference, though, especially for a driver who needs good rest. Spending time outside in the sweltering heat (whether it's dry heat or a muggy mess) and coming in to a nice cool trailer is like an pleasant oasis.
- Take plenty of pictures and back them up regularly - it's OK to be an obnoxious tourist sometimes. I made sure my phone was handy for really quick pics whenever the opportunity presented itself. The trick is to ask the kids to pose and take the picture VERY fast. Don't linger on making it the perfect shot. They'll thank you for it and won't try to get even with you by making ugly faces. Pose, click, and move on.
- Make sure you have plenty of storage on your phone or backing up to the "cloud". It's extremely frustrating when things stop working correctly because you're constantly getting a message of "You can't do ___ because your storage is full."
- Keep vehicle and camper tidy all the time. Messes are hard to navigate when you're in tight quarters. I demanded the kids clean up their space (truck or trailer) when arriving or leaving an area. All of Drew's stuff were once literally thrown out of the truck when I had to wade through his things to get under the seat.
- 1/2 hour of reading = 1 hour screen time (or any ratio you think is appropriate). I wish I had implemented this rule earlier and the kids really took to it. Drew watched WAY too many movies during travel time.
- Have swim gear and towels handy at all times - I kept a bag in the back seat next to the cooler for quick access. The kids knew where it was and could hit the pool/lake/ocean immediately upon arriving at a location.
- Clothespins - I bought 50 or so to hang towels & swimsuits 1/2 way through the trip. I should have packed them early on. SO handy when the wind picks up and you're drying clothes. Also great as food clips.
- Tie-down straps - So handy for putting up the hammock without damaging trees, but ultimately used for clotheslines. Easy to set up, take down, and adjust. Just useful for anything you may need to hold down as well.
- How to battle condensation in camper - I never figured this one out. When the temperature is different outside the camper vs. inside the camper, all of the metal attract's moisture which can make it very humid inside. Wet clothes you may be hanging inside rarely dry out. My buddy Keith mentioned that there are disposable camping dehumidifiers you can buy, but I never looked into it.
- If you’re not a photographer, a smart phone works great! I brought a nice camera and didn't use it once for pictures. The ease of use of just pulling the phone out of your pocket rather than hauling around a large camera is worth the degradation of photo quality. You're still getting really good pics along with video, etc. with a smart phone. You can also instantly send to friends/family.
- Have backup maps for areas with bad cell service - I primarily used my smartphone GPS for getting places. The only problem is when you're in a remote spot and have to plot out the next day's location. If you don't have any service, no bueno. A back up map of the state is good. You can also plan ahead and plot out the next day's location ahead of time and just keep the GPS function on the entire time.
- Memory foam mattresses for a good night sleep. Especially for driver. Good pillows also.
- Don’t really plan more than where you’re staying that night. Let the adventures come to you. This totally depends on the type of adventure you're planning, but our journey was to simply explore 'the tip of the iceberg' in most places. It can get stressful when you have a ton of plans for the day and you feel like you need to do all of them. Setting expectations too high is no way to enjoy a vacation. Some of the best days of the trip were when an unexpected adventure just formulated. The excitement was truly sincere for everyone.
- 7 pairs of clothes are enough - It's a cost/benefit of how much clothes you want to haul around vs. how much time you want to spend washing them.
- When planning the trip, the options are almost overwhelming - If you have a couple of destinations in mind when planning the trip, use them and start planning around it. It makes it easier to put a couple of stakes in the ground and figuring out how to work around them.
- Take care of your phone. It’s important.
- Don’t over plan on meals especially if you’re not over planning on your day. This probably goes against every fiber of my mother's being, but planning every meal reduces your flexibility and makes you miss out on some really good spontaneous food that you may come across.
- Eating out for lunch is less expensive than dinner and you generally get a better local cuisine for lunch when trying out restaurants or local eateries.
- Bring a room freshener or spray for the camper especially if you have sleeping mouth breathers. You don't realize how stinky it gets in the camper until you get up in the morning to go to the bathroom and come back into the camper. Phew.
- KOA campgrounds are great for in and out camping to minimize set up and breakdown of camp. The drawback is that they are basically glorified parking lots. Most have pools, though.
- Go out of the way to meet people. Especially friends you haven’t seen in a long time. You won’t be disappointed. School friends are typically not the same people they were in school and you certainly aren't either. Interact with them as they are now and not as they were when you knew them as a teenager or child.
- Mix up your locations between visiting friends/relatives and staying by yourself. Sometimes you need a little human interaction other than your 'little humans' and sometimes you just don't feel like entertaining. A good mix will keep you energized with both.
- Don’t feel stupid about asking stupid questions. People love to talk about where they live or what they know. Ignorance isn't a bad thing as long as you have a desire to know more. It also throws away many of your preconceptions about an area. Locals aren't always experts, but they'll be happy to tell you there interpretation of what it's like living in their area. You sometimes gain more knowledge than simply going to the local museum.
- Try new things if you get a chance - whether it's food, music, culture, etc. Go in with an open mind and heart, because most of the time you'll be pleasantly surprised about what you find.
- Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young Pandora radio station (road trip music) - I started listening to this within the first couple days and used this station up through the last day. It's just good, chill music for getting lost in your thoughts while driving and definitely keeps the stress down.
- Have children tell you that they have to pee well in advance before it becomes an emergency. You're not always going to get this one right, but establish the ground rules in advance.
- Look out the window to see things - the driver has no choice, but I can't count the number of times where I saw something and told the kids, but they were wrapped up on a device with headphones on. By the time they said, "Huh?" it was already too late.
- Make eye contact more and say hi to strangers - you'll never know what you'll learn or what relationship may be created. It is also fascinating watching how people react to a greeting.
- Always help a neighbor out at a campground. You'll never know if they'll be nice enough to let you borrow their ATV!
- Don't force yourself to feel like an epic adventure will be life altering prior to the trip. Self fulfillment and happiness will creep up on you gradually and will change you without you even realizing it. I have already begun to change my behaviors interacting with neighbors, relatives, friends, etc. We're only on this planet for a short amount of time so there is no reason to hide yourself from others. Humans are communal creatures and get self-fulfillment through interacting with each other. People are typically kind and generous by nature and need a reason to be otherwise.
Great Salt Lake, Utah
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