Going out on the road and enjoying a long drive may not be for everyone, especially due to high gas costs and the time and effort it takes as a whole. However, road trips can be inexpensive vacations. Plus, if you’re just looking to get away for a few days, it could be exactly what you need. If you have been one of the unlucky ones who has not had the opportunity to experience a thrilling road trip, you should start to plan one as soon as possible for all of the positive reasons listed below! 

Reasons to Try a Road Trip

1. Excellent Camping Opportunities

During your road trip it can be easy to pull over and stay at a hotel for the night. However, that isn’t always cheap or always available, depending on your location. Camping is not only an affordable lodging option, but is available almost everywhere. Now, it may not matter what time of the year you choose to go and undertake your road trip, but camping may not be available year round in your chosen destination. That being said, most US locations have camping at least nine months out of the year and most southern and coastal locations have camping available year round.

It’s wise to invest in a tent that is excellent for all year camping so that you don’t have to schedule your road trip around the type of tent you have (ie.: 4 season tent vs. summer only tent). And yes, buying a tent is an expense, but if you do your research and purchase wisely, a tent can be a long term investment in your vacationing future. Besides, no one wants to sleep in the back of their car. If you have a long trip planned and you need to stop and rest somewhere, experience adventure and enjoy nature while at one of the excellent camping spots across the United States.  Bask in the glowing starlight and natural silence that you can experience while sleeping outdoors!

2. Meet New People

Going about your daily life generally means seeing the same people every day and hardly ever meeting anyone different.  Why not get out on the road and see new things, new places, and new people? You’re guaranteed to meet new people in bars, restaurants, or just doing something fun like camping. You never know who you’re going to meet and, chances are, you could make new friends for life. What’s not to love about that?

3. Open Your Mind

Going on a road trip is all about doing something you’ve never done before. That alone is a good starting point to trying other new things, too. Driving down a long road for hours is all well and good, but there’s certainly nothing wrong with stopping for an adventure. Why just stop for a break when you can try something completely new?  Take a surfing lesson; try bungee jumping; check out a new historic landmark; try a new type of cuisine; or simply something different that you’ve never tried before that could get the heart pumping again. A good road trip could push you in the direction of trying new activities and keep your adventure going in the right direction.

4. Keep Your Feet on the Ground

Whether you are a CEO of a successful company or someone who’s simply been at the same job for several years, taking this time away can make you stop and be aware of the person you are. Perhaps you’ve changed over the years (as many of us do) and you’re finding that you’ve forgotten who you once were. Maybe your family members are noticing the same thing and you’re not quite as fun to be around as before. A good road trip could help you with self-reflection.  

Although a road trip isn’t guaranteed to keep your feet firmly on the ground, it will certainly help you question yourself and wonder why you’ve changed over the years. You could well rediscover parts of yourself that never left but haven’t been shown in recent years – which is probably due to having no time to spend with the family or because of other stresses at work. A road trip really is a breath of fresh air and could be the answer to your problems.

These are just a few of the many reasons why a road trip could be just the thing that you need. Even if your outing is only a couple of days, a road trip away from the routine can bring you home feeling re-energized, relieved of stress, and with a fresh outlook. Whether you go out on your own or with family members or friends, it’s fun to try a good road trip adventure, just to see if it’s something you’d like to try on a regular basis. An affordable mini-vacation is just a short drive away. Yay to adventure!

For more information about road trips, check out some of my previous posts:

• Emergency Essentials for any Road Trip
• Drowsy Driving

Happy Travels!

Julie