Travel. It’s something everyone loves to do and dreams to do more of. But things like not enough time and not enough money get in the way. With a little preparation, you can take that road trip you’ve been dreaming of.

Step one is to obviously set up goals. Set a goal for how much money you’d like to save for your trip and what you would like to do and see on your trip. Set aside a certain amount of time you’d like to take your road trip. Now how much time you want to set aside is up to you and where you want to go. The more miles you want to go the more time you need to set aside. You may want to spend the day eating up miles, but you may want to take your time and soak up the area you are driving through. I suggest you take your time. You never know when you might come back through here or if it will even be here when you do come back. Take your time. The journey is the most important part. You spend most of your time traveling. Enjoy it. Also, enjoy the destination.

Step two is money. Now we aren’t all in the same boat when it comes to currency acquirement. Traveling cheap is not too hard. You have to save money leading up to it. Over save. My philosophy is “Overestimate your expenses and underestimate your savings.” This basically means to expect to pay more while expecting to have saved less. For me, it leads to having money left over for unforeseen expenses. Now when it comes to paying for things on your trip, it’s all about looking for deals. You can eat at well known fast food joints or you can eat locally and experience local life. I say eat locally. It might be a bit more expensive, but its part of the experience. If you go to Memphis and eat Taco Bell instead of eating some of the finest BBQ on Beale Street, then you have completely missed Memphis. Experience through your five senses. All of them.

I’ve gotten a bit off subject but that’s the idea for leading up to the journey. Now next is the preparation. How are you traveling? Well, this is a road trip blog so I am guessing via motorized vehicle. First thing. Get AAA Roadside Assistance. $100 a year is nothing compared to being stranded on the side of the road. It is so worth it. Second. Are we camping or are we staying in motels? If its motels or hotels, it is a lot easier. My piece of advice is to wait until the night before or the day of to book. Unless there is some huge event going on in the destination you chose, you should receive the lowest rate possible. There is no evidence of this other than my own experience but what I like about this route is that it leaves flexibility in your plans. It leaves many avenues open. What if you decide to go to a different city than originally planned? Then you have cancellation fees at the hotel you booked weeks ago. Some people aren’t as comfortable with leaving it up to the wind like that so then book as far in advance as you can. You should get the lowest rate.

Camping. Sleeping under the stars. My preferred way of road tripping. Obvious needs are Sleeping bag. Tent. Maybe a cot. Something to start a fire with. If you have never camped before or have not camped in years, I suggest you take a weekend trip out camping to either see if it is for you or to hone your skills back. Camping is not easy. If you do it, I suggest after a few nights maybe stay in a hotel so you can shower and sleep in a nice bed. Also, KOA Kampgrounds as they’re called also are very nice. They are campgrounds with shower, laundry facilities, sometimes a pool. It’s like a hotel but with tents. Some even have cabins. It all depends on what you’re expectations are for your trip.

Now you will be either in a car, SUV, or motorcycle. If you’re in a car or SUV, pack your bags neatly in the back so you can easily access anything you may need quickly. I also suggest bringing a cooler withing reach of everyone with drinks and snacks. And the two things that will make the boring stretches of road through Arizona tolerable are music and podcasts. Make your vehicle able to transmit sound to your ears. If you’re traveling alone, this will help you escape the loneliness. If you are traveling with other people, you will get tired of them at some point and the sound of ACDC or your favorite podcast will give you time to relax. Charging cables. Keep your phone charged at all times. Do not get stuck on the side of the road with a dead phone. I have been through stretches of road where THERE IS NOTHING. No gas stations. No rest areas. No houses. Keep your phone charged because you do not know what can happen to your vehicle.

Motorcycles are a bit different. You can’t bring as much and some stuff you have to bring. Rain gear. Bring it. Oh is it August in Texas? Bring your rain gear. Bring a small set of tools. I don’t care if your bike is a brand new 2017 Harley Davidson Super Duper Loud and Rumbley Radio Blasting Cruise Machine. Bring tools. Just a small kit. Lots of stuff can happen. That goes for you car travelers too. Bring a set of tools. I went cross country on a vintage Kawasaki motorcycle. I brought extra tools. Luckily, I did not need them. It’s better to have and not need them than not have them and need them. Make sure your motorcycle has a way to charge your electronics. It is super easy to hook up a charger to most bikes. Do not just go out and do it because I said it was easy. The internet is a big and wonderful place (sometimes scary) find out if someone else out there has done it to your model bike and see how they did it. A motorcycle is a great way to experience the road. It is hard to convey but every motorcycle rider knows you just feel better connected to the road on two wheels and no doors.

Lastly, in today’s day and age, it is so easy to document our daily lives. We all have phones with cameras, we can write journals, take still pictures with your vintage hipster film camera. Document your trip. Take photos and videos. Use your phone to document it so you can look at it later. Get a Go Pro style camera and shoot videos. BUT, do not experience through your camera. Remember to put it down and enjoy your travels. My favorite memories are not of the pictures I took on my journeys, but of the things I didn’t capture. The things that I did while experiencing through my five senses. The people I met. The things I saw. The feelings I felt on the road. Things that a camera can not pick up and record. What I am saying is go out and have fun.

For more tips, pick up this book. It is v ery in depth and well worth the read. Throw it in your road trip box and always keep it around.