Leading up to this road trip that my wife and I have been on, there were two things I was excited about – getting an HHR from the GMC dealer and mapping the trip.
I think I have an obsession with maps. I get one from every state we go through. On top of that, I have four road atlases and I go to AAA before every trip to get a TripTik and the maps, too. But I love looking at maps and planning trips. I probably should’ve been a travel agent. Maybe I missed my calling. I’m going to share a few tips with you in case you’ve never mapped a road trip or if you just have trouble doing it.
Get a map of the United States. This is the first thing that goes into planning a long road trip if it’s going to span several states. This way, you can see which states you’re going to go through. Highlight the major highway(s) that will take you to your destination.
Get a map of each state you’re going to drive through. This will be a more detailed map so you can see the highways up close. You’ll get an idea of where the roads go and any major attractions along the way that you might like to see.
Grab a highlighter. Highlight the highways on each map. This makes it easy to find when you pull over to make sure you’re on the right road.
Bring a road atlas. Having a road atlas is much more convenient than unfolding the huge maps. Keep this handy for quick reference.
Write the directions. Making a list of turns and interchanges helps you follow the roads you need to follow with no problem. Keep this list in your visor.
Check MapQuest . This just ensures that you have planned the quickest or shortest route.
