Road trip survival 101

How in the world are we going to make it through this road trip in one piece?

I've heard plenty of people say they think we are crazy for going on a road trip because it's so much driving. To Stella and me, its what makes it more of an adventure. Anyone can fly to the destination of their choice but then you will miss out on all the little things along the way. We selected well known destinations that we wanted to visit then used the internet to find quirky sites along the way. How else are you going to see the Giant Road Runner?
What will you need to make sure your road trip is successful? Lots of planning and research.
Is your car reliable? If not, how much is a rental car?
What is the gas mileage on the car? You will need this to figure out how much gas $ you may need.
How many hours does it take from point A to point B? Can we make it there in one day of driving? Or will we need to stay somewhere along the way? Are we willing to just in the car to make it to our destination? Or is there somewhere fun along the way that we'd like to stop and see?
How much are hotels? Camping sites? Where will we stop each night? You can figure this out after you know where you want to stop and the distance between each location. If you plan on arriving late at night, you may want to stay in a hotel as its not so easy to set up camp in the dark.  If you decide to go camping, when searching for campgrounds check to see if they have showers, not all do.  And when choosing a camp site, lookup campground maps.  You can choose how much shade you'll have, if you are close to the bathrooms or if you want a private site without a bunch of traffic. 
Where should you get gas? Some stretches of road have very few gas stations.  Be sure you have plenty of gas so you aren't stranded out in the desert.  We'd hate to see your picture in the newspaper saying "Missing Road Tripper".  Boo.
You will want to budget for entry fees if you plan on stopping at national parks.
Will you pack meals? Or eat out?  What are good, healthy snacks you can bring in the car?

Then you'll need to figure out what supplies you need for the road trip. Camping supplies, road trip supplies, emergency kits, food to bring, outfits best suited for what you will be doing. There really is a lot to plan for. Also be sure to check the weather of your locations. Some areas are hot during the day, and cool at night so you may need to bring a sweatshirt. I like to bring my GPS on road trips along with a paper map with highlighted route just in case my GPS goes on the fritz and I don't have cell phone service. 

Checklists, weather, hotels, camping, directions.....you can use google to find all the information you could possible need.  After Stella and I have figured out what we are bringing, I'll be sure to post it.

Happy road tripping. Back to planning.