If you think for a minute that a good old-fashioned road trip is more the exception than the norm, just look around you this summer. With Memorial Day (the unofficial start of summer) a distant memory by now and summer solstice coming upon us, it’s time to hit the road and make this year’s road trip even better.
 
Gas Up Before You Go
 
Don’t make the mistake of many travelers who choose to gas up on the road. It’s summer time, the roads are jammed with traffic and the nearest gas station may be just an exit or two away, but in heavy traffic that may seem like miles and miles.
 
Get Sirius
 
If you can, get yourself a subscription to SiriusXM. The difference between information and entertainment while on the road might just make the difference between a good road trip and a really great one. SiriusXM has channels for just about every genre, so there’s never any shortage of music to listen to.
 
Pick Your Poison
 
Do you want to drive a longer route or sit in traffic for the same amount of time? There are plenty of roads (and those of you who have ever tried to get through the state of Virginia or the city of New York know this) which, no matter when you travel them, always have traffic.
At some point or another there’s always that same bottleneck of traffic no matter what time you leave. Plug into your phone app or GPS the route with the least amount of traffic. You might end up off-the-beaten-path a little bit, but you might just avoid the hair-pulling experience of sitting and sweating in traffic.
 
Lighten the Load
 
Whatever items you have in your trunk that are not absolutely necessary, unload before you go. This will ensure you have plenty of room for road trip items and luggage and you’ll save gas this way too.
 
Take Your Time
 
One of the biggest mistakes road trippers take is to rush through trying to get to one destination or another. Plan out a road trip that has several locations. Start out in Connecticut on the wine trail, head over to Rhode Island and visit a mansion or two and then spend the day at the beach after taking the ferry to Block Island.
This way you’ll have more of an experience than a destination. You’ll also get to take much-needed rest breaks from being on the road and avoid road-trip burn out.
 
Think About the Way Home
 
Another big mistake road trippers make is doing nothing on the way home. They take their road trip, reach their destination and can’t wait to get out of the car and get home. Why not make a stop or two along the way on the way home as well?
Stop at a local farm or a seaside café along the way. Take a break from driving and prolong your road trip for just a little while longer.
 
For some interesting tips on how to create the best road trip ever, check out THIS ARTICLE from the Huffington Post.