We’ve all heard the saying, “Getting there is half the fun.” Now that you are ready to hit the road let’s learn how to find attractions on your road trip to make it a memorable journey!
Planning a travel nurse road trip can be slightly different from standard road trips. Since most travel nurse road trips are truly moving from one contract to another, we’ve put together some specific tips to make things go smoothly.
Part of making sure a road trip goes smoothly is planning well. It can be nice to be laid back with your schedule, but if you have your car packed full, pets on board, and a time frame you have to stay within, it’s usually best to have a pretty good idea of where you are headed and when. Let’s break down road trip planning into three steps.
Step #1 Determine How Long You Have for Your Road Trip
Give yourself enough time to explore. Nothing is worse than a road trip where you are on a strict schedule and can’t stop to explore along the way. A good rule of thumb is to drive about 400 miles per day or 6-8 hours. This allows ample time to sleep each night and builds in time for you to stop if you discover a cute place to have lunch or a gorgeous viewpoint where you can get out and stretch your legs.
Step #2 Plan The Route
The best advice here is to be FLEXIBLE. Obviously, map out the quickest route if you are short on time, but be sure to ask the hotel staff or other locals if there is anywhere near your route worth stopping. Even if you do tons of research, you never truly know what you can find in a new area until you speak to the people who live there. Plan a basic route and remain spontaneous to new adventures along the way, and you are bound to have a great time.
Here are some great resources to help you find fun things to do all over the country:
- Roadside America – Lists fun and quirky Route 66-type attractions that you can search by state or route.
- Trip-It – Easily plan and share road trip plans with the free online road trip planner tool.
- AAA – This is also a great resource for maps, attractions, service areas, etc.
- Recommendations – Once again, ask the travel nurse community! Very few groups know the ins and outs of road trip planning as well as travel nurses.
In today’s world of GPS and electronic navigation, don’t forget to also carry a paper map with you. In addition to providing a backup if your devices are not working, you might spot things at a glance that you wouldn’t see following GPS.
Don’t forget to make sure to prepare your vehicle to ensure that it is in good shape and that you have all the appropriate gear for your trip, especially if you plan to hike or do anything outdoors.
Step #3 Enjoy the Experience
There really isn’t any explanation needed here. Enjoy your time. Planning your road trip is important, but your attitude on the road can make or break your experience. Make the most of the good and the bad. Realize that things come up and nothing will go perfectly, but it is all part of your story in this chapter of life!
Here is a fun example of a road trip disaster turned fond memory:
I was traveling with my pre-adolescent daughter from New Orleans to San Diego (I think it was July or August). After just an hour or two on the road, my air-conditioner decided to break-down. We were traveling in the hottest part of the summer in the hot, humid swamps through southern Louisiana. We ended up in some tiny little town at the local ‘mechanics’. There was no office and my daughter and I threw down a blanket on the ground, grabbed the umbrella and had an impromptu picnic while sweltering in the heat and humidity. It was truly miserable at the time but one of my favorite memories with my daughter.
-Gypsy Nurse Member
Do you have a funny road trip story? We would love to read it and share it with the Gypsy Nurse Audience! Let us know!
