Originally published: 3/29/2016 | 8:48pm
*Sorry for yet another lengthy hiatus. School always comes first for me, and I've had quite a bit to do since my last post. I have made the decision to suspend the African Diaspora series in this time. Also, due to my upcoming schedule, I am officially planning to post bi-weekly starting from the time this post is published. I want to get content out regularly, and I think this is the best way to do so for scheduling purposes. Thanks again for reading!
It is officially that time of year again were people get to enjoy one week of Spring Break! While some people do nothing during the break, others go home to relax or travel. Personally, I prefer to make the most of my time off by having a balance between relaxing at home and traveling. Generally, I spend about half of the week at home and the other half on the road. Short road trips are perfect for spring break because you get to travel and make memories at a lower cost (if done right), allowing you to still be able to afford a longer vacation at a greater distance in the summer months. So, if you've ever thought about doing a spring break road trip, here's 5 tips based on my experiences that may help you with planning:
1) People to Travel With- Unless you're like my father, you probably are not looking forward to going on a road trip alone. Gather some good friends or family members that you can guarantee to make special memories with. I like going on road trips with my family because it has become a spring break tradition for us. It also creates wonderful family-bonding time for us.
2) Transportation- Once you know how many people are going on this road trip, you have to decide if you want to take multiple vehicles, a minivan or suburban, RV, or any other driven-based vehicle. Generally, my family will take one or more personal vehicles, but for longer road trips we may rent a minivan if there are at least 5 people riding.
3) Budget- After deciding if you need to rent a vehicle or not, you can start to determine your budget. I suggest having a budget before a destination(s) because you can have more realistic expectations of where you can afford to go and what you can do there without too much disappointment. Know how much you want to spend on food, hotel room(s), and activities. Don't forget about gas because you're definitely going to want to incorporate that into your budget! Your budget also determines the length of your trip, so you may stay gone for a whole week or it could just be one day.
4) Destination(s)- Whether your budget allows for an expensive or cheaper vacation, stick to the budget when picking your destination. If you have a larger budget, consider choosing a road trip destination that takes you across several regions/states/provinces/countries (it all depends on where you start your trip from). You can increase the distance of your destination as your budget increases. If you have a lower budget, you may only want to travel within a 2-6 hour radius of your starting point. Making the most of your budget and stretching it can lead to an enjoyable experience.
5) Stops- Make stops on your road trip. Take some pictures (selfies are always fun), eat food at local restaurant, go to small museum of some random topic, visit historic sites, go to other popular locations in small towns along the way. The beauty of a road trip is the scenery! Soak in that beauty by parking the car, getting out, and experience what nature and some of the smaller towns have to offer. Visitor Centers are not only great for restrooms and refreshments, but learning about your current stop. Grab some brochures and learn about what's happening in that area.
While road trips are not the only way to travel, they can be one of the most enjoyable ways get around. I've made wonderful memories from road trips! Hopefully these tips can help you begin to make your own if you needed some road trip guidance. Perhaps you never considered a road trip before and were inspired to take one. Whether you decide to take a road trip or not, just try to have as much fun as possible on your vacation. For those of you planning a road trip, be sure to take Tip #5 into heavy consideration. You want to have a unique, enjoyable experience that you and your fellow roadies can happily reflect on. Be safe and happy traveling! I'll be back with more content in 2 weeks.
Feel free to leave comments below, tweet (@KimiThoughts), or leave a post/message on Facebook (@KimisTravelThoughts) and share your roadtrip tips and/or stories!
