Planning a road trip isn’t really that hard but you do have to put a little more thought into it than your average car ride. I don’t like to complicate things too much, but I’m also not the kind of person who goes out completely unprepared. As such, while all the details aren’t hammered out, some are.
When
Defining the start day is a lot easier than defining the end day on a long road trip. Weather delays, car trouble (knock on wood!), or spending more time than planned at a given stop can quickly throw plans off track.
The departure date is April 23 in the morning. Due to the unknowns of travel, and whatever experiences may happen, the return is sometime between May 1-4. Not nearly as long as my previous trip, but it’ll do.
Where
To be honest, I’m not entirely sure where I’ll end up or how far I’ll go. The current plan is to get to Denver in 2 days, if possible. It might be more like a 2.5 day drive, but we’ll see. Beyond that I want to drive around the Rocky Mountains for a few days, get a bunch of great pictures, and get lost in the wilderness for awhile.
How
Back in 2009 I had a pretty nice, new Toyota Matrix XRS. It was a pretty good car, and never gave me a single issue. Now, there’s the new hotness in the 2015 VW GTI. This car nearly has everything along with much more power than the last road trip ride. Plus it’s just so damn good looking.
Navigation will be achieved via a combination of AAA 2016 Road Atlas and a Garmin nuvi GPS. I decided to try a standalone GPS once again. I contemplated using my iPhone with an offline GPS app, but for such a long trip I felt it made sense to have a dedicated unit. The phone will be relegated to my primary point and shoot camera.
Speaking of cameras, I have a really nice DSLR this time around. I’m hoping to be able to get some great pics with my fancy Canon Rebel T4i. I don’t have a bunch of fancy expensive lenses, but I’ve got 2, an 18mm-135 and 55-250mm. So hopefully I can get some good shots with these focal lengths even though the glass themselves are pretty much entry level quality.
I plan to bring some basic camping stuff, but not everything I would need or want to camp for an extended period. So far, I have no plans to camp at all, but I want to be prepared in case I find myself a very long way from any hotels and I can simply just put up my tent, build a fire, and call it a night.
Why
Because. Why ask why? We do things because we want to. Because they call out to us. To scratch the itch that must be scratched.
Really though, I need a vacation. There is something mentally relaxing and meditative about being alone with your thoughts. For me, the hours behind the wheel melt by as the landscapes change, the clouds go by, and new sights are seen. I simply need to stretch my explorer legs and get out and see some new stuff. Travel through some new states. Take new pictures and find new adventures. Also, there is the challenge and satisfaction of getting out alone in the world and making something happen.
The Stuff
Taking a week+ long road trip requires some stuff. It’s hard to think of every little thing you might need, but here’s a somewhat complete list of the items coming with me.
- Clothes (duh)
- Garmin GPS
- iPhone 6 and iPad Air 2, with charging cables. Both devices have T-Mobile service, so we’ll see how they work in the middle of nowhere.
- Canon EOS Rebel T4i and spare batteries and car charger
- 2016 AAA Road Atlas (and AAA membership!), plus detailed state maps for Colorado and Wyoming
- Tent, sleeping bag, folding camp chair, flash light
- Snacks, beverages
- Roadside assistance kit (jumper cables, flares, etc), portable electric tire pump, an extra quart of oil
- Cash (tolls, emergencies, bribes, etc)
To be honest, I don’t want to take much stuff. I don’t want a car filled with many things. I’d rather keep it simple.
Anyway, more details in the next post.
