Hit the Open Road - A Guide to Driving Across America
When's the last time you embarked on a cross-country road trip? If this is your first time, then prepare to have an experience like no other. There's nothing more freeing than being in complete control of where you go, how fast you get there, and what you do and see along the way.
When planning your road trip across America, all the details are in your hands. It's up to you what roads you'll take and what memories you'll make. Plus, the process of getting to your destination is the best part and what you'll enjoy the most.
However, before you pack up and head out, make sure to pick up chrome emblems from Elektroplate! With all the awesome chrome car emblems ready to go, you can now ride in style across the country. Please continue reading below for our guide on car personalization and cross-country road trips!
Create a Flexible Itinerary
One of the best things about road trips is that you're in complete control. You get to choose where you'll travel to, what roads to take, and when you'll make some stops. You don't want to travel blindly, though.
Although you want to leave room for flexibility and last-minute decisions, it's still ideal to create some itinerary. Have a general idea of what direction you're headed in, what route options you have, and what to expect along the way. Your itinerary is your basic guide to follow, but you don't need to have every single detail planned out.
Prepare Your Vehicle For a Long Trip
You're about to travel across the country in your vehicle. You must ensure your vehicle is ready for a long trip. First things first, have your vehicle inspected by a mechanic.
Every aspect of your vehicle should be road-trip-ready. Make sure to check all of the fluids, the tires, mechanical components, and more. Then, pick up some durable floor mats, and air fresheners to ensure the vehicle smells nice and stays clean throughout the entire trip.
Pack Lots of Drinks, Snacks, and Food
You most likely have plans to stop at different restaurants, diners, cafes, grocery stores, and gas stations along the way. Dining out is necessary when traveling such long distances. You also want to pack a lot of drinks, snacks, and food items from home.
Save room in the vehicle for a cooler and fill it with ice and anything that needs to stay cold. You can replace the ice and load up more items as you travel. When packing snacks, try to think of snacks with a long shelf life that don't require refrigeration.
Some ideas include jars of mixed nuts, trail mix, cereal bars, and more! Also, you don't want to forget your car beverage coasters to ensure you keep your car tidy and clean throughout the trip.
Start Researching Locations Now
Don't wait until you're on the road to start researching things you might pass along the way. Sure, once you come across a new city or town, you'll want to do some research, but you should conduct thorough research before leaving home as well. When doing research, some factors to consider are the weather and time of the year.
Depending on where you plan to travel and the time of year, consider what the weather will be like. Are you prepared for that type of weather? How crowded will the parks and other attractions be at that time?
Will you be able to explore, enjoy, and book reservations at different locations? It's not a bad idea to have a general idea of what to expect for most of your stops.
Book Hotel/Camp Accommodations in Advance
If you're traveling in a large RV or a vehicle with an attached RV, then you might not need to worry too much about booking hotel reservations. You will, however, need to plan for camp/park reservations. What RV parks or hotels are along the way that make sense for you and your family?
Which ones will you stop at? Call in advance and make any hotel or camp/park reservations before leaving home. Pre-planning your nights ensures you have a place to stay overnight and can help you create your basic itinerary as well.
Have Some Fun With Vehicle Decals, Emblems, and Hitch Covers
You're going to be traveling across the country, so why not look great while doing it? The last thing you want to do is drive around in an uncustomized vehicle. It's time to spruce up your vehicle by having some fun and adding vehicle decals, chrome emblems, and hitch covers!
Ride in style with a Looney Tunes or DC Comics emblem. Place a decal on your vehicle that shows your college spirit, and customize your vehicle's hitch with a DC Comics or Looney Tunes hitch cover.
These items will update your vehicle's appearance and will also come in handy when trying to locate it at various rest stops, national parks, and attractions.
Try to Avoid the Road During Rush Hour
As great as your vehicle will look with its new chrome emblems, decals, and other customized items, you should still try to avoid the roads during rush hours. Don't worry. You'll still pass by enough drivers on the road to show off your vehicle's new features. You just don't want to find yourself stuck in hours of traffic on your big adventure—Plan smart drive times around big cities.
Thankfully, there's an easy way to avoid interruptions with a little bit of planning. Try to plan to get to various destinations (parks, attractions, hotels) right before the rush hour traffic in that area and plan to spend enough time there, so you leave when the traffic has decreased. It's also ideal to bring a comfortable steering wheel cover with you since you'll be on the road a lot. Your hands will appreciate ie.
Customize Your Vehicle With Chrome Emblems Before Hitting the Road
The time to seek freedom is now! Let's plan a cross-country road trip the right way by following all of the helpful tips and advice listed here in this guide. Create your itinerary, prepare your vehicle, pack all the snacks, do your research, make your reservations, and ride in style with Elektroplate's chrome emblems, and more!
