Road trips may be a little different in the 21st century than they were when Kerouac and co. were On the Road, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t still a great way to get in touch with your roots and learn about the world around you — not to mention the people in the seats next to you.
To make it easier to plan your perfect road trip, The Peak has compiled a foolproof guide to the dos and don’ts of road travel. All you have to do is hit the road.
The Plan
Schedule
I know, I know. But hey, would you rather spend a little time arguing over time constraints now, or a lot of time arguing later? Keep your schedule loose, and make sure to budget extra time for traffic, food and bathroom breaks, hotels (preferably ones with generous cancellation policies), and the occasional night on the town. The key is to craft a schedule that everyone can agree on. It’s easier said than done, but when it comes down to it, a reliable schedule will end up leaving you enough room for some real spontaneity, and isn’t that what road trips are really all about?
Budget
You’ll thank me for this. Have a fixed price range for each day, split the gas price evenly down the middle, and insist that everyone pays for their own food and drink unless otherwise stated. The quicker you get this out of the way, the more awkwardness you’ll avoid on the road. If you’re having trouble calculating just how much meals will cost, give yourself 10 dollars for breakfast and lunch and 15 for dinner every day, and you’ll find you almost always have a little extra to play with.
Paper map
Like, OMG, so 2003! Paper maps seem about as anachronistic as, well, paper, but don’t be fooled: as wonderful as Google Maps can be, there’s nothing like tracking just where you’re going on an actual, tangible piece of paper right in front of you. You’ll find that using a paper map will actually make your trip seem a lot more memorable and freeing, and despite our interconnected world, being able to read a map and figure out where you are is a valuable and underrated skill. In fact, try and forget about your phones when you can — you’re taking a trip to escape the routine of your daily life, not to be nagged by it every five seconds.
Tune up your car
Whether you’re driving a slick new SUV or your grandpa’s old station wagon, it’s always a good idea to get your car checked out before setting off on any trip longer than a few hours. Get a service and oil change about a week before heading out — it’ll usually cost anywhere between 25 and 50 bucks, but it’s well worth the price and effort. Also, make sure you’ve got insurance, and winter tires if you need them.
Yelp
Out of all my false idols, Yelp is the one I most fervently worship. This app has almost never let me down, and if you’ve never used it before, you’re in for a treat. Basically, Yelp is a database where you can check out which restaurants, bars, grocery stores, thrift shops, theatres, cafes, etcetera are the favourites of both locals and travellers like yourselves. For each place you’re going, use Yelp to find a few spots to stop to ensure that you’re getting the best that town, city, village, truckstop, or whatever has to offer.
Health & Safety
Pack a good quality first aid kit just in case, hide a spare set of keys and a credit card in an easy to remember place, and always lock your doors. Make sure you have a game plan in case of the unforeseen: getting lost, getting in a crash, having any sort of medical emergency, fire, that sort of thing. Chances are it’ll go off without a hitch, but you can never be too careful with this sort of thing. Be prepared. (That means bringing extra underwear, too.)
Destinations
Seattle
Welcome to the land of grunge and coffee. If you’re a fan of either, I suggest making a stop here. Seattle’s only about three hours away, and there’s plenty to do there: you can visit the first Starbucks ever, check out the Market (which is a little like Granville Island, but more fish), browse the city’s impressive record stores, or visit the Space Needle. There’s also the aforementioned coffee, and espresso addicts will find plenty to love here — there’s a cafe on every block, and almost all of them are worth checking out.
Banff
If you’re doing a road trip through the Kootenays — one of the most naturally beautiful regions in BC — you’ve got to make sure to stop at the right towns. In between the mountain ranges and picturesque scenery, stop in Trail and Golden, two of the prettiest towns on the path. If you really want to see the whole nine yards, finish the trip in Banff, which is actually Alberta (and in the Rockies, not the Kootenays) but happens to be one of the most visually stunning places in all of Canada. If you’re lucky, you might even catch a glimpse of the northern lights, which are most likely to appear near the Spring and Fall equinoxes.
Tofino
Take the car on the ferry to Vancouver Island, and get ready to explore the funky oasis of culture and nature that’s hanging out just a little to the west of our city. The trip to Tofino can pretty much go down in any shape or size you want. Stop by Victoria, Nanaimo, or the Wild Pacific Trail in Ucluelet, all on your way to Tofino’s beautiful parks and beaches. Especially on Long Beach, you’ll feel like you’re in one of those pitch perfect photos they put on postcards.
Calgary
Don’t go to Calgary.
Edmonton
Calgary’s cooler older brother, Edmonton is actually a surprisingly chill place to be, figuratively and literally. Seriously, bring a jacket. The city center, small though it is, is full of quality munchies and the sort of oaky craft beer Western Canada has become famous for, and there’s even a couple of karaoke bars for you to give your pipes a workout. Make sure to take a detour to West Edmonton Mall, which is pretty much the only place in the world where you can ride a rollercoaster, take a dip in a pool, go ice skating and buy a fur coat without ever stepping outside.
Portland
Do you love craft beer? Comics? Fancy donuts? Why are you still reading this, then? Go to Portland! About six hours away by car, Portland is more than just the hipster haven you’ve seen on Portlandia — it’s also got an array of surprisingly high class eateries, a kickass bookstore named Powell’s that takes up an entire city block (and then some), and more delicious beer than you can shake a fist at. It’s also an ideal concert destination, so try to plan your trip in time to see a show, and make sure to stop by a food truck on your way out for some legendary Portlandian street eats.
Alaska
If you’re hot blooded (check it and see), consider looking northward to that weird chunk of the United States that everyone forgets is just above us. The Alaska Highway is among the greenest and prettiest you’re likely to travel, but it’s also one of the longest, and a trip from Burnaby Mountain to Delta Junction will take you just under 48 hours altogether. Still, it’s worth it to get a feel for the size and scope of our province, and to pull a Christopher McCandless from Into the Wild by getting in touch with your natural roots (hopefully without ending up the way he did). For laughs, make sure to sing the theme song to the TV series Dawson’s Creek when first hitting the highway, which begins in the town of — you guessed it — Dawson Creek, BC.
Music & Snacks
The radio
Avoid if possible. Chances are, you’re going to have at least one other person riding along with you, and unless you’re clones, you’re going to disagree over which station to play. Plus, I don’t want to play this card, but most music on the radio isn’t that great, anyway — if you’re planning a trip longer than three or four hours, expect to hear the exact same song about 20 or 30 times. If you insist, make sure to change the station about once every 15 or 20 minutes, to avoid a potential argument.
CDs
Permissible, as long as everyone gets to bring some. CDs help avoid the interminable commercial breaks of FM radio, and make sure that everyone gets to pick the music they love best. Of course, the flipside here is that each person gets to listen to their music for anywhere between 30 and 60 minutes straight, which doesn’t exactly leave much wiggle room for anyone else.
Mixtapes
Essential. What better way to make everyone happy than to mix up all their music into one big grab bag? Make a series of road trip mixes, and make sure everyone’s tastes are represented evenly. This might mean some weird mash ups — N.W.A. and Taylor Swift, Animal Collective and the Dixie Chicks — but it’s a whole lot better than having one passenger dominate the tunes. And hey, maybe you’ll find that Belle & Sebastian and Slayer actually complement each other really well.
Alcohol
A must. Beer is preferable, especially if it’s cheap. Wine is a little fancy for a road trip, but if you’re looking to vacation through California’s Napa Valley, it might turn out to be just what the doctor ordered. Spirits like vodka and rum are inexpensive and easy to mix, but be careful of going overboard. Trust me, nothing is worse than waking up at six in the morning to drive on the highway with a Hemingway-style hangover. Of course, if you’re driving, stay away from the sauce, and don’t keep open bottles or cans in the car while it’s moving.
Water
The human adult is about 60 per cent water, so you’ll probably want to bring along enough bottles to keep that ratio intact. Bottles are good since they’re easy to refill and easy to bring along with you, and you’ll be thanking me when it hits 25 degrees and you’ve been on the road for hours and all you can think about is how very, very thirsty you are. We all need water to live. You’d do best not to forget it.
Snacks
Obviously! Use your own discretion here — I recommend homemade trail mix, which is compulsively munchable yet mostly healthy, plus a little bit of dollar store candy for those late night driving sprees. Try to have a nice mix of the good for you and the not so much. Streetside produce markets can be a nice way to add a little healthy eating to a buffet of empty calories. If not, you may not be able to sustain the energy necessary to make the trip.
Who to Bring
Friends
Hell yeah. The ideal candidates for road trips — you’re close enough to be able to tolerate them, but your relationship is loose enough to call them on their bullshit and have them do the same for you. Plus, let’s be honest: There’s going to be some farting in the car. If you can’t fart in front of your friends, who can you fart in front of? Friends promise fun and freedom from the hangups of the everyday, but enough companionship to make it through the inevitable bouts of highway hypnosis and existential quarter-life crises that go along with the open road.
Family
Maybe. On the one hand, you’re clearly used to them and therefore more able to deal with them, but on the other, they might be the reason you’re looking to escape in the first place. Don’t be afraid to pick and choose your passengers: maybe you’ll want to take your sister and leave your cousin, and hey, that’s okay.
Acquaintances
Only in special cases. There’s no better way to find out if you’re compatible with someone you don’t know very well than to take a road trip with them, but once you’re on the road, well, you’re stuck with ‘em. If you know you’ll be forced to spend a lot of time with them anyway — say, if they’re co-workers or future in-laws — you might as well test the waters, but think it over before choosing anyone you don’t know and don’t particularly want to know.
Significant others
This one is a toughie. If your sweetie is compatible with your friends, go for it. If you’re planning a couples trip with just you and them, or with a fellow couple, s’all good. But if you think your better half and your buddies won’t mix, it’s not worth the headache, for any of you. Sometimes it helps to be able to have a little time apart from your significant other, and to keep things platonic in the vehicle. You know what I mean.
Yourself
Hey, after all is said and done, a solo trip can be a nice break from the hustle and bustle of an overstuffed social life. No arguments over music, no backseat driving, no confusion over where you’re going or how long you’ll stay there. You make up the rules as you go along, and the only person you’ve got to answer to is yourself. The world is your oyster — now get out there and explore!
