And whatever comes (your) way.
Being prepared with the right gear for your road trip is important. Always have water on hand, especially if you are traveling in the Southwest, where service stations are few and far between and the heat is dry and intense. Know the region you are headed to and pack accordingly. Here are some other important must-haves on any road trip:

  • First-aid kit.
  • Emergency food. Make sure it is high in protein and keeps well—granola and jerky are good choices.
  • Flashlight. Change the batteries before hitting the road.
  • Updated map or road atlas.
  • Extra blanket or two.

Looking for adventure (and lodgings).
Marriott International’s Laurie Goldstein offers this advice: “It’s always best to make reservations in advance. You never know what’s going on in town, and if the hotel is full.”

If spontaneity is more your thing on your road trip, it’s a good idea to print out contact information for several hotels and campgrounds located along your route.

Born to be wild.
A road trip is all about the journey. Stopping to see amazing—or weird—things is part of the fun. Here are a few sights along common routes:

  • Baker, California: Site of the world’s tallest thermometer. When you see how high the mercury climbs, you will truly understand why Baker is the “Gateway to Death Valley.”
  • Rockport, Massachusetts: Newspaper house. A visit to the Atlantic coast is no good without stopping to see a house within which the furniture is composed entirely of rolled-up newspapers.
  • Central Illinois: World’s largest model solar system. Visiting the planets in all the little towns along Route 66 (including Peoria) is an entire day’s journey by itself.