Dear Phoenix,
If you’re at all like me, you like to push your textbooks aside and start planning summer vacation when the temperature breaches 80 degrees Fahrenheit for three days in a row.
I’ve just begun planning a road trip, and I want to walk you through the steps I’ve gone through (and will go through) to plan the most perfect road trip possible.
The first part of the planning process is to pick out where you will be stopping! I want to go up the coast this summer with my friend Natalie. She hasn’t traveled much on the west coast. We plan to stop in San Diego, Los Angeles, Berkeley/San Francisco, Portland, Seattle and Vancouver, British Columbia. On the way back, we’ll be stopping in various places in Idaho, Nevada and Arizona as well.
The second part of planning a road trip is budgeting. Figure out how much money you’re willing to spend on gas, food and lodging. We’re both on a budget, so we’re taking a fuel efficient car, splitting gas money and sleeping on the floors of friends. If you have more money, you can splurge for a hotel or hostel.
The third part of planning a road trip is to select the time span of the trip. Our trip is likely going to be two weeks or longer, because I can do that without a foreseeable summer job. It will give us ample time to visit with friends in each city and to explore on my own. Pick a time constraint that fits your life.
Those are the three main steps. As the trip approaches, we’ll start planning what clothing to pack based on the weather, and what local activities we can participate in.
Hope to see you on that open road!
Amanda
Postcards to Phoenix 