While trying to make the most out of my savvy trip planning experience, I came across a few tools that I think are going to prove to be very helpful. I've been playing with many road trip planning tools and iPhone apps and other recommended helpful hints, but so far, I've only found a few worth writing home about.
The most worrisome issue when taking a road trip is the cost of fuel. Well, I found 2 different sites for that. The first one is Fuel My Route. It is similar to Google Maps in that you key in your route using multiple destinations to find your way. The difference is that Fuel My Route tells you where the cheapest gas stations are along your route. It will also tell you if a different route might be a little more cost effective. It tells you whether you are purchasing below, above, or within the national average current fuel price. If you are a fan of a particular brand of gas, you can tell the program to only locate those fuel stops. On the flipside, if you are adamant against a certain brand, you can tell it that too. Me, I'm not too picky so I'm going with the cheapest as long as it isn't too far off the beaten path. Then again, considering we have no intended path, it might not matter. I've adjusted my itinerary just enough and managed to project a savings of 38¢ per gallon.
The other gas related app is available on the App Store for all us Apple Lovers. It is called Gas Buddy. You can download it for free. This app can be used a few different ways. You do not have to take advantage of it just for traveling. You can search in your local city for the best gas prices of the day. If you are traveling, just type in the city you will be stopping at and it will guide you to the cheapest place to make your fuel purchase. It would be wise to have already calculated your estimated mpg so you can plan your fill-ups and know just how far you can go until the next gas purchase. You never know, it might be very frugal of you to fill up while still retaining a half tank of gas.
Another major concern while traveling is weather. During the summer you may elect to travel a more northern route and visa versa during the winter months.
No matter which route you decide on, there are still weather concerns like thunderstorms, tornadoes, and other assorted catastrophes that Mother Nature might throw your way. I have decided to use the road trip planning tool on Wunderground. I just type in my chosen destinations and it will provide me with the forcasted weather conditions for approximately one week ahead. So far, given my few selected city stops I can expect extreme heat with a few scattered thunderstorms and more extreme heat!!! Maybe I should head North to Alaska!!! I guess you could check the weather option on Google Maps, which shows the weather everywhere. Then, you could map out your trip based solely on the weather, but that sounds boring to me.
That brings me to the website I am having the most fun with. Roadtrippers.com has a unique selection of planning tools. You start out by putting the same information in...your chosen route. Then you have so many extras to add to your experience. There are several tabs for things like Accommodations, Attractions, Food, Nature, History, Scenic, Shopping and Sports. Deeper within these tabs are more specific criteria for narrowing down what might interest you along the way. For example, under Attractions you can narrow it down to Amusement Parks, Tourist Attractions, Film & TV, or even Offbeat Attractions. Of course I had to click on every single tab to see what kind of stops were recommended under the different categories. Under Offbeat Attractions I found Cadillac Ranch just outside of Amarillo, along with A Huge
Pair of Legs right out in the middle of nowhere. There is a town called Nothing in AZ., and the world's largest buffalo (anatomically correct I am told) in Jamestown, ND. Of course, if you want to drive to Eugene, OR, you can visit the Frat House (Omega House) of Alpha Epsilon Pi Fraternity, or more commonly known as Animal House!!
The choices are endless, the destinations intriguing, the company is splendid, and the trip itself will prove to be very inspirational in so many ways. Stay tuned!!
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