A Fun Way to Plan Road Trips

Going camping is a lot of fun, but even the best places become less interesting when they are the only ones you visit. Instead of always going to the same place every time you go on a road trip, why not explore your little slice of the world, and make choosing your destinations part of the fun of going there?

By the Map
You will need a map of your regional area that displays state and national parks. Get a map large enough to extend several hundred miles from your location. An atlas with both large and small scales works best but is not a requirement. Place a dot at your home on the map. Set a compass (the kind used for drawing circles) point on the dot and adjust the radius of the pencil tip to 50 miles by the scale of the map. Draw the circle. Set the radius to the 100 mile mark by the map scale and make another circle. Keep making circles every 50 miles out from your home to a distance of 600 miles.

Why Circles?
Each circle on the map represents approximately one hour of travel time from your home. You may be able to shorten the travel time somewhat, but estimating at 50mph gives you plenty of time for fuel and other stops. By drawing circles in pencil, you are able to look at your map and see at a glance what features are available within your available area.

Spinning Directions
Cut a 2 inch arrow out of construction paper or thin cardboard. Measure 1/2 inch from one end, and place a needle through the arrow. Wiggle the arrow around on the needle until it turns freely. Spread the map out on the floor and place the needle tip firmly in the dot which marks your home. Spin the arrow to find out what direction you are going to travel.

Time and Distance
Each day that you can allot for your trip adds 4 circles to the travel distance on your map. Day trips should be confined to the first or second circles to insure you have a chance to enjoy yourself. Look for interesting spots to visit along the direction of travel and within your maximum circle for the trip. If the arrow is not pointing towards anything of interest, spin it again. If there are a lot of choices along the path, roll dice and count outward from your home position to the winning numbered location.

Rating Your Experience
As you visit location on the map, give each one a rating between 1 and 10, and write that number on the map in ink. Since the idea of the game is to visit new places, only choose places you have been to before if there is nothing else available in the direction your traveling. If you are traveling for multiple days, look for a series of interesting spots to stop along each leg of the journey. rating your travel stops gives you an easy reference for future trips, or just give travel advice to friends and family.