Travelling across America

Here is a How To article on driving across the United States alone at a young age...

How to travel across the United States by ar, alone; even at the age of 22

Some of us might wonder what it would be like to just jump in your car and head for that open road, not knowing or caring where you might end up, with no initial planning involved. Just live your life, try something new, experience what its like to live in a strange land. Well, about two years ago, I literally did just that.

I was super stressed about my life. Family issues, relationship issues, all of which I am not going to bore anyone with; it’s pretty much irrelevant. Well something inside me snapped, and I decided to pack up all of my belongings and cram as much as I could into my 1991 Chevy Blazer including my 112-pound Labrador retriever. I hit the road on my way to Texas, which was where I had originally planned on ending up. I guess technically I wasn't "alone" but the only help my pooch could really offer me, beside keeping me company, was straying away potential perpetrators due to his massive size and intimidation. Even if he wasn't there, I don't believe I would have run into any sticky situations with strangers but just in case you don't have a dog the same size as you, pepper spray works just fine!

All I had with me was a map quest print-out of directions, a cell phone, and about $1000. I did make sure to have a car charger just in case my phone ran out of battery. It comes in handy.

The first day I drove from Sacramento to just barely Arizona, I stayed at the Super 8 motel off Interstate 10 in Blythe, CA. I remember seeing a sign in the lobby saying that “well-behaved pets were allowed” and that was good enough for me. Buster and I went to bed that night at around 8 p.m. We woke up at 7 a.m. to start our day. Each day we’d fill up the gas tank and buy a breakfast burrito from the closest fast food shop before hitting the road. Buster would always look forward to strips of bacon or sausage patties at these stops.

During my long day trips, I would listen to the country music or often talk to the dog who was sitting in the passenger seat. I would make about two gas stops each day, always making sure to think about stopping for gas whenever the gauge went down to a quarter tank. I would only stop for food the same time I would pull off to stop for gas. I always tried to stay pretty cheap, getting items off the dollar menu. I also kept water bottles, granola bars, and cheez-its next to me for snacks throughout the day.

About once a day I checked under the hood to make sure the water level stayed normal, the oil was good, and that everything else was in place. If something were to go wrong, there is always a Wal-Mart in every town off one of the freeway exits. Just ask a gas station clerk how to get there. Make sure you keep track of the mile markers you pass on the freeway because if you break down, you are able to tell the tow truck driver exactly where you are. For example, you could say, “I broke down on Interstate 10, eastbound, on mile marker 143”. That way, they know exactly where you are instead of them driving up and down the freeway for hours. It is also a nice way to figure out how many more miles you have to travel until the next state.

I usually stayed at the cheapest motel possible. It was a way to save money but also they were the motels that honestly did not care what you brought into your room, so they never cared about my big black lab. I always tried to find a Motel 6, though. If not, it was either an America’s Best Value Inn or a Day’s Inn. I didn’t need to stay in an exclusive motel; all I wanted was a place to sleep for the night, someplace other than my vehicle.

In my opinion, driving across the United States is neither scary nor hard. It is very simple. I always looked at it in a way that it is similar to driving to San Francisco or Tahoe. It is not scary, right? The only difference is you are driving a lot farther and for longer time. It is no more scary then taking a road trip a few hours away. I was worried about being bored driving all day long but it was not boring at all. It was very peaceful and relaxing. You clear your head and enjoy the scenery and the time just passes before you know it.

I think it was an amazing experience and everyone should try it at least once. You get to see all the state welcome signs, see a lot of interesting people everyday, and best of all, you get the experience of driving across the United States. There is nothing to it so what are you waiting for?