Why are you going? Because *this*!

Why would you ask why? Road trips are fun! Do you need more reason?

Well, sometimes there is an actual reason for a trip. You’re going to a family reunion. Or a friend reunion. Maybe there’s a wedding. Maybe your kid went on a trip to somewhere you want to see, so you decide to pick him up (that is a totally legit reason, right? I hope so! Because been there, done that!).

Family Reunion, Lake Diefenbaker, SK

Both have very different ways to plan. And maybe there’s more than one reason that you are taking the trip. Going out for a wedding; and exploring on the way home. So how do you plan for this?

We’ll start exploring with the time sensitive one. Plan your route. If it’s more than you can drive in a day (which will depend on your personal comfort), make sure there is somewhere to stop at the end of your day. Some routes have lots of smaller cities or towns, but some routes don’t, and you don’t want to be stuck in the middle of nowhere with nowhere for dinner or to sleep. Make sure you know when you want to arrive; early for extra visiting or exploring, or right on time so that you can rest after.

I like to find a picture of a calendar (a printable month or scheduler or some such). I will write, and scribble, on it until I have a good idea of what my time line is. You can also do it online- I, personally, just find it less intuitive than a pen and paper. I like to arrive the night before things happen, and I will schedule stops in. Here's a "quick" example:

 

● Day 1 - Winnipeg, MB to Thunderbay, ON (7h40min, lunch in Dryden)
● Day 2 - Day in Thunderbay (visiting family)
● Day 3 - Thunderbay to Sault Ste Marie, ON (7h44min, bagged lunch)
● Day 4 - Sault Ste Marie to Ottawa, ON (8h48min, early start, lunch in North Bay, see the Nickel in Sudbury!) - our family can handle about 10 hours, with reasonable breaks before everybody just starts going insane. With warning, this isn't a bad day, but it is definitely better if the next day is a break day.
● Day 5 - Day in Ottawa (see parliament and visit friends in Gatineau, QC)
● Day 6 - Ottawa to Edmunston, NB (7h16min, lunch in Trois Rivieres because we missed an exit)
● Day 7 - Edmunston to Halifax, NS (6h38min, lunch in Moncton, toll highway)
● Day 8 - Pick up kid from meet point after camp. Explore Halifax Harbour.

 

Times according to Google.

After this, we still had a schedule, but it was for fun stuff. :)

Be aware, that like most things, there is a possibility that you will be held up. Construction, accidents don't not happen because you are running late. And if you are going somewhere completely new, you might still get lost (though that is much harder with a good gps these days - though not impossible!).

That Nickel in Sudbury

Know your timing, and make sure people know your route and where you are hoping to stop. If other people are traveling the same way as you, you may be able to travel together, or just meet for dinner at the end of the day.

And if you are the sort that must explore or break on the way in, make sure you schedule that too – for example, stopping for a day to see something cool, or spending a half day somewhere with a half day driving.

So now you should be able to say how long you'll be gone, or at least a minimum time away.

 

See you later!

Shaunna