RoadTrip Blog

Today isn’t just Valentine’s Day, it’s also Oregon’s birthday, and a big one at that: 150 years. Just thought I’d mark the occasion with one or two photos from my trip of 2007.

Peter Thody crater lake, mount hood, oregon

(Photo courtesy of the Overland Journal)
I receive scores of travel books and magazines every month, but there is one periodical that I hoard with guilty pleasure…. No, get your mind back on track… I’m talking serious road trip fun. I was a charter subscriber to the Overland Journal and it continues to enrich and enhance my life. I don’t receive any form of remuneration of any kind for promoting this magazine — but I love reading it and everyone I have ever given a copy to shares my appreciation for a product that is extraordinarily well done. Click here for the newest information about the amazing trips and gear that they document.

Mark Sedenquist advice, Equipment, expertise, gear, magazine, Overland Journal, Vehicles

Just returned from a trip for the warmth from wintery Chicago to the Florida Panhandle, Panama City Beach, specifically.

We have found the Golden Corral restaurant chain to be an excellent value.  How they are able to put food like that out for that price, about $7.99 for lunch and $9.99 for dinner,  is beyond me.  Dinner includes shrimp, items from their Applewood Grill, and steak cooked the way you like.

Lunch has miniburgers, fish, meatloaf and other items.  Salads are excellent with several choices.  And, the dessert area is something else!

We’ve been going to Golden Corrals, which are often located right alongside interstates, for the last several years since we discovered them.  You can eat really well!

So, on the road, I highly recommend Golden Corral.

RoadDog Applewood Grill, Chicago, florida, golden corral, road food

The Ultimate in Road Trip Travel? (courtesy of SuperTruck)

My better half would divorce me and/or leave me in a hot second if I ever acquired one of these beauties… But, I love the creativity of some of these trucks. Built by Chris Walker and George Stickler, owners of Southeast Utilities, — these bad boys are mostly built on a Ford 650 chassis although they do build on Freightliner and GMC super chassis. The company, creates about 50 super trucks a year on a custom-order basis — Scroll down through this page and check out the “Outback” model!

Mark Sedenquist F-650, Off-highway, super trucks

For me a roadtrip has three parts

Part I: Plan the roadtrip. This part is great fun because it requires hours and hours of looking at the map(s). I calculate distances between stops and estimate the time each stop will take. I look for roads marked scenic and I keep an eye open for the red dots that point out places such as state parks, museums and other roadside “marvels.” [Note: the red dots often result in Internet searches.] Multi-day roadtrips usually have defined destinations and most of the time I make lodging reservations prior to hitting the road. I like knowing that I can arrive at my destination at any time and be guaranteed of having a spot to “hang my head.” I usually plan a roadtrip day to be 8-12 hours in duration and the planning requires paying attention to time-zone changes and sunrise/sunset times. In a nutshell, planning roadtrips is fun.

Part II: Execute the roadtrip. I find that most of the time I rarely consult the roadtrip plan. This is because I’ve taken the roadtrip multiple times in my head. Many roadtrips do not follow the plan exactly, but they usually come close. I actually like having to modify roadtrips while they are in progress.

Part III: Document the roadtrip. I find myself “retaking” the roadtrip over and over while working on its write-up. Documenting the roadtrip allows for the recording of items that were either missed or discovered during the adventure. In addition, documenting a roadtrip is a useful tool for generating ideas for future roadtrips.

Road Hacker Add new tag, journals, mapping, photos, planning, reservations, tips