New Mexico To New Jersey

[Anna2053]

Hi!

Well, first of all, I want to say that I AM a teenager.

Anyways, in 3 years, my best friend is going to come down from New Jersey, and then she's gonna take me back up there. So its basically going to be a road trip, from New Mexico to New Jersey. (By the way, I'm 15 right now, and she is 19.)

I do know:

Its going to be in the summertime.
She's taking me up there, and then back..so...possibly 2 trips?
And the time it takes doesn't matter.

So, I'm still kinda vague on this whole road trip idea, and she wants me to plan half of it...so, where do I start?

And what exactly would I need to do? Haha..I'm kinda really new to this.

Thanks for the help!

Bye!

(Also, my mom made this account for me...so yeah.)

[Mark Sedenquist]

So, I'm still kinda vague on this whole road trip idea, and she wants me to plan half of it.

Welcome to the Great American RoadTrip Forum! Alot can happen in three years -- but the first thing I would recommend is to get a map of the USA and put it up on a walll and start sticking pins into places you have heard about, but never seen. Eventually such a practice will yield a roadtrip route.

There are thousands of posts here about places we found noteworthy and cool. I would also suggest you read some of our essays about what it means to roadtrip. And how to do it inexpensively.

Happy Planning.

Mark

[PNW Judy]

And with 3 years you have lots of time to plan and dream.

I agree with Mark. Start with looking over a good map of the US to get an idea of what states you might want to drive through and any specific places you might want to visit on your trip. Then read through the forums here. You could do a search on any areas or specific places you think you might want to visit to see what folks who have been there suggest. You might enjoy reading through the "Roadtrip Planning" section of the website (see green bar at top of page).

And with that long to plan, you might enjoy reading some travel essays. Not only are some of them laugh-out-loud funny to read, but they can give you some great ideas of things to do on your own trips. I would suggest anything by Bill Bryson, Tim Cahill, and in the Traveler's Tales series to start with.

As your planning, please come back here and ask any specific questions you have. Happy planning!

[Anna2053]

Thanks! That does help me a bit...I read some on here last night..and I'll read more today. And I'll also take that idea about the map...I just need to find one. Haha. Ok, well, thanks for the help!

Anna

[PNW Judy]

A bookstore is usually the easiest place to pick up a good map. Or even a gas station sometimes. To help keep your dream alive since you have 3 years to go on this, you might get a wall map to put up in your room. Get some kind of fun stickers to mark the places you want to see. Have fun with it.

[RoadTripper 101]

Hello Anna,

When I was your age, I always longed to plan a trip like you are. I have since taken many trips cross country. Living in NJ it makes it easy since I already am on one end!!

Something I used to do was think of places I always wanted to see. Some of the sites I thought I most wanted to visit were the Alamo, Mount Rushmore, the Grand Canyon, glaciers and all the western mountian ranges.

The map idea is a great one. In Walmart they sell an atlas for the country that costs only about $5.00. You can also check out individual state's website and request info be sent to your home. It is free and there is a lot to learn in the packets. Once you find the main sites you want to visit, you will be able to find many others between by using all these sources. Also, the National Parks website is a great place for information. You can search by state or interest.

Hope you have a great time planning your trip. Any questions, please ask.

Have a nice day!!

Diana