Wednesday Medley ~ National Road Trip Day - Friday Before Memorial Day

Found another fun meme to partake in. Head on over to Your Friend From Florida..... for other participants. Here is a medley of questions you may choose to answer on your Wednesday blog. There aren't any rules and there is no obligation. Link up if you want to. I'm doing this to fill my Wednesday and if you are interested, then I invite you to join in!! It might be fun!!

Everything below this line was copied from the National Calendar site.

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National Road Trip Day - Friday Before Memorial Day

NATIONAL ROAD TRIP DAY

The Friday before Memorial Day is declared National Road Trip Day and serves as the official kickoff of the summer road trip season. With two-thirds of leisure travelers (64 percent)* planning to take vacations this summer, it’s clear that the open road calls when long weekends and Fridays roll around. We pack up, fuel up, stock up and then crank up the tunes. In fact, 63 percent** of road trippers say that having good music, audiobooks and/or podcasts to listen to are the most important parts of a successful road trip. Additionally, three in five road trippers (59 percent) say that having good snacks and drinks for the road, finding great places to eat on the way and finding clean bathrooms to use while traveling are their most important parts of a successful road trip.

Whether we’re seeking adventure, visiting family and friends or making a business connection, road trips are often a rite of passage. Sometimes we endure them, often hearing, “Are we there yet?” And other times we never want them to end; sometimes getting lost can be even more fun than the original plan.

Getting There Road trips that begin and end with happy passengers are always the best. Here are a few tips to keep in mind.

Plan ahead. Even a spur of the moment trip requires a little planning.

• Two in five (42 percent) road trippers find travel apps very helpful when planning their trip, and mapping out your stops ahead of time can be a great way to save both time and money.
• One way to do so is with the Pilot Flying J app’s enhanced trip planner feature. The trip planner helps users create their route and find Pilot and Flying J locations along the way, showcasing specific amenities, fuel prices and more.

Vehicle maintenance is vital to any successful road trip. Beyond the routine maintenance like oil changes and sound tires, other simple checks will keep you on the road.

• check your wipers and wiper fluid
• make sure your spare tire and jack are in place
• all lights and signals are working
• condition of your brake pads
• registration is current or not about to expire

Plot your course. Consider construction, fuel and snack stops, shopping and the interests of the other travelers.

• Road trippers prioritize convenience and efficiency, primarily (58 percent) wanting to stop at all-in-one rest stops (offers gas, food, drinks, coffee, bathrooms, and more.).
• Specifically, the top “road trip essential” snacks are chips and salty foods (52 percent), freshly made, grab-and-go foods (50 percent) and fast food options (49 percent).

How do you travel? There are two kinds of people who take road trips. If you’re going together, you might want to discuss a compromise before hitting the road! The tourist takes their time getting there and doesn’t mind taking backroads to see long-forgotten ghost towns. On the other hand, the pilot enjoys seeing the country from the car, sets a course and frowns upon unscheduled stops or side trips.

No matter the destination, road trips include an element of expectation, and they rarely disappoint. The best road trips bring us closer to people over a stick of beef jerky and car karaoke. They connect us to places through memories, a postcard, and the kindness of strangers.

Everything above this line is copied from the National Calendar site.

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I decided to skip ahead to Friday for today's Medley. It IS a holiday weekend for us in the USA and lots of folks do take road trips on long weekends. Let's see where we can go with this one!!

1. Have you ever done a spur-of-the-moment road trip? yep Where did it take you? the hubs and I jumped in the truck and hit the road for a leisurely drive and ended up in the middle of the state (MI), don't even remember the town, and found some antique shops.

2. If time and money wasn't an issue, what roads would you choose to travel and how long would you be gone? I would love to start at the beginning of Route 66 and just go to the end of it, stopping along they way in all the towns.

3. When you go on a long road trip, what snacks and beverages do you take? either water, or some sort of caffeinated beverage, chips, pretzels, licorice Do you pack a picnic? sometimes Does the back seat turn into a nest? Oh for sure!!

4. Please tell us about something interesting or strange you have seen on the side of the road. I can't think of anything

5. Who does the driving when you head out in the car? usually the hubs Do you stop in the rest areas along our Interstate highways when you have to use the facilities, or do you choose a fast-food restaurant or gas station instead? Not TMI... inquiring minds want to know! all of the above

6. Please share something with us about your week so far. Nothing much going on around here yet again...I have a very boring life right now.