Interesting Facts To Keep In Mind When Driving Cross Country

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Interesting Facts To Keep In Mind When Driving Cross Country

Like apple pie and ice cream, baseball, and Black Friday, road trips are a popular American tradition. Nothing quite beats piling into the family car, setting the GPS, and hitting the open road for a fun and exciting trip. But before you embark on your next cross-country excursion to experience the sights and sounds from coast to coast, consider these interesting facts.

Filler Up Before Heading Out

It makes sense to head out with a full tank of gas before hitting the open road for your cross-country trek. There are numerous reasons why this makes sense. Firstly, heading out with a full tank means you won’t have to unnecessarily interrupt your trip for a fill up too soon into your road trip. Secondly, finding a gas station for a fill up could present challenges depending on the state you’re traveling in. For instance, if your cross-country road trip includes Alaska, it helps to know that the state has, compared to other states, the fewest gas stations per capita. In this sense, it makes sense not only to leave home with a full tank of gas, but also to fill up strategically so that you’re not left low on gas in a state where gas stations aren’t as plentiful.

Be Prepared for Higher Gas Prices in Specific States

If you’ve had your driver’s license for any length of time, you’re no doubt familiar with the eye-watering prices to fill up your car, van, truck, or SUV. But something you should keep in mind ahead of a cross-country road trip is that certain states, namely California, Hawaii, and Washington, tend to have the highest gas prices across the country. You’ll therefore need to be prepared to pay more at the pump in these states. If you can, fill up just ahead of entering these states.

Popular Pit Stops for Tasty Eats

At various points along the way, you’ll need to stop not only to refuel your vehicle, but also to refuel yourself and your family. It might not surprise you to hear that some of the most popular places to stop for some food during a road trip are McDonald’s, Subway, and Dunkin Donuts. You won’t have trouble finding such quick dining options. If you really want to be efficient, you can use your GPS to pinpoint where along the route your favorite quick dining outlets are based.

Interesting Facts To Keep In Mind When Driving Cross Country

‘Parks’ Are Quite the Attraction

Two of the most popular road-trip destinations in the continental U.S. happen to be parks — one a theme park and the other a national park. Specifically, Disneyworld and Yellowstone National Park are two places where road-trip takers love to visit during their excursions.

Driving Laws Can Drive You Bonkers

One of the things you’ll surely become intimately acquainted with as you travel cross-country is that there are some off-the-wall driving laws throughout the country. Case in point: If you collide with a moose or other large game in Alaska, you have to report the incident to the state since big game happen to be the property of the state. In Arizona, the colors of the curb mean something. If the curb is painted yellow, you can load or unload your vehicle… but you must do so fast. If the curb is painted white, you can pick up or drop off your passengers. If the curb is painted red, you are not allowed to park or stop in the designated area. As well, don’t place stickers on your vehicle windows if in Florida. It’s against the law. So if you have little ones who like to place stickers on the window, be sure to warn them not to do so. Otherwise, you risk, at the very least, a warning from the authorities. Just in case you were wondering about the extent of the madness, the aforementioned examples really only represent the tip of the iceberg.

The next time you get the urge to pack up your stuff and to head on a cross-country road trip, remember these interesting facts. Knowledge, as the saying goes, is power. And understanding some of these things will help to make your excursion more memorable for the right reasons.

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