On Your Mark...

The beginning. With the start of anything new, emotions can be filled with excitement, nervousness, fear or hope.

This trip is a mix bag of all.

Someone very special to me told me to write what I have done and not what I plan to do so, perhaps I am breaking the rules on this one.

I am leaving Southern California tomorrow to head out on the road. House is rented, car is packed and the adventure is about to begin.

I learned a few things from my last trip so here are some tips if you are headed out on a summer road trip (not in any particular order):

-Have something prepared to listen to (music, inner voices, etc.)

- Don't play the gas game (sometimes I like to stress myself out by seeing how far I can get on the fumes left in the tank when I am in the middle of nowhere)

- Remember that the navigator is your friend (mine is named Cindy and we have a love/hate relationship sometimes)

- Camp books come in handy

- Keep cash in the car for the East Coast (Toll Roads)

- Be Flexible in your plans (you never know when you will ever get to see the largest ball of twine again)

- I like to think that animals are just sleeping on the side of the road

- It's not a good idea to give dog treats to raccoons, unless you want the entire family over

- If you want Amish people to run away and hide from you, put a bathing suit on

- In Oregon, there is no self service gas pump. Not a good idea to argue who is going to pump gas

- There are certain states where it’s cheaper to injure or kill a road worker than others.

- Purell is your friend

and lastly...

- Don't camp next to a retired man camping with his cat while blowing into a harmonica in Utah (Trust me on this one).

What have you learned about road travel that you want to pass along?