What is needed for an enjoyable road trip??

Embarking on a l-o-o-o-o-o-o-n-n-n-g road trip this Wednesday...

I love road trips, but seeing as though I wil be the designated driver... I need every tool or crutch to see me through. So, what are the essentials for your road trip journey's??

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A basic selection of tunes you enjoy, and well thought out placement of your passengers. I assume since you stated "designated driver" there will be others along. If they are of drinking age, forbid it in the vehicle while travelling. If they aren't of that age, still placement of siblings and friends can be of import to keep onboard squabbling to a minimum. I always drove OTR alone, but the only time I took someone along it was either a son or my wife. But only one at a time. I tried both sons once and by the third day simply sent the oldest home on a bus. I had to get to my destination, but their constant bickering made the trip intolerable.

I originally thought that the two of them would "bond" over a few days of just "us boys". Man was that in error.

 

Good tunes is vital! Total trip is about 16 hours... Denver to San Antonio. Fortunately, there will be no kids on this trip. I struggle in town with my two little ones... the bickering and physical banter is constant. Ahhhh the joys of Fatherhood. I love my kiddos, but sometimes they love to exercise my goal for patience. They always win Appreciate the feed back Clint. Muchos Gracias

 

I would recommend a GPS with POI (Points of Interest...including gas, restaurants, and tourist stops unless you're familiar with the route and area.

Salt Lick Restaurant in Dripping Springs (SW of Austin) is great of BBQ

I envy your trip to San Antonio! I could use a month there to take in the Tex-Mex!!

Be safe, my friend!

 

texon.

I don't own a GPS for myself, so I asked to borrow one from a friend. Unfortunately, I dont know the area well enough to get around on my own. So that piece of equipment should come in handy Thanks for the heads up on Salt Lick, and will definitley be soaking up all the Tex-Mex... I agree, there's nothing like it. Hope all is well in your neck of the woods.... a little Al Roker humor

Take care Tex

Mark

 

As an over-the-road truck driver, I always make sure I have coffee or pop and water close by. And also, some snacks, peanuts or something like that. No candy bars, the sugar will wear off and you'll get sleepy! The most important thing you need to do is get plenty of rest before you leave! Drive safe!

Clint should check in here, he's an old truck driver too!

 

Plenty of iced-down Redbull, sugar free of course. When it starts wearing off, chug another one. I usually stop at most rest areas, or when I feel the need to do it, to get out and stretch a bit, walk around and loosen up. Oh yeah, take the "leakus maximus" before getting back on the road too....

This gives me a good idea for another good thread...."Roadtrips, good, bad and ugly" or something like that....

Check with Carl about some good restaurants in San Antonio. He has some good leads. Why are you going to San Antonio, to see the Alamo or what?

 

Where I live, a good road trip requires:

Two floor jacks
Two small hydraulic jacks
Two round tip shovels
Two flat shovels
One clay pick
One pick mattock
25 to 50 feet of tow cable
Sand mats
an air compressor
a bow saw or chain saw
Tool chest with the usual stuff

Roads are a bit different here.....

 

There was a great BBQ place in Lexington TX I went to several times. You got your BBQ, saltine crackers, tabasco, soda or beer from the cooler and the picknic tables up stairs had the knives chained to the table..... Real old school and excellent...

 

bigfun,

Appreciate the heads up on what works for you, and what to stay away from... like I said, I love road trips... but this one is going to test my level of consciousness and endurance. Unfortunately, I didn't get good rest last night so that's going to hinder me a bit. Thankfully I have my significant other traveling with me, so that should help Yeah, Clint gave me some great feedback as well. Once again thank you for the feedback

take care,

Mark

Bobby,

You are speaking my language... love the Redbull! I'm breaking up the trip in Amarillo to maintain safety. Then continuing on the next day to San Antonio... I think you're headed somewhere good with that thread idea - I bet you would get some interesting stories... I know I could provide more than a few good ones. Carl gave me some sweet spots to check out as well as Clint. Thanks for all the help everyone!!

Mark

 

Oh, you gotta try the Big Texan Steak challenge if you are in Amarillo at dinner time!

Big Texan: Home of the FREE 72 oz. Steak

 

Just make sure your passengers aren't like me, I nod off after about five miles unless I'm driving.

 

Indeed I can mention some great eateries in S.A. One of my all-time favorites is Maggies. They are an upscaly type place but their food is outta this world. Like I say, a bit pricy but well worth it. I used to get a marinated Chicken breast, their world famous potato casserole - and believe me-it aint like any potato casserole you have ever had before.

Also, since I found out that Bennegans IS indeed still operating-they have a bunch of restaurants in the area. I usually get their Chicken-fried steak which is delicious, or their chicken-strips-which are THE BEST anywhere. The only other dish I ever had there was their Potato soup-which is also outta this world in taste. I always wanted to try their Monte Cristo Sandwich-but never got around to doing that yet.

Like mentioned in another thread--Go to The Red Barn-if ou want one of the largest and probably THE largest Chicken-fried steak you have had or will ever have-and go starving because you will need all the "room" in your tummy you can get. Same if you go to the Jailhouse Cafe.

Other great spots to eat at in San Antonio include: The Mason Jar-ahich is a bit on the upscale side-price but decent food.

In Old San Francisco-great foot-expensive but that's because you get live entertainment-but well worth it.

The Magic Time Machine-great food-expensive but is a nice place where the staff dress up like historical figures and such.

The Hemisphere Restaurant (not far from The Alamo) is great to eat at. However, if you don't eat or drink there-they will charge you a fee per person-of I think 10 bucks or so each just to ride the elevator.

If you do eat-they have THE BEST danged Chef Salad I ever ate and or saw. You can eat while watching the City go by-as the restaurant revolves and I think takes either 30 minutes or an hour to do a complete revolution. From there you can easily see the Riverwalk, the Alamo, The Red Barn Restaurant and such.

SA I think also has Marie Calendar Restaurants-which I tried one in Austin-and their food tasted great. Their food is priced very reasonably.

Another place to try is the Boston Market Restaurant. Their food is great too.

I ate at a Saltgrass Restaurant in San Antonio-the food was OK-but not great and the waitress we had at the time-cared more for talking on her cellphone instead of waiting on her tables.

If all these restaurants and undoable-they have plenty of Chilis restaurants all over the place-as well as many im sure you can name ;-))

They used to have Cattlemans Restaurants there as well-and we used to frewuent the place but-they closed down many years ago from what I heard. This place was the first place I ever heard of eating batter-fried slices of Cucumber or Squash-and using a great tasting Ranch Salad Dressing to dip them into. "We" loved that place.

For THE best BBQ you can ever eat-you would have to go to the small City of Robstown-because there is only one of them in existance and thats where she lay ;-)) The place is called: Joe Cottons. There you eat on picnic tables and your stuff is either on butcher paper or paper plates and you use plastic utensils to eat with.

 

Road trips...there is a subject I can comment on with a little actual knowledge! I used to road trip every weekend from Knoxville...usually to Atlanta, sometimes I'd get in, hit a highway and drive for as long as I had light, spend the weekend where ever I was. My constants to have with me:
1. Music. Never depend on the radio. Used to be a lot of burned cd's now it's an 80gig iPod that is full.
2. Bottled water, and Mt. Dew. Self explanitory
3. Beef Jerky. I never leave home without it
4. Road maps. Because GPS is nice but only if you know where you are going. I've discovered a LOT of cool places by veering from my planned route
5. Company you won't want to punch in the face after 18 miles.

 

"5. Company you won't want to punch in the face after 18 miles."

That one is important...as for #1 , Sirus/XM is a good alternative to lots of CD in the car

 

Are you back yet? Let us know how your trip turned out when you do return and get situated....

 

Don't forget the tooth brush,very important thing to pack.

 

As Don Knotts once said: "Brush your Dentist twice a day and visit your Toothbrush once a year." :lol: :lol: I love that line-which is from him in the Disney movie: "The Shakiest Gun In the West."

 

Evans-I never heard about that joke but it made me laugh.
I was actually talking about the show called" Don't forget you're toothbrush",use to be on tv .

 

Hi Heid, glad you did get a laugh from it. I had posted it because your post rminded me of that movie. If you ever get to see it-it's well worth it. His Dentist-in-training part of that movie is hilarious.