“Some of the best expressions of regional food flavors and unique culinary styles can be found in gas stations,” says Frank Beard, a traveling sales rep who’s become an evangelist for the convenience store industry, and once spent an entire month eating at only gas stations. “Just because someone has four walls and a gas pump doesn’t mean they can’t do something different.”
Some of his favorites include Papu’s Café in Kansas City, who has a top-tier chicken shawarma sandwich; Pig Trail Cafe in Arkansas, who puts out one of the best burgers in the South; and Dallas’ Chef Point Café, another gem which has appeared on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives.
Make sure your tires are filled and your fluids are topped off
Much like drinking enough water and sleeping eight hours a night, car maintenance is something you know you should do, but don’t always practice. But out of all their road trip tips, experts insist this is the biggest factor that’ll help prevent a disaster on the road.
McKeel Hagerty, CEO of Hagerty, an auto enthusiasts association that plans road trips for its members, emphasizes the importance of making sure your fluids are topped off and the oil is changed. “I also tend to change my batteries out if I’m going on a long drive,” he adds.
Alder concurs: “Check your tires before you go on a long trip to see if anything is too thin,” he says. “You don’t wanna be stuck 500 miles from home and find out one of your tires is getting old and needs to be replaced. Same with coolant and oil. If you’ve got an electric car, you don’t have those but you still need to top off your wiper fluid. You’ve still got bugs stuck to your windshield.”
Bring enough food and water
“The snack situation is key,” says Newman. “You don’t wanna be hungry. That’s the worst. Make sure that everybody is gonna be okay if you’re traveling in a group, because if something goes wrong with the weather or planning you want everyone to be okay for a few hours.”
It’s doubly important for water, she says, because being dehydrated is even worse than being hungry. She suggests packing a case of water in the car, and using reusable bottles to fill up wherever you can to be a little more sustainable. And packing extra water for high-altitude drives.
“Especially if you’re going into altitude,” she says, “People don’t realize if you’re going through Colorado, driving up and down, you have to get acclimated. So bring plenty of water for that one.”
Pack a bag for your car too
Your car is as much a part of your road trip crew as the people inside it. So just like you pack a bag with snacks and water for everyone riding along, you should also pack a bag for your car. “Don’t just pack your own bag, pack a bag of a few extras for the car itself,’ says Hagerty. “Rags, ways to clean the windshield, a jack is always helpful. Most people don’t need to bring a lot of tools along, but I always bring a multi-tool and a flashlight too.”