Road Trips Part One: Day Trips

The Road Trip

"America shines, yes it does, in between the white lines" -Jack's Mannequin, "At Full Speed"
 
  Once automobile travel became widely accessible to the American public, the road trips became a vacation of choice for American families. Whether you are piling in the station-wagon for the long journey to the coast, or you take cross-country R.V. trip to the Grand Canyon, the road trip is a staple way for people to see and do in the United States.
    Perhaps one of the easiest ways to travel on a budget, road trips have a lot to offer the Pocket Change Traveler. However, there are many types of road trips, all of which have different time and money commitments, and therefore we will divide and explore them seperately.

The Day Trip

   The first and most accessible type of road trip is the one day trip. Day trips can range any where from the next town over to a four hour drive. Distance from where you live is important, otherwise, you may not feel as if you are traveling. However, four hours is about the limit on driving time; otherwise, most of your "day" will be spent getting to your destination. In addition to the route to take, the price of fuel is also a serious consideration when it comes to the day trip. Websites such as Mapquest offer estimates of the cost of fuel for a given trip, based on the average fuel cost.
    When it comes to the actual destination, connections can be a serious help to getting the most out of your day trip.  If you know anyone in or around the area, ask them about any deals they might know about, as well as what expensive stops to avoid. The less time you spend trying to figure out what is the best "bang for your buck", the more of your day you will have available to enjoy.
    Finally, be open to adventure. Day trips are the most flexible form of travel, because you are not locked into hotel reservations or transit tickets. If you are wanting to be spontaneous, day trips are a wonderful way to experience things with minimal planning with minimal risk of disaster. Where it is difficult and expensive to spontaneously buy a plane ticket to New York, driving two hours down the interstate can be exciting and rewarding.

Biltmore Estate, Asheville, N.C.

    One of the best day trips I've taken was to Asheville, North Carolina to the Biltmore Estate. Asheville is just over four hours from Chattanooga, Tenn. where I was living at the time, and the Biltmore Estate is famous for being a wonderful day-long attraction. We left Chattanooga at 7 a.m. EST, arrived at 11 a.m. EST. By taking the Blue Ridge Parkway, we enjoyed  scenic views rather than interstate traffic, and spent only 15 minutes more driving.  Though traditionally an expensive tourist trap, I used a membership given to me at work to get two tickets into the Biltmore for free. With this connection we were able to enjoy a self-guided tour through the mansion and estate, a $90 value, all complimentary. In addition to saving money on tickets, we refrained from purchasing much food at the estate.  I brought along homemade muffins along with coffee in a thermos for breakfast, and we ate dinner in a locally acclaimed restaurant in downtown Asheville.  By avoiding the expensive attraction food, we still enjoyed a taste of the area without overspending.

Trip Report:

Transportation: $60 round trip for gas in a 2009 Subaru Forester

Activities: $40 in souvenirs and a commemorative photo, savings of $90.00 on tickets

Food: $45 for lunch and dinner; breakfast and snacks from home: Free!

Total: $145 for a two person day trip to Asheville, N.C.