Mapping Route with Things to Do

When I plan a road trip I go to each states tourism web site and order their catalogs. I see what is along the route we are driving and decide what to throw in the mix. We sit down and decide what we want to skip and what is a no miss attraction.

For instance, when we traveled to Billings Montana I had a trip plan months in advance that took us to museums, parks, animal reserves, train displays, national parks like Mt. Rushmore, etc.... I took all the information from the Nebraska travel book and Wyoming travel books for the going trip and for the coming home trip I used the South Dakota, Iowa, and Kansas tourist books. Just look up the states and get the brochures that look interesting to you and your trip will plan itself.

Each state and many cities have departments of tourism.

Really good and interesting places to eat can be found on the web site for the TV show, "Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives". We've gone out of our way to eat at some of the places highlighted on the show and have never been disappointed. There are also books published with those restaurants featured.

We went to a kid's scientific museum, which I thought was going to be a real dud, but it turned out to be wonderful. I had a real good time as did the kids and grandkids.

Hope you have a wonderful time.

You could also try Google Maps. There are a lot of different "layers" you can add to your map. I'm sure there are some that show you places to go. Just map your route & then go to "My Maps" and find options to add. Then you can see what's close to your route.

I second AAA's Trip Tik. It is an AWESOME service. We used it for our trip to FL 2 years ago and I've used it several times since for various things. We had a 1 yr old and 5 yr old girls at the time so our stops probably wouldn't be the same as yours but we saw a handful of things that sounded like fun. Good luck and have fun!

I highly recommend contacting AAA, American Automobile Association. They will have a branch in your area. They provide members with a Trip-Tik which will give you a route to take and a description of sites along the way. The Trip-Tik has a map for each segment and is bound so that you just flip the pages as you go. They will also give you state maps and books that describe sites to see in the entire state as well as list AAA restaurants and lodging with descriptions. As a AAA member you will receive discounts on lodging and at many sites of interest.

I drove across the US from Oregon to Washington D.C. and found this service tremendously helpful. Along with the tourist help a member also receives roadside service and other services such as ability to purchase travelers checks without a fee.

It's been awhile since I used their services and so I suggest you look them up on the Internet to be sure what services are available now. For me the Trip-Tik alone was worth the membership. My car broke down once and the state booklet helped me find a AAA referred repair place in which I had confidence.

You can also go to each state's web site and do your own research, state by state, city by city. States will also send you info but 2 weeks probably isn't long enough to get what you want. I'd go for AAA membership.

We did this by checking out travel books about the area/s we were traveling through/to and plotting the course in the mapsco book. We had one of the most memorable and fantastic vacations ever! Even though it was simple compared with the fancier trips we've taken abroad!