| Forget those boring New Year's resolutions like | | | | yourself in the Tioga State Forest in Pennsylvania, |
| "lose weight" or "save more", add FUN to your | | | | staying Black Bear Log Cabin with your kids just |
| year by pledging to use your Road Trip Planner at | | | | to get everyone outside and hiking along the trails. |
| least once a month to explore your world near | | | | MAY & JUNE: Now the weather's warming up |
| and far. | | | | and you're digging in the closet for your t-shirts |
| Before you object by declaring, "There's no way I | | | | and shorts. This might be where you go on a |
| can afford a monthly adventure!", bear in mind | | | | couple of 3-Day Weekend Getaways as teaser |
| that many itineraries can be filled with free | | | | vacations. Now your road trip planner might easily |
| activities. A road trip can be for as little as one | | | | include 200-250 miles of road before getting to |
| day; whether you're packing the car with a picnic | | | | your destination but when you have 3 or 4 days |
| basket, a backpack or a 5-piece luggage set, if | | | | set aside, 4 hours driving time isn't bad at all, |
| you're hitting the road, you're on a road trip! | | | | especially if your route is scenic. |
| Your 12 road trip itineraries might look something | | | | JULY & AUGUST: This is the Prime Time of |
| like this: | | | | vacations if you're north of the equator. This is |
| JANUARY & MARCH: Imagine a perfect day | | | | where you do your best road trip planning |
| trip within two hours of your home to an area | | | | because you've got a 7-10 day itinerary to fill. |
| you've always wanted to explore more | | | | Choose a National Park for an outdoor vacation in |
| thoroughly but usually just pass by it to and from | | | | July and then a cultural city like Boston or San |
| your "real" vacations. Sometimes it's simply that | | | | Francisco for August. At some point during this |
| city across the bay or in a neighboring county. If | | | | vacation, you come to the realization that while |
| you live on the West Coast, you could experience | | | | you may have to work for a living, the living's |
| Day Tripping in Seattle or Exploring La Jolla Cove. | | | | easy when you're on vacation. |
| If you're in the East, then consider By Car, Cape | | | | SEPTEMBER & OCTOBER: You can still enjoy |
| Cod or Touring nature's green spaces, Niagara | | | | some Dog Days of Summer in September but |
| Falls - New York. And for those you living in | | | | for October, it's recommended to pack some |
| between, try the Scenic tour from Dinosaur Ridge | | | | extra clothes to allow for weather changes. Dress |
| to Red Rocks Park, Denver or Walking Tour of | | | | in layers and make sure you have that extra |
| Downtown, Memphis. Even though the weather | | | | jacket or sweater in the trunk of the car, maybe |
| might be chilly, as long as you dress accordingly, | | | | an extra pair of shoes. Your road trip planner |
| the fun factor's equal to the task. Walking along | | | | might include checking out the Fall Colors in the |
| the beach in the winter is invigorating! Grabbing | | | | East, the desert in the mid-west, or the warm |
| the kids for some ice-skating is a blast! Just do a | | | | waters surrounding the Florida Keys. Stretch your |
| bit of road trip planning so you'll have the | | | | vacation out as wide as you can because the |
| addresses and directions on hand then fill your | | | | remaining two months will most likely be filled with |
| itinerary with some activities in the area. Add in a | | | | holiday travel. Campground choices range family |
| restaurant and some shops and you've | | | | oriented ones like Martha's Vineyard Family |
| successfully gotten yourself out from under the | | | | Campground to luxury cabins in the Smoky |
| pile of household chores and into an all-day | | | | Mountains in Gaitlinburg, Tennessee. |
| adventure, definitely more fun in anyone's book. | | | | NOVEMBER & DECEMBER: Try grabbing an |
| FEBRUARY & APRIL: An overnight stay is | | | | overnight getaway before mid-November. Once |
| just enough time to give you a taste of escape. | | | | the Thanksgiving and Christmas Holidays grab a |
| Here, your road trip planner might include an | | | | hold of your time, it won't let go until January. So |
| overnight stay in an 1860 Antebellum mansion B | | | | sneak away to a lodge with a fireplace, or get |
| & B in New Orleans (especially around | | | | away for a golf and spa weekend. |
| Valentine's Day). Strolling along a park under an | | | | There you have it...a year's worth of adventure |
| umbrella big enough for two is romantic. Finding | | | | to keep any road trip planner humming along the |
| your gal a filigree necklace in an antique shop | | | | highways and byways. Enjoy the rides! |
| earns you major points. Or you might find | | | | |
