Important Tips on How to Road Trip Responsibly in 2022

After a worldwide pandemic, high gas prices and inflation like we haven’t seen in years – travel has changed forever. In fact, I’m not sure it will ever go back to the normal we remember. In 2020, our world changed. 2021 was slightly better and here we are in 2022, still adjusting to all the changes in the world.

Due to chain supply issues and staffing shortages with airlines, many travelers are opting to road trip. As you venture back out into the world, what can you do to make it easier, be responsible and still have a good time? I’ve got a few observations from my trips over the last two years and what I’ve learned so far about how to road trip responsibly in this new travel era.

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Stick Close(r) to Home

There are a lot more people traveling and road tripping now. If that’s you, or if you’re planning a road trip in the near future, consider staying closer to home. Or at least, in your own state. Often times, people overlook where they live and what’s in their own backyard. Take this time as an opportunity to get to know your local surroundings better.

Staying close to home makes it easier to get back home if you were to get sick while traveling. This way, it’s not a burden on another community and you aren’t using resources meant for locals. Plus, being sick away from home is never fun. It’s so much worse when you can’t climb into your own bed.

Know Before You Go

Before heading out and to road trip responsibly, investigate the area to where you are traveling and even driving through. Since some cities still have mask mandates, check those rules before you go. Know what you are getting into, then comply with the regulations the best your can.

You might even check to see how the area you’re headed feels about visitors. Sadly some communities like Moab, Utah, Jackson Hole, Wyoming and Lake Tahoe, California have been overrun with tourists. Because these areas are small, they just don’t have the lodging, infrastructure or even healthcare to deal with big crowds. They have been less than thrilled to have so many visitors.

A convenient place to look for up-to-date travel info is on a state or city’s government website. Many state health department websites and tourism board websites, are also sharing pertinent pandemic info.

If you are road tripping to a national park, verify that it’s open. While most parks have reopened now, some in remote areas are still closed or are operating at a reduced capacity. NPS.gov has all the latest info on closures.

Note: masks are still required at some federal properties. It helps to have a face covering with you when visiting national parks.

Another tip for national park travelers: consider becoming a Twitter user and follow the park or the area where you are traveling. Many of the national parks and national forests use Twitter to report road closures and other issues there because they can push that info out to the public quicker than on a website.

Consider Your Route

To road trip responsibly, think about the route you’ll take. What areas will you be driving through? It’s no secret that small communities and Native American reservations have been hit hard during the pandemic. Many times these communities have little or no medical resources. Or at least not enough for a pandemic like this. If you find yourself visiting one of these communities, go the extra mile to avoid contact with people and follow the rules.

For example, the Navajo Nation, home to popular sites such as Antelope Canyon and Monument Valley, was closed for months. Parks and casinos have reopened now but still have strict mask mandates in place. If your route takes you through one of these small communities, be considerate and put the community first.

Know Where You’re Going to Sleep

I’m usually all for winging it on a road trip but in this new travel time, it’s smart to have an idea of where you’ll stop to spend the night. To cut down on crowds and make it easier to socially distance, some states and cities still have hotel occupancy limits in place. That means if you are traveling to a busy area, it could be hard to get a hotel room.

Book your rooms in advance and use companies or book property that have good cancellation policies. Booking.com and Expedia.com both offer plenty of choices with free cancellation. For last minute rooms with great prices, use Hotwire.com.

Even campgrounds may have reduced occupancy or are closed altogether. I’ve camped in several different places recently and almost always had reservations. Now that people are traveling more, I strongly recommend making firm plans so there aren’t any surprises or sleeping in the car. Apps like The Dyrt or Hipcamp make it easy to find camping spots, campground reviews and even maps for easier road tripping.

Spend Local

Knowing how to road trip responsibly means keeping it local. When you’re on the road and it’s time to spend money and dine out, spend it where it counts the most. Frequent small and local businesses that need support. The pandemic has hit the tourism and hospitality industry hard. Especially local and mom and pop type places.

With chain supply issues, many restaurants are still struggling. While most places are open, they still may only be offering take out. To make it a bit easier, many places have implemented curbside and easy pick-up for faster service. Choosing to eat local might take a bit longer than fast food but it’s worth it to put money into the community and a local business.

Local merchants are really appreciate the business. Some of the places I’ve stopped, like coffee shops, book stores and local outdoor outfitters went out of their way to say thanks for choosing them over big chains.

Southerner Says: they also appreciate face coverings and good tips!

Find Alternative Places to Go

The United States is huge. Everyone doesn’t have to go to the same places. Knowing how to road trip responsibly means looking for alternative, less crowded spaces.

Even on public lands, you can avoid crowds. You just have to know where to look and do your research. Try lesser know and obscure spots. National forests, BLM property and state parks are good alternatives to bigger name national parks.

Those big parks aren’t going anywhere. And honestly, who wants to experience a national park when it’s not even fully functional or you’re sharing it with thousands of other people?

If you do end up including some of those busier national parks on your road trip, remember a few of them require reservations for services. This year – 2022 – Glacier National Park, Yosemite National Park, Rocky Mountain National Park, Arches National Park, Zion National Park and Acadia National Park will have timed reservations to enter the park or reservations for specific trails like Angel’s Landing.

Acadia – and other parks – encourage you to have your park entrance pass ahead of time. Consider investing in an America the Beautiful Park Pass to save time – and money. Visit Recreation.gov for info and any permits you might need.

With more people on public lands there’s also an uptick in destructive behavior. Know the rules and what NOT to do on public lands. Report bad behavior to rangers and park personnel. Take the time to learn Leave No Trace principles and educate your children early on so they also know how to protect our public lands. Most importantly: don’t feed the wildlife. Ever.

Be Flexible

If they are open, many businesses, restaurants, grocery stores and even chain stores, have adjusted or reduced hours to accommodate employees and restocking routines. Stores and even gas stations that were open 24 hours previously, haven’t returned to those pre-pandemic hours.

Because info changes quickly, even Google frequently doesn’t have the correct info. If there is some place you especially want to go or see, the best thing to do is to check with that place directly, either by phone or their website. A word of caution: we found many websites were not being updated frequently enough to keep up with changes. Calling is best.

Take What You Need

When it comes to supplies and food that you need on your responsible road trip, my advice is to buy as much as you can in your home city and take it with you. This means hand sanitizer, wipes, Lysol, soap, yes real soap, food and snacks.

We are still experiencing issues with bare shelves and lack of supplies. Rural areas and communities with small or just one grocery store, already don’t have an over abundance so they might be affected even more by chain supply issues. In normal years, I’ve seen locals in touristy areas complain about travelers that come in on the weekend and buy up all the groceries. Can you imagine how much worse it could be during a pandemic, when supplies are low?

It might take a little more time to organize and prepare your vehicle when planning to take supplies with you but you’ll your doing your part in making sure locals will have access to what they need when they need it.

Throw Away Your Trash

Since people are using supplies like masks and gloves more frequently this year, that means we are producing more trash. More trash in general means more trash on the ground – in parking lots and basically everywhere. No one wants to touch their gloves, so they get thrown down on the ground. So many places I’ve been to, I’ve seen masks and gloves everywhere. Don’t be that person.

Help keep parks and public spaces clean by keeping trash bags with you on your road trip. For one, it keeps the vehicle tidy – which is super important on a road trip – and there’s less chance of trash blowing out of the vehicle and ending up where it shouldn’t be.

Then, when it comes time to throw your trash away, use trash cans at stores and gas stations; places you know are emptying them frequently. National parks and many public lands, have less resources and employees due to the pandemic. Don’t leave trash behind or stacked up around the receptacle.

One more thing you can do to cut down on waste is recycle when you can. We are utilizing an enormous amount of plastic in this pandemic. To-go boxes, water bottles and gloves have contributed to that. To offset that, recycle if there’s a receptacle available.

Finding a Bathroom

A concern for many travelers is finding clean bathrooms. This was a major concerns when we traveled in May 2020, as many things were just opening back up. By the time I traveled again in October, there had been a lot of changes. It was easier to find bathrooms. Now in 2022, it’s much easier.

I usually prefer to stop at rest areas, large truck stops and travel plazas. The bathrooms are generally bigger so it’s easier to physically distance. There’s also more staff to keep the bathrooms cleaner.

In rural areas and on public lands, bathrooms might still be an issue. So it’s best to stop when you see something open and before it’s a have to situation.

Plan For the Unexpected With Travel Insurance

Probably the most impactful thing you can do to road trip responsibly is to buy travel insurance. Why? Because even if you have health insurance, travel insurance can help you fill the gap between your health insurance and your out of pocket costs.

Most travel insurance policies also include trip interruption – in case your trip is cancelled or you have to leave your trip early due to illness or natural disaster. Some policies even help find healthcare where you are visiting and can arrange to be moved if the situation was to come up. Hopefully it won’t but at least you are covered. Compare policies that policies that fit you needs and read the fine print at TravelInsurance.com.

Be Patient

Literally everything takes longer now. The road trip you took before or the way you did something before – just isn’t the same. Factor this in when you make your travel and road trip plans. If you don’t, you are setting yourself up for disappointment.

As you make your way back out into the world, I can’t stress enough that people are going to try your patience. Part of knowing how to road trip responsibly is anticipating that things may rub you the wrong way. As a country, not only are we dealing with a pandemic, we are dealing with mixed views and in some cases, downright stupidity.

Try to remember, we’ve ALL been through a stressful time. Some people have been affected more than others and some people have handled it better. As responsible travelers, let’s set an example and be kind.

One More Tip on How to Road Trip Responsibly

When you decide to visit another city or town, remember that you’re visiting someone else’s home. Someone lives in that city or town and is impacted by what you do while you are there. Learning how to travel and road trip responsibly means that your impact will be positive.

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