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Road trips across America, planned properly

Car prep, routes, budgets and safety for the drive ahead.

Start with the car checkup
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Road Gear

Mistakes to Avoid When Using a Roof Cargo Box

Just Awesome Travel Road Desk

The common loading, mounting and clearance mistakes drivers make with rooftop cargo boxes, and how to pack, mount and drive with one safely.

Aerial view of a long bridge stretching across turquoise ocean toward the horizon under a clear blue sky.
Regional Routes

Before You Drive the Overseas Highway to Key West: A Checklist

Just Awesome Travel Road Desk

A pre-departure checklist for the Overseas Highway: fuel and charging gaps, FL511, tolls, rental rules, traffic timing and storm-season planning.

Close-up of a turquoise vintage car's front end with chrome headlight, grille, and bumper parked on grass.
Regional Routes

Route 66 Myths and the Facts Behind Them

Just Awesome Travel Road Desk

First time driving Route 66? We sort the myths from the facts on what’s still drivable, how long it takes, signage, and what a realistic trip involves.

Person in camouflage uses an inspection mirror to check under a vehicle while two people talk nearby.
RVs and Camping

Buying a Used Travel Trailer? What to Check First

Just Awesome Travel Road Desk

A practical buyer’s guide to used travel trailers: towing math, water damage tells, tire age codes, frame checks and the paperwork to check first.

Plaid brown and orange fabric covers the back seat of a car with a seatbelt stretched across it.
On the Road

Sleeping in Your Car on a Road Trip: Where It’s Legal and Safe

Just Awesome Travel Road Desk

Where you can legally sleep in your car on a road trip: state rest area rules, truck stops, city ordinances, and finding a safe spot before fatigue hits.

A silver sedan with a yellow and orange kayak strapped to its roof rack parked at a desert overlook.
Road Gear

Does a Roof Cargo Box Really Kill Your Gas Mileage?

Just Awesome Travel Road Desk

How much a rooftop cargo box really costs at the pump, what the weight limits mean, and how to pack one without wrecking your fuel budget or handling.

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About the Road Desk

Independent road trip guides for U.S. drivers: getting the car ready, planning routes and budgets, and staying safe on long days and winter roads.

How we research

Three checks before any drive

  1. Tire pressure and tread, with the car cold.
  2. Road conditions and closures on 511 or the state DOT site.
  3. A full tank or charge before remote stretches.

The full car checkup

Topics

  • Family Road Trips (3)
  • On the Road (4)
  • Park Drives (4)
  • Plan the Route (4)
  • Regional Routes (4)
  • Road Gear (7)
  • RVs and Camping (4)
  • The Car (4)

Latest guides

  • Mistakes to Avoid When Using a Roof Cargo Box
  • Before You Drive the Overseas Highway to Key West: A Checklist
  • Route 66 Myths and the Facts Behind Them
  • Buying a Used Travel Trailer? What to Check First

Just Awesome Travel

Road trips across America, planned properly. No sponsored routes, no rental or toll company deals.

Start here

  • Driving into Canada or Mexico
  • EV road trip charging
  • How far is too far in a day
  • Renting a car for a road trip

Official road info

Road conditions: dial 511 or visit your state DOT website.

NHTSA recall lookup

National Park Service

U.S. Customs and Border Protection

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