Trippin' with TRIP BOOKS and How To Make Them
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Years ago, before ever loading up the car for a family vacation, I'd have the itinerary mapped out in great detail, lists of every item to be packed, and discount coupons for restaurants and entrance fees to zoos, museums and such obtained by writing to tourist boards in whatever states we would be visiting. All organized into what would later become our Trip Books.
At first, they weren't books at all, only lists and maps, etc, in a large manila envelope. But when Daughter #3 began previewing out-of-state college campuses with friends, I put their itineraries and other pertinent information in 3-ring binders. (With "Call home every 2 hours!" at the top and bottom of each page...coulda saved the ink on that one...)
The final evolution came about after I began taking my elderly friend Rosemary along when I visited the aforementioned daughter at college 400 miles away. Rosemary had absolutely no sense of direction and therefore never left town on her own. (How she even got across town alone was always a mystery...)
Our first trip was something of a nightmare. She had no idea where we were or what was ahead, and try as I might to answer her questions while keeping my eyes on the road, her blank expression made it plain that verbal descriptions weren't "getting it". The lists and such in the manila envelope made no sense to her either.
For our next trip, I put together a Trip Book for her that contained not only our itinerary, maps of our route, and weather forecasts for each area and each day we'd be gone, but anything I could find on the internet about landmarks, points of interest along the way, and the hotels where we'd be staying.
Instead of peppering me with questions for 400 miles, everything she could possibly want to know about the trip - and more! - was right there at her fingertips. Being in charge of "the book" also made her the "navigator", a role she thoroughly enjoyed!
Without this pre-trip research, we would've missed a delicious dinner in the original cellar of a winery in western Arkansas - only one of many wineries in that area - and returning the next day on our way back for a several bottles of their whites and reds to enjoy at home. We even talked the clerk out of one of the restaurant's leather-bound, padded menus and wine list as a souvenir!
But I digress....
You'll need:
- A 1-inch or 1.5-inch 3-ring binder with pockets inside each cover.
- 1 pkg clear page protectors.
- A 3-hole punch or hand punch if you don't use page protectors
A basic Trip Book might contain:
- Your itinerary
- A map of your route.
- Weather forecasts for each area you'll be in, for each day you'll be away.
- Brochures, webpages or emails about interesting places to see and things to do along the way.
- A few blank pages or a pack of Post-it Notes for quick notes about events you don't want to forget.
- A pen!
Store the following elsewhere if you're traveling with children:
- Confirmations for hotel reservations
- Discounts coupons for restaurants, theme parks, etc
- Rental car contracts and insurance information
- Change for coins-only toll collection points.
Even with today's internet accessible cell phones, GPS, and apps to guide you to restaurants, hotels and anywhere else you want to go, a Trip Book is well worth the time and effort to put it together. Besides keeping children from asking "Are we there yet?" every 30 seconds, it's a handy guide on the road and a trip down Memory Lane after you're home again.
For ease of portability, I use 8 X 11.5-inch binders because they're made for letter-size copy paper. Scrappers can easily transfer the contents to a scrapbook later and embellish to their heart's content with photos, stories, and other mementos of the trip. I'm not a scrapper, but do keep photos of the trip in the book and add descriptions of each when time permits.
I use the type of binders with pockets on the inside of the covers because they're a great (and secure) place to store gasoline receipts and the brochures of local tourist attractions we inevitably pick up at convenience stores when we make pit stops and at Visitors Centers near state lines. (These are also great places to get inexpensive and sometimes FREE postcards.)
Page protectors aren't necessary, but I prefer them because they already have the holes necessary for the rings in the binder, and because I can slip brochures from each point-of-interest as well as receipts and souvenir menus from restaurants in with the corresponding webpages I printed out before we left home.
If you don't use page protectors, be aware you'll have to use a 3-hole punch on each page, make single holes with a hand punch, or spend a few extra pennies for pre-punched copy paper.
In addition to the overall itinerary, I include "From-To" driving directions for each segment of the trip, for the point-to-point mileage and approximate driving time.
If we'll be on the road the entire day, these will be from the point of departure in the morning after breakfast to wherever we're stopping for lunch, then from lunch to dinner. Otherwise they'll be for smaller segments, i.e. from checking out of the hotel to whatever tourist attraction we'll be visiting.
Such directions can be obtained at, and easily printed out from, websites like GoogleMaps and MapQuest.
With each set of driving directions, I include a satellite map specific to that segment, from the same websites.
For each day, between the driving directions/satellite map pages I insert, in chronological order according to the itinerary:
- printouts of our next hotel's website
- restaurants
- points-of-interest
- weather forecasts.
Being able to "see" places ahead of time eliminates much of the anxiety of arriving in strange places. Having a general idea of the predicted temp and weather conditions eliminates having to scramble for warm clothing after crossing from scorching hot Nevada where it was 110 into the mid-50s of northern Arizona an hour later in barely-legal shorts and halter tops. (Which happened to us once, but only once!)
Weather forecasts can be obtained at Weather.com, AccuWeather.com, and Wunderground.com.
I haven't done so yet, but my next Trip Book will most likely include street view images from Google Earth for streets around hotels and restaurants in unfamiliar cities. Good to have to avoid one-way streets that take you away from your destination!
Yes, there are commercially printed and bound trip journals, but it's my experience they contain sections I never use, information I'll never need unless I'm going round the world, and never have enough places to stash important "stuff" along the way. Plus they're more expensive than my prudent nature thinks necessary for anything but a round the world cruise. Taking, say, five trips a year and buying a commercially printed trip journal for each is equivalent to the cost of at least one night's lodging on one of those trips.
What mode of transportation do you prefer?
See results without votingBy making your own Trip Books, you not only save money, but can tailor them to your needs and make them as minimal or detailed or as plain or fancy as you like.
Trip Books aren't only for road trips by car, btw, but are equally useful if your mode of transportation is by train, plane, bus, or river boat. (I stick to the manila envelope, though, for overseas flights.)
Have fun!
(RealHousewife's R U You Trippin'? was the inspiration for this hub and the poll at the right.)
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Thank you, gogogo! Glad you enjoyed it! ;D
Like you I do a lot of research before embarking on a trip which is half the fun. You take it a notch up from what I have done however with your trip book. Great idea! Voting this useful and up.
Enjoyed reading your article. Now I'm going to plan a trip!
Oh snap! And you can put the trip books in your bookshelf like an enhanced photo album!
All scrapbooking material will work well. You can't go wrong with Post-it products either:
As a completely disorganised person, this planning thing goes against my principals. Get in the car and go and whatever will be, will be, is MY motto :-)
@Peggy, it really is fun to look at those books years later and relive the trip again, so the more detailed they are in the first place, the more enjoyment later!
@INFJay, pssst...a little secret, but promise not to tell anybody, okay? I've made trip books for trips I never intended to take. The planning and detail is the same, and if done with the right amount of attitude and elan, by the time the book is finished, I *felt* like I really did take the trip. ;D
@Austinstar. "Oh snap?" Is that one of those central Texas idioms, or are you just substituting "snap" for something else? And duh... Yes, you can put trip books in the bookshelf like an enhanced photo album. My mama only birthed ONE idiot and I haven't seen him for years. No slur intended, btw, on Post-its...I just always call them Sticky Notes even tho the ones in my office supply basket ARE Post-its. I'll have to do a bit of revision here! Thanks for the heads up! ;D
@Darling DG, why am I NOT surprised a Greek would be the get-in-the-car-and-go kinda guy???? Such passion and spontaneity! ;D
I wanted to put 'train' 'car' 'plane' 'feet'.. but I only got one choice.. grrrr! Haha!
Jama you are a gem! Fantastic idea - bookmarked it!
Great idea, Jama, for my very next trip.
Just put it together and then let it rip!
Or better still find someone else to do it for me. Could that be the germ of an idea for a home business for someone as organized as you?
Jama - this is awesome! How cool - and you did need a whole hub to describe this in good detail. I think it will be a great new trend. Also - great point about having a Better picture of where you're going - I do get anxious when traveling by car sometimes because nothing looks familiar. I'll think did I go too far? Keeping the from and to directions handy at all times is much better than a map.
Voted up and all that!!
Another classic JammaGenee hub. Interesting, humorous, and extremely well written. I try to really organize information when planning a trip. However, my efforts pale in comparison to your Trip Books. And so do AAA's.
I'm contacting you when I plan on my next trip Voted up and awesome.
Ha! I linked it to my hub too:) So great! Thanks a lot for the mention too JamaGenee!
@Candie, how did I miss "feet" as category in the voting thingy! Sorry! Another revision!
@drjb, I *have* done trip planning for others (and arranged conventions) back when I was a paid staffer, but think Trip Books should be left in the realm of DYI. But thanks for the compliment! ;D
@RealHousewife, I can hear those Compulsive Planner gears grinding! But yes, having street views of where you're going really does reduce "did go too far?" anxiety. Thanks for the back link! ;D
@Husky1970, I worked for AAA briefly and have to say they're a lifesaver in some aspects of trip planning, but sorely lacking in others that they shouldn't have been. A lot of their information (at least when I worked there) was woefully out of date. And you don't want to know what I know about why it sometimes takes hours for one of their tow trucks to show up when you're waiting on the side of the road. Suffice that the call is not necessarily dispatched to the truck closest to you...
Husky1970, I think one reason AAA's travel information is underwhelming is because they have a "scratch our back, we'll scratch yours" relationship with hotel chains, car rental agencies and other travel industry corporations. AAA would never have pointed me to the wonderful Mom 'n Pop motel off the beaten path in Neosho MO that Rosemary and I found by accident and stayed at twice on the way to Arkansas. Had to, all the chain hotels and motels that had any rooms wanted an arm and a leg for them. We only wanted a quiet, clean place to sleep. This motel, btw, was something of a secret among out-of-state fishermen and hunters, which worked out great for us. We *wanted* to be up before the crack of dawn! ;D
Well done! I've marked 'whatever will get me where I want to go!' Maybe a motorcycle?!!!
Drats! Forgot "motorcycle" too! Turns out that adding a category would delete any existing votes, so "Whatever will get me there" will have to be the "None of the above" category. I'll give a poll a little more thought next time! ;D
A thumbs up on every level-- this is a fabulous idea with or without children.....especially good for the directionally impaired, like moi. Great job Jama. Kudos
Thanks, robie2. But I had no idea you're "directionally impaired". You hide it well! ;D
What an excellent idea
Hey JG, kudos for taking all the trouble to make someone's trip easy and interesting. My favorite itinerary/travel journal was the one Kirstin Dunst made for Orlando Bloom in the movie "Elizabethtown." http://labellealexandra.files.wordpress.com/2010/0
Call me if Rosemary can't make the next road trip. =:)
Winsome, I haven't seen "Elizabethtown", so I'll definitely check out that link. Thanks!
Alas, Rosemary passed away several years ago, so the Navigator's seat is available *as long as* you're not a slow riser when traveling.
I loved RM dearly, but no amount of urging (or nagging) the night before could make her get her ducks in a row so we could get an early start each day. Would take her 2 hours to shower, do her hair, dress and finally begin gathering up her things. I learned to use that time to slip down to the lobby for a tray of coffee and rolls from the complimentary breakfast buffet, pack the car (except for her things) and review the day's itinerary one more time. Did learn, tho, that the mention of a nearby antique mall or flea market would speed up her morning ablutions considerably. Probably dented my karma a bit that I knew the antique store or flea market du jour wasn't open that day, so I got very good at feigning surprise when "we" discovered this. ;D
Sorry to hear about Rosemary and I would probably have no trouble starting early. I would enjoy a good flea market though--I even felt more like visiting London when I heard about the great flea market at Piccadilly Circus. I often play the incomparable classical guitar I picked up at a Tokyo flea market. It plays as well or better than the $3000 limited edition I have and it cost me $25 and a little overhead compartment hassle on the plane.
Buy the notebook and let's hit the road. =:)
'Did learn, tho, that the mention of a nearby antique mall or flea market would speed up her morning ablutions considerably. Probably dented my karma a bit that I knew the antique store or flea market du jour wasn't open that day, so I got very good at feigning surprise when "we" discovered this. ;D'
Haha I love this. I had a friend who always told her children at Christmas time or vacation time, that there was an extra day. When there were only 1 sleep to go she had them believing that there were still 2 to go, hence avoiding over excitement and the early wake ups, It worked until they were old enough to figure out the dates. :P
Winsome, I went right out and rented a copy of "Elizabethtown". Great movie! Thanks!
Probably a good thing, tho, that I hadn't seen the movie before, else I would've been too intimidated by the trip book Claire made for Drew to write this hub. Wowww... Am tempted to send a copy to each of my children with a note attached: "If you think I went a little overboard in MY trip books, you ain't seen nothin' yet"!
The trip book in "Elizabethtown", btw, starts at 1:42:30. ;D
A trip book is such a great idea, especially when traveling with kids! Although we travel in our RV in a more spontaneous manner, we still keep files of every state that we'll be traveling through and refer to our collection of maps and brochures often.
Back when we had limited vacation time, having all the information together in one neat book would have been so helpful. I like the idea of keeping a book that can be saved as a memento of the trip, too.
Stephanie, if the day ever comes when I can spend my days traveling in an RV, I'll use your idea of keeping files of the states that I'll be in! I already have a decent collection of brochures and maps, even a UK road atlas (as if I'd ever drive a "caravan" around England!). ;D
Jama. That is a good idea, if you can get someone to do it for you. It undoubtedly is a great way of keeping records of your travels.
Thanks for the tips
Christopher, a trip book is usually a do-it-yourself project, but if you CAN get someone to make them for you, by all means let them! ;D
Hi, this is such a good idea, why didn't I think of it? lol rated up and eveything! cheers nell
Hi, just came over to say thanks for reading all my hubs, I have answered one but am in the middle of a family hooha! lol so I will be back later to answer them, okay? cheers nell
Not a problem, Nell. Sorry about the family hooha, but hope it's resolved sooner than later. You have my sympathies. ;D
Thanks for inspiring my latest hub: How a Compulsive Planner Organizes a Road Trip
When my daughter and I were traveling a lot, in the days before smart phones, I always mapped out the route ahead of time using road atlases and also kept a spiral-bound notebook to record things like weather, miles traveled, and places visited. I wasn't nearly as detailed as you, but the effort that went into this planning was always worthwhile. My daughter learned a lot about maps and navigating, eventually becoming an expert navigator, that is, until she started relying on her smart phone too much. GPS is highly over-rated, imo. LOL
Super read, full of great ideas. Voted up and awesome and also added to my Hub on packing your own healthy road trip food.
Hi, Sally! Ever since smart phones with GPS came out, my son refuses to use a paper map. Hence, on my first trip to rural Oklahoma with him as navigator, GPS's route added 30+ miles and 45 minutes to the trip. I was NOT amused, and my regard (or lack thereof) for GPS matches yours. Far as I'm concerned, it's only good for getting to a hard-to-find address.
Healthy road trip food? I'll have to check out your hub. Thanks for the Up vote here and the link on your hub! ;D
This is a grand idea! I am going to create a trip book as back-up. GPS does not always work and her voice drives me nuts, when she places me at a dead end. lololo! Thumbs up! :)
Hey there, AEvans! I think we depend too much on technology these days. Much as my son made fun of the "Stone Age" paper maps I always carry (even with a Trip Book), only by looking at one did he figure out once that the electronic map on his cell screen was upside (not the phone, just the map) and the voice was telling us to turn the wrong way!
The voice on his GPS, btw, was a "male" who sounded very much like the "pretend human" on AT&T's automated menu. The one that irritated me no end when I had AT&T. Didn't like "him" any better as the GPS voice. ;D
Speaking of trippin' . . . how am I doing on that learning curve you were talking about?
Lookin' good so far, WD! Loved the Great Flood hub! ;D
I like your stuff too, sorry if i got off on the wrong foot.
Not a problem. I'd already forgotten! ;D
What a great idea- a way to organize your stuff and have a memento from your trip when you get home. Excellent- Thank You!
You're most welcome, grinnin1! Don't know how your memory rocks will fit in a 3 ring binder, though! Maybe a photo of each as you collect them? ;D
I saw this pop up on my email and thought it was brand new. I just wrote a piece that mentioned Ken Keasy and the Magic Bus Trip. I thought maybe someone put something in the water and I came to see.
WD, I'll be right over to read about the Magic Bus Trip. Maybe someone did put something in the water! ;D
Great idea. I did a pared down version of this on both of our trips to Disneyworld and I'm glad I did because we made the most of the time much better by knowing what days to go where and I booked restaurants ahead of our trip which was also great. Voted up.
Thanks, Jools! Thanks to the internet, some version of a trip book isn't all that hard to put together. I can't imagine going somewhere I've never been that lots of things to do (like Disneyland) without doing at least some prep beforehand. Like you said, your visit to DL was much better because you already knew what days to go where. Before the internet, I had a talent for showing up at restaurants and attractions on the one day the place was closed. What a bummer.
Another advantage of researching a trip ahead of time is finding out a place that appears to be interesting enough to warrant an entire day...isn't. Knowing this, you can adjust your itinerary accordingly.
An ex-co-worker who hates to be locked into a set itinerary used the "flip card method". He'd take a small photo album, the kind where the sleeves "cascade" (hence flip), and instead of putting photos in the sleeves, would write all the places he wanted to see (and their opening times) and things he wanted to do on a 4X6 card for the appropriate day. Then each morning, he'd just look at that day's options and go from there. At the end of each day, he pull the card and tuck it away. Not my preferred method, but it worked for him. (This is the guy, btw, who wouldn't think of packing for an overseas trip until 2 hours before leaving for the airport. But oddly he always had everything he needed when he got to his destination. Go figure.) ;D
What a wonderful example of ingenuity and organization. I'll be using some of your ideas - because they are awesome!
Duchess, how nice to see you! Thanks for the kudos! Let me know how your next trip turns out using some of the ideas here. ;D
This is a great idea! For me, the planning before a vacation is almost as much fun as the trip itself. The trick is to plan just enough to get in everything you want to do while still leaving a little room for some spontaneity. I've been using the manilla folder method, but this idea is so much better! Voted up and useful.
Thank you, Doc! I thoroughly agree! The planning before a vacation IS almost as much fun as the trip itself! Hubber jackwms and his wife Sandy get even more out of their trips, as Jack relates at http://jackwms.hubpages.com/hub/Travel-and-Travel-
Enjoy your travels and keep trippin'! ;D
What a brilliant idea. I wish I'd come across this when my kids were young.
I did get an inking of how it could work last year, when I drove a friend about 50 miles. This friend always talks over my SatNav (GPS), so I found directions for the journey on the Internet, and printed them off so that she could be the navigator. We arrived on schedule, with me feeling calm (instead of a nervous wreck).
I shall do a version of your Trip Book for my next jaunt with Wonderful Husband.
This hub is voted up and useful.
2Ps, then you know EXACTLY how trips went until I made my friend Rosemary the Keeper of the Trip Book! I've never tested one with a Wonderful Husband on board. Be sure and let us know how THAT works for you! ;D
Jama, we make up an itinerary but not quite as fancy as yours. I have a vinyl folder with pockets I keep maps and lists in.
I don't trust Google maps, it's sent my sister in law and daughter through the ghettos before. That website looks for the shortest route and not necessarily the safest. I'd rather look at a map and figure out my own way.
Travel websites will give you the best way to travel for any given destination.
Hi, Pamela! I agree, Google Maps (and other driving directions programs as well) do pick the shortest but not necessarily *safest* routes. So, yes, travel websites are THE place to find the best routes. But I still like to get an on-the-ground look at specific neighborhoods on Google Earth before I go.
gogogo Level 4 Commenter 9 months ago
very good idea, enjoyed your excellent article