I’m planning an upcoming trip and it’s maybe my favorite thing to research, plan and organize my thoughts.
I usually create a note in my phone’s Notes App and then organize those by year so I can look back on previous trips. Sometimes I’m returning to a city I’ve been to a few times before, like Tulsa, and I like to peruse old notes to see what I didn’t get to visit last time.
What goes into the notes? I might look up restaurants that look interesting, then explore their menu. If they’re open during the days/hours I’ll be visiting, I add them to the Note with hours and address included.
If I’m not pre-booking a hotel then I’ll list out a few options and why I short-listed them (pool, hot tub, gym on site, etc).
Then there’s the hobbies. When I travel I like to visit local quilt shops but they’re not easiest to find so pre-planning is important. I may also look at local bookstores, antique shops or small businesses that I want to check out. It helps to know what opening hours are so I don’t plan a whole day around visiting stores that are closed on Monday.
While I don’t need to write down driving directions, I might note distances between cities so I have an idea of how much of my day will be on the road. When I went from Kansas to Arizona a few years ago it was really helpful to see what I could fit in based on arriving at my hotel at 5pm or 10:30pm. Some days I planned to leave early so I could do some sightseeing or shopping midday to break up a long drive.
Finally, in the notes I’ll make a packing list of the things I want to bring with me or what I need to do before I leave. For example, I may want to put ice chests in my car for the drive or I may need to remember to pack a gift, a donation or a jacket for the weather. While I always charge electronics the night before, I may also need to clear files off my camera’s SD card or download a new ebook for the drive.
Planning a trip is second only to going on the trip and having a great time.
Leave a Reply