Planning a PCS Road Trip

It’s PCS time! It’s time to adventure and see new things and have new experiences!

“But the planning!” you say.

“I’m overwhelmed!” you say.

You know you are traveling 3,000 miles across the country, have a chance to see things you've only ever flown over, and yet you haven't planned a lick of it. You might even say you are paralyzed in the face of the planning.

I’ve been there. In the spring of 2019 we traveled from Washington state to New York state for a PCS. It was a 3,000-mile drive and there was so much we wanted to see along the way. We had to make some decisions to include if Tim would take leave so we could have a longer window of travel, who and what we would see and how to prioritize what to do. That was a lot to take in.

But let me reassure you! All the planning got done and we had a great time adventuring. It can be done without tears. So relax, dear one, and know there is a way to take this beast down bit by bit.

Step-by-Step Travel Planning

Since I am a planner, I like to "just make a decision.” I do limited research. My husband prefers extensive research by comparison. Different personalities approach making the plan a bit differently, but the steps are basically the same. I’ll take you through the basics of what we did for this trip.

Know how long you have to travel.

This is either the number of days your service member has for leave OR the number of days between the service member’s check out from the sending duty station until the date the service member has to report to the receiving duty station.
.
For our trip Tim had some leave accrued, so we made the 3,000-mile trip into about 4,400 miles. We took about three weeks to travel from Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM) in Washington state to West Point, NY.

2. Chart a basic route.

I used Google maps. We had friends in Colorado Springs whom we hadn't seen in six years. It was not on the most direct route, but we wanted to see them, so we made a visit part of the plan. Our other priorities included Chadron, Nebraska to show the boys Tim’s old stomping grounds, driving through northern Michigan to avoid Chicago traffic and on to West Point by way of Cedar Point.

3. Find places within a certain mileage of your route to visit along the way.

This mileage is determined by your preference and time constraints. Our route looked something like this map after we added ALL THE THINGS to see along the way:

Evel Knievel Snake River Jump Site (ID)
Arches National Park (UT)
Mt Rushmore (SD)
Lake Itasca (MN)
Lancaster (PA)

4. Estimate how long you need to accomplish the route with all the stops.

This is best using the Google map mileage/ time estimate.

5. Figure out how long you want to stay at each place based on your route and schedule.

This will probably not be one set amount of time. The Evel Knievel Jump Site was just a 60-minute walk, so we got some exercise before a seven-hour car ride that day. When we visited our friends in Colorado, we made it a two-night stay.

6. Write a list of cities or towns and dates where you will stay one or more nights.

Google search for hotels, campgrounds or Air B&Bs. We had a small camper for this particular trip, so we stayed at campgrounds. We also had to consider roads rated for our vehicle with a trailer. Note to self: next time avoid I-70 through Vail, Colorado! This route doesn’t work with a trailer.

When looking for places to stay, remember that cheaper isn’t always better.  Make sure you have hotel standards. I usually start by looking for rooms at one of two reliable hotel chains we like in order to avoid situations like this lodging disaster.

After compiling all of this information, I listed all the locations and NIGHTS I needed lodging. If the hotels I wished to use were not in the same town as my destination, the hotel location and “activity” destination were listed separately.

Then I made the hotel reservations. I like to talk to a person, so I called. I like to ask a lot of questions and make sure I get ALL the discounts.

When you get to this stage you can call or make reservations on-line. But you really want to call to confirm because sometimes there are mix-ups that mean Fido has to stay in the car all night. Boo.

Remember, when you make the reservation to consider all the necessities: number of people, pets, accessibility and any other features you prefer. We like breakfast included!

Copying the steps I’ve just laid out and answering the questions for yourself might be enough to get you through your road trip anxiety.

Things to Do Along the Way

But how do I know if there is anything worth seeing along the way?

First: YES! There is always something worth seeing! Even if you just stop at the state signs at each state border, you’ve seen something. However, outside of Niagara Falls and the Grand Canyon, if you are not in the city, you might need another Google search to find those stops.

This summer we will go to Iowa. Why Iowa, you ask? Because my boys have been in 43 states and want to get number 44 under their belts while we are just a couple hours away.

But what’s in Iowa?

UMM?

We looked up the Iowa visitors’ information and used the travel Iowa website. Websites like this will tell you what the state is known for, special attractions and places not to be missed.

I grew up going to every state’s capital building whenever we went to a new state. My parents were big into civic duty. Military brat life.

Now I prefer hikes at national parks, historical sites and museums like Independence Hall in Philadelphia or the National Infantry Museum and Soldier Center in Columbus, GA. But maybe you are like my husband who enjoys the unique and odd attractions like car sculptures and the largest ball of twine.  If that is your speed, check out Roadside America. 

Probably the very best way to know what to see is to talk to friends. Many people in the military community love to travel.  Talk to them and ask questions.  Nine times out of 10, someone will have suggestions for you.

Case in point: I’ve had friends move to my “hometown”.  As a military brat it’s really the place I graduated high school… which is not a military town, but has an Army Corps of Engineers office.  Anyway, I told them ALL the things they should check out, especially the best place for ice cream. This seems to be a trend of mine.

You don’t know people who travel? Then join the PCS Adventures Facebook group and post a question about all the things you should see between your old duty station and the new one. We will definitely tell you!

There are all kinds of helpful people, books and websites to help the non-traveler become an adventurer. Here is one more on me! Remember, there are no “rules”. Well, maybe two biggies: “don’t run out of gas” and “make sure your service member signs in on time.”

But seriously. Don’t be intimidated by planning a big trip.  Just be willing to give the process a few days, chipping away at the project a little at a time. After all, it’s easiest to approach this as you would eating an elephant, one bite at a time.