If you need assistance, there are car seat technicians who can check it out for you, just do a quick search for a technician in your area. A properly installed car seat is essential for your child’s safety, especially when you’re going to be in the car for a long time. Second, check to see that your child’s car seat is properly installed before you head out as well. Also make sure you’re not due for an oil change. You don’t want to find out about needed repairs halfway into your drive. It’s a good idea to get it checked out at the mechanic before going on a long trip so they can warn you of any potential problems. Here are a few preparation tips to make sure that you are prepared and ready for your drive.įirst of all, make sure your car is in good condition for a road trip before you leave. There is a lot to think about when you’re planning a road trip, especially one with little kids. See the map here, and for additional travel goals, check out Olson’s road trip maps for South America and Europe.Ī version of this story ran in 2015 it has been updated for 2023.3.1 Related Posts: Tips for a Successful Road Trip with a Toddler Prepare before you leave Olson wrote to Staedter: “Instead of exhaustively looking at every possible solution, genetic algorithms start with a handful of random solutions and continually tinker with these solutions-always trying something slightly different from the current solution and keeping the best one-until they can’t find a better solution any more.”Īnd whether or not you understand the specifics of how it was created, the map is truly a marvel and the kind of itinerary you'll probably spend all winter dreaming about. After determining the stops, the main goal of the algorithm was to find the shortest distance between points. jDs1EsP1xS- MSU March 9, 2015įor the details on how he came up with the route, check out Olson’s blog. & see all major landmarks? #MSU's made a map. Staedter guessed it would take a little over nine days of driving straight through, but more realistically is a two- or three-month trip. That list starts with the Grand Canyon, but you could theoretically begin anywhere as long as you drive in sequence after that. The Mark Twain House & Museum, Connecticut.Colonial Annapolis Historic District, Maryland.Wright Brothers National Memorial Visitor Center, North Carolina.Fort Sumter National Monument, South Carolina.Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida.Vicksburg National Military Park, Mississippi.Carlsbad Caverns National Park, New Mexico.

and two in California, the result is 50 points of all American awesomeness. The parameters were: It had to hit all of the 48 continental states every stop had to be a National Natural Landmark, a National Historic Site, a National Park, or a National Monument and of course, had to be confined to car travel and within U.S.

In 2015, Tracy Staedter at Discovery News decided to take on that challenge, enlisting Randy Olson-the data scientist behind the famed (and super helpful) Where’s Waldo algorithm-to devise what you might call the platonic ideal of the United States road trip. Much depends on time parameters, personal preference, and frankly, how long you want to spend behind the wheel. driving route is a bit of a head scratcher. The concept of a road trip is as American as apple pie, and yet, devising the “best” U.S.

Americana road trip checklist