Human Rights Campaign’s State Maps of Laws & Policies is designed to help LGBTQ+ travelers determine the potential risk of certain routes. Users can search the map by issue, surfacing states with laws that address hate or bias crimes based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Refuge Restrooms, another app and online database searchable by location, helps transgender and gender-nonconforming people find safe bathrooms, even in rural areas.
Victor H. Green, a Black postal worker from Harlem, published a guides series called The Negro Travelers’ Green Book from 1936 to 1967; it was essential reading for Black motorists because it told them where they could safely eat, sleep, and gas up in Jim Crow’s America. Today, The Post-Racial Negro Green Book, compiled in 2018 by New Orleans-based writer Jan Miles, replaces the Black-friendly hotel and diner listings of yore with a state-by-state index of 21st-century racial bias against African Americans—documenting incidents of police brutality and harassment.
Lastly, anyone hitting the road should also be mindful of the growing number of wildfires impacting US travel, says Highley, who relies on the Watch Duty app to monitor developing conditions.
Book accommodations in advance
There are tons of sites out there to help you find the perfect pit stop along your route. Look for hotels or Airbnbs with flexible cancellation policies; sites like Travelocity have filters for exactly this. Campendium is a solid app for finding RV and tent campsites, and Brown calls the HotelTonight app a “lifesaver” for last-minute hotel bookings. “When I need a hotel quickly, I don’t want to sift through hundreds of options,” she says. “I just want the top five in my price range.”
If you just want a refresher stop, McGuinn recommends Dayuse, an app lets you rent a hotel room—and all its accompanying amenities, like the swimming pool and fitness center—by the hour or multi-hour block, with rates up to 75% off an overnight stay.
Or just let someone else take over the planning
If wrangling all of the above is too much of a time suck, you can always pay the professionals to do it for you. Luxury companies like Audley Travel offer self-drive itineraries for some of the most popular corners of the United States, from coastal California to New England. Heritage Inspirations in New Mexico introduced a series of Click-and-Buy Road Trips for half-day, full-day, and multi-day itineraries from Santa Fe, Taos, and Albuquerque. Each downloadable PDF includes detailed driving directions, plus insider intel and packing tips from company guides.
When Highley and his team are tailor-making a road trip for All Roads North, they try to understand a client’s primary motivation for traveling—a strategy useful for all road trippers. “It might be that they have a specific interest or region they want to explore, but equally want to connect with family, disconnect from work, or challenge themselves,” says Highley. “When you start the conversation in terms of experiences and emotions, rather than simply places to see and things to do, we are able to plan a much more rewarding trip.”
He’s also a big proponent of the less-is-more ethos: Spend more time in fewer places and really dig deep. By connecting travelers with wildlife biologists, Navajo musicians, astrologers, art collectors, rising chefs, and other local experts, they’re able to build an enriching itinerary that would be hard to orchestrate on one’s own.
Most importantly, adds Newman, just “roll with it.” Every road trip will have its hiccups. “Don’t be afraid to go off the beaten path,” she says. “Some of the best travel experiences can be unplanned.”
