Resources & Bonuses

This section is all about the extras that make your trip smoother, more fun, and more organized.

Google My Maps: Golden Age of Road Trips (available in premium version)

I’ve put together a custom Google My Maps with only the absolute best places I know—my favorite campsites, can’t-miss stops, and personal notes for each location. I’m keeping this as minimal and focused as possible so it doesn’t get cluttered or overwhelming. Every spot here is either somewhere I’ve stayed myself or a place I’ve researched heavily and hope to stay at one day. This map is meant to be a starting point—to help you discover some amazing sites you might not find otherwise and to filter through which places are truly worth your time.

How to use it:

• Click the link in the guide or PDF.
• Open it in your own Google account so you can save it or make a copy to customize.
• Each pin has detailed notes—check them out for tips, best hikes, good beaches, and grocery stops.
• For even more detail, cross-reference these locations with reviews on recreation.gov and Google Maps photos.

To get started planning your trip, I recommend drawing a line through the sites that catch your interest and building your route around those. If you look at the map, there are really two main logical paths: one goes up through the Rocky Mountains (Arizona, Utah, Wyoming), and the other heads out west through California, Oregon, and Washington. You can mix and match, of course, depending on what fits your plans. There are also a few hotels and even one favorite shop that I thought were worth including—just special places that stood out to us.

This map isn’t meant to include every possible option, just the highlights—the spots I’d send my closest friends to if they were doing this trip.

Packing Checklist

This is the actual packing list I used for our last trip, updated with Amazon links to all of the products that we have.

Scavenger Hunt Spreadsheet (included in paid version)

To get kids excited about nature and wildlife, I’ve included a printable scavenger hunt spreadsheet. The way it works is simple: in column A, just put a 1 next to any item your kids spot. The sheet automatically keeps track of how many things they’ve found.

On the last page of the spreadsheet, titled “Prizes,” I’ve set up a system where the kids earn money for every item they can actually show you they’ve found. The more things they find and document, the more money they earn, which they can spend at gift shops along the way, or save up if they want. You can adjust this however you like—make it non-monetary if you prefer—but we found it really boosted the kids’ interest in spotting birds, wildlife, and cool features out West. My kids were walking through the woods using Merlin, which they definitely wouldn’t have done otherwise.

This is meant to be collaborative—you work together, and the kids get credit for what they are involved in finding. If they spot a bird or animal that’s not on the list, just add it and give them credit. The only rule is they have to be the ones to find it (not just you using the Merlin app on your own). Use the spreadsheet as a starting point, tweak it for your own trip, and have fun with it. 

Our Last Two Itineraries (included in paid version)

• 2024: The Interior Route (Rockies & Desert Focus)
• 2025: The Western Loop (Pacific Coast & Northwest Focus)

Podcasts, Apps, and Content for the Road

Some of our favorites to pass the miles:

• Podcasts: Ologies (science and wildlife), The Wild (nature and adventure), Radiolab, Atlas Obscura, and any longform interview shows you like.
• Apps: Merlin Bird ID (for bird scavenger hunts), AllTrails (for hikes), Trailforks (for biking), Google Maps (for research and routing), Campnab (for snagging canceled sites), and iOverlander or Hipcamp for extra campsite finds.
• Audiobooks: Download some family-friendly stories or nature writing in advance for the longer days.
• Offline content: Have playlists and movies ready for when you lose signal. Use a Kindle for reading, and make sure everyone’s headphones are paired before the trip.