As wonderful as the walls of Green Hall are, there is nothing more refreshing than a change of scenery. My law school life flourishes when I find time to escape and recharge. Whether you are a seasoned traveler or devising your first weekend getaway, I have some tips to make trip planning easier!
Step One: Pick a Destination
Sometimes decision paralysis may keep you from hitting the road, but some of my most memorable trips came from just having a general direction to drive. Remember that you don’t have to iron out every detail in advance. Billboards, unexpected small towns and other spontaneous discoveries can be your guide.
Step Two: Find Things to Do
Once I have a place in mind, I rely on those who have traveled before me to tell me how to spend my time. A good starting point is to search “Best [type of food, location or activity] to do in [destination]” on Google. Travel bloggers often share valuable information about popular tourist traps, hidden gems and hiking trails.
I also have two website recommendations for discovering unique attractions. First, Atlas Obscura features thousands of listings for unique spots in the United States. Search by city to uncover attractions you’ve likely never heard of. Additionally, Roadside America allows you to search by state to find odd roadside attractions to keep your drives more entertaining.
Step Three: Map It Out
My favorite way to visualize a trip is with the Google feature My Maps. With My Maps, you can drop pinpoints on the locations you want to visit and customize them with colors and symbols to represent what type of place they are. Then, you can place driving directions between the pinpoints to create a route. My Maps even calculates the miles between each destination, which helps estimate the cost of gas for the trip.
Here’s an example of a trip I planned using My Maps:
A Note on Expenses
Although traveling can be costly, I have discovered some effective ways to make trips more affordable as a law student. Here are a few tips:
- Trips don’t have to be long to be meaningful. Choose a destination based on the time and budget you have.
- Eating at restaurants can add up quickly. Bring a cooler with your favorite pre-purchased snacks, fruits and sandwich supplies to help reduce trip expenses.
- Free activities are everywhere. Save costs by going to attractions that have no entry fee.
- To see multiple places on a budget, invest in activity passes. CityPASS grants you access to famous city tourist attractions for up to 50% off their regular admission prices. The National Park Service offers an $80 park pass that covers admission into all national parks for an entire year.
- Hotels aren’t the only lodging option. You can sleep comfortably and safely with dispersed tent camping, car camping and motels.
No matter your destination, you will return to law school feeling refreshed. Happy travels!
– Logan Brtek is a 2L KU Law Student Ambassador from Norfolk, Nebraska