How To: Tips for the Single Woman’s Road Trip

You shouldn’t be hindered in planning that road trip just because you’re single and don't have any friends to be able to go with you. There are even some great perks to being able to travel by yourself, but you need to make sure to be safe, especially as a woman.

I had been hankering to do a road trip to the Grand Canyon for some quite some time. I wanted to do it, but I am single and don’t have a good travel companion. I also really wanted the time to myself to be selfish about what I did, to do what I wanted to do and go at my own pace, and to be able to concentrate on photography and travel writing. I also planned a stop at baseball’s Spring Training before it and volunteering at an animal sanctuary in Kanab, Utah after it. I wasn’t going to let the lack of a human travel companion stop me, and decided that my dog, Kita, would be the perfect partner on this trip.

There are certain things you need to keep in mind in planning a road trip as a single person for safety and enjoyment. While I am not a paranoid person and very savvy traveler, it still is important to consider, especially for your parents or loved ones who might not be as secure.

1. Plan the trip and it’s routes very carefully. The majority of my routes were major highways, but many of them were still in open country or very remote areas. Any other side road that looked interesting was only taken if I felt my small car could make the trip.
2. Make sure to have your car checked and to have a roadside assistance plan such as AAA up to date and in place. Before the trip, I got an oil change, new tires and a new radiator to ensure my car’s fitness for travel. I also renewed my AAA membership in the event of the emergency.
3. Inform relatives of your plans and plan to report your safe arrival. I made a detailed itinerary of my planned highway routes, listed my hotel names and phone numbers, and any planned activity I had that day. The first four days of the trip my Dad was there, too, so I didn’t worry about that, but after that I sent emails to him, an uncle and my brother each day reporting save arrival. This is essential when you are not staying with a friend or relative who is expecting and could alert others if you don’t show up.
4. Plan to go at a slower pace than you might otherwise so you don’t do more driving in one day than you are able. Luckily for me, this was kind of the plan since I was going to be taking lots of photographs and writing lots of stories along the way. It was a great plan, though, it kept my mind and my body fresh, allowing me to get out and stretch my legs and get some fresh air along the way. This was great for the dog as well, who even though is used to going long periods without exercise or the ability to relieve herself, enjoyed smelling the new locations and getting out of the car.
5. Make sure to talk to other people along the way. I made sure to have a conversation or two along the way with strangers, gas station attendants, servers, etc so that if something did happen, there would be people that could say they had seen me and where and when. This also makes your trip more interesting in addition to safety. For me, it wasn’t all too hard because everyone took a notice to my dog, particularly because she is well-behaved and unique looking, an all white shepherd dog. This also helps in getting pictures on the trip. While most times I don’t like having my picture taken, sometimes I want a picture of me at the place I may never get back to again. I found it really easy to ask someone to take my picture, or a picture with me and Kita. You can also return the favor by taking one of them or their group.
6. Use a credit or debit card to make purchases, even small ones, instead of cash. If you’ve ever heard news reports about missing/kidnapped persons, you know that they track their debit or credit cards to see where they have been. After all, a clerk may or may not remember you were there even if you did have a conversation with them.
7. Make sure you have a plan for what to do in case of an emergency. If your car broke down on the side of a remote road, what would you do? Your cell phone may or may not work to call for assistance and you may be too far for from anything to walk for help. If another motorist stopped to help you, how can you tell if they have good intentions or not. Would you leave in a car alone with them? The best advice would be to rely on your instincts and be very observant to what is around you.
8. Plan activities in areas with other visitors and crowds. This is not just for visibility, but also can be helpful if you trip and fall or get sick or have another health condition. I also think this may help you enjoy your visit here better. Seeing the Grand Canyon was one of my dreams, and it was okay with me that I had no one else with me to experience it, but I got lots of additional pleasure out of people watching and seeing how other visitors reacted—families, kids, other singles, etc.
9. Make sure to research the hotel, motel, campground, etc where you plan to stay ahead of time. If you are particular in the type of motel (interior corridors, cleanliness, etc), this is important. Many online sites such as tripadvisor.com have reviews from real people that have stayed there. They ranks service, cleaniness, other businesses around it. While I am not particular and just wanted a pet friendly, budget motel for my trip, I do check these out. In fact, there are two Motel 6 chains in Williams, Az, the gateway to the Grand Canyon, where I stayed, and one had a bunch of bad reviews while the one right across the street had better ones. As far as safety goes, in this case, I knew that my trusty Kita would be alerted to anything that might cause danger.
10. Lastly, make sure to have fun and enjoy yourself. Lots of people only travel with others because they don’t enjoy themselves otherwise. Whether you want the time away to travel and write like me, or you simply want to go your own way without worrying about another person’s likes and dislikes, then I recommend giving it a try. There’s nothing like being on the open road taking your time to explore, learn and relax.