Hitting the road any time of the year can be a fun way to get where you want to go and for many can be nothing more freeing at times especially with the right crew in tow (friends, kids, family, etc). For years and years road trips have been an American tradition from coast to coast, north to south or even going as far south as Mexico or far north as Canada. The variety of reasons for the road trip range from frivolous fancy, to family vacations to following around your favorite band or sports team. Before you hit the open road in your own road trip mobile or rent a road trip ready car there are some things you should know.

Which Way to Go? Do you want to take the darts to the map method or did you have a specific reason for you highway adventures? There are several factors to consider.

How much time do you have? How far do you want to go? Will this be point A to point B trip or will you make stops along the way?

Let's say you've decided to go from Atlanta to Richmond and along the way you stop off in Chapel Hill to catch an ACC game. Or maybe this is the year you make it to the Grand Ole Opry? Who knows? Best bet is to pick your destination, who you want to go with and then do some planning on time, where to stay, budget and final destination. All the stuff in between is what road trip legends are made out of.

Option A - take the beat up jalopy that barely gets you to work on time or head online to your favorite car rental company and pick up a sweet ride that will not only get you down the road of fun but offer a better chance of not breaking down. Maybe you don't have a beat up old car. You'll probably still want to take your vehicle in for a road trip tune-up to make sure everything is working well. Also make sure that Triple AAA card is paid up, you have a couple of decent maps and some quality GPS technology. Getting all that in order, with keys in hand, the road most traveled, less traveled or never traveled eagerly awaits you.

You've got the ride, you've got the crew, and you've got the snacks, map, and destination. There are still a few things you want to throw in for good measure. Take a camera, preferably something durable that you can use for some goofy candid shots or the world's largest ball of yarn. Don't stress if you get lost. That's part of taking a road trip. Sometimes you get lost and that detour ends up becoming a hidden, unplanned treasure. The key to any successful road trip is to be prepared and to be prepared for anything.