road trip planning

ive only had my 14 jetta out on the highway for any serious distance 2x and that was to iowa city and back a couple of times (350 miles or so round trip).
im getting married in june and we are discussing honeymoon options, right now leaning toward branson mo.
wwe are in the peoria greater area, first 2 nights will be in springfield then heading to branson,

other than lamberts any other points of interest on the drive? its been 10 years since i went to springfield mo (and that was an annual thing), what sort of vehicle related gear should i pack (tools, oils etc.)

and other than a couple of shows that are included in the package whats good to do in branson?
thanks
mike

on a 2014 the only thing you really should need is a credit card, and perhaps a paper map in case the GPS quits and you want to take the long way home.

just for fun, turn off anything that makes noise and ask your new wife what she really thinks, and see what she says.

Indeed, even with 130k on the odometer in my wife's 2006, I don't typically pack more than the credit card and the stock VW tool kit in the trunk. Our 2006 faithfully does 4000+ mile road trips from FL to Maine, practically every summer, just as it has since it was three months old in 2006. There have been times when my wife wanted to toss the Garmin out the window, and plenty of times when the long scenic route with a few stops for photos and hikes made a much more memorable trip than simply sticking to the major highways.

One thing I will advise: If you don't have the memory seat option, figure out where your new wife likes the seat when she drives, and figure out how to get it close before you get out when you know she'll be driving the next leg of the trip.

i was thinking some blue painters tape and marking where the seat is when i drive it

Maybe some fuel additive- kinda risky - I know.

I wouldn't take 44 to Springfield. Google map a route that takes you through southern MO. It's a beautiful state.

As for Branson, the only thing I like to do there is fish.

See if you can rent a tree house cabin nearby....we stayed in one a few years ago and it was pretty sweet. Eureka Springs is about an hour away from Branson and they have some neat little shops and restaurants...plus the drive there is pretty fun.

I don't know how old you are or what your interests are....might be worth mentioning as Branson has stuff for toddlers up to senior citizens. If you are religious or not the Sight and Sound Theater puts on some pretty top notch shows....mainly bible stories I believe, but the quality of acting and the sets are very nice.

Lots of good places to get some local craft brews as well....If you like shopping the Branson Landing has a ton of that. Table Rock lake is really pretty and I think they have dinner cruises...might be nice since you're on your honeymoon.

As far as tools/stuff to bring in the car. I always have a small air compressor, half a qt of oil (I've never had to top off though), flashlight, paracord (I've had to tie up plastic undertrays before after hitting small animals lol ), and about 600mL of Power Service in a easy dispensing bottle. I use about 150mL per fill up.

Take a fuel filling adapter as you'll likely find some station out in BFE with gas nozzles on the diesel pumps.

New Windshield Wipers might be in call, give the front window a nice coat of rainx and wax the car well so you can get bug guts off easier...

Top off windshield wiper fluid, adblue, check oil level, tire pressure and tread levels; dont forget to check spare pressure as it often gets very low forgotten about in boot.. Make sure your lug nut key is in the vehicle and it didnt get lost/left behind when tires were last rotated or something.

My emergency supply kit in every vehicle includes a bottle of water, flashlight w/spare batteries (changing tires in dark), poncho (changing tires in rain), few red glow sticks (changing tires on a bad spot), jumper cables, multitool and a lil bit of paracord.. plus spare chargers/cables for our phones.. In the winters I'll throw an emergency candle/lighter and a few packets of kitty litter I seal up in used CapriSun pouches into the spare tire well.. The midwest's ice storms like to coat everything and you can get stuck in the stupidest spots, like in a gutter.. If you have an old unused phone it can still be used to call 911 if your main phone gets lost/stolen/broken, might be worth leaving in the car just incase.

Speaking of changing tires, get your self a steel tire hanger.. it makes the job so much easier, espically in a high stress situation: https://www.amazon.com/European-Professional-Stainless-Steel-Hanger/dp/B01L2WE27G/

There's always a paper map in the vehicle, GPS wants to take you the fastest way and not the most scenic.. usually we can look at the paper map to determine route and then put in strategic waypoints so the GPS agrees on our route.. In some parts of the country GPS can be really dangerous (Pac NW), always check that the Navi's routing is sane and not taking you to your demise.

Hi
I'm planning to take holiday and travel across USA From California to NY. I have a Golf 3 and I'm not sure if I can make it , because the car is old but still working fine. Me and my 3 friends wants to try it. I hope we can make it. Going next month I can't wait

If you have an older car you not exactly trust; AAA RoadSide Assistance is a wise investment.. I have it because of my Bus, try road tripping in a 40 year old VW without it heh

MarkTDIUser said:

Hi
I'm planning to take holiday and travel across USA From California to NY. I have a Golf 3 and I'm not sure if I can make it , because the car is old but still working fine. Me and my 3 friends wants to try it. I hope we can make it. Going next month I can't wait

Click to expand...

feel free to start a new thread and share some pix

just make sure the tires and brakes are good and all maintenance up to snuff.

make the friends chip in for fuel, and enjoy the ride!

I've got a 2000 NB with 358,000 miles that I wouldn't hesitate a second before taking off for California in the Arizona desert in the summer. I would check the oil and other fluids regularly, but as long as I did that, I am 100% confident it would get me there and back.