Mike enjoys a gorgeous day in France. (mikesroadtrip.com)
Take a trip into Mike Shubic’s world of adventure through his travel blog, Mike’s Road Trip. Discover all the unknown secrets of the road with the help of Mike, as he tests the waters first to bring you only the best adventures the world has to offer. Don’t let the name fool you; with a number of stories of trips within the U.S., Mike is here to give you the nitty gritty for your trip outside of the country as well!
“The road is the page. The experiences are the ink. Next chapter begins in 300 miles.” – Mike Shubic
From attractions to restaurants, and from must-dos to places to stay, Mike gives you everything you need for your next trip! His recent post 25 Summer Road Trip Destinations is particularly helpful for anyone searching for travel inspiration around the United States this summer. His unique choices will help readers to see parts of the country that they never could have imagined, like Crater Lake in Oregon or the gorgeous natural red rocks of Moab, Utah. Mike’s Road Trip will absolutely motivate you to take a trip of your own ASAP!
What inspired you to start a travel blog? Was there a specific reason or an event that made you decide ‘I’m gonna start a travel blog today’?
It started as the bottom dropped out of the economy and I had lost most of my clients (I had a small online-marketing/web development firm) by 2009. The plan was to go on an extended road trip soul-searching mission.
As I worked on purging and preparing for the next phase of my life, I decided to develop a blog so I could document my journey for friends and family. I was not new to blogging as I had one for several years targeted toward online marketing. I had a bit of web development experience, so creating a professional blog was not a problem… content was the immediate task at hand.
Six months later, I let the house go, sold all of my belongings and hit the road for what has ended up becoming an adventure of a lifetime. Six months after I started the blog, GoSaga (a travel website) named Mike’s Road Trip the “Best Travel Tips” website for 2010. By 2012 I was doing a show for the Travel Channel called “Best of the Road.” Many accolades have since followed.
What have been the most challenging and the most rewarding aspects of running your blog and social media presence? Do you keep in touch with your readers?
The biggest challenge is the overwhelming amount of work involved and frequently the lack of money. I’m a writer, producer, editor, videographer, photographer, webmaster, developer, salesperson and traveler. Many people think I have the most amazing job ever, and I do, but they don’t see all the behind-the-scenes work involved. I have worked nearly 7 days a week for six years, often 12-15 hours a day.
What’s your favorite place that you have visited & what’s a dream destination that you still haven’t conquered?
I get asked this question all the time, and my canned reply is…”where I am right now.” I have traveled all over the world and it’s tough to answer the question without some qualification. For example, if you asked me where my favorite beach is… I might be able to say Phi Phi in southern Thailand. Or, my favorite European country… I might be able to say the Czech Republic.
Every place I travel holds a special place in my heart. I can find something amazing out of every destination I visit. Some places on the top of my list to visit are: Antarctica, Argentina, Colombia, Cuba and New Zealand.
If you had one piece of advice for people who want to travel throughout the U.S. and around the world but want to stay on budget, what would it be?
Compromise and be flexible. You can often get good deals on airfare via flights that make multiple stops, or depart during off-peak hours. Oh, and Wednesday is often the cheapest day of the week to fly.
You can get cheaper rental cars outside of the airport, so grab an Uber to a rental location a few miles away. Airbnb, hostels or couchsurfing can yield some great accommodations on the cheap. I actually wrote a booklet entitled “52 Tips to a Perfect Getaway” that can be found on Amazon that covers this very topic.