-Make sure to have all the right documents for your car for when the nice policeman pulls you over. When Jenny and I did last year's picnic rally, Jenny had recently replaced the windshield in the NoVa, and her stickers were on a piece of duct-tape coated glass on the front seat. Fortunately, the policeman was very nice about the whole thing.
-Have alternate routes ready. Lots of them. Any road you really want to use will close. It's almost guaranteed. If it doesn't close, it will be re-paved, re-oil & chipped, or some act of God will flood it. Maybe a lightning bolt will make a Toyota size pothole in it. But be sure, you'll never get to use all of the roads you wish to.
-Be prepared to spend a lot of time in the car. Any road that looks good on the map is unusable in real life. When checking roads, don't forget your oars and lifejackets. Pontoons might help, too, or maybe propellers. Oh, yes, and get a membership in AAA or similar (and some good friends) for when the vehicle breaks down.
-No two maps agree. Ever. And if they do, what you remember as "SR 3856" your partner in crime will remember as "Bob's Road" and then later you'll both get lost trying to follow the maps.
-Speaking of which, at least one of you should be able to actually read a map, and one should be the one who's not driving. "Oops, I meant 'turn left'" is a great way to get the driver mad at you, especially on those long, hot drives.
-If you have friends help you informally pre-check the route instructions, pick friends who are capable of driving less than 60 M.P.H. , or be prepared to spend a lot of time gritting your teeth. They will get lost miles from where you want them to be, and then say things like, "but I didn't see the giant yellow sign."
If you follow these simple guidelines, I'm sure you'll make a perfectly good rally, or go insane (although some would argue that you need to first be insane to write a rally).
Esther Filderman / June 1994