Road trip advice from an expert

I hate to say this, but Tom Green's movie, "Road Trip," had a point: Road trips are a lot of fun and can be some of the best times you share with your friends while in college. \nI have done my fair share of road tripping in my years at college, and I fancy myself somewhat of an expert. I will share the knowledge I have gained over the years so more of my fellow students can experience this integral part of the college experience.\nI urge everyone who reads this column to consider going on a weekend road trip before the end of the semester. Here are the do's and don'ts of having the best adventures on your trip. \nFirst things first -- whatever you do, don't get arrested. Jail sucks, and worst of all you might be having to make a road trip back for court dates and maybe even a little bit of forced community service time. Which is definitely not that much fun.\nNow here are the other secrets to having a great time out on the open road and at the places you stop to visit.\nTravel light; most trips are only for the weekend, so there is no need to take a suitcase. The more stuff that is taken on the trip the greater the chance that something will be lost. \nEveryone needs to try leaving home for the weekend with just a toothbrush and the shirt on his or her back. Take into consideration the climate of the destination when choosing the wardrobe, though.\nTravel heavy with friends; it is always good to have friends sharing in the fun -- that is how memories are made. Also, the more people on the trip, the lower the expenses are if everyone pitches in for gas.\nCell phones are key on trips. They keep everyone in contact, give more flexibility in making group decisions and the parents can find out what it going on.\nAlso, go in more than one car. If one of them gets a flat or breaks down, the situation will not be as dire. \nLiving in Bloomington has the great advantage that seven of the 11 other Big Ten schools are within a seven-hour drive (Iowa and Penn State are close to 10 hours away each, but if time is not your greatest concern then that is not really a problem.) Another great thing about other Big Ten schools is that most of them are wet campuses. \n Thinking of going to other schools, there are some specific great college weekends that are less then seven hours away from IU. \n There is "Hash Bash" at the University of Michigan, and Halloween at Ohio State University or Wisconsin are always a good time. Everyone has to experience going to a Notre Dame Football game; every game up there is Homecoming. Then there is that Little 500 thing at IU. I don't think anyone really wants to miss that. It is also the event you invite all your new friends to come to IU for.\nMay you have green lights and blue skies.