Take your car to a mechanic and have it fully serviced. It's important that before you undertake a massive road trip you make sure that your vehicle is capable of making the trip. Get your oil changed. Get your tires rotated. Get your fluids checked.
Pack some tools, extra fluids and some safety equipment for your trip. It's important to be as prepared as you possibly can for any surprise disaster during your trip.
Get your map. If you don't trust yourself to navigate an actual map you can visit websites like Google Maps or Mapquest and print off directions. All you need to do on these sites is to insert your starting address and your destination, and they will give you exact directions for your trip.
Book a night or two in hotels on your way so that you can rest comfortably in between long stretches of driving. You can usually do this online with a credit card. Even if you're starting your trip from as far north as Seattle, Washington, the trip to Whittier might take you more than two days if you drive nonstop. Consult your map to see where good stopping points are. Stopping every 16 hours is a good rule of thumb.
Bring plenty of travel money for gas and food along the way. If you start as far north as Seattle you're still facing a trip spanning nearly 2,300 miles. You'll have to stop for gas a few times a day.
Bring your passport. Remember, you're going to have to cross two national borders, and at each border you'll have to present your passport.
Visit any travel or airfare sight to book your flight. Whittier has its own airport, so you could actually fly directly into the city. Insert your desired flight details, including dates of departure and return, and your departure city.
Select your flight from the results generated from your desired dates. The options will be separated by price, airline and time. The options will also state whether or not your flight will have a layover.
Pay with a credit card or debit card. After you've paid you'll be asked to submit an email address to which the company can then send a confirmation message. The email will contain all of your flight information, including your ticket number.
Bring your passport. Depending on where you're taking off from, chances are you'll have a layover or two, which will probably mean touching down in Canada. You'll need to present your passport whenever you cross a national border.
