We have lists and they assure us that we are covering all the bases. We have a checklist for getting ready and one for the food we will take. We also have a checklist for what to do when we get home. When we are on the road, we have a notebook where we write things we want to do once we get home.
For each trip, we make sure we know the routes and we have a list of fuel stops along the way. We look at the fuel stops using Google maps so we know how to get in and out. We tend to travel the same way often so we keep a list of fuel stops we have already vetted and put notes on the stops as needed. We have a really nice list now.
It takes a lot of the stress out of traveling.
When we get on the road, we just enjoy the trip!