Thrift Road Trip Planner: Northern VA to Calvert Cliffs, MD – 5 Goodwills in 1 Day

Last year, I embarked on my first-ever Goodwill-focused Road Trip where I visited 40 Goodwills across six states in 10 days. I spilled all of the details on my adventure on the Finding Your Good podcast. The finds I scored, the people I met….it was a priceless experience and my trip left me hungry for more adventure. Now that it’s a new year, I am ready to further rock and roll in my Ford Fiesta across more states, exploring other Goodwill locations.

Instead of keeping my trip planning insular and for my-eyes-only, I invite you to embark on your own Goodwill Road Trip using some materials that I’ve put together. So here I present to you a mini Thrift Road Trip Agenda for a to Northern VA to Calvert Cliffs State Park (MD) excursion. I’m having us embark on a Day Trip, for Goodwill Road Tripping can be exhausting. I implore you to visit some, if not all of these locations, even for a few minutes. You never know what you’ll learn about each location and you certainly can never predict what goodies you’ll find!

Before I get into the route that I recommend taking, I have some Road Trip tips for you to keep in mind. These not only helped me save time and money on last year’s adventure, but they also enabled me to stay focused on my goal for the trip – to hit as many Goodwills as possible.

Goodwill Road Trip Tips:

You will need to become an early bird for Thrift Road Tripping.
Eat breakfast before you get to your first Goodwill.
Start early each day, arriving at your first Goodwill when they open! This could be 9, 10 or 11 AM.
Spend 30 minutes to an hour at each store and don’t go over your time limit. Stay rigid so that you can account for driving, meals and sightseeing.
Shop with intent. Stay focused on your trip’s purpose and goal. Know what you want and only look for things that are on your list. It’s easy to spend hours at just one Goodwill. On my Goodwill Road Trip, I knew I only wanted vintage clothing, so I only looked for those pieces. Extra finds were a bonus!
Quickly scan the store and then take a little more time. If nothing stuck out to you during your scan, venture to the next Goodwill! You’ll be sure to find gems at one of the fifteen stores you’ll be going to. 🙂
Pack lots of snacks in your car. This will save time on eating out and allow you to save more money for thrifted treasures! Pack your lunches and only eat out at dinner time.

Goodwill Thrift Road Trip Agenda – Round Trip

Here is a rough plan of the route I recommend taking. Please note that I didn’t mark down exact times, for they are unique to each individual. However, as you embark on your thrift journey, stay swift as you thrift.