Summer road trips are very nostalgic for me. My family always took a summer vacation when I was younger and it was always by car. Actually… to be accurate, I’d have to say by minivan. Those minivan days were the best. We typically headed west, towards the mountains, because it’s the only place my brother and I wanted to go. My parents would wake us up before the sun rose, just to get us in the car. By the time we woke up, we’d be somewhere in the middle of Nebraska or South Dakota.
Since I grew up going on road trip vacations, it’s something I still love to do. Even though T and I opt to fly almost everywhere (limited time out of the office means quickest route possible), I do enjoy the small trips we take around the Midwest. No matter how short or long the trip ahead may be, there are always a few road trip essentials that make the ride even sweeter.
Snacks
I mean, what’s a road trip without a few snacks? T and I always grab some sort of candy – his favorite are sour patch kids and I’ve been a Twizzler person ever since I was a kid. Beyond that, it’s never a bad idea to pack a few bottles of water and maybe even some Chex mix.
Great playlist
Because unless you have a rad podcast queued up, there’s no way the radio will cut it. I’m relatively new to the Spotify thing (yes, I know, way behind), but honestly, it’s the way to go. My current “favorites” playlist keeps growing and would satisfy any car ride for me, but the beauty is in the variety. Make a few different ones to keep the adventure fun.
Comfy outfit
If you’re one of those people who can travel in uncomfortable clothing, good for you. Honestly! I am not one of those people. I still like to look decent since road trips require pit stops and being seen in public, but I definitely err on the comfy side. Leggings and a sweatshirt or even jean shorts and a tank. Something casual but cute.
The right luggage
You all know how passionate I am about having the right luggage for traveling. Road trips are so much easier when you have accessible bags or maybe just items packed in the right place. There’s nothing worse than “needing” something out of your bag that you have to dig around to find while on the road. I like to stay organized and keep necessities within reaching distance. I get creative and use my large duffel bags and then some reusable totes for technology and food (because, importance).
An awesome destination
Duh! We don’t want the epic road trip to end in disappointment. A lot of our summer weekends are spent heading to the lake. Which is a very awesome destination in my opinion. But there are so many other great spots. Depending on your geological location, it could be Colorado or Napa Valley or Vermont. There are probably very few bad options out there.
Do you have any summer road trips planned?
xoxo. B
What a wonderful post!
We have made many road trips. From Finland to Germany four times and visiting at same time, Liechtenstein, Switzerland and France. We made road trips to Norway (Kirkenes and Nordkapp) twice and inside Finland many! From the very south to the very north, far beyond the Arctic Circle.
Happy and safe travels!
Oh my word… all of that sounds so amazing! We did a little adventuring around Norway a couple years ago and LOVED it. We want to make all the Scandinavian countries at some point. So beautiful!
I love this post! I’ve never taken a “real” road trip – not counting drives to the lake – but I’m hoping that will change come the end of September since we’re thinking of road tripping to Tennessee! With stops in Memphis and Nashville. I’m with you that snacks are/will be an absolute must!
Just sayin’,
Karly @ What Karly Said
Ah, you will love a good road trip! We actually did Memphis and Nashville by car & it was a fun little trip! Snacks are for sure #1.. 🙂 Can’t wait to hear more about your plans!