10 Tips For Fun & Successful Road Trips

Ok, people.

Summer is nearly here.

Great destinations are waiting (with hand sanitizer and a face mask, of course).

Flying is currently…yucky, and scary, and weird.

Your personal vehicle and currently low gas prices are calling your name.

Answer the call. Get out there. It’s gonna be great.

Disclaimer:

Now, I realize some of you are opting to stay home and “stay safe” this summer, and I respect that. Nothing wrong with hangin’ out in your backyard soakin’ up some sun and sippin’ lemonade (Or whatever your choice summer beverage may be). It’s one of my favorite things to do and there will be plenty of other summers to get out and see the world. (Well, that’s if the world ever returns to any semblance of normality.) Do your thing! Even Tolkien represented for you guys!

“We don’t want any adventures here, thank you! You might try over The Hill or across The Water.”

-Bilbo Baggins

Haha, now don’t get all offended. I love all y’all. You do you and more power to ya!

For Everyone Else…

If you are like me, sick of being stuck at home, noticing the states are beginning to open back up, and desperately in need of an adventure..

Road trip it is!!! Let’s do this thing.

Now, maybe you normally fly, or maybe you just don’t travel much. Maybe you want to get out after months of being home but road tripping has never been your thing. I was recently talking with a friend who really despises road tripping. I mean, I get it. It takes longer to get everywhere, there are some places in this country that are absolutely the pits to drive through, and by the end of a long day, the car smells like… well, it’s hard oder to describe, but there’s that and your booty is likely killing you. No one can deny any of that. But, now we have all the cons out of the way, lets talk about how to make road tripping as fun and successful as it possibly can be!

1. Give The Car A Crazy Good Cleaning

To start off, one huge advantage of a road trip, is the need to give Charlie a good once over! Cause everyone needs to do that now and again anyway, right? What better of an excuse than knowing you’re going to spend the next few days or weeks in close quarters with Charlie! Check the oil and the breaks and the tires…and that windshield washer stuff and the coolaid or coolant? And um…the engine…and…ok, ok so maybe my husband does that part so I’m clueless as to what all it entails, but basically, be sure Charlie plans to get you from point A to Z and every stop in-between. No one wants to deal with car maintenance on the road if they can help it! (Especially now, when you can’t guarantee what’s open.) Next, it’s bath time! A carwash is a necessity to beginning a trip. Then, take everything out, throw away or put away what doesn’t need to be there, and then vacuum the whole thing out. Add some sorta spray that smells refreshing, and you’re all set! Now Charlie is starting off clean and odor free! It won’t stay that way, but it’s best to start off as fresh as possible!

2. Only Take What You Need

This is important! Try your utmost not to pack Charlie to the gills! You want to be able to get in and out of Charlie with ease! You want things to be easy to find, and the more stuff you have, the harder it is to find anything. And when you have too much stuff there’s nothing more annoying than constantly having to catch the things that fall out every time you open a door or the hatch. Plus, when you stop for overnights or finally reach your destination, you don’t want to have to unpack or repack a million different things. (I know it’s a struggle…I have three little boys and it feels like we need to pack half the house, but its really best not to!) Pack light if at all possible. You won’t regret it!

3. Only Take People You Like

Now this may sound awful, but it’s kind of true. (Don’t judge me.) If you don’t know someone well or know you have a major personality clash with your road tripping partner, ya might want to choose a different route or activity. Being stuck in a small space for hours on end with other humans can be a challenging experience…especially if you are at odds with the other humans to begin with. I mean really, road trips can get long with people you absolutely adore…so just keep this in mind as you pick your traveling buddy. Ooooooorrrrrrr, if you’re brave, ignore this advice! Perhaps it will be a bonding experience! Invite whomever you choose and prepare to be sanctified! Sanctification is great. Who knows, maybe it will go well, and a challenge is usually a good thing.

4. Go Shopping For Yummy Snacks

My mother can tell you that, growing up, I would approach her WEEKS in advance of an upcoming road trip asking when we were heading out to shop for snacks. See, I knew that road tripping mean “special snacks”. Lot’s of little goodies that we didn’t always keep around, just to help time pass and make the ride a bit more fun! And shopping was half of the experience! Knowing you have your favorite snacks just waiting for you when your journey begins, makes your anticipation all the greater! The shopping is fun and the eating is even better! And parents, involve the kids in the choosing and snacking! They’ll love it! And when moods get a little touchy, who doesn’t feel better after being handed a cookie. Because cookies make all things better. Yummy snacks are an absolute NECESSITY and basically the funnest part of road tripping! Go organic, go junky, go somewhere in-between. You do you. Just be sure you enjoy it! Plus, its generally cheaper to shop for snacks all at once and you end up with better options than pulling the whole, grab something at every gas station. Not awesome and pretty expensive. In a nutshell, snacks create endorphins. Endorphins make you happy. Happy people get along better and enjoy road trips as they ought to be. A little tip from Dr. B. (Ok, I’m no MD, but I’m pretty sure this is true!)

5. Fun Games and Songs Save the Day!

This is ESPECIALLY for those brave parents road tripping with kids. But it’s good for everyone! And with the internet at your finger tips, you can Google games and songs as you drive! Make up songs, sing silly songs, sing favorite songs, listen to your favorite songs, but SING, SING, SING! Make up word games, play silly games, play favorite games, brighten your horizons with trivia, but PLAY, PLAY, PLAY! A road trip with no singing or game playing is peanut butter with no chocolate, a boat without a sale, a guitar without strings, a pea without a pod and a skunk without his spray. (Ok, that last illustration was not helpful), but you get it! There are endless songs one could sing, but I’ll offer a few of my favorite games here:

1. “Alphabet Billboard Game” Search Billboards, road signs, semi trucks, etc. for a word that begins with each letter of the alphabet. Try to race everyone else to finding the next letter! (Both fun and educational!)
2. “Go On A Picnic” Or a road trip, or a cruise, or a hike, etc. and decide what you’re taking with you. Once again using the alphabet. The first person starts with A. “I’m going on a picnic and I’m taking an Apple.” The next person person, “I’m going on a picnic and I’m taking an Apple and a Ball.” You get the drift! (Don’t be boring, crack a few jokes and be as ridiculous as you want to be!)
3. “Roadside Poker” Don’t judge! There’s no real gambling involved here…although I feel as though playing for M&Ms rather than money would be totally acceptable. Anywho, you split off into teams and make different animals a different amount of points. (e.g. cows-100, horses-200, cats-300, Dogs-400 and so on.) If you spot these animals on your side of the road, your team receives the points and you play to whatever amount you choose.
4. I love any kind of trivia!

I could seriously name so many more, but I tend to like lame, easy games. Maybe you’ll be more creative. But all in all, games and songs make the time fly and can lighten the mood when things get tense.

6. Opt For A Picnic

If the weather is nice while on the road, for the sake of both saving money and getting some fresh air, I would highly recommend bringing along a cooler with a pre-packed picnic! Or if you forget, grab takeout and find a rest area or a park. Why get out of your vehicle to head straight to another enclosed space to sit and eat. ESPECIALLY if you have children! Save the money, bring some sandwiches and find somewhere in the great outdoors to enjoy lunch and maybe get some energy out! Fresh air does wonders for our moods, temperament, and energy levels! My vote is to always choose a picnic in the sun over a crowded, stuffy restaurant.

7. Always Stop For Ice Cream

This is one of the most vital tips I can give. Those signs before each exit letting you know what restaurants are coming are there for a reason. And when you see Dairy Queen, I beg you not to let it pass you by. Ignore the fact that you’re doing nothing but sitting and ice cream does terrible things to your body. Push those toxic thoughts from your mind. Get the ice cream. It is worth every bite. I guarantee it. Ice cream creates all the warm feelings and causes moody children to brighten considerably. It is scientifically proven that ice cream makes every single circumstance that much happier. (Well, if it hasn’t been proven yet, it will be!) I’ve never known a road trip without ice cream and I never plan to. It simply shouldn’t be done. And it’s great for bribing the kids to behave in the backseat. Cause they know you’re stoppin’ for the ice cream regardless, but whether or not they get in on it depends on how many times they’ve screamed “stop touching me!” Leaving the threat dangling above their heads from lunch time on works wonders! So. Always get the ice cream.

8. Pick A Destination With Destinations On The Route

As much as you may love Charlie, days can get long and the road may seem to stretch ahead endlessly. So. Do everything possible to pick a route to your ultimate destination that will include other destinations of interest along the way. It will broaden your horizons, give you the opportunity to see more places of interest, as well as break up what can sometimes turn into monotony. It will give you something to look forward to each day if you either plan stops ahead of time or are a bit more adventurous and simply keep your eyes out for places of interest, maybe take an old dusty dirt road just to see where it leads. Who knows what hidden treasures await! Go forth and explore! Let Charlie take you where no man has gone before! See the world! Well…until you hit water. Then you should probably stop.

9. Choose Affordable but Fun Overnights

t can be easy to just try to find the cheapest option for overnights while on the road and there is really nothing wrong with that. But, sometimes, after a long day in the car, it can be nice to know you’ll enjoy where you stay for the night. For me, that always means a pool so my boys can get some energy out, as well as a free breakfast to save money and time. My favorite route to getting both of these things without spending an arm and a leg is Express Deals on Priceline.com. You’ll know whether your accommodations will have the amenities that your looking for (pool, workout room, free breakfast, etc.), but it’s super affordable because although you’ll be given a list of four or five hotels as possibilities, you don’t actually find out your hotel until after you book. And you can do this as last minute as you please. It’s a cheaper, easier way to get the things that matter to you. This is basically always how we book! This way you can stop when and where you want to, and know you’ll be pleased with what your hotel has to offer!

10. Get There When Ya Get There

If you truly see your vacation as a road trip, then give yourself the time to enjoy it. The destination is great but the journey can be fun too. If you allot yourself an appropriate amount of time on the road, it can help to cut down on tenseness or frustration if it takes a little longer than planned. Because things come up, things break down, and life is unpredictable. Plus, it will leave time for being spontaneous or spending a little longer at a place of interest. If you aren’t stuck to a super tight schedule, the freedom can really make all the difference in how you view your road trip and everything you experience along the way.

All This To Say…

Road tripping is likely to be just about the most popular form of travel this year. If you’re going to do it. Do it right! Try to let go of some of the tense frustration that this year may have brought you so far. Enjoy your time away and let the road take you where it will. Take in the scenery as you’ve likely been stuck home for so long. See new sights as you’re finally out of your own four walls. Breathe in the fresh air and toss the face mask. Take a few days or weeks, just you, Charlie, and a few friends or family members, and find joy in the journey!

So, these are my tips. I love road-tripping and have traveled all over the country, but I know there are so many more hacks and I’ve really only scratched the surface! Please feel free to comment with your ideas and experiences! I’d love it. Every seasoned road tripper has their own wisdom to share and as I plan to be road tripping with my husband and three little guys this summer, I’d love to hear them!

Happy travels, dear friends!