Sweeping views outside your windows.
Deep conversations with the person next to you, or even with yourself.
A newfound appreciation for sun visors, AC, sunroofs, etc.
And while not every road trip is considered equal, they all have the potential for being amazing.
And you know what? Sometimes a long drive with music blaring really IS the best therapy for certain situations.
- PREP YOUR VEHICLE FOR THE LONG ROAD TRIP
Okay, I know a lot of you are looking at this like, really? It seems SO obvious to have your car road-trip-ready, but hear me out on this.
Of course you’ll want to make sure your car has 4 tires, fully-inflated, gas in the tank, working headlights, etc.
But think about it: have you had a recent oil change?
How’s your radiator doing?
When was the last time you topped-off your fluids?
When we drive around town, it’s easy to get away with not having wiper fluid, stretch a few more days until we can get our cars into the shop for maintenance on the weekend.
2. HAVE A LITTLE BAGPACK FULL OF THINGS YOU MIGHT FIND AMUSING
Like books, puzzles or portable video games.
Make some yummy snacks (if you’re going to a warm/hot place don’t take chocolate!), and buy some water and drinks in bottles or cans. That will keep your hunger down when there isn’t an exit coming up anytime soon!
3. BRING SNACKS FOR THE LONG ROAD TRIP
WHEN TRAVELING WITH KIDS, THE FRUIT SNACKS AND SUGARY ITEMS WILL BE THE FIRST TO DISAPPEAR
Just accept it. And on the subject of kids, it’s also SUPER helpful and less of an issue if you pack them their own little lunch pail or bucket of snacks. Nothing is more aggravating than having a sibling take your Gushers packet!
KEEP SNACKS WITHIN REACH DURING YOUR LONG ROAD TRIP
Especially if you’re driving solo, having your snacks in the car (not the trunk) and easily accessible can relive the stress of locating them blindly.
PREP YOUR SNACKS BEFORE YOUR LONG ROAD TRIP BEGINS
There’s nothing worse than having a bunch of snacks that require 2 hands to get ready. I travel with a small cooler for perishables and divided Tupperware for fruit. I prep my road trip snacks the way I prep my work snacks: everything is cut, peeled, and separated out for easy grabbing.
4. STAY HYDRATED WITH WATER
It’s so easy nowadays to stop by a gas station and grab one of those XXL monster soda buckets. And while I admit that I’m a bit of a Dr. Pepper addict, I try to watch it while I’m on the road.
Similar to flying, it’s very important to stay hydrated while on a long road trip and water is the way to go. Hydrating with energy drinks, Gatorade and soda is sometimes necessary after you’ve already been in the car, but it’s all about balance. Along with my snacks as mentioned above, I’ve purchased a small cooler where I can keep bottles of water cold.
I make the drive to Southern California from Salt Lake City quite frequently, which takes me straight down I-15, through the desert. There have been times where I’ve been driving into the sun, the outside temperature reaching over 110° easy, my air-conditioning blasting as cold and strong as it could go, and it was still hot in the car. In times like these where it feels like I’m driving on the surface of the sun, I am grateful for a cold bottle of water. No need to get light-headed and dehydrated while on the road!
5. CREATE MUSIC MIXES BEFORE YOUR LONG ROAD TRIP
There’s nothing worse than trying to figure out what music you want to listen to and search for songs while you’re in the middle of your road trip. Keep a couple of road-trip-worthy CDs, playlists, audiobooks on-hand for easy use. If you’re traveling solo, there’s no better time than a road trip to serenade your steering wheel with the latest Taylor Swift song, try your rapping skills alongside Big Daddy Kane (a personal favorite), or practice your Disney karaoke at the top of your lungs. If you’re traveling with a friend, music helps fill the time when you need a break from a heavy conversation.
Change up the songs that you listen to. If you’re planning a road trip along the Pacific Coast Highway from LA to Seattle, might I suggest some Beach Boys? Red Hot Chili Peppers? Eagles? Something that goes with the location? It’s okay to be a little stereotypical with your playlists if you want: listen to country as you drive through Tennessee. Zydeco as you cruise around New Orleans. Or just throw on your Harry Potter series in England.
Like snacks, have a variety of music, podcasts, and audio books. There really will be a time when you can’t stand to listen to another Van Halen, Disney, or Lizzo song.
If you travel with certain people all of the time, maybe spend some time figuring out what songs they like and create a playlist specifically for road trips with them.
Or, of course, you can abide by the standard: “driver controls the radio” mentality, no matter what. Totally your choice, but I recommend having quick access to a variety of noise. There are tons of apps you can use, such as Spotify and iTunes.
