Tips and Tricks for making your road trip as enjoyable as possible!
Road Trips - the topic I have so many graphic t’s about. Who doesn’t love a good road trip? In theory, you just wake up one day, throw your stuff in the car and drive into the sunset seeking out adventure and following wherever the road takes you. Wind in your hair, sunglasses on your face, snacks in the car, what more could you need?
Lots - you need lots more. However, one thing people always seem to forget is while the vacation itself needs planning, packing needs planning too. But I’m not talking about what you’re specifically packing in your suitcase. I can’t give you a breakdown of what to bring because I don’t know where you’re going. “Make sure to bring your winter coat!”...as you’re packing for a road trip to Florida. No, I’m talking about packing the car.
As someone who has never really understood the world of - just get up and go - I plan my road trips right down to packing the car. OCD tendencies is one of my traits from the “About Us” section on our blog. I’ve fully accepted that I am one of those people who needs some planning before jumping. Do I need to stick my toe in the water before I go in? No. Do I need to know how deep the water is and where the best place to jump off is? Yes. There’s a slight difference but an important one. I’ll go on a last minute adventure, but you have to give me something to work off of because otherwise I will bring my entire life with me to cover all bases of potential activities. Hiking shoes, snow pants, bathing suit, flute, bow and arrow, hot plate, zombie repellent, dog bed in case we find a stray puppy I need to adopt or I’ll die - try cramming all of that into a car, along with additional human beings who get to sit among all the stuff you bring. Because let’s be honest - the idea of just grabbing everything you can and taking your whole world with you is appealing. Endless options and knowing without a doubt you have whatever you need for anything that pops up is magical.
I’m old enough to remember when you could check bags for free. Now, I can honestly say it’s been years since I’ve traveled with more than a carry on because - why are you charging me $50 each way to fly my stuff in a different part of the plane? Is the bottom of the plane that fancy that there is a cover charge? I think not! Nonetheless, that entire rant was way off topic. This post is about road trips Leanne, not flying. Right. So, where was I? Oh that’s right - literally packing everything you own and taking it to another location just because you can. Bad idea. For two major reasons. One - you have to unpack the car and move all of those essential items into your hotel room. Yep. Let me repeat that. You have to unpack your car and move all that crap into your room. After sitting in a car for hours, the last thing I want to do is take 47 trips to and from the car because I needed every pair of shoes I’ve owned since I was 18 to take this adventure with me. Two - you have to repack your bag at the end of the trip. Keeping in mind that if you’re like me, you’ve probably accumulated additional items while on vacation and now have to pack those in your car as well. Everything you carried up, unpacked, and bought, needs to make the journey back to your car. The two least favorite things about traveling - packing and repacking.
So, how does my OCD brain pack for road trips then you ask? Simple - I pack for a road trip like I’m going on a plane. Two carry on sized bags - not one. Even if I can fit it all into one, I will still bring two. But Leanne, you just complained about having to move lots of stuff to and from the car. First of all, thank you for paying attention - yes, I did complain about that. However, there is a method to my madness. First of all, I buy things. I need something to put my all the stuff I didn’t need but bought anyway in. You don’t need to fill both of your bags but you need two of them. Secondly, they are going to go in two different spots in the car. Bringing it back now - let’s remember this is a post about road trips. Vroom Vroom. In my younger years, more than once, we crammed everything in the trunk and had to pull over countless times to get things from the back. The customized road trip CD Jenny made, Sophia’s charger, Sarah’s hoodie, Michelle’s camera, my wallet (guilty). All things people needed...all things jammed into one suitcase...all things in the trunk. It’s important to have two bags because they serve two different purposes. One bag is for things you won’t need until you get there - clothes, shoes, bathing suit, shampoo. Anything that can hang out in the trunk without a second thought for hours. The second bag (smaller of the two - think about how much space you’d like for your feet) is for classic road trip necessities - music, phone, snacks, map, directions, if you want to do your makeup because you’re a passenger make sure to have that in your bag. This bag, is the bag that will help make the actual car riding aspect of the road trip awesome. Play that road trip playlist it took you 3 hours to make, make sure to have your phone with you to take awesome selfies, and eat all the snacks you want because you’re basically in a driving sleepover party. All being stuck in the car together, hanging out, and having fun is one of the best parts of doing a road trip. This bag is to help make the travel aspect more fun. You can have a good time heading to your destination, instead of counting down the hours until you get there.
The important thing about road trips is the driving itself is supposed to be part of the adventure. Taking a few moments to strategically pack your bags and car, helps to create a better driving experience for everyone. No one wants to be crammed in the backseat with over-sized luggage, uncomfortable and crabby about where they’re going to be stuck for the next few hours. And no one wants to make repeated pit stops because someone “needs something” out of the trunk. Road trips are about scenic views, singing loudly, bonding, and getting excited for the vacation to come. Being slightly more “adult” when preparing for a road trip can make all the difference for setting the tone for the whole vacation. Start your adventures off right with a little more planning and a lot more fun!
XoXo Leanne
Comments