Back in my youth, I went on many a road trip with my best friends. We would drive anywhere and everywhere, to concerts, to new cities, on a new adventure each week. I fancy myself a bit of an expert on road trips and everything that makes a road trip perfect. I decided to impart my knowledge on all of you, especially since I’m about to take a short road trip with a couple of friends. Here are my top 10 road trip essentials.
Road Trip Essentials
Sunglasses are a given, but I don’t know how many times I have left for a trip and forgotten them. I, then, either spend the time squinting into the sunlight or I have to stop and buy a new pair. Don’t forget your shades, kids.
You are going to want to capture those memories. Make sure you have a camera on hand. I don’t care if it’s the camera on your cell phone, a DSLR, or a polaroid. The only thing I have ever regretted was failing to capture enough of our trips. In hindsight, I should have videotaped every moment in those cars.
I have been trying to take notes and observations more often. My beautiful journal needs to be filled with memories. I am trying to spend a few minutes every night trying to capture the highlights from the day in that notebook, both the good and the bad. As such, I think it is very important to keep a travel journal or even just a note on your phone with you to write down some of your experiences, funny quotes, amazing places you eat, and anything else that you don’t want to forget.
I take my Corkcicle where ever I go. Any refillable bottle will do, but I highly recommend bringing some sort of water bottle. Hydration is important all of the time, but you are going to be driving for extended periods of time. If your bottle can simply be refilled, you will save money and stay hydrated.
Snacks are obviously up to you and your tastes, but here are some of my favorites. If I’m keeping it healthy, I go with Special K Protein bites, nuts, Nutella and go, and protein bars. Sometimes I’ll even create a homemade protein box like the ones at Starbucks. However, if I am going wild and don’t care about health, I get Trolli worms, beef jerky, chips, and all that other crappy food that tastes so good.
Comfy clothes are absolutely mandatory. When you are sitting the car, you don’t want to be shifting around wearing something that doesn’t make you feel like you’re lounging in your living room. I typically opt for leggings, an oversized t-shirt, a flannel and comfy shoes. I try to dress in layers because my body isn’t great at regulating temperature.
A great playlist can honestly change an entire road trip. Back in the day, my friends and I would burn so many CDs with our road trip playlists. These CD’s included everything from Hanson to Nelly to random emo/pop-punk. We never knew what we were going to get when we put a CD in the stereo. These days I’m an avid Spotify user, but in anticipation of this trip, I created a playlist that is equal parts good music, nostalgia and comical.
You will be using your phone a lot. Personally, I use mine for music, pictures, and GPS. So, make sure you have a phone charger. My radio luckily has a USB drive so it is as simple as bringing my charging cord. If that is not the case I recommend a charger that plugs into your lighter or even an external charger.
Perhaps it seems weird to recommend a good book, but I think it is always important to have a good book on hand. Don’t get me wrong, I am not typically reading as we are driving along (especially if I’m behind the wheel). When you get to your destination, you may be totally wired. However, your travel partner may be ready for some sleep. This is why I always think it is so important to have a good book. Turn on your bedside lamp and do a little reading until you’re ready for bed. My book club picked The Power for our summer read. This book will be with me for my upcoming journey.
Finally, keep an open mind. I can not count the times we got horribly lost trying to find a destination. Yes, even when we had GPS. Some of the best stories come from getting lost and winding up somewhere I never expected. It is so important to keep an open mind and just let some of these experiences happen. It is sometimes hard to remain calm at the moment when your friend is about to make a right-hand turn from the inner lane across 5 lanes of NYC traffic. However, when you get out the other side and miraculously survive you can have a good laugh if you keep an open mind.
