My 8 Road Trip Necessities
“Why aren’t we flying? ‘Cause getting there is half the fun!”
Ah yes, the love-hate relationship we will never get out of; road-tripping. The holidays are meant for traveling to see loved ones but due to the germs, some of us may bite the bullet and hop in the car to avoid flying. Whether you’re going cross-country to Walley World or over the river and through the woods to Grandma’s house, these are my eight must-haves you’ll need to survive the trip:
Hydroflask
Tired on the road? Fill it with coffee. Dehydrated? Fill it with water. Hungry? Fill it with soup. Scared? Use as self defense (I mean, have you felt those things? Heavy duty metal!)
Podcast
For when your vocal chords finally give out from screaming the Mamma Mia soundtrack for the 50th time. Here are a few favorites to get you started:
Murder Mysteries: Crime Junkies, Dr. Death, My Favorite Murder
Motivation/Inspiration: Smartless: Jason Bateman, Happiness Lab, 10 Percent Happier: Dan Harris
Dating & Love: (Warning: A little raunchy… you’ll be chuckling in your car alone): Girls Gotta Eat, Sex With Emily
Life: Dax Shepard: Arm Chair Expert, Whitney Cummings: Good For You, Joe Rogan Experience, Work in Progress: Sophia Bush
Disposable Camera
Sometimes it feels risky bringing a nice camera on a trip, and sometimes you see or experience things especially on a road trip where you wouldn’t anywhere else. These are cheap, easy to carry around, and develop photos that seriously make you look five years younger (cheers!)
Car Chargers
Heaven FORBID the day an iphone, laptop, ipad, DVD player, any electronic device dies while on a road trip. The chaos that will arise if you can’t answer that business call or if Shrek disappears from the screen… no one needs that. Bring your chargers and the back-up chargers.
Snacks
Do not stop for the 20-piece McNuggets. Your stomach and your doctor will thank you. Here is a list of the easiest road trip snacks that you can throw in some tupperware or a little baggie:
Beef Jerky
Sliced Meat & Crackers
String Cheese
Carrot and celery sticks
Granola Bars
Dried Fruit/Nuts
Sunscreen
The windows will not protect you from the rays of the sun! The world is already trying to age us and give us pre-mature wrinkles. Get a lil fun-size sunscreen and keep that skin glowing.
UV Hats
Costco baby. Cute and affordable. Wear it for a quick stop at the Grand Canyon or during a stroll to stretch the legs. Can instantly add a little taste of fashion to your road trip fit and can instantly hide your face when you don’t want to interact with anyone.
A Sense of Humor
Your kids will fight, your significant other will mess up the directions, your dog may vomit… there are literally bumps in the road with every trip so don’t forget your sense of humor!