Whether it was Massachusetts to California with the family as a child, California to Washington with the bestie in high school, North Carolina to Oregon with the sister in college or traveling the southern states with Matt as an adult, I can pretty much guarantee that I've road-tripped through your state. More than once. I also enjoyed it, and probably took too many unidentified landscape photos and selfies along the way.
Not every trip was sunshine and smiles the whole way but throughout my treks I have boiled down the 5 key elements to a successful road trip.
1. Choose Your Company Carefully
2. Good Tunes
3. Smart Packing
4. Expectation Management
5. RELAX
Choose Your Company Carefully
You are going to be in a tight space with these people for an extended period of time. That means you will have to listen to them eat (hopefully they don't chew like a cow), be in their presence as they digest (hopefully they don't smell too bad) and you will be a hostage to their bladder. Not only that but the secret to a really great road trip is to have GOOD conversation. You can survive a 3 or 4 hour drive solely on jamming to music or playing on your phone --if you're the passenger. I am not condoning playing on your phone while driving-- but come hours 8 and 9 you will want to shoot yourself if you don't have a good talking buddy to help mix things up!
Good Tunes
Imagine watching your favorite classic movie. So you're sitting back enjoying Ferris Bueller's Day Off (No? Night at The Roxbury? Ok, regardless of your movie of choice, imagine turning it on) and you're getting to that epic scene. You know, the one where the guy gets the girl, or they have a narrow escape from the clutches of the law. Now watch that life-altering scene on mute.
Not quite the same, is it?
Every. I repeat EVERY epic moment has theme music. If you don't have any memories like that then I regret to inform you: your life sucks.
Having music to relieve the tension of traffic and help pass the time is absolutely crucial. Don't be that guy that thinks talk-radio is an acceptable form of auditory enjoyment. It's not.
Smart Packing
I know, smart packing seems to directly oppose the spontaneous and free spirited nature of road trips but trust me here. It takes 10 minutes to pack the essentials in a smart way and it saves you a ton of inconvenience when you're on the road. Obviously you'll pack your clothing essentials for the trip at hand but don't forget to pack a SMALL bag with car-sentials. I mean a purse sized bag. In it you'll shove your camera, toothbrush and travel paste (seriously, after 12 hours and three meals in the car you'll thank me when you can easily whip that baby out and feel fresh again), chargers, a book or kindle, eye mask/ear plugs, basic first aid needs- I mean Tylenol, Ibuprofen, and Pepto because there's no quicker fun-killer than an upset stomach/sore back/killer headache. And once those are packed, shove your ginormo clothes bag in the trunk and leave your essentials (and a coat) easily accessible. That way you aren't digging through your overly crowded trunk at 4am trying to find your coat and charger while trying not to pee yourself or freeze to death. Also- smart packing includes wearing the right kind of clothes. Comfort is key, but don't forget that this is a memory you may want to document. Yes, that means hop in the shower right before you leave. Sure you can wear your favorite yoga pants if you want to, but how about putting on a clean T-shirt and running a brush through your hair? The goal is to explore the world, not scare the locals! Oh and if you're anything like me- your small bag needs to include a light blanket because the rest of the car doesn't want to be sweaty just so you aren't shivering!
Expectation Management
1. Choose Your Company Carefully
2. Good Tunes
3. Smart Packing
4. Expectation Management
5. RELAX
Choose Your Company Carefully
You are going to be in a tight space with these people for an extended period of time. That means you will have to listen to them eat (hopefully they don't chew like a cow), be in their presence as they digest (hopefully they don't smell too bad) and you will be a hostage to their bladder. Not only that but the secret to a really great road trip is to have GOOD conversation. You can survive a 3 or 4 hour drive solely on jamming to music or playing on your phone --if you're the passenger. I am not condoning playing on your phone while driving-- but come hours 8 and 9 you will want to shoot yourself if you don't have a good talking buddy to help mix things up!
Good Tunes
Imagine watching your favorite classic movie. So you're sitting back enjoying Ferris Bueller's Day Off (No? Night at The Roxbury? Ok, regardless of your movie of choice, imagine turning it on) and you're getting to that epic scene. You know, the one where the guy gets the girl, or they have a narrow escape from the clutches of the law. Now watch that life-altering scene on mute.
Not quite the same, is it?
Every. I repeat EVERY epic moment has theme music. If you don't have any memories like that then I regret to inform you: your life sucks.
Having music to relieve the tension of traffic and help pass the time is absolutely crucial. Don't be that guy that thinks talk-radio is an acceptable form of auditory enjoyment. It's not.
Smart Packing
I know, smart packing seems to directly oppose the spontaneous and free spirited nature of road trips but trust me here. It takes 10 minutes to pack the essentials in a smart way and it saves you a ton of inconvenience when you're on the road. Obviously you'll pack your clothing essentials for the trip at hand but don't forget to pack a SMALL bag with car-sentials. I mean a purse sized bag. In it you'll shove your camera, toothbrush and travel paste (seriously, after 12 hours and three meals in the car you'll thank me when you can easily whip that baby out and feel fresh again), chargers, a book or kindle, eye mask/ear plugs, basic first aid needs- I mean Tylenol, Ibuprofen, and Pepto because there's no quicker fun-killer than an upset stomach/sore back/killer headache. And once those are packed, shove your ginormo clothes bag in the trunk and leave your essentials (and a coat) easily accessible. That way you aren't digging through your overly crowded trunk at 4am trying to find your coat and charger while trying not to pee yourself or freeze to death. Also- smart packing includes wearing the right kind of clothes. Comfort is key, but don't forget that this is a memory you may want to document. Yes, that means hop in the shower right before you leave. Sure you can wear your favorite yoga pants if you want to, but how about putting on a clean T-shirt and running a brush through your hair? The goal is to explore the world, not scare the locals! Oh and if you're anything like me- your small bag needs to include a light blanket because the rest of the car doesn't want to be sweaty just so you aren't shivering!
Expectation Management
If you are traveling cross-country with 4 children that are all under the age of five (true story) then you need to have an entirely different set of expectations than your 8 hour hour trip with your best friend.
If you are travelling with children you either need to plan copious stops or travel at night while they're sleeping. Seriously, Matt and I always start our car trips with the kids after 7pm. Feed them dinner, give them baths, put them in their PJs and voila!
They will be excited for about 30 minutes (up to an hour or two, depending on the age) and then they'll pass right out for the night and wake up in the morning at the final destination! A few tips about traveling with little ones though: I prefer to put a small cooler in between the kids and I put a few snacks in there in case they get hungry unexpectedly at night or first thing in the morning. I also put a pillow or two on top of it, so that if the kids lean sideways when they fall asleep they aren't strangling themselves or falling out of their booster seats. You also need to know your little sleepers. For example, we put pull ups on Alexis because although she goes accident free almost every night, she also likes to drink water if it's readily available and we don't want her to pee on her booster seat halfway through the trip! And we only give them really light blankets to sleep with because they're sweaty sleepers.
Even if you aren't traveling with kids, expect to hit traffic at some point, expect to have to stop at least once unexpectedly and expect to hit bad weather for some portion of the drive. If you expect all three of these things, you won't stress when they happen and hopefully you allowed enough time in the schedule. That is another key point. Allow enough time in the schedule! Yes, Google Maps says it takes 9 hours to get from North Carolina to Nashville but NO you won't make it in time.
Seriously, don't try. Do not, I repeat, DO NOT set yourself up for miserable failure and 9 hours of torture by only allowing yourself the Google Maps amount of time to get somewhere. Leave 2 hours early or plan activities 2 hours later because Murphy's Law applies to all of us, and something WILL happen. Then you'll spend the remaining 7 hours constantly looking at the time and calculating exactly how late you're going to be.
That's a terrible feeling during your 25 minute commute to work when you oversleep, don't do it to yourself for hours!
Relax
Seriously. I am a big planner, as you all know. I make plans for my plans and have more calendars, organizers and planners than any one person needs. But that being said, strict plans are the nemesis of a good road trip. Sure, now a days you can use a website to chart exactly where to stop for the best gas prices. You can also time your stops to avoid traffic and plan your meals along the way. Do I recommend this?
Hell no.
Focus your planning efforts into packing the right things and loading the car to optimize leg room. Focus your planning efforts into the route to avoid major construction or bad weather. Focus your planning efforts into the best road trip play list ever, but for God's sake, once you turn on the car, LET IT GO.
Yes, even though you ate a snack, went pee and left the house with a full tank of gas somebody forgot to go. You will pull over about 45 miles into the trip even though your first 'planned' stop isn't for four hours. All your beautifully crafted plan is going to do is cause yourself stress and annoy the crap out of anyone else in the car. Instead try relaxing and enjoying the drive. See a scenic route? Go on it. Get out of the car and take a few pictures. Your legs, and your children will thank you for it!
You've been driving all night and the kids decided to wake up at 3am and insist that they aren't tired?
Stop at that truck stop you see, let them go pee and then let them sprint back and forth between you and your spouse on the sidewalk, in their pajamas.
How much time did you really waste? Sure you stopped for ten extra minutes while the kids ran like mad men, but once they get out a little energy they feel better, willingly climb back in the car and 5 miles later they're sound asleep again.
And my favorite: when someone tells you that they don't want the fruits and veggies that you packed and they're sick of fast food, LET THEM pick something else to eat. Now is not the time to be stubborn or offended that they don't share your love of celery sticks and apple slices. If you planned a couple extra hours into your trip then there are no qualms with stopping in Birmingham, Alabama to walk around Bass Pro Shop or pulling off the highway in Shreveport, LA and driving to the river to find a restaurant.
If you packed accordingly and relaxed like we talked about before you're sure to make your best memories on these unplanned stops.
So it takes Matt and I an extra hour for every 6 hours Google tells us it should take. I'm ok with that because we get to our destination safely and just as happy (if not happier) than when we left.
Does anyone else have any road trip tips, routes or stories? Please share!
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