Posted on
This is for all my ladies who are stellar travelers or who are a little afraid to road trip without a man or someone to guide the way. Here are my top priorities when I road trip alone or with my kids; sans husband.
ROAD TRIP LIST:
1.) Good vehicle. So, my car is getting old. It's a 2001 Toyota 4Runner no 4 wheel drive. Here's the thing, I have maintained and spoiled her to no end. I think I may have only missed one oil change before and the guilt was beyond me. And every 6 months I get some upkeep work done on her to make sure she stays mine possibly forever. My point is this; make sure you know your car. It should be something that hasn't let you down before. Dependable.
1.) Good vehicle. So, my car is getting old. It's a 2001 Toyota 4Runner no 4 wheel drive. Here's the thing, I have maintained and spoiled her to no end. I think I may have only missed one oil change before and the guilt was beyond me. And every 6 months I get some upkeep work done on her to make sure she stays mine possibly forever. My point is this; make sure you know your car. It should be something that hasn't let you down before. Dependable.
2.) Water. Wherever you go water will be necessary for you and sometimes your car. God forbid anything happens to you or your vehicle but be prepared for anything by having extra, extra water handy. I have 2 gallons in the car as back-up; that's not including what I have available for us to drink and use. Another thing is you don't always know when your next stop will be. Which can make having this life force necessary during long, lonely spurts on the road.
3.) Map. GPS is wonderful. I fully love using her and taking advantage of her daily. The problem is that often times we road trip to areas to disconnect and that includes from cell service. So...no cell service, no GPS. A map can make or break you if you're in BF nowhere.
4.) Cooler. Bring a cooler stuffed full of food and something to have available for the road. Mostly because it's an awesome way to travel but also if something unexpected happens.
Awesome road eats:
trail mix
beef jerky
pickles
olives
veggies
fruit oh so much fruit
sunflower seeds & something to spit the shell into
gum
cold coffee
soda water
PS: Don't forget a car phone charger!!! And a plug in one as well!!
A few tricks I have picked up along the way...
Trick 1.) Always get gas when you can. I never let my tank drop below 1/2. Recently, on a road trip back from New Mexico I had stopped to use the restroom at a very lonely but popular stop on the Interstate 8 just before the pass. Luckily I had filled up my tank a while back so I wasn't worried about getting gas. However, a gentleman there was stressed out because he was already below low and he waited to get gas at this last stop...The only problem was they were out of gas! He didn't have enough to get him back to nearest station in either direction. The gas station had anticipated having gas already but the truck was late and they weren't sure of arrival time or day. Ultimately, I remember taking this to heart and doing my best to not allow myself to be in that position.
Trick 2.) Have some back up music for when there is no internet, cell service or radio available...which can be often! I had some tunes downloaded on my phone so it worked but not a ton and we ended up listening to the same 5 songs over and over again. Now, I get road trip ready a week in advance when it comes to music!
Trick 3.) Choose a good travel partner!!! So important. The wrong people can completely ruin the entire experience for you and all involved. Know who can handle the long road and who is okay with going with the flow. Things don't always go to plan. My youngest daughter is the best road tripper. She and I are like peas & carrots on the road.
Trick 4.) Have a tentative plan. Not having a plan can be fun...I love that kinda road trip, but if you're traveling with lots of people and there's no plan; problems can arise. Everyone has their ideas and wants what they want. Sometimes it works, but often it brings a downer to the experience. You just wanna be free and have a good time so put together a plan and be flexible in how it gets carried out. Road closures, (covid-19) and damaged routes can alter the road trip agenda!
Trick 5.) Bring a camera. I prefer to use an actual camera, not my cell phone, but that's not for everyone. Just remember to take some shots. Make memories for the books, pull over and watch the train for the kids, stop and say hello to an old cactus off the highway, get out and listen to the complete silence of the desert or mountains. Oh, and never forget to stargaze at night. Wherever you are...take it in with all its glory. Give yourself something to look back on and reminisce...These are memories of a lifetime.
Photo by Instagram: @sisters_in_the_world