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Tuesday, May 27, 2014

Road Trip Survival Guide: 6 Steps for Sanity


Now that Memorial Day is behind us, so begins the summer travel season. And for many of us, road trips are a way to escape for a couple of days or longer in search of respite from the day to day work grind.

According to AAA, 36.1 million Americans were projected to travel 50 miles or more by car over the Memorial Day Weekend alone, up 1.5% from last year. That's a lot of pit stops.

As part of a couple who loves road trips, I have learned some valuable lessons that make the journey just as memorable as the destination. Here's what I learned: 



1. Share the load. Offer to drive and give him or her a break to snooze, catch up on email or social media or to just look out the window. He or she will appreciate the break and your willingness to share the load.



2. Don't feel like you have to talk all the time. Share space and be confident in your quiet time to think, practice your selfies, meditate, wonder at what you see and play with naughty thoughts to make your stay-over that much more fun.




3. Plan ahead. Pack snacks. Pack water. Pack tissues. Pack medicine for a pop-up headache. Pack antacids. Pack a travel blanket and pillow. It's better to be prepared. I eat every 3-4 hours, but my husband could eat once or twice a day. To keep me from becoming "that girl" I pack a protein bar. Then, I'm good to go and a much happier co-pilot.





4. Be a diplomatic DJ. When making your play list, consider what both parties want to hear and play nice...take turns.

5. Do yourselves a favor, and if you don't have one already, get a dual port car charger. 

6. Recognize that art is all around you. if you're in the passenger seat, be ready to snap a picture whenever the mood strikes you. Maybe there's an amazing cloud formation, or the approach of a striking bridge. You never know when inspiration will hit, and with the amazing photo editing filters available, you can let your inner artist free.




I love taking road trips with my husband. Whether it's to a coffee house and bakery across state lines or north of the border into Canada, exploring the northern coast of Spain, or venturing south into Portugal, road trips can be about the journey as much as they are about the destination. 


Buckle up and enjoy the ride.


What are your favorite road trip tips?












45 comments:

  1. I ALWAYS pack snacks - which came in handy once I had kids. I'm having trouble fitting all the snacks I need to bring to Spain!! I also love that you said you don't need to talk all the time. Isn't it great being with someone you can just be silent with?? Love!

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    1. Thanks, Allie. :-) Snacks make or break me. I love sharing space...with my husband and with friends. Good luck in Spain. I'll be cheering for you here. :-)

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  2. These are some great tips! Thanks for sharing them! I love road trips and am so sorry for not having a car anymore. I couldn't bring my car from Germany to the Arctic of course but having a car just means freedom to me ;)

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    1. You're right in that a car brings freedom. But luckily, at least in my experience, Europe has a great public transportation system....is this true for the Arctic? Thank you so much for stopping by. :-)

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  3. Sharing the driving responsibilities is really key to a happy road trip! And snack, lots of snacks :)

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    1. I volunteer all of the time, but he most often declines. He loves to drive, and I love to co-pilot, so it's a win-win. :-) Snacks make or break me....knowing is half the battle. :-) Thanks for stopping by.

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  4. I guess it depends on the driver, where you are, and the environment but I would say.... learn how to drive from the passenger seat. Sounds weird, but when you're in traffic and trying to break through the slow sections (or get back to the car rental in time)- you need your passenger to alert you to crazy drivers, a clear path on the far right, or even cops up ahead. I can never relax, always keeping alert when around the city until we hit open road.

    I like your list- agree wholeheartedly on enjoying each other's company. Just being together for the ride is an amazing perk to having a good carpool buddy.

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    1. Farin, you're so right. I am definitely a co-pilot and not merely a passenger. Sharing space is such a comforting place to be. It's never forced...romance in its own way. :-)

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  5. I had no idea there was a dual part charger. We need that!

    We drove around for about three hours yesterday looking at covered bridges. Our musts are coffee, water, snacks, ipod, and being okay with silence!

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    1. Steph, the dual charger is great. And because it has USB ports, you can charge almost anything. They also have chargers that convert AC power that may not use a USB, like a laptop. It was a lifesaver during a trip to Canada while I was in grad school and needed to finish and send a paper.

      Our musts are the same. :-) Brilliant minds...

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  6. Really good tips. I would add to make sure there are plenty of ideas for keeping any kids with you happy! Snacks, notebooks, movies, music, etc.

    I wish my husband would let me drive more often, but he likes to do it. I only do it when I can see he is exhausted, and even then I have to talk him into it! Stubborn!

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    1. Thank you, Lara. We don't have kids, so we're okay there. My husband is the same way. He loves to drive, but he is also hard headed. And, I'm a good co-pilot. :-)

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  7. I TOTALLY agree with coming fully prepared with many MANY snacks. One is never enough

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    1. Hi Devon, snacks make or break me, and knowing is half the battle.I stash snacks in the glove compartment, in bags and in my own purse. You never know. Better to be safe than sorry. :-) Thanks for stopping by.

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  8. We used to take road trips all the time. I forgot how much fun they are. Great post...maybe you movitaved me to take another one!

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    1. I hope you do, Carolann. We love road trips...even to no where in particular. It's a nice escape. Thanks so much.

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  9. Awesome tips, I want to go on a road trip so badly at some point with friends and I'm going to remember these tips!

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    1. Thanks, Emma. Road trips with friends are so much fun. I hope you get to take the trip of your dreams. :-)

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  10. Snacks are a definite must! And, I love those dual-port chargers. We have one in both of our cars. We always have to have an audiobook to listen to on road trips. Makes the time fly by!

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    1. Hi Jillian,
      Snacks make or break me, and knowing is half the battle.I stash snacks in the glove compartment, in bags and in my own purse. We have the dual chargers in both of our cars as well. You never know. Better to be safe than sorry. :-) Thanks for stopping by.

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  11. For us, snacks are the most important thing for a (mostly) stress free trip. They don't eat when bored at home, but they sure do on the road.

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    1. Hi Cari,
      Snacks make or break me, and knowing is half the battle.I stash snacks in the glove compartment, in bags and in my own purse. You never know. Better to be safe than sorry. :-) Thanks for stopping by.

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  12. These are great fun tips Kelly! My favorite road trips for now are just driving to the Jersey shore, down to Washington DC, or Maryland and Delaware, even though they don't require so many details, your points are all so good for the just a bit longer trips. Thanks for sharing!

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    1. We love to take road trips, even to no where in particular. It's a nice escape. :-) Have a wonderful weekend, Peggy.

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  13. Such great tips!! Bringing snacks is great for the in between meals. Good tunes and car charger is a must for me too!

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    1. Thanks, Kerry.
      Snacks make or break me, and knowing is half the battle.I stash snacks in the glove compartment, in bags and in my own purse. You never know. Better to be safe than sorry. :-) Have a great weekend!

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  14. These are wonderful tips! My favourite is that there can be silences. It seems so overrated in road trips to be silent from time to time. Gives time to people to relax ...10 hours of non stop chat is a bit overwhelming haha
    Thanks for sharing!

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    1. I agree, Camila. Conversation should not be forced. Part of being comfortable with someone (even with yourself) is being okay with silence. It's a wonderful feeling. Thank you so much for your visit. :-)

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  15. I like the tip about not having to talk all the time. Sometimes the best part of a road trip is just sitting in a comfortable silence, music on and scenery all around

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    1. I agree, Sammy. Conversation should not be forced. Part of being comfortable with someone (even with yourself) is being okay with silence. You can look around, relax and enjoy the ride. It's a wonderful feeling. Thank you so much for your visit. :-)

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  16. I love how you said recognize that art is all around you! I couldn't agree more. One of the reasons I appreciate having a photographer/artist husband- he helps me see more things :)
    Awesome list, Kelly! We are going on a road trip next week and I can't wait!

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    1. Thank you, Christy. Oddly, since I got my iPhone and started using Instagram, I started seeing life differently. While all of my photos are not artistic, I definitely feel more artistic. :-) Have a wonderful time on your road trip, Christy. I can't wait to see your posts. :-)

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  17. I love road trips! I think my guy and I have some of the best conversations on road trips...but good advice to enjoy the silence, too! I think one of my favorite tips is to use the bathroom every time you get a chance, but maybe I'm just used to driving out West where stops can be few and far between! :)

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    1. We do too, Amy. We love road trips, even to no where in particular. And you're right about talking too...when I think about it, we have some great conversations as well. It's the perception of time and a captive audience, I think. ;-) Good call on the bathroom...better to be safe than sorry. Thanks so much for stopping by.

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  18. My favorite road trip was a trip to key west! I wrote about it on my blog...stop by if you like and take a look!
    http://karanandmichael.blogspot.com/2014/01/a-road-tripthe-beautiful-florida-keys.html

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    1. Love Key West! I used to live in Broward County, so the Keys were a regular stomping ground. Off to check out your post now. :-)

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  19. We pack snacks and meals. Fast food is so expensive. Hello from Let's Get Real.

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    1. We always pack snacks and sometimes, meals. It's less expensive, and easier to control what we're eating. It's a win-win. Thanks so much for stopping by. :-)

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  20. #4 is so hard to do! Haha but it's a good point for keeping the road trip peace :) great tips!

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    1. It can be hard, but it's important to play nice. :-) Thanks so much for stopping by. Happy travels. :-)

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  21. Hi Kelly! I'm stopping by from the Let's Get Real Link Party. These are all great tips. I enjoy taking road trips with my husband. I offer to drive, but he seldom takes me up on it. We enjoy talking to each other,but also enjoy listening to books on tape will we travel. Snacks are a must for us too. You offer some great ideas. You will be my featured pick for this week's party. The party will go live tomorrow (Thursday) at 5pm CST at www.littlefamilyadventure.com

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    1. Thank you Nicky! I loved seeing this featured. What a treat. The books on tape are a great idea. Thank you again for the feature. :-)

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  22. This is such a timely post! We are getting ready to go visit my in-laws (my husband, my four-year-old son, and myself) by car...1500 miles one way to Canada. I definitely agree about the dual USB charger...or even a portable power converter with a power bar attached. Snacks are an absolute must (because...although we know we will be stopping often with a newly potty trained little one, we don't want to have to stop more than necessary for snacks). Also, if it is a long road trip, stopping by the state welcome centers is a good idea because you can pick up maps and hotel/motel discount coupon books. Our rule for music is: whoever is driving picks the tunes. I saw this post linked up at Treasure Box Tuesday.

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    1. Wow...Susan, that's quite a road trip. Great call about the state welcome centers. I love stopping by and exploring what's to see where we are. We might not have the chance to explore that day, but perhaps soon...and who knows, we might discover a hidden gem, in addition to the discounts. Great music rule too...on the overnights, my husband listens to Tune In radio and picks up international stations he grew up with. Thank you so much for stopping by. :-)

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  23. Thank you so much for the opportunity to link up. :-)

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