Road Trip Essentials

     And I'm back from my trip! We were in Arizona from last Monday until yesterday, so I'm recovering a little bit still. But it was super fun. It is a decently long drive out to Phoenix, where we were (about five hours) and we've gone on four month-long road trips before. 

     Since I've done so much long-haul driving in my life, I'd thought I show you a list of what I would consider my road trip essentials. Obviously this might be different for different people, but I think it's a good basic list and it works well for me.

     So I divided the list into four different categories: essentials, entertainment, rest and snacks. My organizational side comes out at times like this. XD So! First up, essentials:

Essentials

     So here's my attempt at a good picture with a white background... It's decent. Better than if I didn't have a white background. I dunno if I'd call it good though. But that's beside the point.

     Number one I'd say you need to bring your wallet. Practically, that translates to bringing money. I often prefer cash, because then I can dish out a certain amount of money to spend on the trip and see how much I have left. But having a debit or credit card for emergencies isn't a problem. I'd also suggest bringing your lisence or permit if you have it since there will be many opportunities for driving.

     I'd also bring lip balm or chapstick, hand sanitizers (some bathrooms are gross), sunglasses, and headband or another way to keep your hair out of your face. And then I always bring a camera so I can have it handy to take pictures.

Entertainment

     Obviously with long stretches of driving, you're going to want something to do. Mostly I'll bring books, because I love to read. So I need to bring a lot of books.

     But it's also nice to bring your phone/iPod and headphones so you can listen to music or audiobooks or podcasts. Hours of entertainment right there.

     Mom also usually packs some game for the road, but if your parent(s) don't do that, then bring along some magnetic games (I have chess and sudoku here), and maybe some other games that can be easily played in the car. Rubberneckers is a favorite with my family - I think we've had it since the first road trip in 2014 and have brought it along every trip since then.

     The last thing I like to have is a notebook and pens. It's nice to have scrap paper to doodle on - and different colors of pens to doodle with. And plus, there are some more games right there: tic-tac-toe, M.A.S.H., a modified version of Pictionary, etc.

Rest & Snacks

    I'm combining the last two sections into one since they don't contain many items. The first is rest. I like to bring along a full sized pillow to lay against my window and rest on - but you could also bring along a travel sized pillow or a neck pillow.

     I also like to bring a sheet because sometimes it's nice to just cover yourself up when you are resting in the car. Or you can make cool "sheet forts" by laying it over headrests and just give yourself some privacy.

     The second section is snacks. On the trip to Arizona, I brought extra snacks that I had left over from Ireland - Cheez-its, dried apples, granola bars and goldfish. I also brought along some gum because that's just a good thing to have. A water bottle is also a good idea. You can refill it and it'll help you stay hydrated - just don't drink so much that you have to take bathroom breaks every thirty minutes. That's no fun.

     And that's it for this post! Let me know below if you have anything you always bring on road trips... I'm always on the lookout for new ideas! I'll "see" y'all next week.

~ Anna

Have you ever been on a road trip? Where would you like to go if you haven't? Any other things you always bring on road trips?