5 Tips for a Successful Summer Road Trip

My husband and I LOVE to travel and we prefer to travel by car – we love a good road trip where we can take our time, stop at different restaurants, shops, road side attractions, etc. and really experience a location. So, today I’m sharing my top 5 Tips for a Successful Summer Road Trip!

I always learn something new on each trip, but I would say we’re road trip experts by this point! We’ve traversed the U.S. twice, driven up and down the state of California several times, and we’re known to take 8 hours to drive the 4 hours to Las Vegas.

I am a planner, planner, planner! I like to be organized, I like the car to be clean, and I like to be prepared.

Are you ready for my tips?

1. Prep the car

First things first, for a summer road trip, you need a car! So make sure your car is in great running condition! You don’t want to get stuck on the side of the road because you failed to get an oil change or a tune-up! But just in case you do get stuck on the side of the road for some other reason, make sure your roadside assistance is up-to-date and covers a good towing mileage.2. Pack the car with essentials

I consider the essentials to be baby wipes, paper towels, trash bags, an emergency kit, and a flashlight. The baby wipes are good for anything from wiping off your hands after gassing up the car to wiping off your hands after sifting through an antique store! Paper towels are a necessity when you have a messy husband or kids. Same goes for the trash bag, you don’t want to drive around surrounded by snack wrappers and empty bottles all day. And an emergency kit (road and first aid) and a flashlight are just sensible. We’ve never had to use ours, but it’s peace of mind knowing we have them. Also, those baby wipes come in handy when you’ve been spray painting Cadillacs in the middle of an art installation on the side of the road! Just sayin’!

3. Prep the house for vacation

Don’t forget to prep the house for vacation. Even if you have a pet sitter or a house sitter who will stop by, you should still set lamp timers to deter burglars, put a hold on your mail and newspaper, make sure you turn off your alarm clock, and bring the hide-a-key inside.You can check out my 15 Home Security and Safety Tips While on Vacation for more ideas!

4. Make a music playlist

Music is a must for a road trip! Here’s a link to my favorite road trip tunes!5. Pack snacks

And then the night before you hit the road, make sure you pack the snacks! We like to pack a small cooler with waters, grapes, cookies, and beef jerky (for the husband.)