Road trips are good for the soul, enjoying the freedom of the open road, the constantly changing scenery, great tunes, laughing, singing – and, of course, the destination itself. According to Travel Agent Central, of families heading out on a road trip, over half of parents say they hit the road “feeling stressed” about where they’re going to stop along the way, but with some proper planning, there are many ways to reduce that stress, including time spent in the car, whether you have little ones with you or not.
Of course, if you travel in an RV, you can bring a lot more with you, which often means less stress too. Those who don’t have one might think about renting an RV with many options out there like RV Rental Vancouver. But no matter what you travel in, these essentials should definitely be included the next time you hit the road.
A Playlist of Upbeat Road Trip Songs
One of the best ways to ease stress while traveling is to sing along to upbeat tunes. While radio stations tend to fade in and out, uploading a playlist of great songs before you go can ensure you’ve got all your favorites. Don’t pick anything too slow or soothing that could cause sleepiness. Just a few ideas include Pharrell Williams’ “Happy,” “Little Red Corvette” by Prince, Cage the Elephant’s “Mess Around,” and Red Hot Chili Peppers’ “Californication” – after all, even the video is all about driving, it’s perfect for a road trip. Classic Beach Boys tunes are always good when heading to the beach.
Games
Bring some games on handheld devices for passengers, but you also might want to come up with a list of game ideas everyone can play before you go. There are lots of old-fashioned ones for road trips, like the alphabet game – everyone starts with “A” searching for signs that have words that start with the letter, working their way through the alphabet, and whoever gets to “Z” first wins.
Road Eats
Don’t forget to bring some food – you don’t want to have to constantly look for places to stop every time hunger pangs hit and dining out gets costly. Convenience stores are usually full of junk foods that won’t do much for your mood or energy level – they tend to bring blood sugar up, and then way down. Pack things like sandwiches, trail mix, energy bars, dried fruit, jerky and so on. To make sure everyone gets their fill, give each person their own bag.
Safety Essentials
While you’re probably concentrating on the fun and excitement, you don’t’ want to forget the safety essentials. Be sure that you bring plenty of water should you get stuck out on the road, due to traffic, mechanical problems and so on. Bring a first-aid kit and an emergency road assistance kit too. If your vehicle’s battery dies and your cell phones are losing charge, you may want to carry a couple of fully-charged portable chargers too so that you’ll be able to charge them up and call for help if necessary.
