7 Reasons Why Road Trips Are The Best

Hey everyone!

On Tuesday, I came back home from a week-long road trip out west with my family! They actually left a week before I did, but I couldn’t take that much time off from work, so I flew to LA and met them there. We always took road trips as a family when I was growing up, but as I got older and responsibilities increased, I hadn’t been able to join the yearly vacation. Until now!

I decided to share some of the reasons I think road trips are the best.

1. Packing is easy!

No need to worry about making everything fit in a single suitcase. Want to bring 4 pairs of shoes, even if you only wear 2 of them? Just find a hole in the car and shove them in! Bring blankets, pillows, sweatshirts, sleeping bags, anything! If there’s room in the car, it can go with you. Also, you can buy anything you want while traveling and not have to worry about fitting it in your suitcase. Alcoholic beverages can be great souvenirs when your liquids aren’t limited to 3.4 ounces.

2. You see everything

Rather than quickly flying over the entire country in the span of a few hours, you really get the opportunity to see exactly where you are. There are no shortcuts when driving; no way to will away the miles until the next destination (as much as you might sometimes want to). Notice the trees, the flowers, the rocks, the animals on the side of the road. It’s way to really be present throughout your travel experience.

3. Lots of bonding time

If you’re road tripping with others, you’ll have countless hours in the car with your travel companion(s). I suppose this can be a good or bad thing. It’s probably good, though. You have plenty of time to talk, tell stories, play games, make up funny songs, and enjoy each other’s company to the fullest. You literally can’t get away from them. You’re in the car together all day, every day.

4. Flexible plans

When there’s no flight to catch, your plans are totally your own. Especially – if you’re like my family – when you don’t book your hotels/campsites in advance. It allows for total flexibility. When you find a place you really like, you can stay as long as you want. You can stop for a picnic at a rest stop and not worry about whether or not you’re on schedule. It’s the ultimate stress-free way to travel.

5. Road trip playlist

One of my favorite things about being in the car is listening to music. Sometimes I wish my drives were longer so I could listen to MORE music. When you road trip, you can listen to all the music you want! Make a fire playlist, pass the aux cord, and sing at the top of your lungs. Make sure you download your playlists to your phone, so if you’re in rural Nevada, you can still listen.

6. SNACKS

When you’ve been in the car for hours, sometimes all there is to do is eat. You might be miles from civilization, but I know you packed a giant stash of snacks. If not, I hope you made a stop at the nearest Walmart or gas station to load up. Snacks are very important, and you never deserve them more than when you’re on a road trip.

7. Sense of accomplishment

That’s right, YOU drove all the way across Kansas!!! YOU put in the 7 hours behind the wheel; no, you did not take the easy way out and fly over it in 45 minutes. You’re the one who drove 5,312 miles over the course of 17 days. You could have driven all the way to Rome with that distance. Give yourself a pat on the back (and eat some of those Kettle Corn Oreos you bought on a whim and – surprisingly – you actually like).

 

Do you like road trips too? Let me know your favorite things about them in the comments!

-Cathy

Originally Published on June 17, 2018.