Erin's 8 Road Trip Essentials
Be sure to take advantage of the last bit of sun with an end of summer road trip! Erin put together a list of her favorite road trip essentials to pack for any vacation!
Sometimes we just need a little getaway! What better time than right before the busy fall season? In the Pacific Northwest we're still enjoying the long warm days of summer, even though our small town of Bellingham has had a constant cloud of smoke from the Canadian wildfires. Growing up I remember road trips as being sometimes long and grueling as I made my way from California to Washington, other times they were fun and adventurous. I've grown to realize that if you have the right road trip essentials, it just makes the journey that much better! Near or far, long or short, keep these road trip essentials with you!
1. Large Tote Bag
In addition to a weekend bag, having a large tote bag is a nice, easy way to pack things for a day outing like picnics or beach excursions. You can consolidate your purse, water bottles, snacks, sunscreen, bug spray, blanket and anything else you might need all into one tote!
2. Nutritious Snacks
Packing your own snacks is a must! I quickly recognized that most gas stations and restaurants don't carry the most filling or healthy snacks. (And if they do - they can be quite expensive!) Thinking ahead and bringing apples, carrots, nuts, and other whole foods helps me stay nourished and feel great for the long drive ahead. Of coarse, I never go anywhere without my Breakfast Cookies and newly added Sprouted Snacks! They're perfect to eat in the car, substitute for a meal or throw in that tote for day trips!
3. Helpful Apps When Driving
Set your destination in your phone using Waze app and it will be sure to find the quickest, easiest way to get somewhere while avoiding traffic. It also has little helpful features like alerting you to upcoming accidents, police and it's great for rerouting on the fly! Set it up through your Bluetooth car stereo and it will direct you to where you need to go without having the distraction of looking at your phone. Other helpful road trip apps I like include Spotify, Audible, Pandora, and GasBuddy.
4. Car Cooler
Ever get parched on a long, hot car ride? I've sure been there! Now I throw a cooler in the back so I can have a cold drink whenever I want as well as store refrigerated goods. I like to freeze water bottles and sparkling water so that they act like ice packs and stay cool even longer!
5. Good Book
I always bring good reading material with me on road trips! I always have articles and books that I've set aside to read... but with a busy schedule, sometimes it's hard to find the time. So if I'm a passenger, waiting in a ferry line, or if I've decided to pull over at a nice park for a driving break - it's a great time to catch up!
6. Large Scarf
In Washington we have some beautiful coastal destinations and though it's summer, the breeze coming off the water can get chilly (especially in the evenings)! Not to mention they come in handy when needing to accessorize an outfit!
7. Cloth Napkins
We've all been or know a person to grab a handful of paper napkins at Starbucks! Plan ahead and pack cloth napkins or washcloths from home. They're more absorbent for when that messy spill takes place!
8. Hat
I always bring a hat with me no matter where I go! I've learned you can only trust the weather forecast so much. Our weather, particularly, seems to change multiples times a day. It's also nice to be able to keep the sun off my face when spending a day outdoors (my favorite place to be)!
What road trip essential are you dying to share?
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