You know how I went on that road trip for Spring Break? Well, it was amazing. Good food and relaxing on the beach always makes for a pretty great combination wouldn’t you say? I also had the perfect car ride “carry on” which made the experience about 12 times better! My friends call me the “mom” of the group because I say things like “If anyone gets hungry, I have snacks.” and “Make sure you use the bathroom before we leave.” Yeah, I’m that person. However in order to successfully be the mom of the group, you need a killer car carry on bag. Here are the essentials:
Your Personal Bag
I use the Large Longchamp Navy Nylon Tote. It’s honestly the perfect tote for keeping all your car ride needs in one spot! Here are a list of things I keep in my bag:
- Headphones (x2)
- A Protein Bar
- iPad
- Wallet
- ID Wristlet
- Crystal Light Drink Packets
- Sunglasses
- Extra Pair of Socks
- Lipgloss/Lipbalm
- A Good Book
The Party Bag/Cooler
Luckily, my mom was the master road trip snack/drink packer and so I learned from the best! I call this my Party Bag and sometimes depending on distance and weather it could be a cooler! I use this one and my mom uses this one. Some things I like to include in this bag is:
- Mini First Aid Kit
- Goldfish
- KIND Bars
- Fig Newtons
- Skinny Pop
- Muddy Buddies
I try to keep it healthy, but I am a sucker for chocolate so… yeah.
Copy of Reservations
I’m a Type A worry wart and so I always have the hotel or activity reservations printed and ready to go! If it’s an overnight trip, I make sure that I have the hotel reservation confirmation code so I don’t get taken advantage of when I get to the hotel and they see that I’m a younger woman who they might be able to swindle. Excuse me, no sir. Also, Triple A members get discounts at some hotel chains, so I double check and make sure I have that too!
A Car Charger
All of my friends have iPhones and we all take a ton of pictures, some of which are selfies, no judgement please. But, with the heavy use from a long day of travel, I like to keep a car charger somewhere so that we don’t end up stranded in the middle of a corn field with no way to contact anyone. If you’ve ever seen Children of the Corn, I know you just shuttered.
Travel Apps
So your phone can also be a great travel resource while you’re on the go which means you definitely need to keep it charged. Obviously, you’ll want your Maps app handy to look up local restaurants and attractions. But, you should also invest in GasBuddy which can tell you where the cheapest gas is in an area and also UConnection, especially as college students, because you might be able to swing some student discounts especially if you’re visiting a college town!
A Comfy Outfit
Shirt // Shorts // Quarter Zip // Shoes // Watch. Nuff said.
If you’re going on some road trips this summer, I’m so jealous! I’m trying to plan some stuff out and maybe I’ll already be in a new location for the summer. Do you have any other travel recommendations for road trips? Let me know using #TravelwithG!
