Five Road Trip Tips (from a Real-Life Nomad)
Alright, friends, I’m coming in hot this month with some road trip tips from my 5,800 miles of nomad fun.
Oh, did you miss the memo?
Well, if you did, Teddy and I (and Frankie) took off in June for a massive summer of Interstate shenanigans that covered - and will continue to cover - most of the West Coast.
Fun fact: I am actually in New Jersey right now visiting family (a.k.a. definitely not on the West Coast anymore).
We said goodbye to our cute lil’ Denver home on June 3rd, and I paid homage to my hometown by writing up all my favs in a “Best of Denver” blog (which you can find here). I also dropped the link to our AirBnB (seriously, have a stay!).
While I plan to document all our pit stops and highlights in a future blog, I did want to let you in on some of my five favorite - and necessary - travel tips. They’re not rocket science, but I promise you, they will save you from some potential heartache down the road (pun intended).
One. Stay busy with music and podcasts.
The road can get quiet, people, really quiet, and you have to prepare yourself. A sub-tip of this tip would definitely be to make sure they are DOWNLOADED. I mean, I knew that The West had some desolate spots, but dayum, you really gotta make sure you’re using the wifi and service while the going is good. It’s also super easy to get drowsy while staring at those continuous white lines in your windshield, so again, set yourself up with some noise that will keep you awake and grooving.
Here are some of our favorite podcasts so far:
And here are some of our favorite playlists on Spotify:
Two. Pack food.
I would list this tip fourteen times if that weren’t completely excessive. You’re going to get hungry, and let’s return to some of the desolate-ness that is The West. Sure, you can buy a hot dog at the no-name gas station in Baker, California, but do you want to? And, seriously, what’s in the hot dog?
We brought an awesome cooler from Artic that’s big enough for our lunches (usually sandwiches), La Croix, fruits, and veggies.
Then, we had two other dry food bags. One was for breakfasts (granola, protein powder, coconut flakes, nuts) and one was for snacks (chips, bars, bananas, liquidIV).
Let’s just say that we were able to bypass the mystery meat at some wonky gas stations.
Want to include any snack tips if people don’t pack food?
IF you don’t pack food and are in need of some nutrient-dense options, I highly recommend trying to find a grocery store or market somewhere off the highway (as opposed to a gas station) because they usually have more variety and fresher produce. My top recommendations when in a pinch are:
Trail Mix
Nuts (pistachios are your best bet)
Granola Bars
Three. Be prepared for the elements.
I’m talking all the things. You never know when your dog might puke or you might run out of gas or you might spill your La Croix all over Teddy’s lap (I mean, YOUR PARTNER’S lap).
*Sorry, Teddy.*
It only happened one time, okay?!
A few of my personal favorites to include in this emergency stash are:
Baby wipes
Cleaning wipes (of the disinfectant variety)
Sunscreen
Sunglasses (you’re not surprised)
Chapstick
Maps (yes, like the actual paper ones because #noservice)
Headlamp
Gum
Four. Keep communication open.
If you have the pleasure of actually traveling with another human, talk to each other!
Look, it’s really easy for the driver to lose him or herself on the road and then the passenger to lose him or herself on a phone. I really want to challenge you to soak in each other’s company. Plus, what happens on the road, stays on the road. Amirite?
Also, communicate when you need things (i.e. to go to the bathroom or stop and stretch your legs or get one of those aforementioned hot dogs). No one can read your mind (literally, no one) so speak up.
Disclaimer. There were moments on the road when I had to work, and I always clearly communicated that with Teddy so I wouldn’t just get annoyed with him without him being aware of what I was doing. We actually had a system where I’d put on my headphones whenever I was working or on my phone so that (1) I could focus and (2) he knew what I was doing.
Five. Keep the car as clean as possible.
When much of your life is in your car, it gets dirty really fast. The smaller the space, the more you really have to work to keep it organized, and it’s so much easier (for me, at least) to attend to this regularly then let it spiral completely out of control. Plus, I get a little claustrophobic when it feels like everything is just collapsing on me.
Alright, I think that’s it for now.
Did I miss anything?!
Feel free to add some of your favorite road trip tips in the comments!