If you have a few extra days this summer, one great way to spend your time is on a road trip. Taking a road trip is a fantastic way to broaden your horizons, and see your neighboring cities and states while soaking in the summer sun.
You’ll have tons of amazing conversations with the people with you in your car. You’ll get to listen to great music. You’ll get to spend a lot of time outdoors and meet a lot of amazing people.
So how do you plan for a summer road trip?
==> Start by Prepping Your Car
You’re going to be putting several hundred, if not several thousand miles on your car during a road trip. Make sure your car is ready before you set out.
Get an oil change if one is due. Replace the car’s fluids. Notice if your breaks are skidding or weak and get that fixed if necessary. Notice if your car is making any strange noises. If so, have those looked at.
Before going on a road trip, it’s probably a good idea to sign up for roadside assistance just in case something happens.
==> Planning the Trip Itself
Start by planning your destinations. Try to include both mainstream tourist destinations as well as places off the beaten path. Sometimes it’s a good idea to just show up at a city and see what happens.
Plan the actual roads you’ll drive to get to your destination. Again, try to get a mix of both highways and country back roads.
Plan where you plan to sleep each night. Of course, plans can change and you can end up at a different motel. But it still helps to have a plan to start with.
Buy a couple different maps of the area(s) you plan on driving. Having different maps helps, just in case one is a little off.
==> What to Bring with You
The most important thing you need to bring to a road trip is copious amounts of great music. That, and great company. These are the two things you can’t really get on the road.
You’ll want to bring a lot of snacks. Make sure you also have garbage bags, as there’s going to be a lot of trash generated from all the food wrappers and drink bottles.
Bring sunscreen. Driving in the sun, even with shades and sun blockers down can still cause a sunburn.
==> Conversational Games
If you have conversational lulls during a road trip, one great way to pass the time is through conversational games.
For example, the “Three Truths One Lie” game, where you tell three truths and one lie and the other person has to guess which is the lie, is a great one.
Lookup conversational games and play the ones that excite you most when there’s a break in conversation.
Going on a road trip is a great way to deepen friendships, see new places and enjoy the summer sun.