Roadtrippin'

Hit the road!

Have you ever taken a road trip? For several years Sis and I were devoted to week-long adventures on the road and Dr. H and I never hesitate to turn a drive into an adventure. Something about the time spent in comfy clothes chatting, listening to great tunes and throwing your hands out the window to feel the wind blowing past is just a whole lot of fun. Here to help you hit the road are some Merry Meri tips and tricks for road trippin'!

* Take the Scenic Route (literally).

When taking a road trip, getting from A to B should not be your only objective. Consider taking scenic routes and avoiding highways and leave time each day for detours. Some of my favorite road trip memories were the result of unexpected pit stops prompted by the "Attractions at this Exit" sign (like caverns in West Virginia... Sis and I always stop for caverns:)

* Plan ahead (but maybe not too much).

My road trips always have a route selected and highlights along it to serve as a guide, but I don't always make hotel reservations in advance or book things that require the trip to function on a strict schedule. Allow yourself flexibility so that you don't feel rushed and be open to the idea of settling in for the night wherever you find yourself when you get tired. Want to take the adventure up a notch? This list of camper and airstream rentals looks pretty awesome.

* Make a circle.
Don't travel the same way twice because what's the fun in that!? When setting your itinerary, try to make a loop that will allow you to visit different places and view different sites while driving. If you belong to AAA (which I highly recommend!) they are an AMAZING resource for road trip planning because they can create a customized "TripTik" of your route with suggested stops along the way. Yup, it's pretty sweet.

* Pick ridiculous destinations (say yes to the penguin encounter).
Always wanted to go to the roller coaster capital of the world? Need to stop for a kayak on a lake? How about a taste of fried chicken from the pub near Thomas Jefferson's house? In my opinion, the hokier the better when it comes to road trips. So go to the ballpark just to eat the "famous" chili cheese dog or discover that there's an aquarium in Kentucky just across a bridge from your stop in Cincinnati (and say yes to the live penguin encounter!)

* Bring the essentials. 

Things you definitely need: An excellent playlist, snacks, a GPS/phone and car charger, a camera (and you better bust it out in the car AND at each destination) and 1 outfit for every sort of activity (aka, 1 workout outfit, 1 comfy outfit, 1 "somewhere nice" outfit, a bathing suit and a sweatshirt). I also highly recommend bringing along a few stamps (because people love getting postcards:)