I have never been big on road trips … that is until now.
I always found them suffocating as you had to be confined to the four walls of the car and simply sitting on your ass for long duration of time. However, flying as it turns out is not the most viable option considering all the time to lose in pre-and-post boarding. Not to mention the transit time. Anyhoo, recently I made peace with road travel. I think I might even be up for a coast-to-coast road trip. Who knows!
I would like to share a few tips I have picked up in my recent road trips:
1. Cash – Credit Cards are all well and good but it is a good idea to carry some cash with you. Preferably in small denominations for road-side vendors and local stores which only take cash.
2. Candy – Well, I meant to say snacks but then I like candy as my snacks (during travel) so I pick candy. The point is to have something handy to snack on because other wise the road trips are going to suck.
3. GPS/Map – Yeah! That ancient phenomenon which helped people travel from one place to another. That was before mobile phones and GPS existed. It might seem outdated but it is much recommended to carry one in case of emergency (such as battery dying or GPS not being updated!). Either way make sure you have one of them for sure before heading for your trip.
4. Cooler – A cooler filled with drinks, water and snacks (non-candy-variety) would be a good idea. Not only would you end up saving on your travel costs you would also save on time. Else you would be making one too many stops. Trust me.
5. Music/Audio Books/Audio Movies – Well of course you will carry music. Who travels without it, right? But better still carry some audio books and movies because if your road trip is long, you will eventually get tired of music. And may be it is just us (Dr. Fab & Myself) but we have fallen in love with audio movies. Time flies and we get to catch up on old favorites and laugh our hearts out!
6. Sunglasses – If you are the driver or the passenger-next-to-the-driver, you need a pair of sunglasses. I have forgotten to carry one a couple of times and learnt my lesson the hard way. Sun is very unforgiving here in Texas.
7. Sunscreen – Same logic as above applies except you also need this for good complexion. Make sure you re-apply it every 4 hours. UVA rays get trapped in the car and can damage your skin even when you are not directly facing the sunrays. You’ve been warned
8. Mini First-Aid Kit – You never know when you might need one. Better to be prepared than be sorry, eh? Make sure you carry some common medicines are aspirin, tums, etc. as well.9. Car Trash Bag – The usual plastic bags won’t do. Why? A) Because they are not environment friendly. B) They can tear and leak. You get these durably bags which can hold all-kinda-trash which you can then empty at the next gas-pump you stop at.
10. Attitude – Last but not the least, bring a good attitude along. No one likes to travel in “closed confinements” with a sad and sulking soul!
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