It looks as though many of us will be hitting the road this summer to embark on a somewhat socially distanced vacation. Our staff was sharing our favorite road trip tips, games and hacks the other day and thought, “hey, let’s write a blog about it!”
This isn’t one of those “make sure to get your oil changed and tires checked blah blah” blogs… but you should make sure to do those things! We are talking about the fun stuff so put your shades on, set the cruise control, crank up the tunes and let’s hit the road!
Are We There Yet?
You may want to load your tablets, phones, or laptops with content for the kids and yourself. Maybe even load some historical or geographical content for the area you are visiting. Make sure and pack several charge cords and even external chargers. You do not want to run out of juice with 4 hours to go.
Turn it up!
Make sure and download plenty of music and make playlists for when you are out of cell service range. Our favorite music apps are Amazon Music, Spotify, and Apple Music.
I’m Thirsty!
We suggest putting cold drinks and snacks in a cooler that is accessible while cruisin’ down the road. If you have backseat passengers, place a cooler in the cargo area where they can reach it, if no backseat passengers, then place it in the backseat. Make sure to pack re-usable glass or stainless-steel drink bottles for each person. We love our Trost Financial Consulting Yeti mugs for road trips. Be sure to have PPE (Personal Protection Equipment), anti-bacterial hand wipes and a roll of paper towels handy.
How Much Longer?
When all else fails play some good old-fashioned car games! Our favorites are I Spy with My Little Eye, the Out of State License Plate game, and the ABC Game. You could even make up your own game.
I Have to Go to The Bathroom!
Take advantage of some of the road trip apps available. The Trost Financial Consulting team likes Roadtrippers, TripIt and Gas Buddy. Each offers helpful information to find the nearest fueling station, accommodations, parks, golf courses, local attractions and of course… food!
Just Stop and Ask Someone
Make sure to have your destination set in your on-board navigation or app. We like Waze and Google Maps. This may sound crazy but it’s not a bad idea to have an old school paper map on hand for say… if you get lost on a logging road in central Oregon, outside of cell service range, after dark and have no clue where you are. Story from a friend, certainly not me.
Be safe out there and enjoy the open road, fresh air and time with the family or your favorite travel companion.
To review our past blogs, click here!
