As may be evident by now, I love to travel. As much as I love exotic travel in a safari vehicle, a European riverboat, or a Swiss gondola, I am also a girl who loves a great road trip. I love the control you have in picking your itinerary, accommodations, restaurants, and tourist spots. I love spontaneity. Many times I have driven by an antique shop and turned around to go back and check it out. I’ve done many, many, many drives with children, and over the last few years, many alone with my husband. I find the car trips are a great place to have deep and meaningful conversations. Any mother knows that cars are the best places to discuss difficult or uncomfortable things with children who don’t have to look you in the eye. I’ve explained many body parts and body functions from behind the wheel. My husband and I love car trips for the opportunity to listen to a great book on Audible together.
Another perk to having your car is storing extra clothes. I was so happy when we went to visit friends at the beach this summer and I realized I had a baseball cap and a school sweatshirt in the back of my car for cool sunset walks.
Empire, Michigan
Don and I went on a 5 day car trip through the Pyrenees in October..
Here are some tips I have found along the way:
People often ask me about my photos of needlepointing in the car. The trick to needlepointing in the passenger seat is to not look up. Keep your eyes down on your canvas or within the car itself. Do not look out the windows. It is seeing the movement which will make you feel car sick. Avoid looking out the window at the movement at all costs. That said, I also use car rides for stitching the bigger spaces, a big background of basketweave on 13 mesh is my car trip jam!
Bring food. Have snacks and drinks with you. You can still stop for meals and fresh caffeinated drinks but it’s really nice to have favorite foods you like and agree with your dietary desires. We bring items like tangerines, macadamia nuts, and organic lemonades. Cheese and crackers is another favorite.
A really full car can feel weary. If you can ship things ahead to your destination and have ample room in the car you will feel much “lighter” in multiple ways. Shipping can be expensive so look into your options.
We travel with “carry on bags”, these are overnight bags containing favorite toiletries, night clothes, and a fresh outfit or two. This is so much easier than bringing in your big luggage into the hotel every night.
I travel with my pillow everywhere I go. I know with 100% confidence that I will get a better night sleep and enjoy my trip much more if I use my own pillow. I have learned the hard way not to use white pillow cases. Put your pillow in a bright colored or patterned pillow case so that it doesn’t get left behind mixed in the hotel bed linens. Once you start doing this, you will realize there are a lot of “pillow carriers” out there.
Any valuables you are traveling with need to come out of the car with you. I keep them in my purse or backpack and bring them into the hotel room at night.
Keep that gas tank full. Not only is this just plain wise, it also allows you to make spontaneous carefree detours to discover new destinations.
Don and I travel with book lights and eye masks. Some nights we find one person wants to stay up later to read or watch a game and the other wakes up early. It allows you to stay snuggled up together without disturbing your partner’s sleep.
Call ahead for a room if you have specific requirements.
Pick some books on audible that you and your companions will love. Not only does it enhance the trip, it gives you wonderful topics to talk about over dinner.
Many of our road trips have great friends on the other end.
A favorite house spotted this fall in Little Compton, RI
En route to Burlington, Vermont.
Spontaneous trip to Chatham, Massachusetts
Additional tips for road trips with dogs:
Book hotel rooms ahead of time. Dog friendly hotels are not as plentiful, especially over the holidays. Our favorite is the very pet friendly Kimpton Hotels.
Teather your dogs in the car. Consult your vet on the best way to keep your dogs safe while driving. We personally always tether our dogs in the backseat to keep them safe and from climbing on our laps or knocking the gear shift.
Don and I take some razzing in our family over this but we stop every two hours, walk the dogs and switch drivers. It keeps us fresh and also keeps the pups in good spirits. Typical needlepointer, I try to make sure to my time off is in the daylight hours for stitching.
Put dog beds in the backseat for their comfort.
Our dog Daisy is more sensitive to noise in the hotel and we prefer that she doesn’t bark. We find that white noise playing in the hotel room comforts the dogs and helps them not react to every noise. Rain storm in room 256!
Daisy and Finn have a big run around in Boca Grande, Florida. They love car rides but are so happy for their breaks every two hours.