My Summer Road Trip Essentials

Since we are preparing for an eleven hour road tip I wanted to share my SUMMER ROAD TRIP ESSENTIALS. I've been making long road trips since I was a few months old so I like to think I'm a bit of a pro. Here are my top 10 road trip essentials:

1. A Travel Pillow
Whether I'm traveling by plane, train or automobile I never leave home without mine! My personal favorite kind is the squishy microbead neckroll. Its not only for resting your head, I keep mine in my lap to prop up my book, lunch or whatever.

2. A Great Playlist
I always load my iPod with awesome road trip playlists but the radio works just as well. Plus it's fun to listen to the local station for whatever city you are passing through.

3. Reading Material
My Nook has been a road trip savior! In the past I always packed tons of books (God forbid you run out of books on vacation, the horror!) but now I can load my nook with several books & magazines and only have to carry one thing. Plus I can watch Netflix, surf the web or play games on it (provided I have Wi-Fi).

4. Caffeine
We travel at night a lot to avoid traffic so I always like to caffeinate. I'm not advocating that you main-line Red Bull, but coffee & Diet Coke work for me...especially when driving at 3 AM! I've made the drive from PA to Michigan so many times I can tell you which rest stops have Starbucks (2nd one across the PA/Ohio border!).

5. Snacks
Although I like to stop for meals to stretch my legs & give my eyes a break it's always good to have some quick snacks in the car. The hubs and I agree that we must have gummies, chips and Red Vines. I also like to have some Larabars for when I want something with a little more substance. They are also great for a quick breakfast if we're in a hotel.

6. Sunglasses, Flip Flops & Comfy Clothes
Sunglasses are always a must. I like to wear flip flops to travel since I can slip them off & on easily. Nobody wants to wear shoes for an eleven hour car ride! As for clothing, my favorite road trip outfit is made up of capri yoga tights, a cute but comfy tee and a lightweight hoodie (just in case!). I'm as comfy as I would be in pjs but I don't look crazy when we stop for a rest!

7. Hand Sanitizer or Wipes
This one doesn't even need an explanation...have you seen some of the rest stops out there?! The worst I've ever seen was a pair of overflowing porta-potties (that didn't lock) about 10 feet off the MassPike. Yuck, thanks but no.

8. Multi-plug Car Charger
I have a car charger that fits my phone, the hubs' phone, iPod, nook & GPS. Perfection.

9. License Plate Bingo
This is an absolute must! There are lots of printable game boards if you do a google search but I am so excited to use my new License Plate Game app for this trip. I love to play this game with a carload of people. Everyone can't help but join the fun of calling out plates! Even my dad likes to play. ;)

10. A Buddy!
The most important essential! Good company makes the trip that much more fun.

Two other essentials that just missed the cut (because everyone has them anyway): maps and/or GPS and your cell phone!
What are your road trip essentials? Happy & safe travels this summer!