The Open Road
The most popular form of summer travel is still the good old-fashioned road trip! It’s a great way to save money on airfare, create family time, or bond with friends. Some folks are afraid to fly, while others do the math and see driving as a more cost-effective travel option to their destination, and then there are those of us who still get romanced by the sight of an open road. Me, I fall into the latter category.
Whether it’s a family road trip or an extended car pool with friends, you can make the most of your travels by checking out Road Trip America, where they have helpful tools like route planners and gas mileage estimators. I consult this site every time I plan a road trip – actually, I check it out even if I’m considering flying to see if driving is a cheaper alternative.
After I make my decision to drive, I go to Roadfood.com for restaurant recommendations along the way. The site features eateries from off the beaten path, which makes for a nice alternative to fast food or generic chain restaurants.
Kathy, the CEO of Sun & Moon Ecolight, loves DogFriendly.com because she can always find a place that welcomes her and her Keeshond co-pilots, Sophie and Osa. Make sure to browse this site if you have four legged passengers coming along for the ride!
Here are some things to include in your road trip checklist:
- Herbal Roots Eco First Aid Kit. A first aid kit is a must to treat any minor injuries incurred along your journey, and now there are several green options, but this one is my favorite. It’s packed with fair -trade, renewable, sustainable products, and includes a booklet explaining the various medicinal herbs and their appropriate uses.
- Clip on book lights. Our line of Mighty Bright book lights are great for reading books, or used as a Kindle light, but I also use them to read maps after nightfall, so I don’t distract the driver by turning on the overhead lights. There’s a ton of styles to fit your needs, including travel book lights.
- Laptop light. Everyone travels with laptops these days, but trying to work or read in the dark causes a lot of unnecessary eyestrain. Solve that with one of our USB laptop lights – just plug it into your computer’s USB port and voila! Instant light where you need it.
- An LED headlamp. This is another staple for me – I’m not a very big or strong woman, so when I need to change a tire, I really need both hands. The headlamp gives me all the light I need to replace a blown tire, or check my luggage rack, and keeps my hands free so that I can work quickly and efficiently to get off of the side of the road faster. If you do have to pull off to the side of the road for any reason along the way, you always want to spend as little time there as possible, especially at night when visibility is reduced, and accidents are increased.
- Visit GreenDrivingUSA to make your car as road-friendly as possible before you drive. This site is packed with easy fixes to green up your vehicle so that you’re driving as cheaply and greenly as possible!
- Road trip games for the family. Rad Road Trips is a great place to check out if you’ve got a lengthy drive ahead of you with children to keep entertained. It has a lot of games the family can all play together, so you can really make drive time family time.
Above all, remember to be safe and have fun! Always drive defensively and alert, and rest when you need to. If you don’t have another driver, double check your route to find hotels, motels, and hostels along the way.
Where will the open road take you this summer?
