Road Trip Essentials!

In the next eight months I plan to drive to the following locations:
                         Bagley, WI     New York, NY     Tulsa, OK     Green Bay, WI     Chicago, IL*

With Ben's family living in Indiana, sometimes our best mode of transportation is to fly, but more often than not (especially with gas prices having dropped over the winter), it is cheaper for us to drive to see them. Additionally, his family does 4th of July in small-town Wisconsin every year, which is normally cheapest to drive to. I guess what I'm trying to say is, Ben and I are frequently on the road to visit one person or another. With that in mind, I have come to think I've sort of "mastered" the road trip essentials to put in my bag!

Obviously these types of lists vary from person to person. Some people can eat in the car, some can't. Some people can read in the car, some can't. Here's my go-to list of road-trip items:

Food or Snacks:                                         Electronics:
     - Gummy Bears                                           - Cell Phone Charger
     - Chips or Pretzels                                      - Kindle Fire
     - Diet Pepsi                                                  - New Play List
     - Water

I think these lists are pretty self-explanatory, but we'll touch on them anyway. I like to have two kinds of candy and two kinds of drinks so that way if I'm in the mood for something salty vs. sweet or carbonated vs. not, I have both options. It saves time (and money) on snack stops.

As far as electronics, I like to make sure I have my phone charger just to keep my phone juiced up. I'm one of the lucky ones who CAN read in the car, so I bring my Kindle (as opposed to books), so that I have more options in less space. I also like to make sure I have new music on my devices so I don't get bored with listening to the same songs.


Clothes:                                                       Misc. Items:
     - Zip-up Hoodie                                          - Chap-stick
     - Socks                                                         - Blanket
     - Sun Glasses                                              - $20 in cash

My list for clothes could be much longer, but I generally try to avoid bringing changes of clothes and shoes by starting in something comfortable like leggings or sweats and I ALWAYS wear slip on shoes or flip flops so when I do need to get out of the car I don't have to waste time.

I also always advise bringing a blanket no matter what the weather is like. That way, if you choose to take a nap, you're protected from cold OR the sun beaming through the windows. I always fall asleep easier with a blanket anyway. :)

The $20 cash is so that if I come across a toll booth, I can easily give them cash and not have to worry about fussing with a card. Driving to both South Bend, IN and Tulsa, OK, the most effective routes require tolls, so it makes it easier to come prepared!

I'm sure that I may be forgetting something, so you tell me, what do you take on your road trips?