5 Reasons Why You Should Take Road Trips More Often

If you’re anything like me and are itching to travel, but not sure how to do it safely. Or maybe you just want to escape the same city you’ve been living in for just a couple of days. Don’t worry I’ve got 5 reasons why you should pack your car and take a little journey. Road trips have made up some of my best memories and hopefully can fill yours fondly as well. Just don’t forget to do a little pre-planning and round up your crew. 

1. Oh, the places you’ll see.

One of my favorite parts of road trips is the tiny places you’ll discover while being on the road. You can be on your way to Phoenix from Cali and run into adorable diners you didn’t know existed, beautiful desert photo ops, and insanely beautiful sunsets. All of which you may have never discovered before. Taking a road trip allows you to find hidden gems along the way that are inaccessible to the online world. You just stumble upon them and how awesome is that! It always makes me think of the song Somewhere only we know, and how special it is to find somewhere just for yourself.  

Road trips also give you the time to check out smaller cities that you may have wanted to stop through but didn’t want to plan a whole trip around, some of which you may like even better than your planned destination. One of my all-time favorite lookouts I found with a friend road-tripping to San Diego. The two of us have no idea the address or what the coastal lookout is called, but we remember how to get back to our stunning sun-soaked edge of the earth, and that truly is a wonderful feeling. 

2. Bonding with your buddy on the road.

For better or for worse, you will be spending an immense amount of time with your road trip buddy, so I urge you to choose wisely. That being said, it’s the perfect time to spend quality moments with someone you’ve been wanting to be around more often. You can laugh together, cry together, listen to way too many audiobooks together, and have inside jokes for years to come. Plus if you can spend 7 hours in the car with someone and still want to hang out with them for the rest of your trip, you know you have a winning friendship. 

It can also be super telling as to if your road trips buddy is laid back, super organized, or just at a whole nother level in life. Just make sure if you’re a super-fan of getting photos on the road like I am, you pick a buddy who’s down to do a quick stop at state line signs to snag that instagrammable gem. Or if you despise taking a lot of stops, keep that little nugget of information in mind when you decide to accept a road trip invitation. Whatever you travel style, pick your go-to pal and have a blast spending copious amounts of time with that wonderful human.

3. Typically a pretty affordable travel option.

One of the most expensive parts of travel is flying, and with a road trip, you don’t have to worry about that. You just need a car that can run for a while and some gas money to get you through your journey. What can save you even more money, is doing some prior research about car camping, taking an SUV, and making the trunk into a little bed and sleeping area. You can make your own fun and portable hotel to take on your journey.

What’s so liberating about that is you don’t have to worry about travel times! You won’t be in a rush to get to a hotel by check-in time, or worried that you won’t make your flight. You simply can take as much or little time as you need on your adventure. That’s what makes road trips feel so free and easy. Plus you can save a lot of money on gas by filling up in the more affordable towns on your road stops. And pro tip: Try and avoid grabbing necessities in cities that overprice everyday needed items.

4. Much safer form of travel than others.

If you take the proper precautions and stay alert, road trips can be a pretty contactless and safe way to travel. Especially if you hop on the camping nature esk trend. If you stick to a lot of car camping you don’t really need to come into contact with anyone other than your travel buddy. If you want to stay in an actual place, a ton of air bnbs offer contactless check in to give you peace of mind. 

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Many meals you can get take out or pick up drive-through style, and gas stations are typically self pump. At least most are on the west coast! If you avoid highly populated travel spots too, nothing is stopping you from keeping alone and to yourselves on the road. Of course, it’s not as safe as quarantining at home, but if you have the time and resources, you can definitely travel safely and cautiously on the road, without encountering the normal germs and issues one faces when traditionally traveling. 

5. The exuberance found in spontaneity.

Road trips can be the most spontaneous type of adventure you could ever imagine. You don’t have to worry about timing or plans, it can really just be you and the road. And what a stress relief that is! All you and your buddy have to pay attention to is when to put a little gas in the car and when it’s time to take your next nap. 

Not to mention, It’s nearly impossible to get a proper feel or vibe of a place until you actually visit it. So you have the freedom to stay longer at the places you love and cut short the places you thought you’d enjoy but just hit differently than expected. It’s you and your friend’s own personal journey that can be whatever you want it to be. So if you come across a random beautiful lookout and decide to stop for the day and have a picnic, there’s quite literally nothing stopping you. And oh how exciting that much freedom can be. 

Well…What are you waiting for?

Now that you have all the reasons why you should take road trips more often, nothing is stopping you from getting ready for your next adventure. All you have to do is sort through your contacts list, pick a date, and get on the road. Your mind, body, and soul will feel rejuvenated and the wanderlust in you will finally be cured. Just remember to do some prior research on the cities you want to visit and take precautions to stay safe and healthy on the road.