How to Help a Necessary Road Trip Not Suck
Yesterday I took a road trip to nowhere and it took 13 hours, round-trip. Ok, a bit of backstory is necessary here. A long-time friend needed a hand picking up a car in Minneapolis and he lives in Kansas City. Alright, Minneapolis isn’t nowhere, but this trip was more about purpose than place. (More backstory) James and I have been paddling and adventure buddies for more than 15 years and James is in a wheelchair. James is perfectly able to drive with some minor modifications to a vehicle. However, the challenge when buying a new vehicle is that it doesn’t have those minor modifications, so a helpful friend is handy. I didn’t have anything going on that particular Saturday and so I was more than happy to be that helpful friend.
I traveled to KC (Kansas City) on Friday evening and stayed with James and his wonderful wife, Sarah, so that we could leave very early in the morning. Driving from KC to Minneapolis takes around 6.5 hours or so from James’ house: up-and-back in one day roughly takes 13 hours on the road. Now, James and I have been on many, many, many road trips over the years, so this is really “old hat” for us. It has been a couple of years since we took a longer drive and this was a great chance to catch up.
On a good road trip, there are a couple of important elements to consider and they don’t necessarily have to be the destination. For some people, this means scenery: always a bonus. For others, a drive must include a solid playlist, which definitely helps pass miles. James and I typically have a bit of a different list, which means we have lots of time for conversation. Of course, there are the basics like coffee, snacks, water, and fuel.
Coffee. No, it’s not for everyone… but for me, it’s essential. Big road trips and big meals do not go hand-in-hand, so what do you fuel your mind with during the early hours of the morning? A good old cup of joe. Pro tip: choose quality over quantity and you will cut down on the pit stops. Big meals take energy to digest so don’t load up before or during the trip or you will get very sleepy on the road. No bueno.
Snacks. Choose wisely and they can keep you going for many hours without an energy crash and few pit stops (e.g. less sugar). Also avoid too much beef jerky (I can hear the comments now). Heavy, spicy, greasy food will have you guzzling liquid and hunting for a rest stop much more often than anyone should have to. I recommend trail mix with peanuts and M&M’s: it doesn’t melt as fast and does a good job of balancing out the carb load. If you can’t do peanuts, then my second favorite road trip food is dehydrated fruit. You can buy this or make your own and it is also great if you have kids! Bring on the bananas!
Water. Having water with you seems like a no-brainer, but I am often shocked by how many people don’t carry a supply with them. Breakdowns happen and typically when it is blisteringly hot outside. Even if it is not saving your life, drinking water can help battle the effects of running your A/C while you’re on the road. A/C systems in your car will dry you out and dehydration will make you tired. Drinking soda (and I do love a cold Coke once-in-a-while) will only dehydrate you faster and give you that dreaded sugar crash, so stick with water for the road and you will be much happier.
Fuel. Obviously, fuel is necessary to run a vehicle, be it electric, unleaded, or diesel. Don’t forget to top off that tank and keep an eye on your gauge and mileage. Knowing roughly how far you can go on a tank makes you a veteran road warrior if your gauge suddenly decides that its done working in the middle of your drive. Many people get services like AAA for just this reason, yet a lot of insurance companies include this service as a perk (check with yours).
What are your must haves for a good, long road trip? Is there a trip that’s most memorable for you? At the end of the day, we ended up right back in KC as planned (with a slick new ride for James) and with this simplistic preparation it was just a fun day in the car catching up with a friend and seeing a new city.
