Road trips hold a special place in our hearts. They’re in our favorite TV shows, movies, and even books. My first road-trip was with my parents the summer before I entered High School.

We roamed all over the western United States visiting National Parks and exploring everything we could. We drove to the high Sierra Mountains and the low Death Valley dessert. In fact, the first time I drove a car was on this road trip. My dad pulled over on a lonely stretch of highway and let me take the wheel. The road was as straight as could be, but you couldn't tell by my driving. We went as far south as the Grand Canyon all the way up to the Grand Tetons and beyond.

Many of my clients are itching to travel, but not ready to commit to a trip abroad. This makes 2021 a great year for a road-trip. I took a short road trip a month or so ago. I picked up my car in California to drive it to our new home just outside of Dallas (after living in Puerto Vallarta for six months, we decided to find a home-base back in the US). We passed through Solvang to walk through town and collect a box full of pastries, made an unexpected stop at an Ostrich farm, and couldn't help taking videos as we travelled through varying landscape.

Not only does a road trip put you in control of the destinations and the sights, it gives you a chance to make memories together, both in your destination and en route that you’ll treasure for years to come.

Whether you’re asking Siri for directions or going old school with a paper map, navigating on a road trip is part of the fun. It’s all about tracing your route, taking a detour to a roadside attraction (who doesn’t want to take a selfie with the world’s largest ball of yarn?), and stopping at a family-owned diner for the best (and maybe greasiest) breakfast you’ve ever had.

​Music connects us. It helps us convey our feelings and emotions to one another. It makes us want to dance. It turns us into karaoke singers behind the wheel. Before setting out on a road trip, build playlists for each other that tells a story about your relationship through song. Or perhaps you choose an audiobook or new podcast series to keep you guessing about what will happen next.

Road trips offer the chance to travel safely and comfortably, especially in light of COVID-19. That also means there may not be other travelers to snap photos of you and your travel companions together. Practice using your camera or phone’s self-timer so that you can snap photos together at every destination along the way. Consider packing a selfie stick to capture your smiles in front of the scenery. These are a few of the best ways to make sure the memories of your adventure last for years to come!

Ready to plan your road trip adventure? I’m here to help you with hotel and excursion recommendations, destination knowledge, and everything you need to know about travel policies between states! Let’s plan this adventure together.

I crowd sourced this itinerary with a bunch of my fellow Travel Advisors who live in each location. Check it out here!

There's a lot to remember before heading out on your next adventure. That's why I always use a checklist to remind myself of all the things I need to pack before I embark on my next trip. Keep reading to discover the three must-have items you need while traveling!
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​Click here for a handy packing list to make sure you are prepared for all of your traveling needs!

After all the packing is done and just before I head to the airport, I double-check to make sure I have these three things on me. Without these items, I may not even make it to my destination, or at a minimum, my traveling experience will be considerably more difficult. If all I have are these three things, I'll be able to get by and can always purchase anything else I need. 
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#1. Don't forget your passport
If you're traveling internationally, you won't even make it on the plane without your passport. Even if you somehow manage to slip through all the check points and make it to your destination, they’ll put you on the next flight home as soon as you land. I've seen it happen a number of times. The traveler who forgets their passport has to go back home to get it, no exceptions. Their travel plans are delayed, plus, they incur stiff fees from the airline to re-book their airfare. 

Bonus Tip: Make sure your passport doesn't expire until six months after the date you return home, or they might not let you go abroad.

#2. Don't forget your money/credit card
I was pickpocketed while traveling once. They took my wallet with all my money and credit cards. They were so talented that I didn't even realize it until the next day! The worst part? I was only halfway through my month-long journey. I begged my parents to send money via Western Union at each new city I went to, so I didn't have to come home early. Thankfully, they agreed, but it was quite the process. The time difference between us was about 10 hours, which made communication while traveling extremely difficult. I wasn't sure how much money I needed for the rest of the trip and typos in my name made it difficult to collect the cash. All-in-all, lesson learned: do not forget your money or credit cards while traveling!

#3. Don't forget your phone
With the world’s shift from paper to digital almost complete, your most important travel information is now on your phone. Plus, your family and friends expect to hear from you frequently while you travel to make sure you're alive and well. We've grown so dependent on our smart phones, it's hard to travel without them. To top it off, many of us no longer use a physical camera; it's now just an app on our phone. Can you imagine traveling to all these beautiful sites and not being able to take pictures of any of your food? Lame!
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Before you leave for your next trip, double-check to make sure you didn't forget your three most important travel items: your passport, money and phone.