I love a good road trip.  I love seeing roads I’ve never seen before and observing different landscapes as you pass through.  This past weekend, we headed up to Valley Springs for a family get together and to head to a fund raiser involving large rescue entertainment animals (post coming soon!).  While I was packing, I realized I’ve gotten quite good at throwing a weekend bag together for a road trip so I wanted to share my list of essentials in case you need one in a pinch.

Packing List:

I purchased a blanket while I was in Cabo that I bring everywhere with me.  It’s the best versatile blanket.  I’ve used it to sit on, wrap around me at a bonfire, and even to cover things up in my car if I need to run into a store.

Re-fillable water bottle.  Whenever I stop, I re-fill from the water spout on the fountain soda machine.

Universal USB phone charger for the car.  I found one of these at Walgreen’s and it’s been a lifesaver for when my phone battery runs low from using directions on my phone on a long road trip.  Which also brings the good point, don’t forget your charger(s)!

Inflatable travel pillow if you have room.  It saves your neck if you are napping while not driving.

I’m a fan of layers as well.  I prefer having a layer for any type of weather and mix and matching throughout my trip.

Other forget-me-nots: travel hairbrush, a few hair ties, mini dry shampoo bottle, some thick socks, a good pair of leggings, a hat, sunscreen, sunglasses, good playlist (my latest favorite album is Glitterbug by the Wombats), camera, and some snacks.

Some of the best parts of a road trip are just enjoying the journey so don’t forget to pull over every now and then and enjoy your favorite new and/or old places 🙂

{{ Photos by: Roberto Jimenez }}