Road Trip Week: Reasons to Road Trip

One of the reasons this blog is called, “Girl on the Move,” is because I love traveling…I am literally a girl on the move.  And while I love all kinds of traveling, one of my favorite ways to travel is on a road trip.  So this week is Road Trip Week!  This is a week where I get to share my love of road trips, convince you to take one of your own, and help you have the best road trip possible.  Today, we’re kicking things off with reasons to road trip!

Not sure why I’m qualified to convince you to take a road trip?  It’s quite simple really…I’ve taken a couple hundred hundred thousand miles worth of road trips.  Yup, you read that right!  A COUPLE HUNDRED THOUSAND miles of road trips in just over 30 years.  I’m pretty sure that number qualifies me to convince you to take a road trip!  And now a look at reasons to road trip….

1. You have control.  When you take a road trip, you have so much more control over your travel plans.  Want to stop at fun breakfast place and get a late start on the day?  No worries, you choose when your car leaves.  Want to stop and see a funky roadside attraction?  No problem, you control when, where, and how often you stop during the day.  When you fly your plane is going to depart and arrive at a designated time (or at least it’s supposed to lol) and so you lose spontaneity.
2. You can pack as much as you want.  When you head out in your car, you’re not limited to 3-oz bottles of liquid that fit into a quart size bag.  Nope!  You can bring the Costco size version of your favorite shampoo if you want.  Not sure which shoes you’ll want on the trip?  Bring them all…you’re not limited to a bag that will fit in the overhead bin or will cost you $75 to check.  You can take as much as you want!
3. The views! I will admit that I have seen some pretty amazing views from my window seat on the airplane but it just doesn’t compare to the views I’ve seen on road trips.  An up close and personal look at mountains, deserts, raging rivers, small towns, thriving cities…I’ve seen it all from my car.  And going back to #1, because you are in control you can stop the car at any point and get out and experience the view for yourself.
4. Quality time.  This is probably going to sound crazy to most people, but I love the quality time you get with friends and family when you take a road trip.  One of my craziest road trip experiences was one day after my brother-in-law arrived in the United States for the first time (yup, you read that right…ONE day!) and our family set off on a two-week road trip around the country.  It was absolutely priceless to be able to get to know my brother-in-law and see him experience the United States for the very first time (and trains. and snow. and so much more!)
5. Time freezes.  All of travel leaves you with memories, but there is just something about the added road trip time that gives you extra special moments.  It’s like this break between your regular life and your travel life where time seems to freeze and you build up memories and moments.  I have childhood memories of my brother zapping things with a garage door opener, getting new boxes of car activities each morning from my mom, seeing new states with my family and just getting to hit pause on life to make memories with each other.

What are your thoughts on road trips?  What has been your favorite road trip?  What are your reasons to road trip?

Other Travel posts you might like:

Spring Break Travel with Kids

California to Canada Road Trip

Road Trip Fitness