It’s finally time to welcome summer with a long weekend filled with adventure. If you hit the road with friends this Memorial Day weekend, make sure the journey is as fun as the destination. With an open mind and a little planning, these fun road trip ideas can help you make the most of your driving time.
Set the soundtrack for your road trip with a killer playlist that everyone in the car is guaranteed to enjoy. If you want to take a break from your music, grab an engaging audiobook or queue up a series of engaging podcasts you won’t be able to pause. Get ready for adventure and set fun goals that will keep you excited for everything along the way. As you plan your route, think about food stops that suit your appetite and sample the best regional options available in each place you pass. Get out and explore the roadside tourist attractions and pick up some great kitschy souvenirs. Take photos along the way and make sure you document each time you enter a new state. By the time you arrive at your destination, you'll have had an adventurous vacation filled with memories (and refrigerator magnets).
1. Curate a collaborative playlist
Before your trip (and while on the road), create a collaborative playlist with all your passengers. Everyone adds their favorite riff and there are no arguments about who gets to control the music later. Once you're on the road, shuffle your playlist. Each passenger can look forward to hearing their selections while also learning about new music curated by their friends. Need a little inspiration to get you started? No one can argue with the 90s.
2. Make a food passport
When you're planning your trip and figuring out where you might stop along the way, do some research to determine some of the best food in the area. Map out your lunch and dinner spots and find the most popular local specialties. Record your culinary exploits in a little journal and check off every cooking stop along the way. Planning where you stop to enjoy a specific meal will help you stick to your schedule, keep you excited about reaching each destination, and avoid snacking at the gas station instead of a full meal. Your stomach will thank you later.
3. Make a "Welcome to..." photo album
If you're passing through several states, have your camera ready to take photos of every "Welcome to..." sign on your route. At the end of your trip, organize them all into a photo album and add to your state collection on every future road trip. For more immediate fun, add photos from each shot to your Snapchat Story to keep all your friends updated on your road trip progress.
4. Listen to podcasts
Watch the time fly by as you listen to a podcast you don't want to pause. The options are endless, with themes ranging from fashion to love to murder mysteries (think sitcoms ). Pro tip: Download podcasts ahead of time so you can enjoy uninterrupted listening regardless of service.
5. Or read the whole book
You can also choose to listen to audiobooks to keep you sane during long journeys. Discuss it with your driving companions ahead of time so everyone is on the same page (pun intended), and use NoveList to pick out audiobooks for your road trip.
6. Stop at roadside attractions
While some of these attractions may be silly, the roadside attractions are a really enjoyable way to while away a full day's drive. Yield the right of way and pull over to check for vehicles in your route. You never know what you'll see or who you'll meet, and you won't regret taking a photo with a brontosaurus or in front of a house made of beer cans.
7. Become a memorabilia collector
Play the role of a tourist and buy cheap souvenirs at each important destination along the way. Decorate the dashboard with your favorite finds to visually showcase your journey.
8. Enjoy car karaoke
Sing a car karaoke session with ease. Turn down the audio low enough so passengers can sing while listening to music. If necessary, copy out the lyrics on your phone, or see how well each of you understand the lyrics. A special karaoke party will bring some much-needed laughs to a long day of driving.
9. Try some trivia
Download a trivia app and test each other on random facts. You can take turns asking questions and keep score as you travel.
10. Play games that adults can enjoy
Make the miles fly by with fun road trip games for adults. You're never too old for some old-fashioned fun, and you can really up the ante and upgrade your fun when you're rewarded with a beer (once you've stopped for the night or arrived at your destination).
11. Stargazing
As night falls, enjoy the starry sky without the distractions of city light pollution. Download an astronomy app like Star Chart or Star Walk to pinpoint stars and planets without a telescope, then do some stargazing on the go.
Image: MTV; Jiffy (11)
