Have I told you how much I love taking road trips?! They are so much fun! I get my love of travel from my parents. We used to travel all over the East Coast exploring places that were a bit off the beaten path. I’m continuing road trip travel with The Boy! In fact, the two of us, along with my mom, embarked on a road trip YESTERDAY! We’re heading to visit with my dear grandparents – which means lots of swimming, billiards, and beverages.
As I planned for our trip, I knew it was important to think about what to pack in a car for a road trip. Here’s a road trip packing list of items that are a must have for me:
Sunglasses| Grab yourself a nice pair of polarized sunglasses. The lenses make it easier to see on bright days and shades protect your eyes from the UV rays!
Sunscreen| You need to wear sunscreen, even when you’re only riding in the car!
Music| Everyone loves good tune. Make a few playlists of favorites and be sure to include some new-to-you artists so you don’t feel like you’re listening to the same old songs on repeat!
Lip Balm| I don’t know about you, but my lips often get dry when traveling by car. I like to keep a few tubes of lip balm on hand.
Gum or Mints| To prevent your breath from becoming stale, grab a few packs of gum and tins of mints. I am obsessed with cinnamon Altoids.
Camera| Take photos along the way of the interesting landmarks and fun things you’ll do along the way. Later, turn those photos into a travel album to remember how much fun you had.
Drinks and Snacks| Stock a small cooler with bottles of water, apples, cheese sticks, and other mess-free foods such as Planters Chili Lime Peanuts.
Facial tissue, paper towels, and toilet paper| You never know when someone may have a bloody nose, spill a drink in the car, or may need to take a bio break! Having paper products on hand ensures you’re prepared for anything!
Trash bag| Repurpose a plastic grocery bag into your car’s trash bag. During the day, fill it with the waste you generate on your trip and empty it at the hotel or at a gas station.
The morning that you depart on your road trip, it’s important to have a filling breakfast. I love having smoothies, they’re filling, virtually mess free, and allow you to use up any leftover produce you may have in your refrigerator. For this road trip smoothie, I combined coffee, avocado, and Earthbound Farms organic baby spinach. Below, I’m sharing the easy to follow recipe.
How to Make the Perfect Road Trip Smoothie
Road trips require a little kickstart to the day. Rather than a lone cup of coffee, I like to use coffee as the base for a delicious smoothie. It takes a bit of forethought, as you need to brew the coffee the day before to allow it ample time to chill. I used Peet’s Coffee Columbia Luminosa Grand K-cups to brew an 8-ounce cup right into a mason jar. Once it cooled to room temperature, I added the lid and popped it into the refrigerator.
Using the single serve cup of your blender, combine the chilled Peet’s Coffee brewed coffee, half of a ripe avocado, and two large handfuls of Earthbound Farms organic baby spinach.
Attach the blade to the cup and place the cup on the blender base. Whirl it around until well combined.
This is so delicious, I wish you could taste it! You can grab the ingredients you need to make your own at your neighborhood Shaw’s store.
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I would have never thought to use coffee as a smoothie base, interesting. I’m dreaming of taking a northern California trip with my fam. #client