The best part of our Colorado road trips is seeing our family. Oh, and there are lots of other reasons we love it too. Like the scenery and the weather.
Now, after several years making this two-day road trip journey, I am sharing some essentials you might not have thought of that will make your next trip in the car as nice as ours has been.
Car Emergency Kit
We have assembled our own emergency kit for the car and the peace of mind cannot be calculated. This is what we usually pack:
- Fire blanket
- First aid kit
- Tire compressor
- Gallon of water
- Spare tire (most cars no longer come with a spare and must be ordered separately!)
Mini Refrigerator
We never take a trip without the Massimo and Iâve written about it several times. I wonât belabor it now, but you can read about it here.
Having food stay fresh and safe without searching for ice or dealing with the mess is now a road trip essential for us.
Car Window Shade
Even with cooler weather, the sun shines brightly in the high altitude. Putting up with car window shade when weâre parked means getting into a comfy car and not burning hands and rears.
For backseat passengers, consider roller shades that keep the sun and heat off while allowing visibility.
Trunk Organizer
There are a number of pre-made trunk organizers that are great for daily use, but for a long road trip, we like to using a 20 gallon plastic tote.
We pack items for the final destination such as games, gifts, food and drink. I also will place a few outfits I donât need on the road, but will want at some point, in large two-gallon Ziplocs and place them in the tote.
The heavy-duty tote keeps everything secure with no breakage or rolling around.
Plastic Bags
Extra plastic baggies, grocery bags or even a trash can liner comes in handy. We use them for everything from dirty laundry, on-the-road trash or bagging a few items from a super market run.
Speaker
Getting cell service throughout most of our trip was a pleasant surprise this year. We frequently get no service and the car ride can get pretty long without some entertainment.
I downloaded an excellent audio book from the library and we listened to it on our small portable speaker.
What did we listen to? I thought youâd never ask! True Grit. Yep, I read it not long ago, but the audio version was a treat for hub who envisioned John Wayne as the one-eyed Rooster Cogburn. This version is read by author Donna Tartt and is so good.
Itâs also nice to listen to a playlist without connecting to the Carplay which can be dedicated to a navigation app.
Wrap Up
After two really long driving days, we are spending a few days doing nothing but reading, watching a movie or two and taking walks.
Maybe a few moments sitting on the deck looking at the aspen trees or sneaking in a nap.
You know, all the good things about being in the middle of the mountains.
I know many of you friends are out on the road or wrapping up trips too. I pray that youâve had wonderful, refreshing journeys and look forward to catching up soon.
XO