Top 10 Things To Pack For A Road Trip #MomLife

This post is sponsored by Chevrolet Traverse.

Summer has finally arrived! I’ve always enjoyed the summer season because of the joy it bring my kids and because of the time I get to spend with them. Many families include a road-trip in their summer vacation plans. Some go to a destination, while others travel to see distant family members. No matter which of the two suits your family, it’s a given that you need a vehicle that can handle the trip.

I’ve taken a number of road-trips in my life in a number of different types of vehicles. I have taken a road-trip in a two-door and it wasn’t easy. Hands down, our best road-trips have always occurred when the vehicle we were in had plenty of room – for our family, our gear, and anything we picked up along the way. The Chevrolet Traverse easily fits that bill.

With best-in-class maximum cargo space, seating for up to 8 (1) and a 5-Star Overall Vehicle Score for Safety (2), the Chevrolet Traverse is a solid choice for family vacations and road-trips. Having the right vehicle certainly can make a long trip better. But, there’s still the matter of the drive. Who wants to sit in a car for hours and be bored? No one, that’s who. Road-trips should be fun. A successful road-trip will leave you with memories and stories to share. With that in mind, here’s a list of my top 10 things to pack for a road trip.

1. Maps. Part of what makes a fun road trip fun is the things you can do along the way. While planning your road-trip check the map to see what places of interest are along your route. Include stops where everyone can get out and do something. See a historic landmark. Ride a carousel. Watch a sunset on a beach. Visit a lighthouse. Stop at an amusement park.
2. Sunglasses, sunscreen and hats. These will be needed for those stops you planned. Sunburn is never fun, and you really don’t want to spend your vacation with one.
3. Food and drinks. Stopping for food and drinks is expensive. It can usually be avoided by packing some of your favorite things before you leave home. Water never goes bad. It’s always good to have with you, both for drinking and to use if you need to rinse something off as well. Snacks. Well, who doesn’t like those! Pack snacks that don’t melt or upset stomachs. Do not pack chocolate. As yummy as chocolate is, it melts and makes a mess. Trail mix, crunchy snacks, cereal, potato chips, pretzels (gluten-free travel really well) are all solid options.
4. Baby wipes. Wipes can be used for all sorts of things. There’s the obvious diaper change or accident clean up. There’s also unexpected illness, messy hands, boo-boos, and just cooling off.
5. Small first aid kit. Sometimes things happen. So be prepared! No need to go 20 miles out of your way to find a convenience store if you have aspirin in the car. And things like skinned knees can be handled quickly by rinsing and then treating with antibiotic ointment and a bandaid.
6. Towels and rain ponchos. Let’s face it. Sometimes it rains. There’s no need to let some rain dampen your day. Rain ponchos are inexpensive and small. It’s also great to have a couple of towels, in case you do get caught in the rain or if someone in the car gets chilly.
7. Books, paper, activity books and colored pencils. These things offer the chance to draw things seen along the way, write down memories, play games like tic-tac-toe and just doodle. And, road-trips are a great time to work on that summer reading list.
8. Music. I can’t even back out of the driveway without having music on. In my opinion you simply must have music on a road-trip. MP3 players are great but if you have a car full of people with headphones on they aren’t really making memories. Listen to satellite radio or utilize a streaming service (3). Or, do family karaoke by loading some songs onto your phone. In the 2016 Chevrolet Traverse, connect your phone to the car and you’ll all be having fun belting out the words to the songs in no time, all while staying connected and on course while driving, Courtesy of Chevrolet MyLink (4) and 4G LTE Wi-Fi (5).
9. Tablets and other portable electronics. They can be very useful on a road-trip. Passengers can watch a movie, read and play games.
10. Digital camera. Take pictures of everything. The landmarks, the funny faces, the family, all of it. Pictures can be used to create a scrapbook or memory book that can be enjoyed for years.

Besides the vehicle, what is one thing that you must have for a successful road-trip?

With spacious seating, ample cargo space and available safety and entertainment technologies, there’s no better vehicle to bring the family together than the Chevrolet Traverse.

1. Standard on LS and 1LT.  Available on 2LT.  LTZ seats 7.  Not available in Ebony/Saddle Up interior color.

2. Government 5-Star Safety Ratings are part of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA’s) New Car Assessment Program (www.SaferCar.gov).

3. Data plan rates apply.

4. MyLink functionality varies by model. Full functionality requires compatible Bluetooth and smartphone, and USB connectivity for some devices. MyLink on Traverse does not include Gracenote functionality.

5. Requires compatible mobile device, active OnStar service and data plan. Visit onstar.com for details and system limitations.