Mastering the Art of the Day Trip

Summer is half over and if you aren’t already ramping up to get back into the school routine, chances are you will be soon. Fall is around the corner and then come the holidays. While those long, carefree vacations are over for the time being, it doesn’t mean a fun day trip is out of the cards. From fall color tours to a trip to grandma’s house, turn a day away into a mini-vacation.

We all seem to get so bogged down by work, school, kids, housework, and it feels as if we can’t step away to enjoy anything. Even during the summer it’s seems like all week we slave away for the weekend so we can catch up on laundry, yard work, bills and everything else we just couldn’t get to during the week. Remember to slow down on occasion and get away. A day trip doesn’t have to be expensive or epic, just pick a place and get out of the house. Try one of these ideas for a great day trip to help you remember that life isn’t all about work.

Track Down Treasure

Look for a flea market, a place to do some antique shopping or just a craft show and create a day centered around finding those lost treasures. It is a great way to find unique gifts and awesome bargains. You can also find pieces for the home you won’t find anywhere else. Get away from the hustle of daily life and just browse for a special trinket.

Tip: Get up early! A long drive and the fear of traffic can deter our best intentions so get to bed on time the night before. Leave bright and early with thermos full of coffee and your favorite playlist and enjoy that time away from emails, chores, and everything else that holds you back.

Explore a Park You Haven’t Visited

I am always hearing about great state parks that I haven’t had the chance to explore. Pick a park that offers a variety of things to do and pack up the kids (and maybe even the family dog) for a day of hiking and picnicking. Check to see if there is a pavilion, a park for kids to play, paved walkways for rollerblading or bike trails. Bring a variety of things from a football to hiking gear and have a day completely away from all those screens. Pack a full picnic, or go light and bring along some better-for-you snacks like Boulder Canyon chips cooked in unique cooking oils like coconut. A day in the fresh air can make a world of difference.

Tip: Don’t over schedule. If you have a free day sandwiched in between two hectic days, don’t go crazy with activities. It will most likely just make it even more hectic and stressful. Choose a free day for a road trip when you won’t be pressed for time or have to get home early in order to get up for something else the next day.

Look For Some Fruit

There are plenty of farms and orchards all across the country that offer guests the chance to pick their own fruit. Research one of the farms and take the family or a friend to spend the day picking blueberries, apples, strawberries or whatever happens to be in season. Find an orchard that has a variety of activities and plan the whole day around it. Many orchards have everything from a cider mill and apple picking to donuts, wine, hayrides and pumpkin patches. Just enjoy a day wandering around outside.  

Tip: Always check the weather, and check it twice. Bring a change of clothes and umbrella in case you get cold or wet. Then, have some kind of a backup plan just in case plan A goes awry.

Spend a Day Tempting Your Tastebuds

Have you been dying to try a restaurant or great ice cream shop or the cafe that claims to have the world’s best pancakes, but you keep putting it off because it is just too far? Take a Saturday and drive out there. Look up the menu ahead of time and pick out the dishes you would love to try. Do a little research of the area to see if there are places to go for a walk or shop in between meals and have an all day pig out.

Tip: Create a route and make sure to look over the map searching for any nearby attractions you might want to check out. Don’t be afraid to abandon your original plans or to make last minute changes. A day trip should just be about enjoying the day not checking things off a list.

Discover The Weird

All over the nation there are bizarre, beautiful, and fascinating roadside attractions. Discover the unique and weird in your own backyard. Stop at that pie stand with homemade pies, check out the world’s biggest dairy cow, take a stroll at the scenic overlooks and explore all you can in a day’s worth of driving. Sometimes those silly, just-for-the-hell of it trips are the most memorable.   

Tip: Always, always bring snacks and drinks along. Nothing can make a trip go bad like when hunger sneaks in. If you are traveling far especially in areas with stretches that don’t have anywhere to stop for food, make sure you have plenty to keep your energy up.

Just Drive

There are so many beautiful coastal roads or backcountry drives that are amazing in the fall. We always want to schedule every last second of our lives and squeeze everything we can into our busy schedules. If you are a control freak and feel the need to plan every moment of your life, spend a day with no plans, no time limits, no boundaries and just go. Get in the car and let the road take you wherever it may lead.

Tip: Drive a car you enjoy spending time in. There is nothing worse than being cramped in a tiny car or traveling with the constant thought in the back of your mind that you could easily break down so far from home. When your car is as beautiful and powerful as the new 2018 Kia Stinger, believe me, you won’t want to stop driving! It’s winning the hearts of adrenaline junkies and award judges alike. I’m pretty sure it’ll win yours too.

This post is sponsored by Boulder Canyon in collaboration with Blog Meets Brand.