I love Winter for so many reasons: the snow, comfy/cozy clothes, winter adventures, snowmobiling, and in all honestly... I really cannot stand being in hot/humid weather.
Winter for me means heading up north to Maine with Brendan almost every weekend. For the past 3 years I have been going to Maine with Bren during the winter to snowmobile. When we started dating neither of us have ever even touched a snowmobile (but, Brendan has rode dirt bikes his entire life, and at least has some experience driving something besides a car... unlike me haha!), so naturally Brendan was really good at it, I on the other hand, got stuck, a. lot. Over the past 3 years we have rented homes in Maine to snowmobile with other couples, until last year, when Brendan decided to purchase a cabin of his own!
As most of you know, Brendan and I live in Rhode Island, and the southern Maine border is only about 2.5 - 3 hours from us. But, we go up way past there... about 300 miles north of there to be exact. Our weekend rides can take anywhere from 6 to 7.5 hours to get from home to his cabin, so we have definitely had our fair share of long car rides. Now I know you all probably think that we're crazy, but honestly, I love our long car rides, we see so many different sites, and it gives us some time to spend together.
However, sometimes a ride can get boring, especially after the fourth or fifth hour in the car, so here are some of my tips/tricks to powering through a long car ride!
#1 - Have a good playlist:
This is HUGE, I don't know how we would get through car rides without good music. I use spotify for streaming music, and pay the monthly payment (for students, since I'm still in school) which is only $4.99 a month and allows me to download and stream from pretty much everywhere.We tend to listen to the same kind of music, but sometimes want to switch it up, which is why I love spotify because they generate their own playlists as well! I tend to always update my playlists too as time goes by, feel free to follow me on spotify if you use it as well (just search: Marissa Pereira)!
#2 - Bring Snacks (& don't drink too much!):
If you know me well, you know that I love to snack, so naturally I cannot go anywhere without something to munch on. Packing snacks is always a good idea because then you don't have to make extra stops when someone gets hungry, but be warned - don't drink too much. I am always drinking water, but try to slow my intake on long car rides because bathroom breaks can really slow them down.
#3 - Try out a podcast or audio book:
Brendan and I have tried listening to podcasts, but I've never really found any that we like {recommendations welcomed!}. However, I have heard from others that sometimes listening to a short audio book can really make the time in the car go back quickly, especially if it's super interesting!
#4 - Plan your stops, and plan accordingly:
Believer it or not, we usually only make 1-2 stops on our rides to Brendan's cabin. Our first stop is usually at about half way to our destination to get gas, use the restroom and get something quick to eat (Yelp has become my best friend with helping to find places to grab something to-go to eat near highway exit ramps & gas stations). Then our second stop is usually once we get off the highway for anything else we may need before reaching our destination.
#5 - Dress comfortably:
It is extremely rare to catch me on a long car ride wearing jeans. Leggings and a sweatshirt are always my go-to outfits, unless I am hopping in the car right after work and don't have time to change. Being comfortable on a long ride is a must. *Pro tip: bring a blanket scarf to use if you get cold and no one else in the car is chilly!*
#6 - Play a game:
We haven't done this in a while... but I remember when we used to first start taking long drives, we'd play the alphabet game all the time (player 1 starts with the letter "A" and has only seconds to name something they see on the road that starts with that letter, then it moves onto player 2 with the letter "B" and so on!) kind of a corny game, but it is kind of funny to play.
Additional tips:
- Going on a really long ride? Break it up! We have broken up long car rides with staying overnight at a location half-way through the ride. This allows you to see new places, as well as get some much rest.
- Hate driving? Take turns. Brendan will usually do most of the driving on our trips, even though I love to drive. If you take turns it helps break it up a little, sometimes being the passenger can get boring!
Shop my outfit from the post:
#2 - Bring Snacks (& don't drink too much!):
If you know me well, you know that I love to snack, so naturally I cannot go anywhere without something to munch on. Packing snacks is always a good idea because then you don't have to make extra stops when someone gets hungry, but be warned - don't drink too much. I am always drinking water, but try to slow my intake on long car rides because bathroom breaks can really slow them down.
#3 - Try out a podcast or audio book:
Brendan and I have tried listening to podcasts, but I've never really found any that we like {recommendations welcomed!}. However, I have heard from others that sometimes listening to a short audio book can really make the time in the car go back quickly, especially if it's super interesting!
#4 - Plan your stops, and plan accordingly:
Believer it or not, we usually only make 1-2 stops on our rides to Brendan's cabin. Our first stop is usually at about half way to our destination to get gas, use the restroom and get something quick to eat (Yelp has become my best friend with helping to find places to grab something to-go to eat near highway exit ramps & gas stations). Then our second stop is usually once we get off the highway for anything else we may need before reaching our destination.
#5 - Dress comfortably:
It is extremely rare to catch me on a long car ride wearing jeans. Leggings and a sweatshirt are always my go-to outfits, unless I am hopping in the car right after work and don't have time to change. Being comfortable on a long ride is a must. *Pro tip: bring a blanket scarf to use if you get cold and no one else in the car is chilly!*
#6 - Play a game:
We haven't done this in a while... but I remember when we used to first start taking long drives, we'd play the alphabet game all the time (player 1 starts with the letter "A" and has only seconds to name something they see on the road that starts with that letter, then it moves onto player 2 with the letter "B" and so on!) kind of a corny game, but it is kind of funny to play.
Additional tips:
- Going on a really long ride? Break it up! We have broken up long car rides with staying overnight at a location half-way through the ride. This allows you to see new places, as well as get some much rest.
- Hate driving? Take turns. Brendan will usually do most of the driving on our trips, even though I love to drive. If you take turns it helps break it up a little, sometimes being the passenger can get boring!
Shop my outfit from the post:
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