Summer Road Trips with Subaru

Summer is road trip time, and there's no better vehicle for a road trip than a Subaru. Top road trip tips:

1. Bring your vehicle in to Adventure Subaru for a check up before you head out. Car trouble on a road trip doesn't count as an adventure.
2. Use a website like Roadtrippers.com Pinterest, or Thrillist to plan your itinerary. Some like detailed plans and others like to point their Subaru toward a loose destination and go with the flow, but anticipation is fun for everyone. 
3. If you're going alone, make sure someone knows where you're headed and check in regularly. Just in case.
   
4. Pack sports gear, camping equipment, and luggage away and pack a separate bag to keep within easy reach. That bag should contain bills and coins for toll roads, cards for buying gas, games or books or your iPod, chargers, and snacks. Hanging over the back seat digging through your gear in search of your phone charger is not fun.
5. Don't overpack. A Subaru can hold a lot of stuff, but storing the cooler under your passengers'  feet will get old fast. If people are saying, "Yeah, that doesn't seem too uncomfortable" in the driveway before you leave, they're going to be in pain by the end of the day.
6. Make sure everyone is in comfortable clothes. If you know you'll need your hiking boots when you reach your destination, you might still want some soft slip-ons for drive time. 
7. Water bottles and maybe a thermos of coffee help keep you hydrated. Healthy snacks like nuts and cut-up veggies can help balance the road food.
8. We all rely on GPS and our smartphones now, but it doesn't hurt to have a map as back-up. Tourist guides can tell you interesting information about the places you're driving past, as well as fast access to info about motels and restaurants.
9. Stop and stretch sometimes. If you're traveling with kids, watch for public parks and playgrounds. Adults can enjoy tossing a Frisbee or doing some yoga moves.
10. If you're ever going to fight with the people you love, it'll be during a long road trip. Give people some space, cut them some slack, and think twice before you say things you'll regret. "Am I tired and cranky?" you can ask yourself before you snap at someone. Fortunately, Subarus have comfortable interiors, so you're less likely to have this problem in a Subaru.