Before We Go! (BFF Road Trip to GLACIER!)
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Tomorrow AM, my friend Alex and I are leaving for a trip we’ve been dreaming about for years! A trip to Glacier National Park with many stops to other parks + places along the way.
When you plant the idea of a trip with a friend, your significant other and / or family member(s), don’t let the idea fade away! Even if it takes a few years to save for it or to clear everyone’s schedule, “one day” will finally be here and you’ll be on your way! Taking the journey of a lifetime!
So here we are…the beginning!
It’s funny to think about. This trip is 11-nights / 11-days. Which may seem like a long time! But it’s actually much longer with all the planning + preparation we have put into it so far. To be honest, I really enjoy that side of things, so it didn’t bother me at all. I think it’s part of the fun!
Figuring out the route we’re taking
Looking up AirBnbs and fun accommodations
Detailing the itinerary
Planning snacks
Buying a couple “must haves” items
Some trips, I’ve totally “winged it” but this one, we definitely planned for. And that’s what I’m going to share with you below! I thought I would walk you through the things we did to get to this point. I’m also sharing the 8-page Google Doc planning worksheet + itinerary we created, in case you want to get some ideas on how to lay out your next trip.
1st Things First — Pick where you are headed!
Where have you been dreaming of going?!
What’s a spot that always been on your “list”?!
I’m on a mission to visit all 50 states — and the nice thing about this trip is we’ll be passing through many of the states I haven’t been through yet! (North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming, Montana)
What prompted us to take this specific trip, though, was an Instagram photo I saw on @2sisters_angie’s feed several years ago (Crazy, right, all because of an Insta photo?!). Her and her husband took their daughter @fashionbymayhem out West and I was in awe of how beautiful Glacier National Park was. I remember sharing her photo with my dear friend Alex and we both said “One day, we are going there!”.
That day is almost here! Eeeeee!!!
2nd — Choose Dates!
Get with your travel buddies and figure out the WHEN. Once you ask for time off, you’re locked in! It makes the trip THAT much more real. It’s no longer “a bunch of talk.” You have days that you can count down!
Let the planning commence!
3rd — Set a budget!
Do not be the person planning to put your trip on a credit card and pay it off “later”. All of the rest + relaxation on your trip is only going to cause more stress financially down the road.
Set a rough budget! Start saving cash! Re-evaluate a more firm budget as you get closer to your trip.
For this trip, Alex and I both budgeted $1,000.
Here’s a rough breakdown of my budget:
Lodging: $300
Gas: $250
Food: $200
Fun: $175
Other: $75
Note: In the past, I wrote everything I spent in a notebook that we kept in the glove box. I may do that again, or I might just put it into EveryDollar, now that I use it for budgeting! (Or maybe both methods) Find a way to keep track of what you spend as you go, so you don’t get home from your trip and wonder where all your money went. (Unless of course, you’re in Baby Step #7 and don’t have to worry about that!) 😊
4th — Activities + Adventures along the way!
I will say a road trip or even an out-of-country trip will probably require more planning than a week at the beach, or going to a single destination. Just because you have a little bit more going on. More cities and stops to coordinate. However, either way, make sure you have fun planned!
Here are some activities + adventures we have planned for this trip:
Eating cheese at Mars Cheese Castle (Cheese is a MUST when you’re in Wisconsin)
Camping at Badlands National Park
Witnessing the infamous sculpture carved in the side of a mountain — Mt. Rushmore
Seeing Old Faithful erupt at Yellowstone
Sleeping in a Tipi — They call that “glamping” right?!
Kayaking on Lake McDonald at Glacier National Park
Checking out Salem Sue — the World’s Largest Cow
Visiting Bemidji, MN — The town where my Grandma’s parents had a lake house <3
5th — Lay out your Road Map!
Once we started looking at the things we wanted to do, we actually flipped our trip! We were going to start off by going to Glacier and then do things like Yellowstone, Mt. Rushmore and the Badlands on our way home. But the more we looked at it, the better off we were to flip the trip (considering weather, park openings and a couple other factors). Don’t be afraid to make changes along the way!
(If you’re not taking a road trip, your road map may involve flights instead — and in that case, lay out your flight plan!)
6th — Get your car inspected!
In my opinion, this is a MUST if you’re driving…unless you just bought a brand new car OR you’re driving a rental car. Even if it’s just for the mechanic to tell you, “Everything is good to go!” (In fact, that’s what you want them to say. LOL)
I remember when I took a trip to Gatlinburg with a bunch of girlfriend's the summer after high school, Megan’s mom got the car we drove inspected so she knew we would have a safe + reliable vehicle on the road.
A couple weeks ago, I took my car into the shop for an oil change and to do an inspection. Come to find out, my car’s air compressor was not working.
(No wonder on the warmer days, my car didn’t seem to get cold. I hadn't noticed this winter because I had the heat on).
Soooooo….about $900 later, Pearl had working AC. Oh, and a brand new back windshield wiper :)
But we are all ready to hit the road and I feel so much better know that she should be A-OK out on-the-road. *Fingers crossed*
7th — Make a list and check it twice!
For all my iPhone users, the NOTES app on your phone (the one it comes with) is INCREDIBLE! Use it!!!
Here’s why:
You can add your travel buddy!
You can check + uncheck the boxes!
If you have a good list, it will only help you as you begin packing! It’s also great because you will think of things at random times, that you *need* to bring. In which, all you need to do is open up the note and add to it!
Last night, Alex actually text me and said, “Your packing list was a time saver 😘 Thanks!”
See ;) Planning ahead should set you up for stress-free packing!
Here’s how I laid it out:
Essentials (We each had our own section here)
Food (We divided it by what Alex would bring / what I would bring)
Clothes (This section was divided by what was being packed in each duffel bag. I also included what clothes I was wearing on what day of the trip. It made packing 100x easier. I determined what I’d be wearing on what day by looking at the day’s activity. Ex: If we were hiking, yoga pants it was! But if we were exploring town, jeans would work great!)
To Buy (This section has a couple items we still need to purchase…Ex: our National Park Pass. We’ll get that on the road!)
8th — No time for being hangry….Groceries + Snacks!
While we do plan on eating out some, we wanted to make sure we brought some food + snacks with us! It would (1) save us money and (2) be a bit healthier than eating out every meal.
Coming off the Whole30, I also didn’t want to go from 100% clean eating to 100% junk / fast food. It was nice because I was able to bring some of my Whole30 favorites in the YETI cooler. We made a list of what foods we would want to munch on during the trip.
COOLER:
Mason Jars work GREAT because they won’t get wet / soggy in the cooler!
I filled a bunch of them with:
Carrots
Cucumbers
Bell Peppers
Bacon
Buffalo Chicken Spread
Grapes
Salami
Dump Ranch
And then of course brought some beverages:
Starbucks Iced Coffee
Raspberry Wine
DRY FOOD BAG:
Apples
Cuties
Peanut Butter + Jelly
RX Bars + Almond Butter
Fruit Go Squeezes
Granola bars
Cheez-Its
Crackers
Tortillas
Pistachios
Can of Skyline Chili
9th — Pack the Car and Hit the Road!
Got everything on your list?!
Put it in the car! It’s time to gooooooo!
A couple tips:
Packing in several bags seemed to help me!
Blankets in a bag
Utensils / Food stuff in a bag
Dry food in a bag
Duffel for daily outfits
Duffel for sleepwear / outerwear / undies / socks
Fun bag
Med kit container
Camera bag
Backpack with the essentials
Seek a hiding spot in your car for your super valuable valuables. Just in case the car were to get broken into (it’s sad to think this way….but after last year’s San Francisco incident, I’m way more aware of my surroundings). Hopefully they don’t find your stash in the hiding spot. We will also put a blanket over top the goods to try NOT to bring attention to what’s in our car.
Back up your computer before you leave! (If you’re taking it with you)
Kiss your loved ones goodbye! Until FaceTime :)
Print your itinerary! Grab your friend! Hit the road!
That’s basically it!
Don’t feel overwhelmed. It takes a little bit of time to get everything ready. Simply take it one step at a time!
And remember….it’s a vacation for a reason! Time to spend some well-deserved time off, having a ton of fun. When you hit the road, you’ll feel super accomplished and ready for the road trip to begin!!!
See ya on the road :)
If you’d like to follow along our 2019 Road Trip on a day-to-day basis, follow me on Instagram @ashleynnoga and keep an eye on my Insta stories. That’s where I plan to do a lot of sharing!
(If of course, I have service).
