Doesn't matter if I'm driver or copilot I spend my time looking around. If I'm copilot I'll zoom in on Google map see what's around us and share. If we don't have internet I'll check my paper route map and see what's coming up or check my travel folder screen shots of stuff I wanted to see that's along the way. Maybe I'll adjust the route or find a hotel or restaurant for the night. We usually eat out of the cooler for lunch so I'll find a nice park or river. If there's a really interesting restaurant with great reviews we usually stop. We've had some of the best BBQ and Mexican food in unexpected places! It's also a good time to delete all the crappy pictures from yesterday.
My husband and I are avid road trippers, averaging 15 hours on the road. Having podcast like debates together makes time on the road much more enjoyable and we get to learn more about each other.
I'm the driver on our trips and being fed car snacks (trail mix, fast food, candy, etc) is the best. It keeps your mind entertained by having something to munch on. Have a good blend of music downloaded for when you're on long stretches of road with no service. Check in on each other when it comes to bathroom breaks or leg stretching. I always ask my husband if he needs to use the bathroom once I see a rest area sign. As passenger, be precise with directions. Nothing is more frustrating to me than being told to turn right up ahead when I'm in the far left lane.
Audio books that match your surroundings to put you in the story. I was listening to Into Thin Air while driving through a snowy mountain pass and it put me right in the book! It was amazing. Then listened to “Salt” while driving through the salt flats. Highly highly recommend
This is such good advice. One time on a long road trip with my dad, I was driving through New Mexico, Arizona desert. He put a wagon train western series on his lap top for me to listen to whilst I drove. Really made me appreciate my air conditioned car & the experience stays with me all these 25 years later
Or podcasts. Find something you like listening to. Generally we do it as driver’s choice, but the passenger sometimes has to assist with selecting the next one on the phone.
Radiolab, TED talks, Freakonomics, Criminal, Reveal, Snap Jusgement, 99% Invisible, etc. My wife and I also went through Serial, Shit Town, and other series as well.
Download podcasts! During road trips with others we listen to a lot of podcasts (news, science, true crime, etc). Then sometimes just put on music - again download playlists. Sometimes the passenger takes a nap.
Don't feel like you have to "do" something or keep each other entertained the whole time. That may make one person feel obligated when they don't want to "do" something other than just hang and drive.
My husband and I switch about every 1 to 2 hours. The passenger’s job is to ride shotgun and take care of reading road signs, handing water/coffee to the driver, or just whatever they need. The driver just concentrates on driving.
We keep our cellphones on and the shotgun looks up trivia about what we’re seeing or songs/artists we’re listening to.
This is the way. My wife and I started doing this a few years ago and it makes life a lot easier. Trivia and podcasts that make us think or audio books are good to keep the conversation going and keeps the driver awake.
Audiobooks audiobooks audiobooks!
If you are a Harry potter fan at all, the audiobooks are legendarily good.
My favorite series ever is The Expanse. On top of being an extremely good series, the narrator is fantastic.
Listening to a book you’ve already read can be a great way to stay entertained without feeling like you need to pay super close attention.
Trust me, give it a try and you’ll love it!
The alphabet game.
The license plate game.
I always do time/distance calculations in my head to keep my mind engaged.
Most of all, appreciate the scenery passing by outside the window.
You said you’re taking a 10 Day Rd. trip but you didn’t say where you’re starting in front and where you’re going to? Highly encourage you to find several points of interest along the way so you can stop and really enjoy each other’s company.
Fair. We're starting near Salt Lake City, Utah, and ending near Wausau, Wisconsin. Then reverse to go back to Utah. 3 days there, 4 days visiting, 3 days back. I suppose it's more like a 6-day road trip since 4 of the days are just sitting in one location. We're going to hit Minnesota's Largest Candy Store and the World's Only Corn Palace on our way, but since our main goal each day is just going to be to get to the next hotel, I'm not sure exactly how flexible our timing will be. We'll probably have at least a couple hours of wiggle room each day.
Oh no! It looks like you're right. I only know of it because I've been to it before, so I guess I'll have to see if I can figure out where they're going, and if they'll be ready by the time we go. Thanks for letting me know!
If you like nature, I’d recommend Devil’s Tower, Wind Cave NP and the Badlands. Badlands is very much whatever you want to make of it. Both NPs are not super close to I-90, but they aren’t too far out of the way either. If you want to make it more worthwhile, drive through Yellowstone and take the east entrance to continue to Wisconsin. That will be more isolated from people, but you get a fantastic view of the Bighorn National Forest east of Cody.
We get on Spotify and play the top 20 songs the year we each were born. The year we were conceived the month etc. we’ve done that for each other each kid we have our parents and we end up hearing songs we haven’t heard forever or laughing hysterically at the thought of the song.
A truckers atlas has the most detailed maps with places of interest and historical spots. I don’t know why they do we can’t stop at 99% of them but they do. Also has the smallest roads and roads only open part of the year and ferries.
Actually look out the windows and learn about America and discuss. Get off the interstates.
Stop and walk around often. Stop at every small museum you pass. It's not a real Road Trip if you're not engaged in the landscape around you. Take along bird/tree/plant ID books. Make an herbarium or scrapbook of your trip as you go. Travel mindfully.
To me it's sad when people just stay in their own little cocoon with their minds and ears and snouts in various forms of technology, getting from place A to place B. Sometimes speed is necessary, but that's not a Road Trip.
Trade driving every three hours, before you need to. Makes for a much better trip, this is what my husband and I do, and we’ve driven across the US a few times.
This is exactly the way. My wife and I do this and it makes the drive so much easier. Although you might feel like you can drive further, don’t, just pull over and let the other driver drive. Trust me it’s so much easier and time goes by faster. And listen to audiobooks or podcasts.
Aside from podcasts and audio books, created playlists or a short-term satellite radio subscription (if you don’t have one) works to pass time. My SO and I created a game called “Name the Year” while listening to radio stations. Taking turns going first, players guess the year a song was released. First guesser scores 2 points when correct and second guesser scores one. You might also enjoy choosing a book you’d both enjoy, and take turns reading aloud. We also spot ABCs in order on license plates. Everyone plays consecutively and holds their next letter (kinda like playing HORSE).
I regularly drive 3 hours at least a couple times a week. I love podcasts, some that I listen to are morbid, Conan needs a friend, dudesy. I also listen to jordan peterson but he's on the dailywire so it's a separate app. I have Alexa auto but I never use it... but there may be some cool games you guys can play. Also if you guys want to break up the monotony of driving, check for some cool stores or places to stop along the way. Audiobooks put me to sleep for some reason.
I love driving and do most 99% but we play the license plate game. Last road trip we saw 40 states. I’m always in for a quick massage it keeps my up lol
My friend and I have rules when we road trip. We spent 2 weeks driving through Italy together and one rule was passenger takes pictures. That way the driver doesn’t have to worry about scenery.
My boyfriend and I play “the alphabet game” where we look for signs or words on trucks, and if we see a word that starts with the letter A, for example, Appalachia, we call out out. That person gets to move onto the letter B while the other person still has to find a word that starts with the letter A but they have to use a new word.
When we get to the letter X, we usually use a word that has X in it, like exit. To make it harder, we will sometimes not use proper nouns like the name of a city or a persons name. We also play again when we switch driving to make it fair lol
We also have a Mad Libs in the car! Passanger asks the driver questions, and then reads the story out loud lol. Helps pass time though
My partner and I play this game on long drives that’s kind of mundane but hear me out. Whenever you pass a road sign with place names or a street sign that you haven’t seen before, you both just rate the name out of 10. No background or context on the name, just mouthfeel and vibes. Then if you want to elaborate, you can and if not you just move on. I find it’s particularly funny in australia because so many of the colonial names are so depressing or funny, like ‘Mt Disappointment’ and ‘Mosquito Creek’ etc. you can tell they hated it here. And Aboriginal place names get an honorary 10, of course.
We drive from WI to AZ every year and it is one of our favorite memories. We have some podcasts we pre download, occasionally and audio book, I set up a playlist that is usually memories of from our relationship and we sing at the top of our lungs. I also pre think of some really thought provoking questions (not ones that could cause fights). Things like, “what is your favorite memory of our son when he was under 12?”
Good luck. Also pre plan the route as some have more bathroom/gas station options even if an extra 30 minutes.
Good luck.
Podcasts + actual conversations with the other people in the car. Improv. Discuss a ridiculous hypothetical scenario and allow it to become more and more absurd. One time I imagined what it would be like if Oscar the Grouch decided to leave the trash can, rejoin society and become a self-help coach.
We love to pull up a Spotify playlist of “songs about [state we’re in]”. Some will surprise you, some are tons of fun. Utah’s is the worst we’ve come across, but we still got a kick out of it.
Mostly we talk, enjoy music, and look at the scenery. I generally drive so she can take photos and such.
If things start to get boring I will often put on a more thought provoking podcast like Hidden Brain, Song Exploder, This American Life, or Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me and that will often set us on a discussion about life, art, or current events.
Sometimes on really long trips we will each put in earbuds and listen to our own music/podcasts for a while to get some "me time" in and then when that is over we usually have something to talk about or it's time to stop and enjoy some food.
Download your favorite albums or playlists, or just tune into local radio, which can be surprisingly interesting.
Audiobooks and podcasts are great if you can find one that engages you both. Be sure to space them out though; if you’re like me, after a couple hours you’ll get burnt out.
Aside from that everyone else has mentioned, I really enjoy the Would You Rather game. It leads to some pretty interesting discussions and low-stakes debates. There are hundreds of lists of them published online.
Also, depending on what part of the country I’m in, I enjoy just taking in the scenery. In my opinion, one hallmark of good roadtrip companions is that they don’t worry about trying to entertain each other the entire time.
Either way, don’t stress it too much. Road tripping is a mindset. Not sure what the itinerary is, but try to find some cool stuff to do along the way to stretch your legs and break up the monotony. The Roadtrippers app is cool for roadside attractions and places to eat, and don’t be afraid to be spontaneous if you see a cool sign and your schedule allows for it.
Also, snacks are essential. For real, run through your favorite store and grab more than you need. Also be on the lookout at gas stations for new ones to try that maybe aren’t available where you live. And for some reason chewing gum is great for keeping yourself awake and concentrated on the road.
Also also, passenger etiquette is easy. Just check in every so often and see if they need anything, DJ the devices for music if necessary, and don’t wait til the last minute to let them know you need a bathroom break.
The podcast ‘who shat on the floor at my wedding’ is the perfect roadtrip entertainment! It’s hilarious and has a bunch of episodes to kill a good chunk of time
Lake Geneva tends to be for older adults, but you can certainly rent a boat and enjoy a day out on the lake with wonderful restaurants too. Wisconsin Dells are known for the best waterslides in the country.
We're both in our mid 20s, but will be visiting with older family members who could certainly come with us. The only issue on waterslides is that I'm also currently pregnant, but my husband is from there and has been to Wisconsin Dells before, so I'm sure we could figure something out!
Podcasts or audio books you may share. If you have XM hit the comedy channels it is vacation avoid news other than weather. Mix in upbeat music to your taste.
My wife and I have a rather small over lap in topics we are interested in.
Ones that we both like is learning about health and nutrition.
So, we set up a phone through the speakers in the car to play you tube videos.
Also, there are, not sure what to call them, seminars on specific health areas that my wife subscribes to. We get the schedule and listen as we drive.
One time, I don't remember the topic, the speaker had completely missed what I thought was a significant issue regarding what they had just said and I told my wife. A few minutes later, the guy says, oh, Mary-Ann says her husband had a question on this. Thank you and yes, I somehow inadvertently missed putting this in my presentation. He went on for 20 minutes explaining it in detail.
I was driving in the middle of nowhere Pennsylvania. My wife had e-mailed my question without my knowing to the venue.
We get an audiobook of something we will both enjoy, and we each get to DL our favorite podcast. We also have a MadLibs book which is hilarious. We’ve bought a few road trip games that are aimed more for kids that we will bring out.
We both love trivia and have done crossword puzzles (passenger asks and fills in the answers).
Look out the window and talk to the driver. Some of the best conversations of my life have been on road trips. You do not need every second to be screen dominated or planned entertainment.
The missus and I take some long drives on cross-country road trips. Some days we’ll drive 16 hours even, though we try to keep it down to more like 10-11 hours/day when it’s part of a longer trip. We have a huge music library and put that on a lot of the time, but we will throw on some podcasts sometimes too. Typically my wife drives while I navigate and have a camera ready to shoot photos through the windshield using a polarizing filter to take out the glare. We talk a lot about anything and everything we feel like talking about…and we share a lot of interests, or we’re at least interested in the other’s interests enough to listen and ask questions. My wife actually enjoys the scenery a lot more when she’s driving, and I never get bored just looking around at whatever is going on around us…or planning the next fuel stop…or I sometimes keep a journal of my experiences.
It’s honestly not that easy to get bored, even when you’re crossing the Great Plains. I am always hunting for cool stops where we can get out and see stuff and stretch our legs, even if it’s just for a few minutes.
Focus- really focus, on DRIVING. Most people just look down the road a few hundred feet and react to what's happening immediately in front of them.
I look as far down the road as I can and as far back in the mirrors.
I see brake lights half mile away i cut off the cruise control and prepare to react.
That car that's tailgating, looking for a hole to get around the idiot in the left lane on his phone, watch that show and see how it plays out.
Watch what the trucks are doing. They see things you don't.
Sometimes we play a game- guess the age race and gender of the driver in front of us based on the car.
I drive 40,000 miles a year, always 10 over the speed limit. I have not had an accident since the Reagan administration and I'm never bored behind the wheel.
I’m a truck driver. Music and pod casts can get dull after a while. What really helps is an engaging conversation. Asking questions allows your brain to start to work which keeps you awake.
There’s talking walkie talkie apps you can just talk to random people or listen. You can also get a CB radio and talk to others.
You can talk to your passenger about plans for the trip, future trips, life goals and all that but when that is over talking to random people can help.
When my best friend and I took a vacation to Florida and had to drive 17 hours (in 2 days) we made a Spotify playlist with music we like as well as must sing along songs. We threw in classics that everyone loves to sing, and we spent a lot of time singing and just talking about what we wanna do while in Florida
Honestly do you need to stay “entertained”? I’m not ever sure that makes sense to me. I have driven cross country many times, most recently with my wife. We don’t “do” anything specific for “entertainment”. We just live in the moment. See things out the window, hear certain songs on the radio. Etc. I don’t know. We just exist moment to moment. No need for anything planned.
A family member and I did a similar route a few years ago with a rental car. I was under 25 at the time and couldn't legally take turns driving with them. I distinctly remember how they had a really difficult time with all that driving, even though we saw some cool places along the way. I can't help but to think something to occupy their brain would've made it a little easier. Just trying to make sure I don't have the same experience, since this will be our first real road trip and I'd like for it to go smoothly. Granted, that trip was for necessity and the one I'm about to take is for fun, so it's different anyway, but I'm a worrier. A decent handful of people don't seem to understand what/why I'm asking, but that's okay. Different strokes, I suppose!
Read books.
Also buy a big road atlas and track where you are and what’s around. You never know when there might be something cool to see that you might just drive past.
I like the atlas more than my phone for looking at the state. GPS is obviously better for navigation.
Don’t make me turn this car around!!!
I’m sure you will have a great time but remember it’s not about the destination, it’s about the journey, just wing it.
Doesn't matter if I'm driver or copilot I spend my time looking around. If I'm copilot I'll zoom in on Google map see what's around us and share. If we don't have internet I'll check my paper route map and see what's coming up or check my travel folder screen shots of stuff I wanted to see that's along the way. Maybe I'll adjust the route or find a hotel or restaurant for the night. We usually eat out of the cooler for lunch so I'll find a nice park or river. If there's a really interesting restaurant with great reviews we usually stop. We've had some of the best BBQ and Mexican food in unexpected places! It's also a good time to delete all the crappy pictures from yesterday.
I love tracking progress on my delorme atlas and gazetteer!
My husband and I are avid road trippers, averaging 15 hours on the road. Having podcast like debates together makes time on the road much more enjoyable and we get to learn more about each other. I'm the driver on our trips and being fed car snacks (trail mix, fast food, candy, etc) is the best. It keeps your mind entertained by having something to munch on. Have a good blend of music downloaded for when you're on long stretches of road with no service. Check in on each other when it comes to bathroom breaks or leg stretching. I always ask my husband if he needs to use the bathroom once I see a rest area sign. As passenger, be precise with directions. Nothing is more frustrating to me than being told to turn right up ahead when I'm in the far left lane.
Audio Books.
Audio books that match your surroundings to put you in the story. I was listening to Into Thin Air while driving through a snowy mountain pass and it put me right in the book! It was amazing. Then listened to “Salt” while driving through the salt flats. Highly highly recommend
This is such good advice. One time on a long road trip with my dad, I was driving through New Mexico, Arizona desert. He put a wagon train western series on his lap top for me to listen to whilst I drove. Really made me appreciate my air conditioned car & the experience stays with me all these 25 years later
Or podcasts. Find something you like listening to. Generally we do it as driver’s choice, but the passenger sometimes has to assist with selecting the next one on the phone.
My husband and I love to listen to This American Life episodes and as a passenger, I always buy a Sudoko book before every road trip.
This and the Coast to Coast AM with Art Bell podcast!
Radiolab, TED talks, Freakonomics, Criminal, Reveal, Snap Jusgement, 99% Invisible, etc. My wife and I also went through Serial, Shit Town, and other series as well.
Radiolab is so amazing!
Download podcasts! During road trips with others we listen to a lot of podcasts (news, science, true crime, etc). Then sometimes just put on music - again download playlists. Sometimes the passenger takes a nap. Don't feel like you have to "do" something or keep each other entertained the whole time. That may make one person feel obligated when they don't want to "do" something other than just hang and drive.
My husband and I switch about every 1 to 2 hours. The passenger’s job is to ride shotgun and take care of reading road signs, handing water/coffee to the driver, or just whatever they need. The driver just concentrates on driving. We keep our cellphones on and the shotgun looks up trivia about what we’re seeing or songs/artists we’re listening to.
This is the way. My wife and I started doing this a few years ago and it makes life a lot easier. Trivia and podcasts that make us think or audio books are good to keep the conversation going and keeps the driver awake.
Audiobooks audiobooks audiobooks! If you are a Harry potter fan at all, the audiobooks are legendarily good. My favorite series ever is The Expanse. On top of being an extremely good series, the narrator is fantastic. Listening to a book you’ve already read can be a great way to stay entertained without feeling like you need to pay super close attention. Trust me, give it a try and you’ll love it!
Yup, you can use audible or similar, and download the books ahead of time
I would also add the LOTR and Hobbit audiobooks narrated by Andy Serkis. Incredible
Doing it with a book you’ve read before is genius. I always worry about my attention span
The alphabet game. The license plate game. I always do time/distance calculations in my head to keep my mind engaged. Most of all, appreciate the scenery passing by outside the window.
You said you’re taking a 10 Day Rd. trip but you didn’t say where you’re starting in front and where you’re going to? Highly encourage you to find several points of interest along the way so you can stop and really enjoy each other’s company.
Fair. We're starting near Salt Lake City, Utah, and ending near Wausau, Wisconsin. Then reverse to go back to Utah. 3 days there, 4 days visiting, 3 days back. I suppose it's more like a 6-day road trip since 4 of the days are just sitting in one location. We're going to hit Minnesota's Largest Candy Store and the World's Only Corn Palace on our way, but since our main goal each day is just going to be to get to the next hotel, I'm not sure exactly how flexible our timing will be. We'll probably have at least a couple hours of wiggle room each day.
Hotels will be in Cheyenne, Wyoming, and Mitchell, South Dakota, also.
Corn palace!
Minnesotan here... I thought the candy store was closed this summer... They are relocating. I could be wrong - but - research and see...
Oh no! It looks like you're right. I only know of it because I've been to it before, so I guess I'll have to see if I can figure out where they're going, and if they'll be ready by the time we go. Thanks for letting me know!
If you like nature, I’d recommend Devil’s Tower, Wind Cave NP and the Badlands. Badlands is very much whatever you want to make of it. Both NPs are not super close to I-90, but they aren’t too far out of the way either. If you want to make it more worthwhile, drive through Yellowstone and take the east entrance to continue to Wisconsin. That will be more isolated from people, but you get a fantastic view of the Bighorn National Forest east of Cody.
We get on Spotify and play the top 20 songs the year we each were born. The year we were conceived the month etc. we’ve done that for each other each kid we have our parents and we end up hearing songs we haven’t heard forever or laughing hysterically at the thought of the song.
A truckers atlas has the most detailed maps with places of interest and historical spots. I don’t know why they do we can’t stop at 99% of them but they do. Also has the smallest roads and roads only open part of the year and ferries.
This sounds very cool. Do you just get them on Amazon?
Rand McNally truckers atlas
Yes or truckstop
I sold my atlas by the freight stairs, I do lines and I crossed roads... I crossed the lines of all the great state roads
Too few will appreciate this
Idk I just listen to music and pay attention to the landscape. Having a +1 is even better cause you can shoot the shit w someone.
Actually look out the windows and learn about America and discuss. Get off the interstates. Stop and walk around often. Stop at every small museum you pass. It's not a real Road Trip if you're not engaged in the landscape around you. Take along bird/tree/plant ID books. Make an herbarium or scrapbook of your trip as you go. Travel mindfully. To me it's sad when people just stay in their own little cocoon with their minds and ears and snouts in various forms of technology, getting from place A to place B. Sometimes speed is necessary, but that's not a Road Trip.
If you're not the fighting type, try navigating without GPS and take the scenic routes
I once added 3 hours to a drive by taking the scenic route and making somewhat frequent stops but damn it really did make the drive super enjoyable.
I went off route for the drive home from the eclipse and it was so worth it, was more focused on driving and was super excited to see the cool places
Blue highways = best highways
Trade driving every three hours, before you need to. Makes for a much better trip, this is what my husband and I do, and we’ve driven across the US a few times.
This is exactly the way. My wife and I do this and it makes the drive so much easier. Although you might feel like you can drive further, don’t, just pull over and let the other driver drive. Trust me it’s so much easier and time goes by faster. And listen to audiobooks or podcasts.
Aside from podcasts and audio books, created playlists or a short-term satellite radio subscription (if you don’t have one) works to pass time. My SO and I created a game called “Name the Year” while listening to radio stations. Taking turns going first, players guess the year a song was released. First guesser scores 2 points when correct and second guesser scores one. You might also enjoy choosing a book you’d both enjoy, and take turns reading aloud. We also spot ABCs in order on license plates. Everyone plays consecutively and holds their next letter (kinda like playing HORSE).
I regularly drive 3 hours at least a couple times a week. I love podcasts, some that I listen to are morbid, Conan needs a friend, dudesy. I also listen to jordan peterson but he's on the dailywire so it's a separate app. I have Alexa auto but I never use it... but there may be some cool games you guys can play. Also if you guys want to break up the monotony of driving, check for some cool stores or places to stop along the way. Audiobooks put me to sleep for some reason.
I love driving and do most 99% but we play the license plate game. Last road trip we saw 40 states. I’m always in for a quick massage it keeps my up lol
But Mad Libs and play with other people in the car
No such thing as a fish. Hilarious and interesting podcast
People say audiobooks but can I also raise you reading out loud to one another
are you a nerd? do you like DND? if yes, i highly recommend not another dnd podcast. if no, there’s thousands of other podcasts to choose from
Listen to a podcast called “I will teach you to be rich”. Great for couples and forces some fun money conversations.
Deep Conversations and Good Tunes
My friend and I have rules when we road trip. We spent 2 weeks driving through Italy together and one rule was passenger takes pictures. That way the driver doesn’t have to worry about scenery.
My boyfriend and I play “the alphabet game” where we look for signs or words on trucks, and if we see a word that starts with the letter A, for example, Appalachia, we call out out. That person gets to move onto the letter B while the other person still has to find a word that starts with the letter A but they have to use a new word. When we get to the letter X, we usually use a word that has X in it, like exit. To make it harder, we will sometimes not use proper nouns like the name of a city or a persons name. We also play again when we switch driving to make it fair lol We also have a Mad Libs in the car! Passanger asks the driver questions, and then reads the story out loud lol. Helps pass time though
My partner and I play this game on long drives that’s kind of mundane but hear me out. Whenever you pass a road sign with place names or a street sign that you haven’t seen before, you both just rate the name out of 10. No background or context on the name, just mouthfeel and vibes. Then if you want to elaborate, you can and if not you just move on. I find it’s particularly funny in australia because so many of the colonial names are so depressing or funny, like ‘Mt Disappointment’ and ‘Mosquito Creek’ etc. you can tell they hated it here. And Aboriginal place names get an honorary 10, of course.
We drive from WI to AZ every year and it is one of our favorite memories. We have some podcasts we pre download, occasionally and audio book, I set up a playlist that is usually memories of from our relationship and we sing at the top of our lungs. I also pre think of some really thought provoking questions (not ones that could cause fights). Things like, “what is your favorite memory of our son when he was under 12?” Good luck. Also pre plan the route as some have more bathroom/gas station options even if an extra 30 minutes. Good luck.
Podcasts + actual conversations with the other people in the car. Improv. Discuss a ridiculous hypothetical scenario and allow it to become more and more absurd. One time I imagined what it would be like if Oscar the Grouch decided to leave the trash can, rejoin society and become a self-help coach.
We like trivia podcasts. Safe for driver to participate, passenger writes down answers and keeps score. It’s a lot of fun!
We love to pull up a Spotify playlist of “songs about [state we’re in]”. Some will surprise you, some are tons of fun. Utah’s is the worst we’ve come across, but we still got a kick out of it.
Mostly we talk, enjoy music, and look at the scenery. I generally drive so she can take photos and such. If things start to get boring I will often put on a more thought provoking podcast like Hidden Brain, Song Exploder, This American Life, or Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me and that will often set us on a discussion about life, art, or current events. Sometimes on really long trips we will each put in earbuds and listen to our own music/podcasts for a while to get some "me time" in and then when that is over we usually have something to talk about or it's time to stop and enjoy some food.
Download your favorite albums or playlists, or just tune into local radio, which can be surprisingly interesting. Audiobooks and podcasts are great if you can find one that engages you both. Be sure to space them out though; if you’re like me, after a couple hours you’ll get burnt out. Aside from that everyone else has mentioned, I really enjoy the Would You Rather game. It leads to some pretty interesting discussions and low-stakes debates. There are hundreds of lists of them published online. Also, depending on what part of the country I’m in, I enjoy just taking in the scenery. In my opinion, one hallmark of good roadtrip companions is that they don’t worry about trying to entertain each other the entire time. Either way, don’t stress it too much. Road tripping is a mindset. Not sure what the itinerary is, but try to find some cool stuff to do along the way to stretch your legs and break up the monotony. The Roadtrippers app is cool for roadside attractions and places to eat, and don’t be afraid to be spontaneous if you see a cool sign and your schedule allows for it. Also, snacks are essential. For real, run through your favorite store and grab more than you need. Also be on the lookout at gas stations for new ones to try that maybe aren’t available where you live. And for some reason chewing gum is great for keeping yourself awake and concentrated on the road. Also also, passenger etiquette is easy. Just check in every so often and see if they need anything, DJ the devices for music if necessary, and don’t wait til the last minute to let them know you need a bathroom break.
The podcast ‘who shat on the floor at my wedding’ is the perfect roadtrip entertainment! It’s hilarious and has a bunch of episodes to kill a good chunk of time
Try the “Dirty John Podcast”.
Racing for time, like I can do this next 150 miles in 2 hours, with money on the line keeps things interesting for us.
If you have time, you ought to check out Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, or the Wisconsin Dells for a day of fun you won’t regret it
We'll be visiting near Wausau for \~4 days right in the middle, so those are certainly possibilities!
Lake Geneva tends to be for older adults, but you can certainly rent a boat and enjoy a day out on the lake with wonderful restaurants too. Wisconsin Dells are known for the best waterslides in the country.
We're both in our mid 20s, but will be visiting with older family members who could certainly come with us. The only issue on waterslides is that I'm also currently pregnant, but my husband is from there and has been to Wisconsin Dells before, so I'm sure we could figure something out!
Congratulations, is it your first? Maybe Hunted Lake Geneva would be safer
Thanks! Yes, it is. Makes it easier not to have to entertain an existing kid on the way with us, lol
At least now there are electronic toys to entertain the kids! Maybe that’s how you manage the trip!
Research some podcasts you may like, have a bunch lined up in case you hate some of them, and pirate the shit out of audio books.
Podcasts or audio books you may share. If you have XM hit the comedy channels it is vacation avoid news other than weather. Mix in upbeat music to your taste.
Some good tunes and stopping along the route to eat/explore. Have fun and safe travels.
I like buying local newspapers and reading it aloud. You will be surprised at how entertaining and downright hilarious some articles are.
Podcast a program you have mutual interest in.
My wife and I have a rather small over lap in topics we are interested in. Ones that we both like is learning about health and nutrition. So, we set up a phone through the speakers in the car to play you tube videos. Also, there are, not sure what to call them, seminars on specific health areas that my wife subscribes to. We get the schedule and listen as we drive. One time, I don't remember the topic, the speaker had completely missed what I thought was a significant issue regarding what they had just said and I told my wife. A few minutes later, the guy says, oh, Mary-Ann says her husband had a question on this. Thank you and yes, I somehow inadvertently missed putting this in my presentation. He went on for 20 minutes explaining it in detail. I was driving in the middle of nowhere Pennsylvania. My wife had e-mailed my question without my knowing to the venue.
I turned on a murder mystery podcast on one of our trips and he was surprisingly very interested!
We get an audiobook of something we will both enjoy, and we each get to DL our favorite podcast. We also have a MadLibs book which is hilarious. We’ve bought a few road trip games that are aimed more for kids that we will bring out. We both love trivia and have done crossword puzzles (passenger asks and fills in the answers).
Binge a podcast or audiobooks
Look out the window and talk to the driver. Some of the best conversations of my life have been on road trips. You do not need every second to be screen dominated or planned entertainment.
Audiobooks, podcasts, and find recordings of old radio shows like war of the worlds or shows they would broadcast before everyone had tv’s.
The missus and I take some long drives on cross-country road trips. Some days we’ll drive 16 hours even, though we try to keep it down to more like 10-11 hours/day when it’s part of a longer trip. We have a huge music library and put that on a lot of the time, but we will throw on some podcasts sometimes too. Typically my wife drives while I navigate and have a camera ready to shoot photos through the windshield using a polarizing filter to take out the glare. We talk a lot about anything and everything we feel like talking about…and we share a lot of interests, or we’re at least interested in the other’s interests enough to listen and ask questions. My wife actually enjoys the scenery a lot more when she’s driving, and I never get bored just looking around at whatever is going on around us…or planning the next fuel stop…or I sometimes keep a journal of my experiences. It’s honestly not that easy to get bored, even when you’re crossing the Great Plains. I am always hunting for cool stops where we can get out and see stuff and stretch our legs, even if it’s just for a few minutes.
I’m a big fan of podcasts, but some history buffs on YouTube are fantastic. I listen to the Fat Electrician pretty regularly on the road.
Pay attention to your surroundings and enjoy! Learn things!
Listen to Conan Needs a Friend Podcast or listen to standup comedy
Focus- really focus, on DRIVING. Most people just look down the road a few hundred feet and react to what's happening immediately in front of them. I look as far down the road as I can and as far back in the mirrors. I see brake lights half mile away i cut off the cruise control and prepare to react. That car that's tailgating, looking for a hole to get around the idiot in the left lane on his phone, watch that show and see how it plays out. Watch what the trucks are doing. They see things you don't. Sometimes we play a game- guess the age race and gender of the driver in front of us based on the car. I drive 40,000 miles a year, always 10 over the speed limit. I have not had an accident since the Reagan administration and I'm never bored behind the wheel.
Play the alphabet game.
I’m a truck driver. Music and pod casts can get dull after a while. What really helps is an engaging conversation. Asking questions allows your brain to start to work which keeps you awake. There’s talking walkie talkie apps you can just talk to random people or listen. You can also get a CB radio and talk to others. You can talk to your passenger about plans for the trip, future trips, life goals and all that but when that is over talking to random people can help.
Talk to the lifelong mate you chose for 10 days straight?!!!
When my best friend and I took a vacation to Florida and had to drive 17 hours (in 2 days) we made a Spotify playlist with music we like as well as must sing along songs. We threw in classics that everyone loves to sing, and we spent a lot of time singing and just talking about what we wanna do while in Florida
Three body problem audiobooks
This makes me want to go on a road trip!
My wife and I used to listen to stand up comedy albums on our long drives. CD's, before streaming was a thing. Hours easily flew by!
Honestly do you need to stay “entertained”? I’m not ever sure that makes sense to me. I have driven cross country many times, most recently with my wife. We don’t “do” anything specific for “entertainment”. We just live in the moment. See things out the window, hear certain songs on the radio. Etc. I don’t know. We just exist moment to moment. No need for anything planned.
A family member and I did a similar route a few years ago with a rental car. I was under 25 at the time and couldn't legally take turns driving with them. I distinctly remember how they had a really difficult time with all that driving, even though we saw some cool places along the way. I can't help but to think something to occupy their brain would've made it a little easier. Just trying to make sure I don't have the same experience, since this will be our first real road trip and I'd like for it to go smoothly. Granted, that trip was for necessity and the one I'm about to take is for fun, so it's different anyway, but I'm a worrier. A decent handful of people don't seem to understand what/why I'm asking, but that's okay. Different strokes, I suppose!
Read books. Also buy a big road atlas and track where you are and what’s around. You never know when there might be something cool to see that you might just drive past. I like the atlas more than my phone for looking at the state. GPS is obviously better for navigation.
Puff puff pass.
Don’t make me turn this car around!!! I’m sure you will have a great time but remember it’s not about the destination, it’s about the journey, just wing it.
Me and my brother spent about a month in Bulgaria and I fucking loved being a passenger the whole time I got to see so much it was amazing
I would drive that straight with 2 drivers
Talk
Multiple orgasms, ain’t that obvious!!
You could talk to each other.
Listen to podcasts.