everything but the kitchen sink

The main reason that my SBF wants to make the CWV the ultimate road tripping machine (Besides the fact that converted vans all over IG are insanely awesome.) is that he wants to bring all his stuff. Single retired men in their 40s have a lot of cool stuff for maximum comfort and fun on the road. This came to light last year when we invited SBF to road trip with us and he said YES, but he'd follow along in his own truck, thank you very much. (Part of that might have been just the idea of being trapped in the same car as me and my kids for 2 solid weeks. Nah, probably not.)

I've been road tripping and/or planning roads trips pretty much my whole life. My family took lots of adventures in the car, quite a few that I don't even remember because I was so little. But I do remember road tripping to and from Wyoming. To Yellowstone National Park. To Disney World and the beach. To New Orleans. To Carlsbad Caverns. As young kids, there were usually hotels involved. When I was in high school we were tougher and I remember sleeping on picnic tables one night. They were always an adventure.

After high school I planned my first big road trip with three other friends. We drove all the way to Canada with stops in Colorado, Wyoming, and Idaho along the way. We came down through Washington and California, stopping at every skate park we'd ever heard of. Four of us packed into a 4-door sedan with a trunk full of clothes and whatever random camping gear we could find. Plus some skateboards.

Since then I've planned or helped plan at least one big road trip a year for the last 20 years. Usually they lead us to the same places, with one or two new places mixed in. It's easier to plan for places I've already been, so I lean heavily on that.

All that said to point out that when it comes to road tripping it's always been about what we DO and WHO I am with more than where we go or WHAT we take with us. This year, the plan is for all of us to ride in one vehicle (yikes!) and to bring EVERYTHING. A big ol' thick mattress for the tent. A FRIDGE. A shower (or two). Maybe a toaster oven and a blender. And 5 bikes. One of us thinks he needs 2 bikes. And actually, I would be surprised if two of us thinks he needs 2 bikes. And I'm excited for it. I'm excited to have my best people in all the best places AND A SHOWER! How many more days til summer vacation?!?!