After spending three weeks, sixteen states, and thousands of miles on the road, these are the things I’d absolutely do again—and the few I’d do differently.
When we left for our three-week road trip, I thought I had planned for everything.
I had researched the national parks, mapped out our route, packed the truck, and made lists of places I didn’t want to miss.
Some things worked exactly the way I hoped.
Others taught me lessons I couldn’t have learned until we were actually living out of a truck, staying in different hotels almost every night, and adapting as we went.
If I left tomorrow to do the same trip again, these are the do’s and don’ts I’d follow.
1. Do Leave Room for Flexibility
Some of our favorite moments happened because we weren’t locked into a rigid schedule.
We booked hotels as we traveled instead of months in advance, changed plans when roads closed, and skipped a few attractions when they no longer made sense.
Giving ourselves permission to adjust made the trip far less stressful and allowed us to enjoy where we were instead of worrying about where we were supposed to be.
If planning every detail feels overwhelming, check out How to Plan a Road Trip Without Trying to See Everything, where I share the approach that worked so well for us.
2. Don’t Pack for Every “What If”
By the end of the trip, it became obvious which things earned a permanent place in my bag.
My 17-inch travel backpack stayed organized the entire trip and fit perfectly under the back seat of our truck, so I always knew where everything was without unpacking half the vehicle.
My Owala water bottle stayed within reach whether we were driving or exploring a park, and my Fire Tablet became my favorite way to relax before bed after a long day.
Everything else?
Most of it could have stayed home.
3. Do Bring an Electric Cooler
If I had to choose one item that surprised me the most, it would be our electric cooler.
It stayed in the truck bed for the entire trip, keeping drinks cold, snacks ready, and making roadside lunches incredibly easy.
The biggest benefit came at the hotels.
Many places either didn’t have guest freezers or didn’t have enough space to freeze our ice packs. Having the cooler meant we weren’t constantly buying bags of ice just to keep things cold.
The exact cooler we use is no longer available, but I’ve linked a similar model that works the same way.
4. Don’t Skip Your Daily Routine
One thing I didn’t expect was how comforting a routine would become.
Even though we stayed somewhere different almost every night, we ended each evening almost the same way.
I’d unpack a few essentials, turn on our noise machine, settle in with my Fire Tablet, and relax before bed.
Those small habits made unfamiliar hotel rooms feel surprisingly familiar.
I shared more about that routine in Road Trip Routine: How We Stayed Comfortable for Three Weeks.
5. Do Spend Time Exploring the Town, Not Just the Attraction
Some of my favorite memories weren’t inside a national park.
They were walking through downtown Moab, finding a great coffee shop, browsing local stores, and enjoying a good meal without looking at the clock.
The parks were incredible.
But the small towns gave each stop its personality.
If we had rushed back to the hotel every night, we would have missed some of our favorite moments.
6. Don’t Sacrifice Comfort for the Sake of Packing Light
Packing light is important.
Packing smart is even better.
My Merrell shoes handled everything from gravel overlooks to uneven trails without leaving my feet sore at the end of the day.
A small tube of lip balm quickly became another everyday essential after spending hours in the dry mountain air and sunshine.
Those little comfort items earned their place because I reached for them every single day.
7. Do Leave Room for the Unexpected
The memories I treasure most weren’t the ones I planned months in advance.
They were the conversations over coffee.
Finding sand dollars we weren’t looking for.
Wandering through downtown Moab with nowhere we needed to be.
The itinerary got us there.
The unexpected moments are what I’ll remember.
If you’ve ever wondered why those little moments stay with us, I wrote more about that in The Best Travel Memories Usually Aren’t Planned.
Final Thoughts
Three weeks on the road taught me that the best road trips aren’t about having the perfect itinerary.
They’re about staying flexible, packing the things you’ll actually use, and making yourself comfortable enough to enjoy whatever the day brings.
Some of these lessons came from mistakes.
Others came from happy surprises.
Every one of them is something I’ll take with me on the next adventure.
What I’d Pack Again Tomorrow
If I packed the truck for another three-week road trip tomorrow, these are the items I’d bring without thinking twice.
✅ 17-Inch Travel Backpack – Kept everything organized and fit perfectly under the back seat of our truck.
✅ Owala Water Bottle – Always within reach whether we were driving or out exploring.
✅ Electric Cooler (similar model) – Kept drinks cold, snacks fresh, and made traveling so much easier.
✅ White Noise Machine – Helped every hotel room feel a little more like home.
✅ Fire Tablet – My favorite way to unwind after a day of exploring.
✅ Merrell Shoes – Comfortable on everything from sidewalks to rocky overlooks.
✅ Lip Balm – Small enough to forget about until you really need it—and I needed it every day.
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