Necessities for road trips

The travel industry is big business, annually generating hundreds of billions of dollars for businesses that cater to people who love flying the friendly skies and hitting the open road. Though many people might envision vacationers as international jetsetters, the U.S. Travel Association notes that four out of five domestic trips are taken for leisure purposes, proving that people with a love of travel need not book flights to indulge their wanderlust.

The National Travel and Tourism Office of the U.S. Department of Commerce notes that rural sightseeing is the fifth most popular leisure travel activity among domestic travelers in the United States. Travel aficionados who want to experience such sights for themselves should not forget the following necessities before embarking on their next road trip.

•Food: Rural countrysides might be idyllic, but such areas may not provide travelers with any dining options, so be sure to pack meals for everyone in the car if you plan to head far out into the country. Stop- ping along the way to enjoy a picnic can make the trip more enjoyable. If you plan to visit a less remote rural area with dining options, then some snacks might suffice. Pack non-greasy foods that won’t crumble, like carrots or grapes, so you don’t make a mess in the car.

•Comforts of home: Drivers may not need any comforts of home on road trips, but passengers, especially children, might. Blankets, pillows and toys for the kids can make long drives more comfortable for youngsters, while adult passengers who may want to nap on the way to and fromthe countryside will no doubt appreciate a pillow to make the car more comfortable.

•Printed directions: Thanks to smartphones and GPS systems, the days of printing directions are largely a thing of the past. But signals from cell towers may not be strong in remote locations, prompting drivers to get lost until they can reestablish a signal. Printed directions to predetermined destinations can help drivers avoid getting lost. Drivers without certain destinations in mind should pack local maps so they can pull over and find out where they are if their cell network connections suddenly disappear.

METRO PHOTO Road trips make for fun excursions, and such trips can stay fun if drivers prepare themselves for any potential obstacles while out on the road.