What’s Our New Year’s Resolution? Road Trips, Of Course!

Yep, it’s that time of year to start writing down that list of New Year’s resolutions. However, after being cooped up for almost a year, and with a promising new vaccine having medical experts proclaiming that America should be returning back to normal by next summer, it didn’t take us too long to write down our biggest New Year’s resolution – take more road trips in 2021! And we’re guessing that when it comes to traveling being at the top of that list, we’re not alone. Travel experts are optimistic that the industry will bounce back to above 70% by this summer and possible make a full recovery by this time next year! In fact, they’re even calling 2021 “The Year of Travel” as travel seems to be a priority for many Americans once lockdowns have started to lift.  So what are you waiting for? Start making that dream of that Great American Road Trip that you’ve been planning in your head a reality in 2021! Here’s how:

Mark Your Calendar

By the time you read this, your calendar’s probably already hanging on your wall. Take it down and pick the days you want to travel. Again, both travel experts and medical professionals are predicting that the summer is when things should start returning back to normal. And, anyway, what’s a better time to do a little road tripping than in the lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer?

Choose a Theme for Your Trip

Whether it’s visiting giant roadside attractions like the world’s largest pecan (all three of them), stopping at every Stuckey’s location in the country, or retracing one of the many family road trips you took in your youth, lay out a course for the adventure that you want to take!

Start Saving Now

Yes, the pandemic has hit some of our wallets pretty hard, but a couple dollars here, a little pocket change there and the next thing you know, you got one night’s stay in a hotel saved up. Also check out some of the places that you’re planning to visit online before you go, not only to look into local regulations, but also many local travel and visitor centers like Discover Lancaster offer coupons for food and lodging throughout the Pennsylvania Dutch region.  Other websites like retailmenot.com and thrillist.com offer coupons and advice on how to save money on everything from food to lodging and more, thus helping make your trip a little more affordable.

Get Others on Your Trip Involved

There’s nothing that makes a trip go south as quick as arguing with your traveling companion who complains: “Dude, I just don’t understand why we couldn’t stop at South of the Border back there. I mean, I’ve always dreamed about taking a selfie from the top of their giant sombrero. But, that’s fine! We want to make it to your World’s Largest Navel Lint Museum before it closes.” Or the teenager who thinks they’re too cool to watch a mermaid show you just drove 12 hours to see and will “just sit in the car listening to Goth Brucks and the Self-Depresser’s latest download” 132 times before you return.

However, to avoid this, simply ask them to be a part of the plan. “Hey, didn’t you say you wanted to take a picture of yourself on top of that sombrero at South of the Border? Well, let’s stop and do that on our way to the World’s Largest Navel Lint Museum.”  Or you can try: “Did you know that Dizzy Dizbourne once jumped into the mermaid pool and tried to bite the arms off of a starfish? Want to see where he did that?” Making everybody feel that they’re a part of the planning makes a successful trip for both you and your fellow travelers.

Staycation Closer to Home

Maybe you’re not going to be that comfortable yet with traveling so far from where you’ve been abiding the last few months and that’s okay. There’s nothing wrong with taking a day trip or planning a weekend getaway close to home. Every state (including Delaware, believe it or not) has their own visitor’s guide. Find out what fair and festivals are going on around where you live and get out there and enjoy yourself again!

“Tune” Up Your Car

Yes, it’s important to get your car looked at and maybe a tune-up while you’re at it, but we’re talking about tunes as in jams, grooves, – music, man! Start making your Ultimate Family Road Trip playlist (or whatever you want to call it) now while there’s still plenty of time. Need help? Check out our previous post here to get you started.

Make Stuckey’s Part of Your Road Trip Fun

Everybody knows that a road trip’s not really a road trip without making a Stuckey’s stop part of that trip. So make sure to stop in one of our Stuckey’s locations along your way for some great road trip snacks like our famous Stuckey’s Pecan Log Roll, Pecan Divinity, or other handy goodies like our bags of flavored pecans or our mouth-watering popcorn treats including the one-of-a-kind delicious Hunkey Dorey.

And don’t forget that Stuckey’s memorabilia makes great souvenirs for you and your road crew. From t-shirts and caps to mugs and rubber alligators, Stuckey’s helps make it a trip to remember.

No Stuckey’s along the way? Then order some to take with you from our website. After all, Ethel Stuckey practically invented the road trip snack when she made her first pecan log roll nearly a hundred years ago! However, you don’t have to wait that long to get our world famous pecan log rolls and other find pecan candies delivered right to your front door just in time for your next road trip. Visit us at stuckeys.com to find out how.

Stuckey’s – We’re Making Road Trips Fun Again!