It doesn't matter which way the car is headed – north, south, east, west, or compass points in between – there's fun in every direction, provided you've packed well for your adventure.

Every accomplished road tripper knows that the destination is more of an afterthought than the travel time between points A and B. The music, the food and the sugary beverages consumed in the interim are essential details. Select the wrong snack food and it could mean the difference between the best week ever and the longest week of your life.

You must also consider adequate SPF (for the arm dangling out the window), appropriate road-tripping apparel (most necessary for highway flirting) and a pair of shades for every stretch of asphalt (is there a problem, officer?).

Then of course, there's the matter of driving shoes, what to stash in the cooler, how to pack the car (the dreaded luggage-to-legroom ratio), necessary passenger reading material, books on tape (or not?), ample equipment for the roadside picnic, whether to bring a small pet or a pesky friend - and of course, who's in charge of the road journal.

I would never tell you which direction to head on any of these points. Your perfect combo of read-tripping gear is as personal as your choice in TP (definitely don't forget the TP!). Just remember, no great trip starts without a well-organized list of must-haves (tunes, food, soda & water, clothes, toiletries, passengers, passenger entertainment, AAA card – you get the idea), a couple of charged-up cell phones (in case of emergency), a camera, and a leave-it-all-behind attitude.

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