11 Summer Travel Tips for a Smooth Vacation (Plus our Hapsy CBD Lemonade recipe!)

Hey! Andrea here, popping in for a quick guest post on one of my favorite topics. If you follow Hapsy on Instagram, you may know that my family just returned from our annual summer stay in Colorado. As I take stock of the most helpful summer travel tips that keep my family’s trips running smoothly, I felt compelled to share them with you to help ease some stress as you play logistics manager (and lifeguard, chef, nurse, etc.) So whether you’re taking a summer trip with kids or splurging on an adult-only vacation without kids, go from simply surviving summer travel to thriving travel pro with these 11 simple summer travel tips. 

• Research your destination and pit stops in advance
• Pack smart for multi-destination trips
• Stay refreshed with our Hint of Mint Lemonade
• Get a high-quality water filter
• Bring your tried and trusted stress-relievers
• Pack food items to keep things… moving
• Keep a first aid go-bag accessible
• Pack an empty duffel
• Bring a small garbage can for in-car trash
• Make a music or podcast playlist
• Don’t forget the most important tool — your kindness

1. Research your destination and pit stops in advance

If you’re going on a road trip, do a little research for some fun pit stops along your route. We’ve experienced so many delightful moments because we looked ahead of time! My favorite memory was from years ago when we realized we would be driving past the exit for Casa Bonita in Colorado. Truly an IYKYK experience. It was an adventure we enjoyed as adults, and the kids had a dining experience they still laugh about today.

2. Pack Smart for Multi-Destination Trips

If you’re making multiple stops on your trip, consider separate luggage for each destination. A bag for Stop A, a bag for Stop B, and just bring your toiletries between each one. I can pack a four-day trip carry-on bag for my two kids and me and streamline our toiletries into absolute musts to ease travel between stops. I tried packing cubes.  Let’s just agree to disagree on the hype of this one. So many people love packing cubes. I would rather section us into two carry-ons and just have one bag per stop. But do what works for you!

3. Stay refreshed with our Hint of Mint CBD Lemonade

Let’s face it — sometimes we need a little help surviving summer hot flashes… I mean, heat waves. We’ve adapted a delicious lemonade recipe from @sweetpeachef to bring you sweet lemony CBD relief. This recipe is great If you’re taking a vacation without kids because it makes enough for you and a friend to sip on and share while you travel. 

Hint of Mint CBD Lemonade

Simple honey syrup:

• • ½ cup raw honey
  • 2 cups water
    

Lemonade:

• • 4 cups water
  • 2 cups freshly squeezed lemon juice—about 6-8 lemons
  • ½ cup fresh whole mint leaves
  • 1 dropper-full of Hapsy Daily Drop – Hint of Mint (40mg)

Make simple honey syrup by combining raw honey and 2 cups of water in a saucepan over medium-high heat until honey is dissolved. Let cool. Pour lemon juice and 4 cups of water into a large pitcher. Add 1 cup of the syrup and taste. Gradually add more simple syrup to reach desired sweetness. Stir in mint leaves and refrigerate for 1 hour. Serve over ice and add one dropper-full of Hapsy Daily Drop – Hint of Mint. Enjoy!

4. Get a high-quality water filter

If the news has shown us anything in the last several decades, it’s that you can’t trust that you will always have access to clean, uncontaminated drinking water. In a concerning report from science.org, one study found that “In any given year from 1982 to 2015, somewhere between 9 million and 45 million Americans got their drinking water from a source that was in violation of the Safe Drinking Water Act.” Yikes. Even bottled water has had issues with contamination. 

I don’t want to contribute to trip-planning stress by pointing out these glaring issues. Instead, it’s meant to help you arm yourself with the tools you need to ensure access to safe drinking water wherever you go. Water filter technology has improved dramatically over the last decade, and there are a variety of pitcher-filter combos, threaded-on faucet filters, and straws with built-in filters. Pick up the right ones for your family before your trip to ensure you’re drinking safe and uncontaminated water. 

5. Bring your tried and trusted stress-relievers

When traveling, it’s best to be realistic and plan for potentially stressful moments. You already know my favorite way of surviving summer days starts and ends with the Hapsy Daily Drop and Soothe Stick. Both products are fast-acting, perfectly travel-sized, taste/smell delicious, and are legal across the country. As you take off on your summer vacation with kids in tow and start to feel your shoulders tense up or your stress-level increase, you’ll have your not-so-secret weapon ready.

6. Pack food items to keep things… moving

Pack ALL the indulgent and healthy snacks, but consider the travel bloat and other side effects. You know what I’m talking about. Road and air travel can equal hard-to-find healthy options. It’s easy to give in to the convenience, but you may pay for it later with upset stomachs or bathroom moments where you’re left questioning your life decisions. I do this by packing our regular snack faves, but I also remember to pack the fiber.

I love the bulk trail mix options at Target. I pack small individual containers for everyone to carry their own. Everyone gets fresh packs of gum and icebreakers to travel with, plus we fill a small bag with Dum Dums. The kids bring their backpacks and lunch boxes with cut fruit, cheese cubes/sticks, and some crackers (basically a homemade Lunchable on the go). Stick with foods you and your kids are used to eating, so you don’t surprise your gut too much. You’ll feel a little better when you’re ready to try something new on the trip. Try this tip to save the family some unnecessary strain.

7. Keep a first aid go-bag accessible

Bring a go-bag of travel-proof booboo remedies. Keep it within reaching distance in the car, or packed into your carry-on. I pack adult and children’s versions of Dramamine, Claritin, and Ibuprofen, as well as bandaids, hand sanitizer, travel tissues, a couple of tampons, and this Benadryl anti-itch stick. It has saved me more times than I can count. If you have something else to add to this, let us know!

8. Pack an empty duffel 

Pack an empty bag if you think you’ll be shopping/getting souvenirs! We purchased this basic duffle a few years ago, and it saved us in NYC at Christmastime with the kids. We just packed it in our bag and loaded it up to return home.  I’m also strongly considering upgrading our bag to this foldable one that is even more compact.

9. Bring a small garbage can for in-car trash

A small space can get messy pretty quickly.  I always do a “Supermarket Sweep” race to clean the trash every time we stop for gas.  But, the wrappers and tissues can add up quickly between stops. A simple yet impactful solution I love for road trips is a small garbage can with a lid. Place it in the second row, right in the middle behind the front seat center console so everyone can reach it. It saves time cleaning during stops, keeps things neat, and is easy to dump at your next fuel fill-up. Don’t have the space or renting a car somewhere after flying to your destination?  Pack some plastic grocery bags and tie one to the back of the passenger headrest or hang it on the headrest or a cup holder.  Then, when you arrive, take the bag out and toss it in the trash can. 

10. Make a music and podcast playlist

Download podcasts in advance! Don’t wait until you’re stuck in the airplane seat or driving through a service dead-zone to think about it. Download your playlist a few days in advance and get excited. For kids, I love Stories Podcast and Smash Boom Best! For adults, some of my favorite anthology podcasts to date are Missing Richard Simmons, Bear Brook, and Murdaugh Murders podcast.

11. Don’t forget the most important tool — your kindness

When you’re traveling, please remember to pack your patience and politeness. Over the last three to five years, I’ve noticed that people walk up to a counter (hostess counter at a restaurant, gate agent counter, etc.) and immediately start with their needs. It honestly makes me sad. I miss the simple greeting of “Hello.” Where did it go? I use it and encourage my children to use it as well. Let’s start conversations on a positive note this summer by simply saying “hello” or “Hello, thank you for being here today.” I promise you this: it changes every interaction. When I’ve used it, faces change. They soften, light up, and even reciprocate the demeanor. Even more, it spreads a little kindness in a world full of hurting people and costs you nothing.

I hope your wild and fun summer trip with kids or your relaxing and free vacation without kids is a great success with the help of these summer travel tips. If you’re anything like me, my ultimate travel win is having my necessities on subscription. That’s why we’ve made it possible to set it and forget it with our Hapsy subscription options. Save 20% off and have your next box of Hapsy delivered to your door when you return from your trip. Now that’s smart travel. Take care & be Hapsy! —Andrea