Road Trippin’
Having the summers off is about as awesome as you probably think it is… People often comment each year about how lucky I am to have the summers off, I prefer to think I have earned it but I will let you decide 😉
Our summer began with little plans but quickly filled up with travel and adventure. Back in February I received Taylor Swift tickets for my birthday from my parents  and I couldn’t have been more excited!!! It was in Edmonton, where my sister lives, and in the summer so it was the perfect set up for a western Canada roadie!
To make matters even more perfect, Ford Canada contacted me about taking their brand new Ford Mustang (awesome!!!)for a week to try… ding ding ding… for having no plans, this was really starting to fall into place perfectly!
We decided to head up to Edmonton for the concert and to see my beautiful new niece, Isla, then head down to Calgary, and on to Canmore, Banff, and Lake Louise!
Here are some tips on how to make the best out of your next roadie!
1.)Eat. Snacks on a road trip are obviously priority. And like junk food-sorry if you’re looking for healthy road trip snack ideas this post is not for you. Â I’m talking Ketchup chips (for my mom-Canadian followers they’re amazing… Don’t knock it till you try it), chocolate bars, and candies… Lots of candies. Because Brandon and I are so obsessed with food it’s the quite often the highlight of our trip. Here are the places we ate at and loved Juniper, Eden, Beaver Tails, and Balkan. We found all of these places on Trip Advisor and they were all great!!
2.) Drive something reliable and functional. We were fortunate enough to have Ford supply us with a Mustang for our road trip. Obviously super cute, reliable, great on gas, comfortable, and super fun to drive… it’s a Mustang, need I say more?! Did I mention the sweet sound system which was obviously blasting T-Swift the entire time… so good! But back to my original point, you need to take something reliable, being stranded on the side of the road would create some memories but let’s be honest it’s not ideal… leave the memory making up to you and your co-pilot, not the vehicle mishaps.
3.) Over pack. When B was loading up the car I’m sure he thought I was loosing it by the amount of stuff I packed. Driving is a whole different story than flying, obviously. First thing that is pretty sweet is you’re not restricted to a certain weight… so pack away ladies. I obviously have a few road trip favorites, because being comfortable is what it is all about, but when I get where I’m going I like to have options!! I mean who knows what adventure you will find… you may need a floppy hat or even those overalls you packed. Better to be safe than looking like you lost your luggage on a plane.
4.)Make a kick ass playlist. The drive can get long and if the music isn’t *N SYNC it can get real boring… haha see what I did there?! Taylor Swift was obviously on repeat as we were prepping for the big concert but once we continued on to Calgary, Banff, and Canmore, we were ready for a change… well more so only Brandon but I went along with it considering he sat through 8 hours of Bad Blood, Mean, and Shake it Off.
5.)Plan but not too much. We decided to turn our trip to Edmonton into a full on road trip only a few weeks before it actually happened which did make finding accommodations a little tricky so I don’t suggest doing that. What I mean is plan where you’re going to stay and for how long but don’t plan every single second of your time. Leave room for those random pit stops and wrong turns. It will leave you with a sore tummy from giggling and memories that will last… that is after all what road trips are all about, right?!
https://vimeo.com/137095707
How has your summer been?! Any road trips… I want to hear about them!
Kristen
I absolutely love Banff – one of my favorite trips I’ve taken! So jealous of your road trip, looks like you had so much fun!
xo Kristen
http://currentlyonline.blogspot.com
Holly
It was sooo fun!! It’s hard not to enjoy it!
Ashlee
All the water in these lakes are unreal!
http://www.tusksandtails.com
Holly
Yes it’s surreal!
Emily H
Ah so beautiful!! I live in Toronto and have yet to make it out west…hopefully this year! Your photos are lovely. This is my first time on your blog…it’s great!
Emily
http://www.threadsandblooms.com
Holly
You have got to go!!! You will love it! Thanks so much- back at Ya 😉
Mischelle
Love the pics, and looks fun! Look at the color of that water 🙂
Mischelle
http://www.nowthatschic.com
Holly
Thanks Mischelle! It was a blast!
Ana Soares
WOW i have no words… :O
What a beautiful and amazing photos!!
I’m in love!
Ana ♥
http://aruivablog.blogspot.pt/ NEW OOTD
Holly
Haha awe, thank you!!
JLu
Some serious location goals here!
http://www.julialundin.com
Holly
Yes… if you ever have a chance to go I highly recommend it!
Jesilou
Thanks for sharing these beautiful pics of your road trip! Lake Louise looks truly majestic. These photos are incredible — how lucky to have someone who can snap such awesome shots of you while on vacation! All of your outfits were super cute and that car is suh-weet!
— Jesilou <3
http://www.brashandbrilliant.com
brandonwu@me.com
Thanks Jesilou!! Yes, I am so lucky to have my photographer with me at all times!
Kate
Where have you stayed while in Banff or that area? My husband and I are thinking about heading there in October, but don’t know where we should stay… Recommendations?
Holly
Hi Kate!
We actually stayed at a VRBO in Canmore and we loved it! The condo that we stayed in actually sold shortly after we rented the place so it is no longer available. We really enjoyed staying in Canmore, we found it to be a lot more affordable and quiet. I would suggest looking into something like that!
I hope this helps- enjoy your time in Banff, it is SOOO beautiful!
Holly