Road Trip Tips: Five Kentucky Road Trip Must Haves

We’re going to be at the Lexington Public Library Beaumont Branch on Wednesday, August 19 from 6-7:30 p.m. talking about My Old Kentucky Road Trip, some of our favorite destinations, our tips for traveling, and a few pointers for you as you hit the road! We’ll also have a few books for sale. We’d love to see you and chat about Kentucky road trips! Call the library to learn more and to make a reservation!

A camera

Whether it’s a cell phone, a nostalgically-appropriate film camera, or a fancy digital one with more buttons than Kentucky has counties, grab something to help you capture a memory and to help you share what we’re sure will be a grand adventure. But don’t forget to be present. Take in your surroundings; experience the history and wonder of the fascinating Bluegrass State. Don’t be so busy capturing memories that you forget to make one.

A full tank of gas and a map

Don’t think for even a second that your iPhone is going to have service or your GPS is going to know exactly where you are in the far corners of this great state. Spoiler alert: You’re going to see “searching” come up across your screen more than once. Do yourself a favor and bring along a reliable map. Trust us, you’ll be glad you did. Make sure you fill up the tank in case you make a few wrong turns along the way. And don’t be afraid to stop and ask for directions. One of the parts we love most about Kentucky are Kentuckians, who are always willing to lend a hand, mend a flat tire, point you in the right direction, and fill your head with some of the best (tall) tales you can find.

The perfect playlist

Nothing sets the tone for a perfect Kentucky Road Trip like the perfect playlist. Give these tried and true ‘on the road’ songs a go:
“Mustang Sally,” Wilson Pickett
“Everyday is a Winding Road,” Sheryl Crow
“Fast Car,” Tracy Chapman
“I Drove All Night,” Cyndi Lauper
“Runnin’ Down a Dream,” Tom Petty
“On the Road Again,” Willie Nelson
“Love Shack,” B-52s
“I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles),” The Proclaimers
“I’ve Been Everywhere,” Johnny Cash
“Route 66,” Chuck Berry
“America,” Simon and Garfunkel
“Take it Easy,” The Eagles
“Here I Go Again,” Whitesnake
“Born to Run” Bruce Springsteen

Or handpicked for your travels across the Commonwealth, try these Kentucky-themed tunes:
“Kentucky Woman,” Neil Diamond
“Coal Miner’s Daughter,” Loretta Lynn
“Home,” Sundy Best
“Muhlenberg County,” John Prine
“Kentucky Rain,” Elvis Presley

A best friend(s)

Road trips are an amazing thing, but without a good friend or favorite family member sitting next to you, it’s just a ride in a car. We started My Old Kentucky Road Trip as two friends from the Bluegrass State who realized we’d never taken the opportunity to explore our home. Since the beginning, we’ve traveled more than 5,000 miles across Kentucky, uncovered a countless number of hidden gems, made our way through a thousand perfect road trip songs, met a few handfuls of unforgettable locals, and we’ve done it side by side, windows down, singing along and laughing. The perfect travel companion is all you need for a perfect road trip.

A good sense of humor

Even the best laid plans go awry. Things are going to go wrong; something is going to end up different than you expected it to. We promise, these unplanned treasures have been the absolute best parts of each and every one of our road trips so far. They make for the best stories; they leave you laughing the loudest. They become the stories we tell over and over. The only thing that’s required of an Old Kentucky road tripper is to experience the Bluegrass State. There are going to be places that you love and places that you don’t. There are going to be grand adventures, and there are going to be trips where you pull up to the gate of a state park as the park ranger locks it for the night. Accept it, laugh about it, and get back in the car. There’s something else to see right around the corner.