Roadtripping with Nitto, Part Three: Exploring Your Own State

If you're anything like me, when you think of a road trip, the idea of driving a really, really far distance comes to mind. When I was younger I never thought of the East Coast car trips my family and I would take as road trips- for some reason that term was reserved for more cross-country driving in my mind. But now as an adult myself, I realize that sometimes the very best road trips are in our own state. Perhaps there's a small town you've never seen, or a whole side of your home state you've never explored- summertime is the very best time to get in the car and drive three, four, five hours and explore some of the more local gems right around the corner.

For my last post with Nitto, I wanted to do just that, and explore Tucson, a place I'd been numerous times for shows or to visit family, but never really got a chance to really take in. I recruited my Mom and sister this time, and in a moment of brilliance (or craziness), we decided to pack everyone into my car and make our way down south for two days in the Tucson sun. Tucson is about 300 miles from my house, so it was a nice little drive down there in a car full of kids and Moms. It was the first time all of us- my Mom, sister, Henry, Charlie, Lucy, and me- had gone on a trip without the guys, and we had a great time. Like I mentioned in my last post, there was an even more thorough checklist that went on for this trip, because I was hauling such precious cargo such a long way. Hank made sure to check everything twice, but I do have to say how great it is to feel confident in the tires on our car, especially with almost everyone I love traveling in it with me. Peace of mind is invaluable.

And of course my sister and I got super excited and decided to make a playlist for the drive there and back, and of course I have to share it with you guys! If you have the Spotify app you can listen to it there, or listen to it via this post right here. Music has always been such a huge part of our family vacations- from Bruce Springsteen and the Traveling Wilburys to Rilo Kiley and TLC (random, always)- that most of my memories of any car trip always have music tied to them.


So we listened to our random mix all the way down South, and when we got there (after more than a few bathroom breaks) we got to exploring the city. We fit a lot into a couple of days, and had a really good time. We ate at some favorite spots and I had some of the best pasta I've had in the longest time. We walked around Tucson's adorable downtown and got ice cream with my Aunt and cousin. We visited a couple touristy spots and also spent the second afternoon at the Tucson Botanical Garden. All in all it was a perfect two days. And when we packed everyone back into the car on Saturday afternoon, I had to turn around in my seat and take it all in for a second- my Mom, the kids...it was awesome to have had the chance to make such great memories with them.

And how about you? Do you have any road trip plans for the summer? Are there any places in your own state you haven't explored yet?

Thanks so much for supporting these three posts with Nitto (see part one and two). I've had such a great time sharing our adventures here!

xoxo

*this post was sponsored by Nitto Tire but as always, all opinions are mine.