How to create a playlist for a road trip
By Aimee Markwardt
A good song can make the time pass like you’re traveling through space. Just like a desperate scan through the static-filled stations of Nowhere, Iowa, can make every minute feel like an hour.
Before you leave for a road trip, consider packing good music as important as packing your socks and camera.
Here’s how to transform your car into an entertaining musical mobile:
1. Get the right hookup. Get the right cable to connect your smartphone to your car speakers, like the XtremeMac Auxiliary Cable for the iPhone or iPod, $9.99 at Toys ‘R’ Us.
Don’t forget to check Toys ‘R’ Us deals and discounts, including 1 percent cash back on purchases.
You may also want to get portable speakers to attach to your smartphone or MP3 player, like the Jensen SMPS-225 compact folding stereo speakers, $25 at Walmart.
With these lightweight speakers, you can take your music with you into your hotel room, on a picnic at a rest stop, hiking or wherever else your travels may take you.
Tip: Check out new Walmart deals, including 1.5 percent cash back.
2. Download music apps to help you discover new music. This will keep you from getting bored. Some great free apps include Pandora, Spotify and RadicalFM. Create personalized radio stations, based on the artists you like, and the stations will steam songs that share qualities with the songs you like. Rate the ones you like, skip the ones you don’t.
Tip: Check out Thenextweb.com’s list of the 15 best music apps.
3. Buy your favorite songs through iTunes and load them onto your device. Make a list of the songs that excite you, invigorate you or relax you, depending on what you need to feel on the trip. Pick songs that correspond with your plans. Headed to Cali? How about some Beach Boys or LL Cool J’s “Going Back to Cali?” (Admit it, that song’s your secret vice.) On the way to New York? Bring on the Sinatra and Beastie Boys: “No Sleep ‘til Brooklyn” can power you through the lulls.
The Huffington Post has a fun list of the essential road trip songs. Some go-tos on the list: “Born to be Wild,” by Steppenwolf; “Roadrunner” by Joan Jett; and “Life is a Highway,” by Rascal Flatts.
Other articles you might like:
Four ways to organize your car
How to plan a successful road trip with your pet
Road trip planner: 4 tips for your car
3 best road trips in the USA
The five best electronics for the high-tech traveler
How to pack your suitcase like a pro
