Make Your Day Trip Memorable with These 3 Things

When was the last time you spent the day exploring just for the sake of exploring? If you’re anything like me, you’re just wrapping up one day trip and you’re already planning the next. It can be hard to turn every day trip into one that stands the test of time in your memory, but you can make your day trip memorable with 3 simple things. Sure, you need good snacks and a destination, but there’s more to making your day trip memorable and the answers might be right in front of your eyes.

The Inspiration for a Random Day Trip

A few weeks ago, I started booked flights and hotels for a week-long trip I had planned for this summer. I’d been thinking about making this trip for a while, and although it’s not my first time going west, I still take the time to do research and figure out what are my must-do activities and what can wait or is a hard pass.

In planning and booking this trip, I realized that I would probably need to purchase a Discovery Pass for Canada’s National Parks since I fully intended to take myself to every park I could gain access to during my travels. And that realization sparked an impromptu day trip that turned out to be one of the best day trips I’ve ever had.

I live about a two hours’ drive from the Cape Breton Highlands National Park. I decided it was probably worth the drive to pre-purchase my Discovery Pass since my trip out west isn’t until August and I’ll definitely be visiting other national parks, including the Cape Breton Highlands National Park before then. Plus, it was the perfect excuse to get in the car and go for the day.

Prepping for a Day Trip in Short Order

Whenever I find myself with a day trip pencilled into my calendar, my mind starts jumping ahead: where will I stop? Where will I eat? What do I need to bring in the car? Don’t forget to fill the gas tank!

I’ve taken so many spontaneous day trips over the years that I’ve perfected my preparations down to a few key activities: Take a Diet Pepsi from the fridge so I don’t have to buy one on the road; throw a sweater in the backseat in case it gets cold; grab some cash in case debit card machines are down; and fill the gas tank before I leave town, preferably the night before so I can just wake up and get on the road. To be honest, I almost never actually get gas the night before, but I’ll be darned if I don’t pretend every time that I will at least try.

The same process applied to my day trip to the Highlands recently, except I packed several Diet Pepsi in a cooler and packed a couple of protein bars. There’s not a lot of places to stop for food and drink along the way to the Highlands. I’ve been there enough to know that even if places are open, they might be full so it’s best to be prepared. If nothing else, I’d have a few hundred calories worth of protein bars to hold me over until I could get something to eat closer to home.

The Plan for a Perfect Day Trip

The trip’s purpose was to drive to the information kiosk at one of the entrances of the Highlands National Park and purchase a Discovery Pass and then spend a few hours hiking one of the trials I could gain access to by purchasing the pass. See? I was already going to benefit from planning ahead. Plans are great, but it’s always good to have a back-up plan because living on the East Coast of Canada affords me a lot of luxury and liberties, but it also brings with it a lot of rain. It was no surprise that my day trip got rained on, but I didn’t let that stop me.

Plans Don’t Always Go As Planned and Sometimes That’s the Best Part!

Instead of hiking, I decided to make the additional hour’s drive to the northern most tip of Cape Breton, to a little village called Meat Cove. My grandmother’s family happens to be from Meat Cove, so I’m no stranger to its rugged beauty and insane remote location. It’s worth risking “the slide”, as the road is called by the locals, to see what this hidden gem has to offer.

Before I knew it, I was taking selfies against the stunning backdrop, window shopping the RVs that were parked on the cliff since I’m planning to buy one one day, and chatting with the campground attendant who was, of course, my cousin. After a few minutes of hanging around and enjoying the crisp ocean air, I turned around and headed back to the main highway, about 30 minutes away. At the junction of the main highway, I decided to keep driving west, rather than going south to return home. It meant my travel time would be almost double to return home, but it was only 2 pm and the sun was just starting to come out.

Deciding to drive the world-famous Cabot Trail is never a waste. Rain or shine, the winding road where the sea meets the mountains is always a treat. And by the time I arrived in Baddeck to look for some dinner, I was pretty hungry.

A Day Trip Should Last More Than a Few Hours Anyway, Right?

It was after 8 pm when I arrived back home, having left earlier that day around 10 am. The total time I was on the road was just over 10 hours and if I had it over to do again, I’d do it just the same way. I’ve made this trip many times over the years, and if there’s one thing I know to be true, it’s that it’s time well spent. But I also know that since I’ve done this round-trip drive so many times, it’s important to keep changing things up so that the day trips don’t all blend together.

I am easily entertained and happy just to be on the road going somewhere, but a lot of people would wonder how to make your day trip memorable, especially if you’re visiting a place you’ve been before. I’m as qualified as any day tripper to give you this advice and tell you that if you want to make your day trip memorable, you need to ensure you do these three things.

Take the Long Way Around to Make your day Trip Memorable

Originally, my plan was to drive to the information office of the park, purchase my pass, do a short hike and then drive back home. In total, I expected to be gone for about six hours. Because I had planned this day trip with a bit of notice, I was able to ensure I had the entire day free. That meant when I was faced with the opportunity to just keep driving instead of turning around and going home, I decided to take the long way around, adding an additional three hours to my trip.

That’s not even counting the time it took to stop and have supper. If I had gone to the information office, done the short hike and then returned home, it would have been a fun trip, but what made it memorable for me was the freedom of being able to keep going to see what else might present itself.

Follow Your Gut and Make Your Day Trip Memorable

What I left out of my story about my day trip is that the first restaurant I sat down at didn’t have much in the way of food that suited my taste. I had eaten a protein bar and one oak cake the entire day so I was pretty hungry when I walked into what I’d thought would be a good place to eat.

The server brought the menu, I read it for a few minutes and when they came to take my order, I decided not to stay. It wasn’t awkward to say thanks, but no thanks, and they didn’t care because a line was forming behind me. I didn’t want what they had so I made the 30-minute drive into town and ate at a pub instead. What made that trip memorable for me was that I listened to myself and made a decision based on what I wanted, not what the “experience” offered at the restaurant.

Choose The Best Part to Remember to Make Your Day Trip Memorable

My best friend has this ritual when she asks about a trip or an event I’ve attended. She asks, “What was your favourite part?” It’s such a simple question, but I realize every time she asks me that question, that nobody else ever does. If you want to make your day trip memorable and not just another day in the life of you, ask yourself to identify your favourite part.

My favourite part of the day trip was when I landed at the restaurant close to home and the server recognized me from earlier in the week. I didn’t plan to eat at the same place twice, but it was so good, it was worth going back. It felt nice to feel welcome in a place even though they don’t really know me and were maybe wondering why I was there again. The moment wasn’t too over the top, but it was a highlight in the day. Mark the occasion with the highlight of your day.

There’s no right or wrong way to take a day trip, but I’ve found if I follow these 3 “rules”, I’ll always come home with a good story.

If you’re feeling inspired to take more day trips, or you want to venture into longer travel plans, check out my Overnight Solo Adventure Challenge to get you started.