Growing up my family loved to travel. We would visit family out of state, venture to amusement parks and take short weekend trips to the lake. But, no matter where we were going, we would drive. Everywhere and anywhere we went was in the car. Four hour trips or twenty four hour trips made no difference to us, road trips were the only way to go. While this seemed annoying to me at times as a kid the older I have gotten the more I have come to appreciate road trips for all they offer. If you are looking to take a trip this summer, here is why a road trip is definitely the right choice for you:

1) You can change your plans last minute.

Let's say you plan to stay some where for a week. Something comes up and you decide you have to stay. You don't have to call and change your flight you just change your plans with no hassle.

2) You can make unexpected stops.

Cruising down the highway you see billboards for tourist traps all over the country. Most of these are not places that you plan on visiting. But, if you decide you have an extra hour or two why not stop at the World's Largest Truck Stop??

3) You can pack whatever you want.

Airplanes have a lot of different restrictions. You have to pay for extra bags, you can't pack certain items, and you aren't allowed to bring liquid on the flight. But on a road trip, all the snacks you want and all the bags you want are allowed and even encouraged. If you can fit it in the car, you are allowed to bring it.

4) You can save so much money.

If you are flying somewhere by yourself it might make more sense to skip the road trip, but if you are traveling with a group, suddenly $1,000 of airfare can turn into $300 of gas money and a much more comfortable trip for everyone.

5) You can bring your pets.

Many people like to have their pets on vacation. Whether you are headed to the lake for the weekend or going to visit family across the country your pets will be much more comfortable riding in the car than being shipped on a plane. Plus you can stop to take them out or to go for a walk whenever necessary.

6) You can experience different places.

When you fly from place to place you miss out on so much in between. Flying from Iowa to California is a great vacation, but what about all the states in between. Road trips allow you to really get a feel for every state you cross, even if they aren't your final destination.

7) The traveling is part of the vacation.

Airports are not a fun place to be. Many people find them to be stressful, crowded and all around frustrating. Traveling begins to feel like an obstacle to your vacation when you take an airplane. However, when you pack the car with your closest friends or family the road trip isn't just an inconvenience but an experience.

8) You can try different restaurants.

One of my favorite parts of road trips are stopping at all the different restaurants along the way. McDonalds and Wendy's in the airport is nothing compared to local restaurants you can find on the road.

9) It is so much harder to get lost.

When people think about road trips, one of the fears is getting lost and not making it to your destination. However with the number of navigation apps on every smart phone nowadays getting lost is a problem of the past. No matter where you are going, your phone knows how to get you there.

10) You can go wherever you want.

While most major cities have a large airport, there a lot of places that are not as easily accessible. Instead of taking multiple connecting flights and then renting a car to drive where you are going, road trips are the easiest way to go.