This afternoon we took some time to go exploring. Nothing major. No big road trip. No elaborate plans or destination. Just a brief side trip after work and before it got dark. Sometimes those spontaneous trips are the best. So how do you prepare to be “spontaneous”? Here are a few things you need to do today to make sure you are ready for unexpected adventures.

How to Plan for Unexpected Adventures

Look for the little things

On our adventure, we decided to follow the path back in time. My husband grew up swimming in the Barren River Lake near Bowling Green, Kentucky. He hadn’t been back in almost 30 years but we knew the general direction for their favorite swimming place. We headed in the general direction and found it! We discovered a path that took us out around the point over to a beautiful rocky beach.

A few minutes walk and we were skipping rocks, enjoying the view and the unplugged time with family.

Keep the Gas Tank Full

There is nothing worse than taking a side trip and realizing you are almost out of gas. My husband ran out of gas one time back when he was in college. Since then, he has made it a point to never get below half a tank of gas. I would like to report that I am just as focused on making sure the gas tank is always full, but in all honesty, I sometimes forget to check the tank. One of the first things we do when we see a possibility for an adventure is to check the gas tank! Are we full? If so, then we are ready!

Consult the Map

A GPS is a great tool for road trips, but there is nothing quite like a paper map. We keep a Kentucky map in the car at all times so we can get ideas for spontaneous adventures. We knew we didn’t have time to go far out of the way, so a quick study of a paper map showed us a great side trip.

Remeber that GPS only work when there is reception. When you are out in the country on road trips, you may lose your signal! Another great reason to make sure you have a paper map!

Be Ready for Weather

It’s the last week of December in Kentucky, so we know that weather is unpredictable. But I left the house a bit unprepared for a hike along the river. So as we hopped out of the car and headed out for our adventure, I grabbed a blanket out of the van and decided it would make a perfect blanket scarf. The kids laughed a bit and teased me about my improvised blanket scarf, but it sure kept me warm!

Have you ever been to Barren River Lake State Park? Got a favorite place to explore near you? I’d love to hear!

Barren River Lake State Resort Park
1149 State Park Road
Lucas, KY 42156
Phone: (270) 646-2151