---
title: "What Are You Driving This Summer?"
description: "It’s nearly time to roll out for summer vacation. Tell us about your ride and your itinerary."
date: "2021-05-23"
modified: "2021-05-23"
authors:
  - name: "Kristin V. Shaw"
    job_title: "Contributor"
    link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/kristin-shaw"
url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/40734/what-are-you-driving-this-summer"
categories:
  - "Culture"
  - "News"
  - "QOTD"
---

# What Are You Driving This Summer?

![](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/images-by-url-td/content/2021/05/Summer-HERO-3.jpg>)
*\<em\>www.thedrive.com</em>*

For the second [summer](<https://www.thedrive.com/article/12642/top-road-trips>) in a row, I'm opting to drive from Texas to Indiana for my [annual pilgrimage](<https://www.thedrive.com/cars-101/40175/road-trip-preparation>) to my hometown. The weather is nicer up north and we're heading toward valuable quality time with family; it's worth every one of the 19 hours it takes to drive there. [The roads are hypnotic and soothing](<https://www.thedrive.com/new-cars/38832/3500-miles-in-a-volvo-v90-cross-country-the-highs-and-lows-of-a-coast-to-coast-pandemic-road-trip>) as cities and whole states pass us by, and a curated playlist accompanies the ride. Last summer, I drove a Chrysler Pacifica from here to there in the middle of the lockdown, opting for drive-throughs instead of restaurant stops and getting in and out as quickly as we could manage. [Minivans get a bad rap](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/40048/the-2022-nissan-pathfinder-really-leans-into-the-comforts-of-a-minivan>), but I'll tell you this: they are spectacularly comfortable for road trips. It's like driving a recliner around.

This country is full of wonder, and there is so much to see that any one person would be challenged to see it all in a lifetime. Where are you vacationing this year, and what are you driving to get there?

![message-editor%2F1621799645584-summerinline2.jpg](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/content-b/message-editor/1621799645584-summerinline2.jpg>)
**Kristin Shaw**

I'm especially curious if you have plans to take [an EV](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/40316/what-would-it-take-to-get-you-to-only-buy-evs-from-now-on>) on a long trip; I'd like to know how you're planning for recharge stops and what tools you're using to think ahead. If you're driving a gas-powered vehicle, you might be thinking about the potential [gas shortage](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/40417/supply-chain-woes-disrupt-plans-to-emerge-from-our-homes-this-summer>) or maybe fuel economy isn't on your mind at all.

Whether you're taking a solo trip like [Michael Digiorgio did in his brand-new C8](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/39109/finally-got-your-new-chevrolet-corvette-c8-take-it-on-a-9000-mile-road-trip-like-this-guy>) or *The Drive*'s own Jerry Perez [navigating a family trip to the Smoky Mountains in a Tahoe](<https://www.thedrive.com/new-cars/37693/2021-chevrolet-tahoe-road-trip-review-after-25-years-still-the-king-of-the-road>), there are memories to be made. Last summer was my first experience towing an RV for a long distance, and I was surprised by how fun it was. Once you know how to hook it up, unhook it, and make turns, you're golden. [Having an SUV or truck with brawny towing capacity helps, too](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/40632/if-you-had-to-buy-a-new-car-and-drive-it-for-20-years-which-would-you-pick>).

There are a few [automobile museum](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/40738/visiting-the-brumos-collection-near-amelia-island-is-a-must-for-concours-attendees>) stops I'd like to take along the way, like the [Speedway Motors Museum of American Speed](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/39751/drag-racers-1937-willys-was-as-a-25-junker-now-it-lives-in-a-museum>) in Lincoln, Nebraska, or the Chevy Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, Kentucky. After so many months of uncertainty, it seems like a good time to flex those tires and head out.

Snacks: check. Entertainment for the kids: check. Playlist: check. Share with us where you're headed; maybe you have great ideas for all of us for the ultimate summer road trip.

*Got a tip? Send the writer a note: kristin.shaw@thedrive.com*

## Author
Kristin Shaw is the former Weekend Editor for The Drive and a current freelancer in both the automotive and aviation worlds. She’s a big fan of anything car-related and calls on her technology background on the corporate side to explain engineering and high-tech concepts. Now living in her sixth state (New Jersey, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, Georgia, and now Texas), she is thrilled that working from home is now mainstream.

### Author social links  
[Facebook](<https://facebook.com/DriveModeShow>)  
[Instagram](<https://instagram.com/KristinVShaw>)  
[Twitter](<https://twitter.com/KristinVShaw>)