Last week my husband and I went on an 8-day road trip across Texas, New Mexico, and Colorado. My feelings were a mix of nervousness and excitement.

I had never really been on a road trip other than our move from NYC to Austin. On top of that, I certainly had never been on a road trip during a pandemic, which brings its own particularly challenges, such as remaining socially distant any time you're in public and finding safe and sanitary lodging.

There was a lot to consider to make sure each leg of the trip was fun and thought out. We needed to be completely prepared for anything.

Step one of the process was to map out each overnight stop and hotel.

We got so lucky that every hotel we stayed at turned out to be great, so along with style and clothes (I’ll get to that in a sec), I wanted to share the hotels we stayed.

Stop one: Marfa (one night)

Where we stayed: The Lincoln Marfa

Stop two: Santa Fe (one night)

Where we stayed: El Rey Court

Stop three: Denver (two nights)

Where we stayed: Hotel Teatro

Stop four: Evergreen (one night)

Where we stayed: Juniper Mountain House

Stop five: Santa Fe (two nights)

Where we stayed: Ten Thousand Waves

Stop six: Abilene (one night)

Where we stayed: Courtyard by Marriott

Once we mapped out the path we were going to take, I had an idea of just how much stuff I was going to need to pack. I would need 8 days worth of clothes, accessories, and shoes. This didn’t mean I would be switching all those elements each day, but I would need enough to keep me equipped and excited.

Step two: Pull out the luggage.

Even in the car, I only like to travel with a carry-on size bag, so I pulled out my hard shell Calpak carry-on luggage.

Reminder: If needed, you should adjust the amount of clothes you bring to the suitcase you want to pack, not the other way around.

Step three: Weather check!

This time of year is unpredictable in many places, so check the upcoming weather where you’ll be staying overnight to make sure you’re packing pieces with the correct weight. For example, I packed way more shorts than pants, but you may need to sub in pants due to cooler conditions.

Step four: Time to pack!

For my trip, there was a good amount of temperature variance. With the mountains and desert, days can be hot and nights can be cool, so I needed to prep for both. In addition, my husband and I love to walk all day when we’re in the city, so comfort was key for those stops too.

Here’s what I packed…

4 pairs of biker shorts

For the portion of the trip when you’ll be in a car, athleisure allows you to move, sleep, and hop out at rest stops without a lot of fuss. My go-to athleisure and biker short brand is Zella. They’re well-priced, good quality, and the biker shorts often come with pockets — very handy for hand sanitizer during COVID.

4 t-shirts

These are the counterparts to the biker shorts, and even though they’re t-shirts, there’s a difference between a worn-out old tee and a graphic or dressy tee. For this trip, leave the worn out tees at home, and go with something that’s you’ll feel comfortable and stylish wearing.

3 dresses

We wanted to make sure we were being as safe as possible during our trip, so limiting dinner out was part of that. When we did go out to dinner, outdoor dining was also essential. For the nights that we were out, I packed two dressy casual dresses to do a 180 from my athleisure.

In addition, I packed a casual dress with stretch to it if I decided I wanted to wear a dress in the car one day and for when we went to a hotel pool.

2 pairs of boots, 2 pairs of sneakers

I packed one pair of dressy ankle boots to go with my dinner dresses and one sturdier boot for days when I wanted something different than a sneaker.

For sneakers, I brought along my gym pair for hiking and morning workouts as well as a fashion sneaker for a comfy, stylish car option.

DAY THREE: GARDEN OF THE GODS (EN ROUTE TO DENVER)Outfit: fashion sneakers, biker shorts, sports bra, layered necklaces — DAY THREE: GARDEN OF THE GODS (EN ROUTE TO DENVER)
*Outfit: fashion sneakers, biker shorts, sports bra, layered necklaces*

4 jackets: one shirt jacket, one sweater jacket, one puffy coat, one moto jacket

Looking back, I think I could have been fine with only the puffy coat and/or sweater jacket, but I wanted lots of variety, so I brought a handful of jackets for different temperatures. The shirt jacket and moto jacket were the lightest weight, which ended up meaning that instead of wearing those, I reached for my sweatshirts.

If you’re taking an outdoor road trip during fall/winter, I would definitely say the puffy coat is the most essential — on cold nights, this guy is a life saver! This is similar to the one I have.

1 pair of denim shorts

On the way out of Austin, I wasn’t feeling like jumping into my athleisure just yet, so I wore these once on the front end of the trip. You can swap these for jeans if it’s cooler when you head out. Mainly, it’s just good to have one pair of denim just in case you want them.

1 pair of sweat pants

When I was in a colder climate, I would throw these on at night or wear them over biker shorts in the car in the morning.

1 pair of leggings

These are an alternative to the biker shorts, just for cooler temperatures. Again, comfy, stretchy, and easy to wear when hoping out of the car to fill the gas tank or grab a snack.

2 sweatshirts: one dressy, one casual

These were so useful! You can definitely sub one or both of these for sweaters depending on your style, but having those cozy layers are key. My casual one was most useful in the car, for bedtime, or hanging out in the hotel eating takeout. I reached for my dressy graphic sweatshirt for walking around during the day in Denver. It gave me the stylish touch I wanted, but as sweatshirts are, it was no fuss.

bathing suit

A few of the spots we stayed at had hot tubs, so I brought my swimsuit along. I love to swim and lounge in the water, and if you’re anything like me, it’s important to be prepared for the times when you might want to do that.

6 necklaces

Even with athleisure, there’s styling that you can do to make yourself feel chic and put together. Accessories are good for that job. Six necklaces may seem like a lot, but four of them were layerable, so they were useful in keeping my look fresh and giving me a creative outlet.

2 pairs of earrings

Like necklaces, earrings will add a thoughtful detail that will allow you to feel more stylish and excited for every day of the trip.

1 bracelet

Dress for where you’re headed. This means not only the temperature, but the culture. Since I was heading to Santa Fe, I packed my biggest turquoise cuff to dress up my dinner look.

6 masks

I brought along six masks for the trip, so at least one was easy to find when we got to rest stops, and I didn’t have to reuse them day after day. I was also able to wash my used masks halfway through the trip, so I wasn’t stressed about safety.

3 hats

You don’t need three of these (probably only two), but I brought my ball cap and both of my beanies, because the beanies are different colors, so I wanted the variety for fun sake.

the essentials: socks, underwear, bras (sport and regular), pajamas

Want extra tips on how to travel safely this fall?

Headed on a road trip this fall? Here’s what you need to pack and know to make your trip a success.