I thought I would switch things up today and do a more fun, and only sort of serious, post.  I’m going to be sharing 4 unconventional Road trip games.  And by that, I mean I wouldn’t really consider these actual games, but they are all things I experience in the car and have sort of turned into games myself.

Snake or Stick

This first game I call Snake or Stick.  The best place I’ve found to play this is at night in the desert during summer since that’s when snakes tend to be on the road.

This is super easy.  Whenever you’re driving and see a lighter line going across the road (perpendicular to the paint lines) guess if it’s a snake or stick.  I’d say the chances are good of it being a snake, but I’ve seen a few sticks, too.

It can be hard to tell what it is speeding by in a car.  If you want to see some snakes, you can always stop to check it out and break up the drive a little.  if it is a snake though, keep your distance and don’t agitate it more than it probably already is.  You don’t want to get bit out there.  I’ve seen a few rattlesnakes this way.

Cow or Bush

This one is similar to Snake or Stick, but with cows and bushes.  This is best played wherever there are open ranges and cows roam the open pastures and roads.  It works during the day, but is most effective in the evening light where you can still sort of see, or at night.  It is best played in winter and spring.

Like Snake or Stick, you’ll start to notice dark blobs along the road.  Cows and bushes look similar in the right light because of shadows, so it can be hard to tell what’s right next to the road.  All you do is guess if that thing next to the road is a cow or bush.

This would be very easy to play in Southern Utah, just be careful.  There are quite a few open ranges around here and the cows sometimes just stand in the road.  Make sure you’re paying attention, especially on curvy and hilly roads where you can’t see far ahead.  Out here, there is also terrible or no phone service, so you don’t want to hit one and not be able to call for help.

What is that Brown Blob?

This is a good wildlife spotting game.  It is best played somewhere with lots of large wildlife, like bears, moose, and bison, maybe even big bushes.  I played this a lot in Jackson and the Tetons.

This is pretty self explanatory.  You notice a big dark blob on the side of the road or ahead of you and you guess what it is.  The key for guessing is knowing what is around at that time of year.  Like, in Jackson in January, it probably won’t be a bear, so moose or bison it is!

Like Cow or Bush, keep an eye out for wildlife on the road, especially around dusk or dawn.  Drive a little slower then and pay close attention.  You definitely don’t want to hit a moose, bison, or bear.  And if you drive into a bush, well…

How Far is the Next Gas Station?

Last and my least favorite because it usually means you’re getting low on gas.  This is best played in the Western US since things are a lot farther apart out here than say, the east coast or southeast.

Similar to What is that Brown Blob, you guess how far it is to the next gas station.  It’s very easy and a little nerve racking.  Usually there are signs that tell you if there won’t be gas for 100 miles, but in Wyoming, we didn’t see many of those and let me tell you, we got pretty nervous about that at least once.

Another good place to play this is like, Kansas.  We didn’t see many there and the one we did stop at was super creepy.  It was extremely windy.  There was only one light.  The pumps were ancient.  It was the middle of the night.  It was creepy and I would like to not go there again.

Well, now that you know about these super fun Road Trip Games, I hope you can play them on your upcoming road trip!  Alright, alright, I’ll share my two favorite real road trip games, too.

  My Cows

This game is good to play anywhere.  At least anywhere with cows, so in the country.  it’s a fun one without much of a point.

All you do is yell “My Cows!” when you pass a field of cows.  Keep track of the numbers of cows you get (the number of times you say My Cows! not each cow specifically) for the end of the game.

When you pass a cemetery, yell “Your Cows!” and the other person (or people) in the car lose their cows and have to start over.  Whoever has the most at the end wins, I suppose.  It’s totally pointless but fun if you’re with the right people that can get into it.

License Plate Game

I think everyone knows this game.  The best place I found to play this was the parking lot at Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs.  I even got Hawaii there.  I figured Yellowstone would be good, too, but it wasn’t as good as I expected, at least not that I noticed.

All you do it pay attention to the license plates around you and try to spot all 50 states.  It’s much easier out west, and maybe in the southeast.  The Midwest is not good for this game.

So, on that note, get playing and enjoy your road trip!

What is your favorite road trip game?  Have you heard of any of these?  Will you play any of these?