ROAD TRIPS: THE ULTIMATE BUCKET LIST

I love the freedom of a road trip. Just you, your travel companions and the open road. I'll be knocking one trip off my bucket list this summer with our Scottish adventure; but there's a long list to get through! Read on to discover my top three ultimate road trips. 

1. California

Route: Las Vegas - Joshua Tree National Park - Salvation Mountain - Palm Springs - Los Angeles - Big Sur - Monterey - Yosemite National Park - Lake Tahoe - San Francisco

This is the dream. Sprawling national parks, camp fires on rugged beaches, never-ending photo opportunities, and a jeep full of friends. From driving through the relentless desert to discover colourful modernist buildings, indigenous wildlife and a pastel hued mountain dedicated to God - to winding cliff top roads with breathtaking views of the Pacific - California seems to be the state that has it all. In a dream world, I'd have a whole month to complete this trip, taking time to relish my surroundings and embrace a slow and lazy lifestyle whilst managing to cram in everything that I've ever wanted to see.

2. Oregon - Washington - British Columbia

Route: Portland - La Push - Vance Creek - Seattle - Vancouver - Tofino

I have to split up my ultimate American road trip into two parts, as there are so many places I want to visit on just the West coast! The Pacific North West is an area that tantalizes me with the allure of stormy grey seas, dense green forests, mountain trails and acres of wilderness. I imagine myself hiking all of the trails that I see on my Instagram feed and camping in the middle of nowhere, close to the beach. In between the rugged, wild landscapes I'd explore three cities that have long been on my radar, ticking off bars and cafes and shops that tickle my fancy.

3. Iceland - The Ring Road

Route: Keflavik - The Golden Circle - Sólheimajökull Glacier - Jokulsarlon Glacial lagoon - Dettifoss - Lake Myvatn - Husavik - Reykjavik 

I'd have to visit Iceland twice - both in summer and in winter. The journey around the ring road may be treacherous in the colder months, but it would be worth it to see such unique scenery with an icy coating, and the chance to spot the illusive Northern Lights. In summer, there would be never-ending days and a spectrum of colours across surprising geological features. We'd stop in secluded cottages and small hotels, bathe in natural hot springs in the middle of nowhere, and witness spectacular scenery.

Image 1 - Jessica Tremp / Image 2 - Laura Austin / Image 6 - Local Wanderer / Image 10 - Oh, Lady Cakes / Other images - found via Pinterest

ROAD TRIPS: INSPIRATION

My favourite holiday I ever went on was a road trip. Two summers ago, my boyfriend and I drove around Normandy and Brittany in the north of France in a tiny little Smart Car, our tent and an impressive amount of belongings carefully stacked in the back. I felt completely free for that fortnight, without the usual public transport travel restrictions a holiday normally throws your way. If we read about a tiny little village in the middle of nowhere (or a bizarre theme park based around discovering hilariously bad dinosaur statues in the middle of the countryside), we could just hop in the car and head that way. We had a rough route planned in, but anything could happen.

This summer will be our second mammoth road trip. I'll go into it in more detail soon, but we'll be exploring somewhere very close to home where I've somehow managed not to visit previously: Scotland. In preparation for this adventure, and those to come in the future, I've planned in a series of road trip themed posts for Girl Folk. Expect playlists, planning tips and my ultimate road trip bucket list.

Let's start things on the right foot with a little inspiration.

Images:  Misha Taylor for Shop Dawn, Chantal Anderson, Carly Foulkes, Misha Taylor for Shop Dawn, Emily Knecht for Shop Dawn, Hazel & Pine, Jessica Tremp, Mischa Taylor for Shop Dawn x2