- Road trips and camping offer a retreat from the overwhelming nature of modern life and a chance to reconnect with simpler times.
- These trips provide an opportunity to disconnect from technology and be present in the moment, especially for those feeling burnt out.
- For families, road trips and camping offer quality time together, free from distractions, and a chance to bond over shared experiences in nature.
Whenever Renate Rutkovskis gets behind the driver’s seat to embark on a road trip, she’s transported back in time to when she was a kid, sitting in the backseat of her parents’ car with her headphones plugged into her Walkman and watching the world go by.
Born and raised in California’s Bay Area, Rutkovskis grew up taking frequent road trips to her family’s cabin in Tahoe. As an adult, she continues the tradition on her own as a solo traveler going on almost monthly road trips. “It’s always had a special place in my heart,” she told USA TODAY. “I love being on the road.”
In her Subaru sedan, Rutkovskis explores the West Coast, from Los Angeles, to see friends, Mammoth for ski trips, and the coastline in Monterey. Usually staying in Airbnbs, she also enjoys the flexibility of stopping in little towns along the way.
“Being in the car, I listen to music, I zone out and not have to hear the noise of discussion or news,” Rutkovskis said. “I have this very uninterrupted time to be with my thoughts and with my surroundings, which I really enjoy and cherish.”
Rutkovskis isn’t the only traveler finding solace in the easygoing trips reminiscent of her childhood, such as road-tripping or camping. From exhausting news cycles to always being attached to our phones, 72% of travelers say a “desire for simpler times” is influencing their travels, according to a new 2025 trends report by Campspot. Of the 2,594 survey respondents, 94% see trips like camping as a form of stress relief.
Enjoy your worry-free vacation: Best travel insurance policies
“It’s just comforting. It’s a way to escape to simpler and happier times,” Jeff Bettin, Campspot’s vice president of commercial strategy and performance, told USA TODAY. “There’s a real sense of people wanting to connect with things that feel authentic and familiar in a world that seems pretty chaotic.”
What should I prepare for a family trip?The Bucket List Family knows better than most.
A digital detox
The survey found that 82% of respondents feel like camping offers a retreat from being “overwhelmed by modern life.” Often immersing travelers in nature, camping and road-tripping provide the digital detox many seek.
“People need a break from the everyday, and road trips and camping give them just that space to unplug, breathe and focus on being present,” said Bettin, adding that Gen Z and Millennials are the demographics feeling the most burnout from technology.
Rutkovskis nearly always seeks out nature on her trips, often hiking or skiing in scenic landscapes like the Eastern Sierras. “The mountains are where I’m most drawn to, and generally, there’s not service out there,” she said. “I like being out in the force, in nature, and not being connected to anyone. That ability to be present is so healing and so self-soothing.”
For some campers, getting off their phones is done more intentionally. Elisa and Lance Bubak go on camping road trips in their RV with their nine-year-old and nine-month-old sons about once a month, choosing not to pack tablets or Kindles and leaving their phones behind in the camper.”I love watching my boys engage in nature… (camping for us is) a play-outside kind of thing,” Elisa Bubak told USA TODAY.
Connecting with family
Many campers use these types of trips as an opportunity to spend quality time with their family, free from distractions. With two small kids and a husband who works as a police officer, daily life for the Bubaks “feels like you’re go, go, go,” Elisa Bubak said.
Like the 80% of survey respondents, the Bubaks find their camping road trips as a chance to slow down and reconnect as a family. “It’s a really wonderful experience as a family, it’s been very bonding,” she said.
Both Elisa and Lance grew up camping with their families and seek to instill the tradition in their children. Each year, she and her family pile into their RV camper and meet up with her parents in their own RV camper at Avila Beach in Pismo, California.
While there, the multi-generational family goes on hikes together, hangs out at the beach, flies kites, and lets the kids run around and play. “We look forward to it every year, waking up and looking right at the ocean,” she said. “We find it so peaceful. Your worries kind of dissipate when you’re staring at the sunset.”
She said she loves watching her sons enjoy the little things, like marveling at new flowers they discover. “It reinvigorates you,” she said. “It fills our cup.”
This post was originally published on here
