With school starting in only a few weeks, summer is quickly winding down to a close. There’s not much time to get that last road trip in before the weather starts cooling down. But any great road trip needs a good mix of road trip songs. Next week, I’d like to post a series of blogs about some of the best road trip songs ever. First, however, I’d like to define what makes a song ideal for driving down the highway.

1. Can you sing along with it? A good road trip songs NEEDS to have parts where everybody can sing along. Once you start singing some of your favorite songs with your friends or family, time flies by so fast. “I’m Gonna Be” by The Proclaimers, “Night Moves” by Bob Seeger and “Once Bitten, Twice Shy” by Great White are perfect examples.

2. Does it talk about driving? Songs that mention cities or driving are great for road trips. Some examples are “Amarillo by Morning” by George Strait, “I’ve Been Everywhere,” by Johnny Cash and “Paradise City” by Guns ‘N’ Roses will do just fine.

3. Does the song talk about escaping real life? Those are some of the best road trip songs. The reason you’re going on a vacation is to “get away from it all” and these types of songs remind you of that. “Breakaway” by Kelly Clarkson, “Time for Me to Fly” by REO Speedwagon and “Paradise by the Dashboard Light” by Meatloaf would be great additions to your mix CD.

If you want to create the perfect road trip, make some great mix CDs and use one of the great Ford cars on the market. There’s no better way to get from here to there and back again.