By: James Woodruff

Fall is my favorite season of the year. With it comes more tolerable weather, football, and days off. For families, it’s often a time of heightened activity.

Considering fall is labeled as the “off season” for many popular international destinations, couples use the months of September to early December to take their dream trips. The advantage that also exists in the fall is that there are a few extra-long weekends.  As a result, there are opportunities to be spontaneous and adventurous without breaking into your savings.

Road trips are a hidden treasure when it comes to rejuvenating a relationship. The open road is the perfect option to explore each other’s interests and test the boundaries of your relationship, if it happens to be new.

Whether you’re newly dating or have reached a plateau in your marriage, here are several benefits to taking a road trip this year.

The Benefit of Close Communication

There are so many distractions during the day. Couples sometimes neglect simply conversing with one another without even realizing it.

Just last night, I went to a restaurant and a few tables away from me was a young couple who spent at least 75% of their time together looking down at their phones.

Related: Is technology to blame for the demise in courtship.

Paying special attention to your significant other often falls by the wayside. It’s a balancing act that many of us are failing at. Using a 3-4 day weekend to unplug and get away gives the two of you the focus and space to re-discover the art of verbal intercourse.

The Benefit of Fiscal Fun

As I said, most people take vacations which require a significant amount of money all at once. Couples, especially if they have children, can often only afford 1 or 2 big vacations per year. Road trips are much more feasible, both on your pockets and your brain.

Additionally, you can explore what’s in your own backyard. “Staycations” allow the flexibility of escaping the routine of being at home while still being close to home.

The reality is most of us can live in a big city for years and never explore the beauty that’s right in front of us. As a couple, you can take a map or visitors’ guide and get lost in the hours.

The Benefit of Classic Creativity

Every once in a while, I search the #datenight hashtag on Instagram. I like to keep a running list of new date ideas to try. Road trips can easily turn into a weekend long #datenight if you open your mind.

For instance, if you live in Atlanta, you can spend a few hours driving to Savannah and enjoying a beach picnic in October. If you’re a sports fan on the East Coast, you have the unique advantage to drive to NJ, the DMV area, or Philly to catch a game in a luxury suite or a live concert.

Related: Check out these 3 must have apps for your next road trip.

If you’re not tired you, you can then go on the city’s museum tours. The point is a road trip forces you to be resourceful and seek out activities that are more engaging than just dinner.

Traveling together in new relationships will test the viability of your bond. Getting on a flight and spending a few days in a resort is something any two people can do. But it takes a lot of love, patience, and even trust to take on the road together.

For married couples, road trips pose as what you could call a good distraction. It’s a retreat of sorts. Traveling is supposed to be an opportunity to be stress-free for a few days.

In a relationship, you shouldn’t have to wait until you have enough money saved up to go somewhere. Road trips are a time-tested way that couples can learn from one another while also learning something new about themselves.

BMWK, where will you go on a roadtrip this fall?

James Woodruff writes from the perspective of a struggling Christian in his thirties. One Bible verse that has become his life’s mantra is John 3:30. You can visit his blog, 30s and Beyond, at https://30sandbeyond.wordpress.com.