This post was created in partnership with Snapfish. All opinions are my own.
Embarking on the world of almost empty nest travel. Check.
Renting a car and driving from Ohio to California with my husband of 23 years. Check.
Sleeping in a tent for our anniversary. Check.
Stopping at iconic roadside attractions- like the Corn Palace in South Dakota, a windmill in Iowa or Paul Bunyan and Blue in California . Check.
Photographing bison in Yellowstone. Check.
Breathing in the fresh salty air of the Pacific. Check.
Finding that perfect, whole sand dollar. Check.
Stepping foot in the Redwoods. Check.
Seeing the Great Salt Lake. Check.
Driving by the Bonneville Salt Flats. Check.
These are simply a few memories I made with my husband on a cross country trip from Ohio to Oregon, to California and back. Over 6,000 miles in 9 days. We stopped at national parks, roadside attractions, beaches, antique stores, and scenic rest stops. It was magical. Unforgettable. And all those adjectives you think of when you think ah-mazing.
Now, two months later, the trip almost feels like a dream. Which is why I’m so glad that I took photos of absolutely everything. I have photos on my phone, photos on my camera cards, and photo files on my computer. And thanks to Snapfish, I have preserved my favorite photos from the trip in a gorgeous premium photo book. I’ve preserved memories of that trip for my husband and I to reminisce over for years to come and future generations to capture a glimpse of road trips in the olden days.
Have you taken a look at Snapfish lately? The website has been totally redesigned with easy-to-use
tools to allow you to be as creative (or not) as you want to be.It’s now tablet and smartphone friendly, allowing you to create on any device, at home or on the go. And you can add photos from your device or favorite social network- including Instagram! It really is so easy to use.
There are dozens of templates and layouts to choose from- or if you’re creative, you can design your own. I kept my photobook simple this time around. I selected the 8 x 11 premium photo book with lay-flat pages and used existing themes and layouts. I’m thrilled with the result.
I took a journaling approach so my photobook is heavy on the commentary, because I’m wordy like that. I shared highlights of our days with a few mishaps, because honestly what is a road trip without a few bumps in the road? I also love the large, beautiful full-page photos in the Snapfish Photo Books.
My husband, on the other hand, likes to see as many photos as I can cram on a page, so I mixed up the layout a bit to please both of us.
The final result is a diary of our trip across the country with tons of photos on thick, high-quality pages. I’m so impressed with my photo book, that I’m working on a family photo book of our past trips through the years and I’ve considered ordering a couple throw pillows from the Home Décor products, highlighting our favorite travel memories. Just how cute would this photo be on a pillow or throw?
Why I Love my 8 x 11 Snapfish Premium Photo Book
I love my Snapfish photobook and here’s a few reasons why:
Here are some details about this photo book:
- Constructed of premium paper and extra-thick pages, the luster silk finish gives crisp images and intense color
- The seamless lay-flat binding provides beautiful two-page spreads
- The deluxe matte cover offers a soft, silken finish for a modern look and feel
- Designed perfectly for celebrating weddings, babies, professional portfolios, and life’s sweetest moments- like a cross-country road trip.
- Each book comes with a 100% Snapfish guarantee
Check out the Snapfish Store Page to see the range of products available. And don’t forget to look at the Snapfish Coupons/Deals Page to help you preserve your favorite travel memories at a great price!
Sound easy? It really is. Now, what would you do with a Snapfish Photo Book?
© 2015 – 2016, Tonya Prater. All rights reserved.
northwest dams says
Photos are essential to the vacation experience and this is a great way to make them last and be there for everyone. Nice tips!
Mark says
So many great ideas from your blog and this one ranks right up there. Thanks for sharing!
Elizabeth Ferree says
I just moved from California to Indiana during the summer, so it was neat seeing someone that went to visit from this area. Course you had a much better time than mine. I didn’t see the beach, in fact I was there for two years and never saw a beach or a lake. Love the pictures, looks like ya’ll had fun. I’ll have to take a peek at snapfish I love the hardcover idea.
Claudia says
I love photo books, they are such great ways to keep travel memories alive. Your anniversary trip looked lovely!
Susan says
I would do what you did and make a vacation book!
Shell Feis says
Those are some absolutely gorgeous photos- and that photo book looks so nice! I have made photo books before but they weren’t as high quality as that.
dana freeman says
I love snapfish albums. They make my photos look so great. I usually make one for each trip we go on. I am pretty far behind though. Need to make a few before we head out again!
Nicki Joseph says
I have so many vacation photos I haven’t printed yet..would love to compile those into a book =)
Denise K. says
I think I would make a book of family pictures and gift them to my mom. She would love it!
Kenny says
We took a Disney vacation last month. I would love to make a photo book of our pictures! Thank you
Melissa says
Our family of 7 loaded up the minivan for a once in a lifetime 4400 mile drive from Idaho to the Creation Museum in Kentucky this summer. It was such a special time to have all of us together for 12 days and to show our kids do many places. I have kept our huge travel map up on the family room wall with our routes all mapped out just to remember that adventure! Have talked about making a Snapfish book, would love to win! Thanks for sharing your trip and your memories!
Crystal says
I have so many vacation photos just waiting to be printed in a book! It looks like you and your husband had a wonderful trip across the country. I’d love to do a similar trip someday.
Tonya says
I have several other books that I should make. I’m hoping to finish a few for Christmas gifts.
Liz Mays says
It would be awesome to preserve your memories in a photo book like that. I used to love scrapbooking and this would be a good alternative.
Tonya says
My husband banned me from scrapbooking. 🙂 I make a huge mess and I’m such a perfectionist that I don’t get much accomplished. A photo book is much easier for me to finish.
Karen says
I have thought about making a photo book before but never followed thru with it. I’m going to go take a look at SnapFish now. Oh, and If I won the giveaway, I would make a book of photos of quilts I have made. I think that would be beautiful.
Tonya says
Do you blog about your quilts? I bought some quilting supplies so I can make a travel quilt of the places we’ve been. It may not be beautiful when I finish, but I’m sure it will be sentimental.
Patricia Fienga says
I would use it for our Disney pictures. We are going in October. My mother in law is coming too and it would make a great Christmas present. Thank you for the opportunity!
Tonya says
That would be a great gift after a Disney trip! I hope your mother-in-law enjoys it. We took my mil a couple years ago- it was her first visit and she couldn’t get over Disney. Have fun!
Ashley says
I would make a photo book of the things my family and I have done this past year.
Tonya says
It’s a great way to record your year by year, Ashley!
Katie says
I am a huge fan of photobooks and use them to document many of our vacations! If I won this one, I’d use it to document at least part of our 11 day summer vacation from this year!
Tonya says
I think I started with 20-pages and added to it from there. There’s a lot of ground to cover in an 11 day trip!
Louis says
Hi Tonya! We have made a couple Snapfish photo albums. They are quick and easy and they they look professional. Sign me up! I enjoy reading your work. Keep it up.
Tonya says
Thanks for stopping by and checking out my site, Louis. Good luck!