There are two types of people on a road trip:
- The “windows down, music up, vibes only” person.
- The “are we there yet?” person.
Shane? Definitely the second.
A few years ago, I bought him a pack of road trip games from a local shop for Christmas because — bless him — he cannot sit in a car for long stretches without getting antsy. I figured a little structured competition might help.
It did.
But what I didn’t expect was how obsessed I would become with it.
The Road Trip That Sparked the Idea
Recently, my cousin Ashley and I drove to Asheville to visit my cousin (her sister) Lara for her baby shower. Just the two of us. Hours in the car. Snacks packed. Playlist ready.
And somewhere around hour three?
We broke out the road trip games.
The pack included:
- Cow on My Side
- The Alphabet Game
- Tic Tac Toe
- Hangman
- And of course… Car Bingo
Car Bingo was simple: a card filled with icons of things you might spot while driving.
We were suddenly competitive. Yelling across lanes.
“HORSE!”
“TRACTOR!”
“RED TRUCK!”
It was chaos. It was delightful. It made the drive fly by.
But there was one problem.
The game was made in Europe.
Which meant:
- Some road signs were… very European.
- A few symbols made zero sense in the U.S.
- And one square was a payphone.
A payphone.
When was the last time you saw one of those?
We made it work. But somewhere between spotting cows and debating whether that was technically a “castle” or just a fancy barn, I had an epiphany:
What if this game actually reflected where we were driving?
What if it felt local?
What if it was state-specific?
The Idea: A State-Specific Road Trip Bingo Game
On that drive back from Asheville, I couldn’t stop thinking about it.
Instead of random road signs, what if the bingo squares included:
- A grocery store you actually see everywhere like Wegmans in Upstate NY
- Regional coffee chains like Tim Hortons or Dunkin Donuts
- Local sports pride like Buffalo Bills
- Things that make a place feel like home
So for us?
That meant Upstate New York.
Introducing: The Upstate NY Road Trip Bingo Game
I finally brought the idea to life.
This isn’t just “car bingo.”
This is Upstate New York bingo.
Instead of generic icons, you might spot:
- A Wegmans sign
- A Tim Hortons
- A Tops Friendly Markets
- A winery (hello, Finger Lakes 🍷)
- A lighthouse
- A boat launch
- Horses in a field
- An Adirondack chair
- Farmstands
- Snowplows
- Local pride decals
It’s the kind of stuff you actually see when you’re driving from Rochester to Lake Placid… or Buffalo to the Finger Lakes… or anywhere in between.
Sure, road trip games sound like something you do when you’re 8. But here’s the thing…
It keeps everyone of all ages off their phones. It makes you notice your surroundings and it turns “just a drive” into a fun adventure.
Instead of waiting to arrive, the drive became the experience.
And isn’t that what road trips are supposed to be?
Want One?
If you love Upstate New York…
If you take even one road trip a year…
If someone in your life can’t sit still in the car…
This was literally made for you.
More Bingo Games will be released soon for additional states! So stay tuned.