MacDonalds cards, Starbucks cards, Burger King cards, Colonel Sanders cards,.....and a 12 pack of bottled water and a pack of granola bars.
And if you want to be "gifty" how about some snitzy cookies like Mrs Fields or something.
You don't say how old the "girls" are but I am assuming 18 to 20.
Linda C

The girls are recent college grads and are 21 and 23. The dad who is escorting them will no doubt buy meals. He was the one who asked me for gift ideas. The trip will be from the Seattle area to Denver. The route may be through some pretty remote spots.

Music....I trust they have devices for listening....how about some zany songs...Retro....things like Phil Harris "The Thing" "Chickery Chick" Chubby Checkers twist and a whole selection of 60's and 70's songs.
How about a book ro 2 on tape....something mushy and romantic...like perhaps Wuthering Heights.
How about mix and match lounge wear....those flannel lounge pants with various tops...all with amusing themes.
If they don't all have digital cameras or camera phones, how about disposable cameras?

As a battle scarred veteran of road trips with teenagers, I agree on the pillows and blankets. the coffee shop type gift cards are a good idea too, as is LindaC's music suggestion.

My girls liked boxes of cold cereal and juice boxes as snacks better than anything else, liberally spaced with coffee and chocolate. Cracklin' Oat Bran and Frosted Cheerios were the big winners, LOL.

Travel type games are good for boredom, things like trivia card games and word search books are nice.

And for the driving Dad? Duct tape and earplugs. (grin) Tell him that duct tape, three times around the head, will shut up even a 20 year old. Ask Ashley. (snicker) Oh, and don't forget the aspirin or tylenol or whatever. For both Dad and girls.

Annie

Books on tape/CD! And you can check them out at your local library and include a self-addressed stamped envelope to return them to you. There are great selections!

Definitely water bottles and snacks and flashlights.

Don't know what the budget is, but a Garmin Nuvi GPS is really nice, and on sale now on Costco.com and Amazon.

Ok, I'm going to be boring, but having made three cross-country trips in the past year plus spending three weeks out on the road with DH, I quickly leanred the value of making sure I had two very utilitarian, but very necessary things: a resealable package of pre-moistened TP and hand sanitzer. It's amazing how many restrooms have no TP or soap in them.

LLBean has their stainless beverage contaners on sale this week. They come in bright, cheeful colors and are stainless inside and out. They keep cold drinks cold, too. During our trips we stocked up on yogurt, fruit cups, pretzels, trail mix, precut veggies with ranch dip, the new flavored Triscuits, and oranges. Other than that, the less we had to keep up with, the better.

So the girls are in the UHaul and dad is in another vehicle? That's not a bad trip. The highways are pretty good although there are lots of steep grades and long distances between rest areas. It's not a highway where I'd want the driver distracted when that wind kicks up. It can also get very cold and windy, so lotion, lip balm, maybe even driving gloves might be welcome. My lips were so chapped I could barely move them going through Wyoming.

Would they really go off the interstate to hunt down a Star*ucks in a Uhaul? I don't recall even seeing one outside WA until we got to central CO. Same with KFC. (Not that I would be looking for one, either.) Most of the stops where they would fuel will have Subway, McD's, Wendy's and sit down diners like Iron Skillet or Gramdma Max. I'm not sure how useful other gift cards would be until they actually get to where they are going.

A cell phone charger that plugs into the car's lighter receptacle could be useful.

Deep pockets if he is springing for Ugg boots!

beanthere is correct. Some of that trip is pretty desolute country. Wyoming has more drive-thru liquor stores than Starbucks, for sure! Coming down I-25 from Wyoming to Denver there's not much of anything major.

I highly recommend a pit stop at Johnson's Corner. It's right off I-25 at Exit 254, the Johnstown exit  halfway between Denver and Cheyenne, WY. They are FAMOUS for the cinnamon rolls. I've eaten at least a hundred of those things!

The wind starts howling like beejeesums across Wyoming once you clear the mountains in the western part of the state. Ground blizzards are common & nasty. Be sure they've got flashlights, flares, shovel, & one of those wind-up radios to catch weather updates & road closures. Seriously, the ground blizzards are hazardous. You can't see the front of the car & the only choice is to try to get off to the side & stop. Hopefully, they'll have clear weather but it can & does chance quickly so go prepared.

/tricia

Here is a link that might be useful: Johnson's Corner

Thank you all! I don't know if the dad, my friend, has driven this stretch or not. It's quite possible that he has as I know he spent a while riding the country on his motorcycle a few years ago. I sent along Renee's and Tricia's accounts of the drive, anyway.

I sent along this list:

Pragmatic concerns:
Lip balm
Lotion
Cologne
Hand sanitizer
Flushable moist wipes in a resealable pack
Baby wipes
Toilet paper
Toilet seat covers
Air freshener
A basic first aid kit

Auto concerns:
Extra oil (for the elderly car being driven by the dad)
Antifreeze
Tire gauge
Paper towels
Ice scraper
Jumper cables
Jack
Tarp
AAA membership ;)
Small flashlights all around

Warm stuff:
Driving gloves
Pillow and lap throw for each
Fleece socks
Sweats and hoodies
Furry lined boots

More stuff:
iGo cell phone charger with tips for different phones
Large zip-type bags
Blank journals and writing/drawing stuff
Trivia game
Puzzle books
Deck of cards
Books on tape
Night light
Music
Totes or backpacks to keep the personal stuff
Etchasketch

Victuals:
Smaller cooler
Energy drinks
Little yogurts
Water
Chocolate
Granola bars
Juice boxes
Cookies
Crudite assortment and dip (ranch dip can be bought in individual cups)
Thermos-type travel mugs
Cut up fruit

Don't forget the flares & the shovel for the car. Maybe, they've already got them. I know we carry those items in both cars all the time but wouldn't ever make that trip in winter without both. Also, remind them to phone ahead to see if chains will be required to get over the Rockies. If so, take them with you. It's expensive to get them at the road stops...if they even have any. Ask us how we know that! We got stopped about 20-30 miles east of Grand Junction once crossing on I-70 without chains...they charged us almost $400. We were driving our Saab Turbo & really didn't think we needed chains but the Hwy Patrol wouldn't allow us thru without them. Even with chains they stopped us in Vail & we had to spend the night. We'd come from Fresno & were only 60 miles from home...frustrating.

It about 1,350 miles from Seattle to Denver. That's a long trip.

/tricia

Tricia, I have sent the text from both your posts and Renee's (beanthere) to my friend. He is a very good manscout so I'm sure he has the chains issue covered, but just in case...

Johnson's Corner Cinnamon Rolls --- Yummy!!! They are part owners of the Dinner Theatre that my kids worked at this summer (the theatre is just behind Johnson's Corner and about 7 miles from my house). One of the desserts at the theatre is bread pudding made out of the cinnamon rolls.

It's worth a stop at Johnson's Corner, but by the time they get that close to Denver I'm sure they'll be ready to get the trip over with.

I'm not sure about the U-haul, but we've never used chains on our tires out here. We just have good all weather tires and we drive in the mountains all of the time. When the chain law is in effect, it is generally referring to commercial vehicles. For passenger vehicles, it just means adequate snow tires most of the time. We have been here for 17 years and have never had a time where we were required to have chains on our car. I'm not sure about laws in other mountains states.

Here is a link that might be useful: Colorado chain laws

Oh, and a lighter. I doubt the door locks will freeze up, but if they do, warming the key with a lighter helps.

One thing I learned is NOT to buy bags of chips at sea level and take them over the WY pass. When the bags explode, it will take ten years off your life!

Tricia, now you've done it with the cinnamon rolls. Dang DH was just through there on his way here. I should have asked him to pick some up!

Yeah, it's a long trip, especially fighting the 15-25 MPH cross wind that can spring up for hours at a time in Wyoming. Seriously, their attention needs to be on their driving, especially if they aren't used to handling a vehicle that size or driving all day.

I'd suggest an extra jug of Windshield washer fluid and those "handwarmer" and footwarmer" packets just in case.