There is no place like home. But we do love a good vacation and equally a good road trip.
The time we get to spend with each other away from schedules and activities makes it worth it to us. Even the drudgery of the car is not quite so bad. Says the lady who is comfortably ensconced in the passenger seat. The driver might have a different tale to tell.
Holiday travel is just around the corner and as we gear up for our next road trip I thought this would be a great time to discuss our road trip tips.
Know before you go.
Whether it's a three hour trip or eighteen. Know your route. Compare several different driving options and pick one that makes sense for what you are wanting to accomplish. Don't just leave it to your GPS to determine your route for you.
Know how far you want to drive in one day in longer trips. Once you determine that find a hotel in that city and book in advance. Trust me there is nothing quite as frustrating as being ready to stop and finding no room at the inn.
Let me entertain you...
My role is to serve as entertainment director, referee, time-keeper, co-pilot and game show host. I switch movies, stop squabbles over chargers. I enforce reading time, screen time and journal time. I am responsible for keeping the driver awake.
Have plenty of entertainment options. While we don't necessarily limit screen time while on the road. It is what it is. I do make sure that Mighty and Mini balance it out. I do require reading, journaling or coloring between movies and screen time.
We also livened it up with a Marvel Trivia box. After every stop and between every movie we would break out the trivia.This might have been my favorite part of drive.
The Munchies
I would love to say that we do awesome creative 100% healthy snacks. But I can't. We do pack pre-packaged apple and grapes, and also had some strawberries and bananas on hand but that's about the extent of our healthy. We also have chips, fruit snacks, beef jerky and Turkey pepperoni.
We subscribe to the it's not done until it's overdone theory when it comes to munchies. But it's rare to hear "I'm hungry!". The variety helps stave off the temptations of the magical, mystery road travel centers.
Roll with it
The toughest thing for this control freak is to roll with the unexpected. Traffic (hello Atlanta!), weather, and construction may slow you down but at the end it works out.
Just enjoy whatever comes your way, planned or not. The road trip is not about perfection. It is all about the adventure, as well as the family moments both good and bad along the way.
Does your family like to road trip? what are some of your favorite aspects of being on the road?
