Road Trips

"Back in the day", we would pack up the station wagon and head for the beach or the
mountains or Grandma's. There is no better feeling than to finally get on the road after
months of planning, making lists, then packing up all our necessities and checking our
"to do before we go" lists one last time! With everyday stresses behind us, we were
free, well at least for the next week or so.

Here are some ideas and resources to help you plan a successful road trip for your
family. Remember, you don't have to go far to experience the open road, just be sure
your car, suv or whatever takes you is in good working condition before you leave.

"TO DO BEFORE YOU GO"

1.   Decide on a destination and find out how long it will take to get there.
Tip: Go to mapquest.com, AAA.com, or googlemaps.com to get driving directions,
times & maps

2.   Get a good guidebook that covers the area of the country in which you
will be    driving. There are many books that cover entire areas such as the
Southeast, the West, the Great Lakes Region, etc. The Internet also has
unlimited resources- just type what you're looking for in the "web search"
area on your home page.

3.   Decide how many days you will need to get to and from your
destination. If the total drive time to get there is 24 hours, it will take three
days if you drive for eight hours per day. For each day of driving, it's a good
idea to find a "cool" ice cream shop or an interesting site along the way.
That way you will be able to break up your day with a fun stop.

4.   Make hotel reservations BEFORE you leave home!!! This is especially
important if you have children. There is nothing more daunting than having
to drive a little bit further and then a little longer to find a room for the night.
That "little bit" and "little" longer usually turns out to be "much" farther and
"much" longer than planned. You can always change your reservations
along the way if you're behind or ahead of schedule.

5.   Be sure your car is in good shape before you pull out of your driveway!
Change your wiper blades and put rainX on your windshields.Don't forget to
bring a good spare tire & an emergency auto kit - just in case. The good
thing is that almost everyone has a cellular phone nowadays, so you'll never
really be more than a phone call away from help should something happen
on the road.

"ESSENTIALS FOR THE CAR"

1.   Cooler. A medium sized cooler to keep drinks, fruit and snacks handy
and to help eliminate unnecessary, time consuming stops.

2.   DVD player. If you have kids, this will really make the time pass quickly
and will keep the kids entertained for hours. If you don't have one or can't
afford to purchase one, borrow a player from a friend. You will be glad you
did! Don't forget to bring plenty of dvd movies and shows. They don't take
up a lot of room.

3.   Audio Books. Books on tape/cd provide hours of contentment for the
front seat occupants of your vehicle. The driver and passenger are not able
to view the dvd's being watched in the back seats, so be sure to have
headphones for the back seat passengers. This way, the front seat
occupants can listen to a book on tape or cd. You will be amazed at how
quickly the time will pass and how entertained you'll be. Good mystery
stories or who-done-its are lots of fun to listen to. Maybe there is a book
you've been longing to read but haven't had the time. Get the audio book!
You can also download audio books to your iPod @

4.   Trash receptacle. A good sized, waterproof trash bag or container is a
must have for all road trips. You will be astonished at how much and how
quickly the trash will accumulate inside your vehicle.

5.   Storage Box. A plastic storage container with a secure lid to store all
non-perishables, such as snacks, unopened drinks, plastic utensils, zip top
bags, and paper towels. Having all of these things neatly stored in one
place, will make it easy to locate needed items quickly. It is also much
easier to move one container than several bags and items individually when
unloading & reloading the vehicle.

6.   Maps, driving directions & hotel reservations information. Do not leave
home without a good map, your driving directions for the entire trip, your
hotel confirmation numbers and addresses, and any other vital information
you have about your stops along the way and your destination.

7.   Emergency road kit & First-aid kit. Hopefully you will never need to use
them, but every family should have good emergency supply kits in their
vehicles at all times.