Wife Like Me

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I've been on a lot of road trips, with and without kids, and there are some things everyone need to know about how to make one successful.  There are also some things I do that some people would hate.  Here are some of my ideas on the subject (some of it applies to flying or other modes of transportation, but I'm focusing on driving).

• Know where you're going (with kids more than otherwise) and how you're going to get there.  Take a map or a GPS thingy and know how to read it.  Know how long it will take to get there and add at least 15% of that time to your ETA so you're not rushed when things come up on the way.  Rushed road trips are generally grumpy road trips, especially with kids.
• Have more than one driver on the trip if possible and utilize them.  Sleep well before you leave and stop or trade off with the other driver if you get sleepy.  Do not drive tired or someone(s) will probably get hurt.  Amen. 
• Take breaks and get out of the car periodically to stretch.  When I say periodically, I don't mean that you should tell the other driver that they have to drive for the next 2.1 hours or 146 miles and then they can stop and take a break.  I mean, when you stop to get gas everyone get out of the car if they're not asleep and if everyone is getting grumpy then stop the car at a rest stop or a gas station or even a freeway exit so that you can get out and rest a bit. 
• Plan for frequent potty breaks if you have little ones along and warn everyone when you approach the last city/rest stop for the next ___# of miles.
• Bring lots of water in bottles.  We like to bring sippy cups for the kids and refill them from bigger bottles as they empty them.  On our Thanksgiving road trip Degen got car sick and we were very, very glad that we'd brought about 10 half-gallon bottles of water and used it to clean him and the carseat up on the side of the road.  Oh, and we like to drink a lot of water–it's healthy and helps us stay alert.
• Snack.  Bring snack food or plan to stop on the road and pick some up on the way.  Colin likes to eat low carb on the road since if he eats sweets the sugar crash makes him tired while he's driving.  
• Play road games.  Our two-year-old is old enough to play games with counting or colors (like "let's see how many red cars we can see on our trip").  Growing up we played the license plate game (try to find a car from each state on the trip) and the alphabet game (find words that start with each letter of the alphabet, in order, on road signs, billboards, and other signs we can see from the road–first person to finish the alphabet wins) a lot.  Slugbug (hit your neighbor each time you see a VW bug) is another favorite. 
• Sing.  My family sang a lot on road trips and it not only keeps you alert as you drive, it keeps everyone occupied and distracted and builds unity as a family and improves musical talent (or the lack thereof).  ABCs and Twinkle Twinkle Little Star are good basics to start with, then you can move up to camp songs (99 Bottles of Root Beer on the Wall) and show tunes (Oh What a Beautiful Morning).  Christmas trips are a good time for Christmas carols.
• Pack lightly.  You want to have as much legroom as you can for everyone, so if you can get everything but food, diapers, and a couple of toys in the trunk you're set. 
• Bring transitional and comforting objects.  A favorite teddy bear, blanket, or pillow can be a lifesaver on a trip with kids, especially if you travel during naptime or at night. 
• Leave early in the morning.  Early, like 4am.  Put the kids in the car right before you drive away and they'll go right back to sleep for a few hours. 
• Baby wipes are handy even if you don't have kids.  Have some around for small spills and other unexpected messes (we used some to clean Degen up after he threw up-very useful).
• Have a designated garbage bag.  Just use a grocery bag and put it in a convenient spot or put someone in charge of it and have everyone hand them their trash.  That way you won't be cleaning out the whole car when you get to where you're going.
• Play music.  You can rotate who is in charge of picking the next song or CD if everyone can't agree on music.  Bring an MP3 player or CDs or tapes or whatever your car plays because the radio may not work in the middle of nowhere.  Play music you can sing along to–it'll keep you awake better than a heavy techno beat.
• If you're prone to car sickness, don't read in the car.  I relearn this one often.  Audio books are a good idea. 
• Unless you're a super-pro, don't plan to get any work done in the car even though it's 10 hours of "quiet time."  I've rarely seen it done successfully. 
• Sometimes it helps to have an adult sitting in the back seat with the kids, or to rotate seats once in a while.
• If you have older kids, you can have them do some of the planning in advance and help them research the landmarks you'll come across on your trip and report their findings to the group as you go.  Sometimes landmarks are just a good way to know how much farther you have to go (the big tree sculpture is about halfway between Salt Lake and Wendover on the way to San Francisco) and other times they're a good place to walk around, stretch your legs, and get an education (Grand Canyon, Hoover Dam, Mississippi River, etc.). 
• Have mild debates.  Don't make the topic anything that will hurt someone's feelings and make them want to get out of the car.  I'm talking about something with two good possibilities like debating whether Disneyland or Disneyworld is better and why.  You don't have to come to any consensus.
• Create something verbally together.  Think of bizarre ice cream flavors you'd like to try, good names for the band you'd start if you had any musical talent, or titles and topics for the blog you might still start for your family someday.
• Make plans for things you'll do together later.  Plan a future vacation, new holiday traditions, or your sports playing/watching calendar for the next month.  Make family goals and mission statements.
• Bring a cell phone, if you can, for emergencies.  In the middle of nowhere it might not work, but then again it might and it would be really handy if your tire blows.
• Get your car checked before you leave.  Make sure you have good fluid levels, plenty of air in the tires, and a full tank of gas to get started.  Make sure your AC and heater work. 
• Make sure your insurance is current and be sure your driver license is really in your wallet. 
• Bring multiple forms of payment.  I've been caught in the middle of the desert at a gas station where my Visa was denied because my bank had frozen my account because they were seeing unusual out of state charges and wanted to make sure it was me (it was, and I didn't have a cell phone with me to tell them so).  Have a checkbook and/or some cash on hand.
• Bring a pain reliever, some Pepto Bismol tablets, and maybe some gas-x along (my cousins says to give dramamine to the adults and the kids :-).  Being in a car with a headache or indigestion (more likely than not if you eat "road food") can be upsetting to the entire carful.
• I went on a road trip once where we waved to all the truck drivers.  It got to the point where they started waving before we did (I guess they were telling each other about us on their CBs) and it kept us all ente
  rtained as we drove.  My sisters and I used to wave out the window as cars passed us and see if they would wave back.  We thought it was totally fun.  Don't do this if you worry about people liking you, remembering you, or smiling at you.

Maybe these road trip tips will be helpful to someone, and it's a good reminder list for me.  Feel free to add ideas by making a comment below.  Happy traveling!

Tags: Family, Holidays, Kids