How to Survive for Many Hours on a Car Trip

How many times have you heard that on a road trip? For many people, the possibility of a road trip sets off both excitement and dread. This article will give some good, workable ideas to help prepare for any road trip. The intent is to keep the excitement and drop the dread! These ideas are good for both short and long road trips.

I love to travel, whether it is by car or plane. Many of my trips have been due to necessity but just as many have been for recreation. We have taken many road trips that are only several hours and we have taken more than a few that have lasted several days. We have made cross-country moves (3 times). I have traveled alone and with the kids. I have shared the driving and done it all myself. I've gotten pretty good at this and actually, the last 1700 mile trip we took was a breeze! So much so that we plan to do it again, only longer!

• Be careful to get games that don't have too many loose pieces. If you lose one in the car, it will be difficult to find it and could cause more upset than it is worth.
• Don't bring things that jostle either. Board games that have markers on them are a prime example. If the car slows down or speeds up abruptly, all your pieces will move.
• Obviously, in this day and age, electronic games are the most practical. Make sure you have extra batteries, chargers and cords.
• Also, be sure to have plenty of headphones or earplugs. Not everyone is going to want to hear everyone else's music or games.

Some of the old "tried and true" games are still around and still fun. In addition, there are new games that you can play. My family likes to adapt some of the games that we play at home into travel friendly versions. There are also many travel games that you can purchase. We try to play games that can include, but don't distract the driver. Here are some of our favorites:

1. 20 questions (or any number you choose)
2. A version of "I Spy" only we say "I'm thinking of..."
3. The license plate game
4. Name that tune
5. Add on Story. One person starts a story with one sentence. Each person adds a sentence on their turn.
6. Initial game. You name a category and each person has to come up with a word for that using the first letter of their name. For example: Vegetables is the category. My name is Randi so I choose Radishes. Ben chooses Beets and Cathy chooses Carrots.
7. Alphabet game. This is a variation on the above game. We name the catagory. The first person has to give a word starting with the letter A, the second gets B and so on.
8. Last, but never least on a road trip....Sing-A-Long. We like to choose songs to match the cities we are visiting. Some examples: Oklahoma, I Left my Heart in San Francisco, Sweet Home Alabama, New York State of Mind, The Night They Drove Ol Dixie Down, California Dreamin', Midnight Train to Georgia, Do you know the way to San Jose? See how many you can come up with!

I have been taking road trips or cross country moves since I was a little girl. Here are a few of the places I have traveled to by auto:

1. New York to Denver
2. Denver to Chicago
3. Chicago to New York (Multiple trips).
4. New York to Florida
5. New York to Washington, D.C.
6. Chicago to St. Louis and back (Multiple trips)
7. Chicago to Indianapolis to St Louis
8. Chicago to Phoenix

And the list goes on.

Expect the unexpected. Things happen. Try not to sweat them. We started having car trouble in Oklahoma. I googled the nearest mall and we brought the car to Sears Auto.I did this for two reasons. I was looking for a chain and generally Sears are in shopping malls so we would have a place to hang out while we waited for our car. It turned out to be about a five hour delay but it was spent pleasantly.

Make rules for your trip. Duscuss ahead of time what things you can and can't tolerate. Some people get annoyed ny certain sounds. Other's can't stand certain smells. There are people who can only sit in a particular place in the car (and I'm not taking about shotgun!) and in restarants, too.

Discuss the frequency of stops. Decide on what you would consider to be reasonable distance to drive before a rest break. Again, refer to number one, Expect the unexpected. Someone may need the bathroom before the appointed time. Or you may be approaching a long stretch of road without any rest stops for a while. You may also just decide to stop and enjoy the sights.

Although you don't want to load up the car with too many unnecessary things, you don't always know what you may need. Draw upon your past experiences to solve part of that problem. For example, if one of the occupants of the car has a tendency to motion sickness, make sure you have all the provisions necessary for that person to be most comfortable. Conversely, if no one has gotten sick before, that doesn't mean it can't happen this time! You should always bring something against car sickness with you. I always pack a first aid kit. I stock up on everything and then add at least a day's supply of each person's regular medication (if they take any). This way, if anything happens to their things or they forget their medicine at home, there is time to get to a pharmacy and get them more. I also keep a small, empty backpack in the car. If we decide to stop and take a walk/hike or visit to the mall, we can throw everything we'll need for a small sidetrip.

Two of the main reasons that road trips are difficult is boredom and discomfort. Discomfort can be as severe as car sickness or as minor as to not being comfortable having to stay in the same place for a long period of time.

• pillows.
• Individual music players and earphones/headphones.
• Plastic bags.
• Lemons (quartered)
• Motion sickness medication.
• Water.
• Snack items.
• wash and dries or wipes.
• hand sanitizer
• extra clothes
• paper towels

Travelling with children is much different than travelling with adults. For one thing, for such small little bodies, they sure do take up a lot of space! They need all kinds of equipment and they love/need to be entertained!

Different age children have different needs. if your children are older, involve them in the planning of the trip. Talk to them about where you are going, what your expectations and what you need from them.They can research the routes and see if there are places to visit. It gives them the opportunity to choose what they want to have with them where we may stop along the way. Kids love being a part of something like this. It gives them ownership and shows them that you respect and value their opinion.

If your children are smaller, you can still involve them. You nay have a toddler pick out a few toys. You may also have him/her carry their own small backpack or tote with their own things inside. You can have them practice songs for the trip and pick out music to play or DVDs. Again, this gives them ownership.

Always make sure you have extras of everything they need in a handy place. You should have one change of clothes for everyone easily accessible, as well as extra diapers and bottles.

Meals on road trips can often be sporadic and less than healthy. While we may not have much contro; over that, we do have control on what we bring with us. Before we leave for a trip, I make a visit to the bulk food store. I pick out family favorites but I also make small individual bags for each person. I choose their favorite snacks and make them a few bags. This gives them something they are sure to like, keeps from having any arguments about someone hogging the bag of trail mix and makes them aware of just how many snacks they can have before it runs out. I do the same with gum! I do buy a granola bars, fruit and other things for communal sharing.

Don't bring things that perish or melt in the car. Don't bring foods that are very messy and sticky. Avoid things that have a lot of packaging (or put in a more simple container.) Make sure that what you bring can opened easily

We used to bring pillows and blankets off of our beds. Inevitably, they would get stepped on, spilled on and/or sometimes left behind in a motel room. They can also be big and bulky. I purchased everyone small travel pillows and cases. I buy small fleece blankets whenever I see them on sale. They easy to tuck away in a corner but are comfy in the car and add a touch of home in a hotel room!

I used to carry a big cooler in the car so that we could have cold drinks and fruit throughout the trip. The problem with that is that it took up way too much space and was very heavy to take in and out if we were staying overnight. In recent years, I have purchased two softside insulated carriers. They both have great features. One even has two cup holders! The other one looks like a tote and is great to use when going to events, also. It has a separate pocket for dry things. They both hold a ggood amount of food and drinks. I bring a few freezer packs with me. If we are staying in a hotel/motel I can refreeze them. If not, I just buy bags of ice as we need them.

I also carry an old bedsheet or tablecloth for an impromptu picnic.

Above all, Have Fun!!