For all of you brave road warriors about to set off on a cross-country summer adventure—-all the best. Just kidding. If you are choosing to laugh in the face of record high gas prices in order to hit family-friendly hotspots from Seattle to Sarasota you aren’t alone. According to AAA, more than 65 million people will be traveling more than 50 miles from home this summer for what they hope will be an unforgettable family trip. To make sure your travel plans go as smoothly as possible consider employing these simple tips:
KEEP YOUR CAR CLEAN
Sounds easy enough, but when you are traveling hundreds of miles with a van full of kids and a couple of four legged family members those napkins, empty water bottles, hair, fast food wrappers and receipts can add up fast. Don’t wait for the dog hair to stick to your luggage or for your youngest to get lost under a pile of empty juice boxes before you pull over for a Shop-Vac break. At the end of each day take time to purge the junk that multiples with each mile—-you’ll find it will help preserve your sanity while cruising the countryside in close quarters.
BE FLEXIBLE
If you are a traveler who follows a tight itinerary (like I do) you may want to consider leaving your rigid behavior at home. It’s cliché, but there’s a lot to be said for the addage about the best-laid plans. Road trips and unexpected delays seem to go hand and hand. Those flashing “Road Work Ahead, Merge to One Lane” signs inevitably pop up when you are about 30 miles from your hotel. Take it from me, over scheduling your road trip will only lead to a spike in your blood pressure and a migraine or two. Conversely, having no plan at all can also lead to a few headaches, especially when you are looking for a hotel room in a city where U2 (and 70,000 of their nearest and dearest fans) has touched down for the night.
DON’T FORGET YOUR DOCUMENTATION
Before you pull out of your driveway make sure you are not leaving behind important documentation such as a current license, registration and insurance card. This is especially critical if you are traveling over multiple state lines or crossing the border to Canada or Mexico. Not having the right documentation could really foul up your travel plans especially if you are pulled over for any reason. In addition, it’s a good idea to take care of any outstanding traffic and parking tickets before you hit the road.
Related Articles:
Preparing For Your Road Trip: Part 1
Preparing For Your Road Trip Part 2
Preparing For Your Road Trip: Part 3
The Family Road Trip–A Lesson In Compromising
On The Road With Children–“Sanity-Savers”