RSS Subscribe Tips On Making Roadtrips More Enjoyable
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- posted at 11:43AM
- August , 19, 2009
- by: Dave Munson
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Tips For Making Road Trips More Enjoyable
Packing leather luggage and other tips
Well, I'm not the authority on how to enjoyably roadtrip even though I DID LIVE IN MY CAR FOR QUITE AWHILE AND HAVE DRIVEN HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF MILES around almost the entire continent of North America . . . and I did it all for pleasure. Below are a few of my tips for making a road trip more enjoyable. I just learned the first one on this current trip.
I've rolled my car, crashed other peoples', killed lots of things, slept in my car, truck bed, on the rack, alone, with my dog, under the stars, freezing in ice storms and hot and sticky with mosquitos. And I've slept with one eye open more than once. I've learned a couple of things along the way that may or may not be of value to you and maybe not. One thing I'm sure of though is that you probably have a couple of tips of your own. Feel free to
help us out with one of your tips at the end.
- We're driving from Texas to Seattle right now and then heading up to Alaska from there. Suzette packed one suitcase with the things that all four of us would need for 5 days on the road. Now, instead of lugging in and lugging out all 6 of our suitcases at
each stop, I just carry in one. All of the other suitcases stay in the truck until we get there and need our own suitcases. My wife is SOOOO smart. - ALWAYS keep sunflower seeds with you in case you get sleepy while driving day or night. Your brain works on separating the seed from the shell and helps you stay awake for hours longer.
- With kids, don't try to do too much or go too far in one day or it gets too tiring and the trip loses it's fun.
- Satellite radio or some sort of continuous radio so you don't have to change stations every 30 minutes.
- Spend more time in fewer places.
- Even if you're driving in a Bentley, take a roll of duct tape. You'll be happy you did.
- If you're traveling with infants, crack the window slightly when they start getting a little fussy and the white noise will calm them down.
- A white noise maker like the one at Brookstone.com is really great for making white noise so the kids sleep well and aren't cranky the next day.
I'll add more later. I have to go now.
Customer Comments
Mark Bone
09/11/2009 01:50 PM CDT
Heres' my tip for an enjoyable road trip. Try to do in on a big road bike. My 06 softtail and I have had many miles together, and all it ever asks for is some gas, oil, and the occasional tire. Lots to be said for traveling that way.
pete
09/15/2009 01:01 PM CDT
wow, had i found you guys sooner and known you were coming up to AK, i'd have asked you to squeeze a briefcase in the back of your land rover and save me some shipping. does this mean you're driving the Alcan (nice!) or flying out of seattle? either way, happy trails!
TJ
09/17/2009 09:49 AM CDT
For long trips with young kids, try to plan to leave when they're most likely to sleep part of the way (early, early in the morning, or around their naptime).
sante
10/01/2009 04:02 AM CDT
Thanks for sharing such wonderful tips.
If you are prone to motion sickness, take an anti sickness pill before the flight. The pill won't help much, if you have it after you have started feeling sick!
Russ
10/15/2009 09:17 AM CDT
Always keep a roll of nice TP in your vehicle and accesible- there's a dozen reasons you may thank yourself for thinking ahead.
frauenmantel
10/29/2009 02:29 AM CDT
This is really nice tips. I am going to follow it whenever I need! Thank you very much for sharing such a nice tips with us.
Stephanie Lundgreen
10/29/2009 07:21 PM CDT
In the spirit of traveling light (med. briefcase) I pack small items like tums, earings, emergency cash, etc. in extra small ziplocs that are sold for storing beads or small craft items. This has two benefits - it keep the weight down and I can quickly & easily find the items that I need on a trip.
Phil Stickings
11/10/2009 03:43 PM CST
When my two girls were young, we too travelled either late at night or early in the morning so they would sleep most of the trip. Willow used to be travel sick, she was like an unexploded bomb just waiting to go off, so we always had plenty of bags, a fresh set of clothes and plenty of wet wipes.
Sean
11/16/2009 09:11 AM CST
On #6. I was driving from Baltimore Md to Knoxville TN one night when my low beams stopped working...thankfully the high beams still worked. But they made more than a few people very unhappy.
So I took out my trusty duct tape and taped over the upper half of my high-beams...problem solved.
Andrew
12/17/2009 06:10 PM CST
Last year my wife and I were driving from our home in rural ("outback") Australia to a town a few hours away when we hit a roo. We only clipped his tail and he was fine, but our indicator was not. Solution: duct tape!
On the way home a goat decided to try and cross at the last moment and got the same headlight on his rump. More duct tape meant the headlight held together and we got home safely.
We even kept it the way it was for a few weeks until the insurance came through!
Duct tape = awesome.
Never leave home without it.
John
01/20/2010 11:31 AM CST
The best trip ever was when I met my wife and 11 yr old daughter in Edinburgh Scotland for a 3-week holiday. I was in Saudi Arabia and they were state-side. Well, travel plans unfortunately had the family flying through Heathrow and the new Terminal 5 the second day it was open. yep, u guessed it. They arrived in Scotland with no bags except for their small handcarry. I had booked us into a small efficiency apartment and I must say and my ladies will agree, it was the best trip ever made more so by the fact they had no luggage and we had to rough it. I had a nice saddlebackleather briefcase XL that i wore as a backpack and it was great for hauling all they stuff they bought. I sent in some great pics from Loch Ness..So, the point I make..sometimes the best trips are the ones you are least prepared for.
Clayton Reyerson
03/22/2010 04:45 AM CDT
I travel alot mostly boats and helocopters as a offshore diver.I just ordered a messager bag(from Amazon) looks great cant wait.it look just the size i need for needed things books and cell phone .
Mini Cooper parts
04/06/2010 03:42 AM CDT
This vehicle design was later used as the basis for several other distinct models that were all four wheel drive. The vehicle was initially an internal division of Rover and later continued to design the vehicles under many owners. These included to name a few the well known BMW and the British Aerospace. Land Rover today belongs to the Premier Automotive Group and is a division of the Ford Motor Company.
Thanks
ick
06/24/2010 10:02 PM CDT
Wipes. Moist towelettes or similar. They are great for stickiness, greasiness or a quick face wipe to freshen up. Also, a gallon of water and a towel (with some body wash) for a quick "bird bath" if you are feeling a little road grime.
holiday travel insurance
07/25/2010 08:30 AM CDT
nice tips i hope my family like it