Road Trip Tips

I LOVE to travel!  However, for most of my life, the fun was all about the destination!  In the past 10 years or so, I have learned (thanks to my much more laid-back hubby!) to truly enjoy the journey!  So now, traveling is not only about the destination, but about the entire trip from beginning to end!  

At this point in our lives, our main mode of travel is by car - we have 2 small kids and we haven't braved the airport with them, so for us it is all about the road trip!!!  

We take trips several times a year and so, while I am no expert, here are my 8 Road Trip tips!  

1. Clean out your car before you pack it. Get all of the snack crumbs out of the seats so you have room for new snack crumbs!  :)  
2. Related to #1, pack snacks!  You don't want to be completely dependent on restaurants or convenience stores for eating, as they might not show up when you are hungry!  Especially if you have kids, snacks = silence!  Pack the snacks you normally eat, along with a few treats from the "sometimes" food category - for both you and your kids! 
3. If you are traveling an unfamiliar route, PRINT OUT the directions as a backup in case you lose GPS signal - especially if you are traveling on back roads.  
4. Pre-plan some stops.  Look at your route and decide some places you can stop to use the restroom, eat, and stretch your legs.  Maybe find some fun places such as quirky roadside attractions.  
5. Prepare some road trip tunes or movies.  Create a playlist that has something to do with your destination, introduce your kids to the songs of your youth, or just gather all of your favorite songs onto one playlist to listen to on the road.  If you have kids and they like to watch DVDs in the car, make sure you plan for that as well - pack their favorite movies (and maybe a few new ones!) and make sure you have headphones for them in case you don't want to listen to the movie!
6. Be prepared for tolls either with change or a toll pass.  
7. Have traditions - for us, when we go to Florida we ALWAYS stop at the Florida Welcome Center and take a picture by the sign.  :)  We also sing "Old Folks at Home" every time we cross over the Suwannee River.  
8. And most importantly, ENJOY THE JOURNEY!