How We Road Trip

We are going on a road trip on Friday!  We are leaving after school to drive about 6 hours to Quebec.  Not that long of a road trip, but still time in the car.  I wanted to tell you how we do road trips.  

- .Map it out.  Duh, but what I mean is that we plan our stops beforehand and know how long it is to the next stop.  We put it all on the screen so the kids can see the countdown to the next destination? Does anyone remember getting Triptiks from CAA back in the day?  Or just driving and figuring it out along the way (gasp)?!  When making planned stops, think about what your goal is - covering as much ground as possible (so doing bathroom breaks, food, and gas at the same time) or taking a bit of time for adventure (like stopping at a beach or park to run around and eat your picnic lunch).  

- Leave early. Now we can't do that this time, nor do we need to since it's only 6 hours, but if we have a full day ahead of us, we pull out at 5:00 am.  We like to take half asleep kids to the car so they have a bit of time to doze before they start complaining.

- Bring food.  We usually bring a breakfast and coffee with us when we leave on those early mornings, and a packed lunch.  If we have a second day of driving, we will buy something the next day, and then the take out food is more of a novelty. 

- Take turns driving.  Usually I start driving in the morning, then Dave does the next leg, and I may take over for the rest of the day depending on the driving time that day.  When we go skiing or camping, I usually drive one way and Dave drives the other way.  

- Plan for activities.  We do not bring iPads in the car so we need to be a little more creative to keep the kids entertained.  When we went to Northern Ontario, I made surprise packs with new toys, games, and candy to bring out every once in awhile when the kids were getting bored.  We also play 20 Questions and I Spy, or look for animals.  We also bring pillows and blankets for napping. 

- Pack a small bag for overnight stays.  If you have a motel stay on the way to your final destination, pack everyone's change of clothes and toiletries in a small bag instead of having to drag the big suitcases out. 

- Bring the roof bin.  We have roof storage bin for our car and like to bring it just so everything isn't crammed in the trunk.  It makes everything easier to move around, 

- Bring paper towels, wipes, plastic bags, and extra clothes.  Just in case there is any motion sickness or other messes, you can easily get tidied up on the side of the road, which we have done on a few occasions.