We all know that summer is a peak travel season for most families. Even with the COVID-19 pandemic, most families CANNOT WAIT to travel! The trend has become to trade theme park destinations, cruises, and international travel for domestic travel. With so many neat places right here in our own backyard, let’s talk about some ways you can not only survive but keep your SANITY while on a road trip with your family. Here are some of our family’s tips!
1. PACK SNACKS & DRINKS…..Do yourself a favor. Save time and money by stocking up on everyone’s favorite snacks (not messy ones) and drinks ahead of time. Pack a small cooler and snack bag that is easily reachable to keep everyone’s bellies happy while on the drive. Convenience store snacks and drinks sure do add up so adding a few items to your grocery run or grocery pick up before your trip is a must do! We like to take small tupperware containers to put those Happy Meal nuggets, fries, and sauce in to keep it easy to eat in the car. We are PROS when it comes to eating in the car!
2. FAVORITE BOOKS, MOVIES, ELECTRONICS & STUFFED ANIMALS….We never go on a road trip without each of our girls taking a small backpack with some of their favorite books (great time to splurge on a new book for everyone) and coloring books (no markers unless they are Crayola Color Wonder markers). They each have a gallon sized sandwich bag to store their art supplies in to keep things organized. We have the girls pick a few of their favorite movies to have to watch as we drive, too. DON’T FORGET THE ! Kids get tired or just want to be comfy especially if you are in the car for a long period of time. Make sure they have their favorite stuffed animal, small pillow, or blanket. We have to limit our girls to JUST ONE because they have SO many favorite stuffed animals.
3. EXTRA BATTERIES & CHARGERS….That’s almost a given in today’s technology dependent society. Having extra batteries on hand will help prevent major meltdowns when your child’s favorite toy goes dead halfway through your trip. For the older kids, make sure they have their chargers so they can be responsible for keeping their devices good to go! We take a rechargeable battery pack as a back up if all else fails. You can find a great one on Amazon!
4. PACK EXTRAS…..Make a bag of extra items that you may need during your road trip. Hand wipes (to clean those messy hands post snacks), grocery bags or small trash bags to have a place to put everyone’s trash in, medicine and thermometers (headaches and fevers can happen on vacation), extra masks (thanks COVID-19), and even a change of clothes for younger kids. You never know when they will spill that juice all over their clothes when they hit a bump, or worse yet, get car sick. Our family has had all kinds of sickness happen on our vacations as we travel often. Don’t forget the EXTRA SANITIZER!
5. SCHEDULE FUN STOPS….Are you traveling through multiple states? Do some research ahead of time and find neat places to stop during your trip. Historical sites, national parks, small museums, outlet malls, etc are a fun way to keep the trip exciting and add some bonus learning along the way. Learning isn’t just for school! Gotta keep those brains stimulated! Make time to stretch everyone’s legs, but try to limit the bathroom breaks so you don’t waste too much valuable time. Looking for good exits on your way to Orlando? We definitely know some good ones to recommend!
With everyone wanting to travel this summer, you can have a great experience here in the US whether you are traveling one state over, to the beach, to the mountains, or across many states to visit national parks or to see family. We encourage everyone to travel but to do so safely. YOU CAN ENJOY YOUR ROAD TRIP! TIME TO GAS UP AND HIT THE ROAD!
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