#roadtrip - #TopTen sights to behold

On the road again.

One positive thing about technology on a road trip:
It entertains and makes the trip not seem so long. 

One negative thing about technology on a road trip:
Kids don't really see the real world anymore.

TURN THAT THING OFF AND LOOK OUT THE WINDOW!

As the driver, I see it all. So here are 10 things I've seen while driving through the countryside:

1. countless cornfields and livestock
2. cemeteries
3. real red barns (counted 25 on one trip!)
4. actual scarecrows
5. eclectic antique shacks
6. a down home chicken broil
7. beautiful windy roads of rural 'merica
8. wildlife - some still alive, but lots of dead deer =(
9. state parks and area museums
10. unique eating establishments

And despite the slow-downs of inevitable road construction here are some positive things to help make it less stressful:

• Plan on it - add extra travel time, it's okay to be early if you don't have traffic!
• If you're at a stand still, you can catch up on email, social sites, but don't ever device and drive!
• Roads will be improved, eventually
• People are working - job creation... it's an endless cycle!
• It's a good time to give a life lesson on patience to your kids =)

What have you seen in your travels? Got any advice or road trip stories to share?

Wherever you go - wishing you happy and safe travels this summer!

Road trips - Don't forget the food

If you're going to eat, you're going to want a drink, right little mouse? And that means you'll have to stop, probably before you want to... so factor that time into your itinerary. Here's my advice for food on a road trip:

• Sometimes snacks are good diversions on a road trip in themselves.
• A small, soft-sided cooler comes in handy for drinks, the healthy refridgerated snacks, and those unexpected delays
• Snacks will tide kids (or you) over until you're ready to stop in twenty more miles at the better exit
• When picking/packing snacks - individual servings are best and I use ziplock bags to make individual servings
• Raid the pantry & fridge - the stuff is going to go bad while you're gone anyway, so bring it! This is also a great time for CREATIVE TRAIL MIX
  
• Take the last bowls of cereal from the boxes the kids think are empty and won't finish
• Use the remnants of crackers, popcorn, pretzels, chips, cookies, even granola bars - just break them up, use what you have!
• That's the beauty of Trail Mix - it doesn't really have to go together because none of the pieces lose their flavor so picky eaters can pick out what they like!
• And if you want to make above healthier, throw in some granola, raisins, or nuts
• Bringing healthy snacks is super smart - they have limited options in the car (and hotel) - if they're hungry, they'll eventually eat the healthy stuff!
• Pack drinks w/lids - nuff said
• Don't give kids easy access to snacks and drinks or you'll be stopping every thirty minutes. Take heart - they're bladders do get bigger as they grow and so do their appetites, but so does the ability to suppress it - trips have become quite easy with teens. (one thing in their favor!)

Well, I hope this helps on your next road trip!

What do you recommend for road trip snacks?

Road Trip Tips!

Summer = Travel.

In the Fall, I'm a football mom like Liz. But in the summer, I'm a baseball mom. Two of my boys travel for tournaments on the weekends. Needless to say, we are on the road a lot! Those drives and hotel stays are fun at first, but they can become tiresome. So this week I'm going to talk about how to make road trips easier. Start by planning ahead!

• For the driver
• audiobooks!
• update your music - because finding a good station is almost impossible on the road, even if you have satellite - it repeats!
• I like to listen to a movie with the kids, like Wreck it Ralph or Despicable Me, it makes the time and the miles fly
• For the kids

• get movies onto the devices - they can take a while to load, don't wait till the last minute!
• don't forget the chargers!
• don't forget the headphones/earbuds!
• bring a book - mine have summer homework, and even if they didn't I encourage them to read something
• something different - mine will sometimes bring an old gaming system for a change of pace, like a PSP or Nintendo DS
• for younger kids - there's a ton of creative, fun stuff available that wasn't when my kids were little - Crayola mess-free comes to mind
• what NOT to bring - no stickers, no little pieces, nothing you can't replace! (see Liz's article about how to keep these things safe)
• do bring something different to pull out at the pit stops or buy a trinket on the road - more waiting and sitting still at restaurants can be tough!
• Know where you're going
• GPS isn't perfect, I print out a map to be safe
• figure out how long it will take
• see if you can avoid construction
• pick good spots to stop for meals or rest breaks
• if I have friends in the area, I like to give them a heads up, possibly meet them for lunch between games
• Be comfortable - sitting for a long car ride, you need to be comfy or you'll be cranky
• bring long sleeves--even tho it's hot outside, the a/c keeps a car brrr cold even when the fan is on the lowest setting
• pillows if space permits
• sunglasses and a spare
• don't pack stuff in your suitcase you want easy access to in the car
• Food! I'll be talking about snacks and drinks on Wednesday

Got more to add? I'd love to hear it! Any travel plans coming up? Happy Trails!