My husband and I like to take road trips with our three boys and we try to take at least one every summer.
Having a family of five makes flying expensive, and with COVID running ramped all over the place, we feel traveling in the car is safer. Plus a good road trip provides a fun adventure!
Throughout all our trips I’ve learned a few helpful tricks along the way.
1. Leave Early
We pack up the night before and hit the road around 3:00 am. For the most part the boys will go back to sleep and it allows us to get several hours of driving in without stopping and minimal traffic. We made it almost 4 hours before we had to make our first stop.
2. Have A Command Center
This basket sits between my husband and I and has wipes, hand sanitizer, lip balm, gum, lotion, tissue, a small first aide kit, and our masks. It makes it easily accessible to grab what might be needed.
3. Toll Pass
If you will traveling on a toll road I highly recommend getting an I-Pass or an E-ZPass The pass is mailed to you and you create an account. You load your account with money and when you get to a toll you hold up the pass and drive on through. It usually goes quicker and saves you from having to worry about cash and handing it to a toll booth employee. The pass has been amazing! Traveling from Ohio to Myrtle Beach area is $12 each way. There are three toll stops that are $4 each.
4. Waze Travel App
Our favorite navigation app to use is Waze. Waze navigation has saved us from having to wait in traffic jams and always looks for the quickest route to our destination. I also like how fun it is!
5. Prize Basket
The prize basket is a road trip favorite. I stock the basket with fun activities, games, and candy that I pick up mostly at the Target Bullseye Spot or the Dollar Tree. The boys know that when we make a stop and they have been good they can pick a prize from the basket. I try to get enough for the car ride there and back.
5. Snacks and Movies
Most of the time our road trips are to the beach. I try to get snacks that are themed to where we are going. I made gummy aquariums for the boys that had gummy sharks, sea stars, lobsters, and octopus. I also had gold fish in different flavors, apple squeezes, and some of their other favorite portable snacks. For movies the boys pick out some of their favorites to watch on the portable DVD player in the van and at times they will play on their iPads using my phone as a hot spot.
6. Coffee
No secret I love coffee, and my husband and the boys love hot chocolate and Frappuccinos. This isn’t necessarily a tip, but more a fun treat and a necessity for momma and dad 😂
Road trips have been fun adventures for my family and we look forward to many more! Do you have any other tips or tricks?
Cbus Momma 