Summer is here.
It is that time when we take it down a notch and shift gears. It is also the time we will most likely pack our sunglasses and favorite snacks to go for a ride so wild because the open roads tempt us a lot.
Yes I am talking summer road trips.
Who doesn’t like to take a break from their hectic schedule and do something totally different? Like backpacking to South America or mountain climbing in Swiss Alps? Well, yeah those may sound as overkill because if you are planning summer travel as a family with little kids involved, know that backpacking and mountain climbing are totally not happening. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news!
Jokes apart, in this post I aim to make your summer road trips as smooth as possible with some helpful tips that may come handy while you get on the road this year.
Travel destination advertising these days get into our face so quick since they can access us through all channels seamlessly-television, print and social media. All craving for our attention, this makes it hard to decide on a location you would like to travel to. But on a closer look, asking some questions to yourself can sorta help to select the destination of your choice without much confusion.
Some questions you may want to ask:
Like that photograph you want to take so badly on Rocky Mountains in BC and post it on social media? May be you want to spend quality time with your family building strong relationships for the years to come?
Whatever your reasons are, answering these questions will surely shed some light on where to pack your bags this year. Its important each member of your family should enjoy the trip and gain wonderful experiences from it. Finding that balance between adults and kids is imperative.
Toronto Sun has an amazing resource on top road trips in Southern Ontario. Worth checking it out! And here's a few more destinations within hours of Toronto.
Moving on, now that you have decided the destination for your next road adventure, it is crucial to keep your car in top shape because, hey! There is some serious travelling coming up shortly.
Your car is the main ingredient to that perfect road trip you are planning. Having car trouble while on the road can put a grinding halt to all those careful preparations you made in the first place. We don’t want that to happen, do we? So here comes a checklist to help you keep away from the problems you might face with your car.
I came across this post from Wikihow on how to check your car before road trip in 8 steps. You may find this interesting.
Now, there is this post on my blog from last year on how to hack your car into family friendliness. Pretty useful for our topic at hand. Your car must be able to withstand the tornado that is travel with toddlers, tweens, and teens. There are some simple and special ways you can make your vehicle the ultimate in family friendly — and you can accomplish most of them for cheap in any car you own. If you are looking to make family travel even slightly more bearable, read on for some handy hacks for the family car.
Next up, is how to make sure your kids are not bored as a long road trip and an open road is stretched out before you. Well, there are ways to keep them engaged. Let’s start with first things first!
“Are we there yet?”
I am sure we all have heard this question at some point on our road trips. The dreaded phrase, most annoying ever, right? Well, it doesn’t have to be that way. If planned right, as parents, we can keep our kids occupied and playful for the length of our trip. While getting there is half the fun, the other half comes from preparing for the vacation. Only if you be a sport about it, that is.
How do you prepare to ensure maximum road trip fun for the kids? Here are a few ideas:
These Jelly Linzer Sandwiches I made last year for our road trip was an instant hit. Everyone loved it! And here's 6 healthy portable snacks perfect for on-the-go.
Yup! There are a ton of ways you can entertain your kids on the road. Beating the boredom is easy once you load up your kids’ favorite songs into their ipods. Don't forget to load up on some awesome tunes that are both kid-friendly and good for your sanity. Bring a portable DVD player preferably with some DVD’s they have never seen before. It will help and buy you some time in critical moments.
This post I wrote last year shares additional information on how to make the trip enjoyable for everyone.
Also: Stop Often. Yes, don’t forget! I know you want to get there, we all do. But it is important for your kids to blow off some steam and keep their calm. So getting out often and doing stretches are beneficial. Not to mention, bathroom breaks always keep things under control.
So, there you have it folks. Hope these tips I shared with you today will make those perfect summer road trips happen to your family.
In summary, its possible to go on a great adventure on the road with kids and have the time of your life! All you need is careful planning. So load up your car with essentials, yourself and your kids and crank up the music. The open road awaits you with abandon..
I am going to leave you all with this quote I found elsewhere online.
“Happiness is…looking out the passenger seat window on a long car drive…”
Previously published at Mom Less Mom.
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