It’s summertime, and in our family that means that it is road trip season. Several months ago my family planned out a trip to Galveston, Texas to get together for my parents’ fortieth anniversary.
We decided to rent a house through Airbnb for a few days. We got a lovely home just three blocks from the beach, with enough room for four families to sleep comfortably.
Then we just had to drive to Galveston from Boston……No big deal, right? Just three whole days in the car!
Here are a few things I have learned from a long road trip:
6 Things I Learned from Our Long Road Trip
1. New is a Novelty
New coloring books/ books to read are great ways to pass the time! George and Ella each got a new coloring book and happily spent many hours doing the activities. And, Andrew started reading Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix in the car.
Because these were new, the novelty factor was huge! This definitely helped pass the time.
2. The Hoopla App for Audio Books is Wonderful
Our library has the Hoopla app as a way to download audio books or movies for FREE! We simply downloaded the app, logged in using our library card, and then got started!
We listened to Beezus and Ramona by Beverly Cleary and watched Ducktales: the Movie. You can get 10 free downloads per month. Definitely check to see if your library has the Hoopla app!
3. Quiet time is a must
Each day we had mandatory quiet time after lunch. During this time we listened to an audio book for about an hour and then had the kids rest or read quietly for another hour. Absolutely necessary for this introverted mom! (You can check out my Introverted Mom’s Summer Survival Guide for more tips!)
4. Use Devices Strategically
Sometimes having each kid on their own device (with headphones) for a set period of time is a life and sanity-saver.
We did this twice during our road trip for about an hour each time. Andrew watched a Star Wars movie on my laptop; Ella watched Tangled on our portable DVD player; and George watched “Daniel Tiger” on our Kindle. They each had their own headphones and were able to watch a show that they loved but the other kids didn’t enjoy.
And, the parents had an hour of silence to breathe and talk. Perfect!
5. Think Outside the McDonalds Box
Eating out on the road can get quite expensive. We did a few things to keep the costs down:
- A student of mine gave me a Starbucks gift card on the last day of school, so we saved it for the road trip. Dan and I enjoyed getting a free drink (coffee for him and chai for me) each day.
- We had a free breakfast each day. One night we stayed with friends in Virginia, so we ate breakfast with them. The other night we chose a hotel with a free breakfast buffet.
- We brought our own snacks and drinks. I packed a small cooler with juices, water, etc. for the trip. I also filled a bag with crackers, fruit snacks, etc. Having these on hand helped us save money on junk food at convenience stores.
- Cracker Barrel is a fairly cheap place to eat with a family. George just ate our sides, Andrew loved the soup, and Ella can eat breakfast any time.
6. All Things Must End
Three days is a REALLY long time to be in the car. But, it has an ending. Praise God.
What road trip tips do you have?
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