If you’re like a lot of families this summer, you’re craving adventure after being cooped up for more than a year. However, you might still be easing back into socializing in large groups. This seems to be the case for many Americans. Which is why driving for summer vacation appears to be the chosen form of travel for families in 2021.
According to a recent travel report performed by Airbnb, 56% of people currently prefer domestic or local destinations, verus 21% of people who want to visit someplace international or somewhere farther away. The study found that 1 in 5 people want their vacation destination to be within driving distance of home.
With that in mind we’ve come up with a few ways to make your long road trips more enjoyable.
- Pack the car with any non-perishable items the night before. This first one might sound silly but I can confirm that it saved my parents many arguments during my childhood!
By doing this you save yourself the chance of forgetting important items and help yourself get on the road quicker. Fewer items to load in the morning with the kiddos, means less stress on everyone.
- Pack healthy snack kits and drinks in a small cooler and keep it somewhere you can reach while on the road. By having everyone’s favorite go-to healthy snacks within reach, you won’t waste money on gas station junk or lose valuable time because you had to stop for “the hangry one” before a scheduled gas fill-up. One of my favorite on-the-go snacks is none other than Grab The Gold! It satisfies my sweet tooth, and with 11g protein and high fiber to keep you full, you can’t go wrong.
- Map your route on GPS the day before, specifically at the estimated time of planned departure. By doing this you can get a feel for what traffic may look like at the time you’re going to leave. Often when we GPS our destination, we do it at night when roadways are less congested and this might actually give you an incorrect ETA.
- Pick a unique sight-seeing stop along the way to break up your drive and give your family something fun to look forward to. When you’re in the car on a seven hour road trip, just getting there can seem daunting. So check out a town along your route that offers something unique or interesting. Maybe it’s an over-sized ball of yarn or a restaurant you know was featured on Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives. Whatever it is, you’ll get to create a new memorable experience for your family and stretch your legs along the way.
- Before the trip make a playlist that includes a mix of both music and everyone’s favorite podcast or audio book. It doesn’t have to be all one or the other. Sometimes it’s nice to break it up and have music for a bit, then switch to something more attention grabbing. Plus, by putting together the playlist beforehand… everyone knows what’s coming and will have had a say in the creation. This can be a good way to avoid the battle of, “I don’t want to listen to that”, from the peanut gallery!
