Secrets to a Great Family Road Trip

I hope you had a Happy Easter weekend!  I'll put together a recap of our fun festivities soon.

We love a good road trip.  The most important part of planning is to delegate tasks.  I do all the packing/prepping/shopping for the trip and Kevin takes care of all the reservations/driving/navigating and event planning.  We're a good traveling team.

I tried to document all the things that made life easier for us when we travel when we headed to Branson, MO for Spring Break.  I hope that you find a tip or two that will be helpful to you as we enter a popular travel season.

Here are our secrets to a great road trip:

1. Find stops for everyone to get out of the car.

We stopped at Culvers for lunch and I walked laps around the parking lot with the kids.  We saw all kinds of interesting cargo and travelers.  I always try to get the kids outside if the weather is nice.  The sunshine and fresh air and running around is so good for all of us.

2.  Eat in the car.

We walked around for a while, all used the restroom, got gas and then when our food was ready we opted to eat on the road.  Most restaurants are running slow so if you want to stop and dine in it adds a big chunk of time to your trip.

Depending on our destination, sometimes I pack a cooler full of food and then I make plates for a car picnic.  This day we stopped at a family favorite - Culvers - for a delicious lunch on the go.  I always keep a cooler of drinks nearby and a bag of snacks for everyone.

3. Repackage Snacks in Ziploc bags

This will make it easy to access them without having to worry about clips or rubber bands to close them up.  It will also minimize the messes.  I transferred all of our candies and small snacks to Ziplocs.

4. Collect Trash as you go and throw it away every time you stop

After lunch I collected all the trash from our meal.  I keep a stash of grocery store bags in the car door for this.  Then it's ready to throw away at your next stop.  Your car stays clean and mess free.  We throw away a big back and then immediately start our next trash bag.

5.  Pack Surprises for the Kids

I packed a mix of math (addition and multiplication) fidgets, stuffed animals and fun snacks for the kids.  It was a six hour trip so I spread them out accordingly.  I just keep them in a bag at my feet and pass them back to the kids.  No wrapping.  The kids just close their eyes and I pass them back.

6. If you have a napper, do your best to travel during their nap time.

It's a good way for them to get good rest on the go.

7. Bring Wet Wipes

Even if you don't have anyone in diapers, these will be really handy to wash hands off after meals or to clean up spills or any kinds of messes that come your way.

8. Car Sick Bags

These have been a total LIFE SAVER for us.  If you have anyone that gets nauseous/car sick regularly in the car, you have got to get these.  They make throwing up on the go a nearly mess free process.  They seal closed when you're done with them and I order them in bulk on Amazon.  They help my kiddo who gets car sick feel a little less embarrassed or frustrated.  He knows the routine and he can take care of himself pretty independently.  

PS We have done everything to try to help him with his car sickness - medicine, Sea Bands, changing his seat position, essential oil rollers, etc.  Nothing helps so we are just doing the best we can to manage his car sickness and hope he grows out of it.

9.  Say YES to fun car things that you normally say no to.

I let the kids pick up this Flarp.  It's slimy fart noise making stuff.  It's not something I ever buy, but it made the big kids ridiculously happy and content to spend hours in the car.  

If the kids need a little pick me up - my favorite trick is to let them shop the gas station and tell them they can pick out one thing of their choice.  We never do this normally so my kids get excited to shop the gas station aisles for the perfect treasure.  Usually a big bag of candy or a stuffed animal.

Leo picked out a pricey toy car.  But he was so happy with it for hours - the doors opened and it helped the hours to go by.  You  know the kids are anxious to get home when the shoes start going missing...

10. Laugh off the ridiculous things that happen

When you pull off at multiple exits to try to find a good lunch and then you still end up eating gas station McDonalds.  Or when you hope your kids can't read all the exotic dancer signs advertised as you drive through Missouri.  Or when the parents aren't feeling 100%, but the kids are so excited to GO.  Remember: you are a team.  You're on an adventure and it's your job to set the tone for your crew.

What's your best family road trip tip??