Use a junior navigator on road trips – Traveling with kids tip

by Gadling Staff on

The front passenger is always the navigator when I’m traveling with my family or a group. However, I discovered that you can turn your children into junior navigators while helping them learn geography at the same time. It helps eliminate them from asking, “Are we there yet?”

Just ask them to look for a specific landmark or road sign. It will keep them interested in the travel and less likely to be bored along the way, because they’re actively doing something. In short, it keeps their interest in traveling while having fun — and learning about the country!

Set small goals – Road trip tip

by Gadling Staff on

Driving long distances requires stamina, especially if you’re going it solo. Mentally breaking up the trip into three or four “legs” can help you feel accomplished and less despondent along the way.

Whether you stop at the beginning of each leg or push through, the feeling of a “new beginning” is a refreshing way to look at the next 200 miles.

Wearing sunglasses and a cowboy hat helps too.

[Image credit: Luke Robinson]

“Frolf” away the fidgets – Road trip tip

by Gadling Staff on

Road trips all over America can be made into fun family adventures by simply investing in a few Frisbee golf discs. Disc golf courses can be found all over the country, from urban, technical courses to woodsy, hilly courses that offer beautiful views; the best part about this game is that it is free and fun for all ages!

Before your trip, map out a few Frisbee golf — or “frolf” courses — and any time your muscles start aching and you want to get out and stretch, detour a bit to a “frolf” course and start throwing.

Rules of play and a course locator can be found at www.pdga.com.

Bonus: while frolfing, you may meet some locals who can provide tips for dining out on the road or other fun detours.

Don’t let your pet over drink – Road trip tip

by Gadling Staff on

Boarding pets while you’re on vacation can be costly. So why not take them? After all… they love a change of scenery, too!

If you can take your pet with you, avoid letting him or her “over drink” on the trip, as a result of stress. This can lead to vomit spells. (Of course, be sure to let your pet get enough liquids during the ride!)

One way to prevent your pet from over drinking is to get a kid’s sand pail; fill it with ice; and let the ice melt. As it melts, the pet can drink from the pail — but because the ice melts slowly, your pet can’t over drink!

Bring a swimsuit – Road trip tip

by Gadling Staff on

When going on a road trip, you often have no idea which stops you’ll make along the way. You may have a planned destination, but not every stop will be outlined in advance. When I think of road trips, I think of long distance and this is a reason you should bring a bathing suit: You may decide to stay all night at a hotel — or you may find a great view by a lake.

Although the ideal decision may be to go skinny dipping in the lake, it may not be legal to do so in some of the states you’ll pass through. That’s why it’s always a great idea to bring a bathing suit — just in case.

(And who knows? You can always ditch the suit at the shoreline, if you want to!)