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Community Corner

Parents Talk: Don't Ditch the Family Vacation Idea Just Yet

Think gas prices and the cost of travel can derail that getaway you have planned? Think again.

Airfares are rising faster than ever these days with the and taking a vacation afar might not be in the works for many families this summer due to tighter budgets. Some families will choose a closer destination, still others may be brave and decide to drive farther away.

If you’ve thought you could never take a family road trip, think again. With some pre-planning and some good organization, it might not be as bad as you think.

Our family of six drove to Virginia Beach last summer and not only did we make it all alive and well, we actually enjoyed the road trip portion of the trip just as much as the time we had in Virginia.

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Here’s some things that helped our trip go smoothly:

*Snacks! Get fun and different snacks and treats. Buy the things you wouldn’t usually buy so it’s something fun and different. Still pack some good standby options like apples, oranges, pretzels, raisins. Instead of buying everything in individual sizes, bring plastic bags along so that you can pass out snacks that way. Saves on having multiple wrappers and more trash and then you can better manage how much each kid has. This works great for things like dry cereal, chips, puff corn.

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*Skip the juice boxes. Not only are they packed with sugar and could end up leaving a sticky mess in your vehicle but you’ll go through them too fast. Bring a reusable water bottle (or sippy cup) for each person and fill it up wherever you are. Remember you can always get milk or juice when you stop for meals.  To add a little kick to the water if you or your kids aren’t big water drinkers, bring some Propel packs that can be poured  in bottles.

*Make a budget both financially and time wise. Calculate what the estimated gas cost will be and how long you will be able to drive each day. For us, we did 550 miles day one and two. Will you need hotels? (We stopped in Indiana, Pennsylvania for 2 nights and Washington D.C. along our route.) Book them ahead of time if you are confident you can meet the amount of driving needed. Weeks before the trip pick up gift cards here and there for nationwide restaurants you know you will see on your way. Places like Subway, McDonalds, Starbucks. That way you’ve already got some of your meals paid for along the way.

*Movies! Our kids will tell you they are a little bit deprived in that we only watch movies in the car when we are going somewhere of distance (at least 2 hours!). But in the end, it is a nice benefit because since it is such a treat we know it will keep them mostly busy on long trips. We invested in a second DVD player last year so our big kids could watch one movie and our little ones could watch another.

*Splurge on headphones for the kids so you don’t have to listen to "Dora The Explorer" or "Cars" over and over and over again. (You’ll thank me later!)

* Movies! Part two! Don’t pack any of your own movies, just use the Redbox. Check their website to make sure they are along your route and if they are plan on hitting them up along the way and being able to see different movies. At $1/night it won’t break the vacation budget and you won’t have to keep track of the many favorite DVDs in the car.

*Have an electronics box. We all have various  electronics including Ipods, DS's, Leapsters and then the miscellaneous chargers. Add to that cell phone chargers, camera batteries, computer cords, and pretty soon you have a lot of “important” items to keep close by. Use a shoebox sized bin and keep it near mom and dad in the vehicle.

*Pack a “travel” suitcase. If you are going to be stopping at hotels along the way who wants to completely unload the vehicle, just to load back up the next day? Pack just what you need for everyone in the family to get from home to the final destination and just worry about getting that in and out when you stop.

*Stock up on surprises! There will be points where kids are getting restless and just need something new and different to look at. Stop at the dollar store or a craft store ahead of time to pick up little things that are not expensive to pull out and entertain with while you’re on the road. Highlights for our kids included: a travel checker/domino game, a superhero magic marker book, magnetic play set, a baby doll.

Our youngest was just 19 months when we went on our trip so she was the trickiest to find entertainment for but a few of the things I packed were: an old wallet of mine filled with different cards and pictures for her to take out, rip up and throw around. This kept her busy for hours. Also, a busy book that had buttons, buckles and zippers and a couple old cell phones.

*No Junk Bags! Don’t let your kids pack up random backpacks of things they think they will play with. Chances are they will pack all sorts of stuff that they will never look at.

*Plan on stopping. A lot.  It's inevitable that someone's going to have to go to the bathroom 10 minutes after you get gas, or someone's sleeping when you have a bathroom stop and then wake up thirty miles down the road having to go. Know this ahead of time and plan on it.

*Most of all, have fun! Make memories. Remember that someday you will laugh at the fact that it took 8 hours to get somewhere that should have only taken 6 or what not. That’s what a family road trip vacation is all about.

Have any great road trip tips I missed? Share them in the comments!

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