Organizing for Summer Vacation: Road Trip Tips

Here are some tips to help you as you are organizing a summer road trip:

• Make sure your car has been properly maintained. You don’t want any interruptions in your road trip because you failed to get your oil changed or checked your tire pressure.
• Even if you do have a GPS device, it is not a bad idea to also have a detailed map for your travels. How annoying is it when your GPS can’t find your location and you end up driving blind?
• Get rid of junk in your car. Spend the time getting rid of any accumulated trash, papers, water bottles, and other items that aren’t needed on your trip. How nice will it be to start the trip with a clean slate? Remember you are in tight quarters, so every inch counts.
• Plan for boredom. Hopefully it won’t happen, but just in case, have a bag of games or activities so that the entire car can participate. A favorite one is having everyone look for state license plates. Print out a list all the states, and cross them off as you see them. How about audio books geared toward your final destination?
• Be prepared for the unexpected. Bring a weather radio so that you can track a storm or weather pattern. Make sure your phone is charged in case you need to call for help. (Not a bad idea to make sure you have a car charger for your phone) Always lock your car even if you just step away for a second. Have a spare set of car keys made and give them to someone else in your party.