Road trips can be some of the most fun times for a family. This is where memories are made and fun is had.
But before you gas up and hit the road, here are a few tips from a 'seasoned pro' like me.
1. Out with the music, in with the podcasts
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When traveling with family, finding music that everyone likes can be dangerous. Mainly due to the fact that everyone has different tastes. Especially across generations!
See, I wanted to listen to the avant garde sounds of Kamasi Washington's 'the Epic' or the crushing fuzz of Jack White's 'Lazaretto'. My dad wanted to listen to Jerry Reid tear up a guitar or Glen Campbell sweetly staying gentle on our minds.
I love all of those artists. I love all of their music, but after about four hours of anything I need a change. And right now I need some distortion like a middle aged man needs a Corvette.
I KNOW! IM SORRY. I'll move on.
That rant was not the point of this section, it was supposed to be about podcasts, because podcasts are great.
No one gets mad at podcasts. Especially good ones:
Omnibus – A podcast that stars Ken Jennings (jeopardy superstar and resident smarty pants) where he talks about weird happenings in history. It's defiantly worth the listen as you might accidentally learn something.
The Adventure Zone – Three brothers (the stars of 'My brother, my brother, and me) play D&D with their father. You don't need to know anything about D&D to understand that this show is going to be full of laughter, fun, and good times.
Penn's Sunday School – Pen Jillette talks about anything and everything he wants with all sorts of special guests. The stories will have you laughing, crying, and thinking.
2. Goodbye Outlets, Hello Freedom
Did you know you could buy your freedom for like 10 bucks? No?? Well allow me to explain.
Portable chargers.
Yeah that's pretty much it.
They are awesome.
You can buy big ones that hold 4-5 charges OR, (and this is my suggestion) buy a few small ones. That way you can always have one charged and a few others charging. #yourewelcome
3. Fat stacks of snack packs
A road trip is best enjoyed on the road, so any chance to stay on the road should be taken. The snack bucket is a great way to stay on the road and out of the plethora of fast food restaurants.
Now there are a few directions to take the snack bucket.
One being that of sugar. The lifeblood of middle school slumber parties and pro gamers everywhere. This is not recommended. As fun as a bucket of Twinkies sounds, your arteries will thank you to not engorge yourself.
A second option is to load up on protein bars and things that will fill you up easier. This is a great idea on long trips where skipping lunch could mean that you get to your hotel at 7:00pm instead of 9:00pm. You know, because sleeping is great too!
My preferred snack bucket is one of balance. A little sweet, a little spice. Something for everyone.
Get some healthy snacks as well. One of the best road snacks I ever had was this spicy dehydrated vegetable mix I bought from some lady on the side of the road. Ate every little crumb in that zip-lock bag.
Whatever you do have fun!
If you see a cool road sign, stop and look at that weird witch doctor selling turquoise in a trailer.
You may just make a memory.
(Wasn't that a cute ending?!?!?!? AHH I got chills)
