10. Auto Power Inverter . Not your cell phone charger, but make sure to pack that too! Are you taking your laptop, or another electronic that normally plugs into the wall? Plug it into your car's cigarette lighter!! Brian and I purchased one of these a few months ago (not for traveling, necessarily), but it work REALLY well!
9. Koolatron Voyager Thermoelectric Cooler - P-27
. Ok so that's the technical name, but it's a must have. You'll save a bundle on eating out by packing your own meals. More about that in a bit. This also plugs into the cigarette lighter, so you'll have to share it with the power inverter.8. Booklight. Whether you are a bookworm, or the kids are sleeping in the back seat and you don't want to wake them with the overhead light, etc. This will come in so handy. Really, go ahead! Pick one up!
7. GPS. Whether you are a walking GPS or not, make sure that you have one for the times you can't remember which side of the tree moss grows on. What did we do before GPS? These also come in very handy for geo-caching. :)
6. Pack your own pillow. Brian and I took a trip up to a timeshare resort in the mountians. As we were packing I thought, "I'm going to leave my pillow. I'm sure they have nice pillows." Brian asked if he should take his, and I said, "Yes. YOU should take your pillow, but I'm sure their pillows are comfy." This was NOT the Ritz Carlton, and I SHOULD have brought my pillow. So. ALWAYS bring yours!!
5. Keen's. This suggestion came from a friend. They are great for water or land! :) I like sandals or Dansko's - something that slips on and off easily.
4. Food. Pack your own food. It's much cheaper than eating out, and there is more variety - how many dollar meals can you stomach? EVERY city and town have grocery stores. Besides sandwiches, what can you take? Shake and bake chicken, eggs, carrot slices, crackers, fruit, etc.
3. Books. Or books on tape. The Library is a great place for these. They even have DVD's you can check out. I remember road trips with my family when I was growing up, and my mom would read for hours. Wind in the Willow, Homer's Odyssey, great classics! One space saving tip is a book with lots of other books in it. One of our favorites is The 20th-Century Children's Book Treasury: Picture Books and Stories to Read Aloud
2. Passport To Adventure (Adventures in Odyssey)
I cannot say enough about Adventures in Odyssey. Generally these are geared toward kids, but the adults in the family also love these. They are GREAT stories, teach GREAT values, family friendly, you won't worry about bad words or bad ideas being passed on to your kids. They may lead to great family discussion too!1. A sense of humor. When you are road trippin' it, especially with kids, arguments are bound to come up. Remember to take a deep breath. :) You are going to have a great trip!!
No comments:
Post a Comment