Preparing For A Family Road Trip

There's things we do in life where we have to question our sanity, like when you decide to take a 14-hour roadtrip with kids aged 6 and 9 (and not RV style like Bob and Sheri). But that's exactly what I'm about to do.

So how will I survive? For starters, I'm getting a little help from Pinterest and a pretty cool app. I was watching a segment on a morning talk show, and they talked about some of the hottest new apps for vacations, and one which was called "Roadtrippers". Essentially, you put in your roadtrip, and it will show you all the points along the route, including parks, hotels, food, and general points of interest -- some of which are very obscure. This was going to be fun!

It didn't take too much work to get the hang of. You link the website to the app, and can set it up using either source. Next thing I know, I've got too many stops scheduled and have to start deleting, or saving some for the return trip. The biggest thing is, we just need little wayward stops to stretch our feet and keep rolling, as opposed to full-on stops. You can see the results of what we've got planned below. Being a road trip, you've got to do the strange, Griswold-style stops. So we'll be seeing a strange blue whale structure, the World's Largest Peanut, and the World's Largest Eyeball. However, it's also an educational opportunity. We'll be taking time to stop in Dallas to get some history and teach the kids about the JFK assassination.

Meanwhile, my wife hit up Pinterest. She's created activity binders, complete with puzzles, mazes, and other road games, as well as our itinerary. It's got your typical license plate game in there, as well as plenty to keep the education going. I haven't yet explored it all, but I know it's pretty full.

Final step was to get a bunch of kid-friendly audio books. Some selection include: the "Land of Stories" series (written and narrated by Chris Colfer of Glee), a Geronimo Stilton pack, and a couple of classic Boxcar Children mysteries. My hope upon hope is we can make it through the trip without movies. I haven't checked, but I don't think the portable DVD players even work.

All in all, I think we're ready, but I must say, I'm a bit nervous. Wish us luck!

Houston vacation | My new trip on Roadtrippers.com!

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