In this economy, money is tight but families still want to travel. If your restless children are climbing the walls you may want to consider a cost effective road trip. It may not be the island vacation you’ve been dreaming of, but road trips are a fun way to enjoy the day with your family, a “quickie” you might say. Or, as Mick Jagger would say: ‘You can’t always get what you want, but if you try sometimes, you might find you get what you need.’ Here are Trekaroo’s top picks for places your family can visit on one tank of gas from Sacramento.

 Tour Moaning Cavern & Mercer Cavern in Calaveras County

Under the gently rolling hills of Calaveras County, are hundreds of limestone caverns, an ideal family vacation activity. Visitors of all ages have the opportunity to learn about cavern geology at Moaning Caverns and Mercer Caverns. Moaning Cavern is the largest single chamber public cavern in California. The main room is large enough to fit the Statue of Liberty inside. Moaning Caverns offers a holiday ‘Caroling in the Cave’ concert featuring a rappelling Santa and local high school choirs singing a cappella.

Read Trekaroo user reviews of Mercer Caverns

Auburn is known for its California Gold Rush history

Gold panning is a favorite tourist attraction. Kids in particular will love panning for specks and flakes like the thousands of miners who flocked to California in the mid-19th century. You might even sneak some history in, and there’s a (microscopic) chance you’ll come out of the experience with your very own gold nugget! Direction and free brochures to popular panning spots are available at Auburn California Welcome Center.

What Auburn’s less known for, but is of equal importance to tweens, is the Skateboard Park at Overlook Park. The Skate Park has ample parking and offers a beautiful view of the canyon. The park also connects to walking trails that access the canyon. Bring your lunch, park your car, and enjoy a wonderful relaxing view.

Step into the Jelly Belly Factory in Fairfield

Smell the aroma of chocolate, peach, cinnamon, pineapple, or whatever is being cooked up that day. Fairfield is located about 45 minutes west of Sacramento. Participate in the free 40-minute walking tour in which Jelly Belly tour guides show you a real working factory where over 150 different sweet treats are cooked up. Swing by the gift shop and buy the BeanBoozled Game.  BeanBoozled jelly beans are a collection of 20 lookalike flavors, some so crazy you can’t believe it, while others are the delicious Jelly Belly beans you love. New this year are Canned Dog Food and Centipede flavors. Take the dare with the spinner wheel, then pick and eat the jelly bean in the color the spinner lands on. Is the black jelly bean Licorice, or is it Skunk Spray?

Read Trekaroo user reviews of the Jelly Belly Factory

 Visit Vallejo Six Flags Discovery Kingdom

Nothing provides more lasting memories for children than a great day shared with family at an amusement park. At Six Flags Discovery Kingdom you’ll find thrilling rides, a wide variety of entertainment, and huggable cartoon characters. That’s why I took my 3 yr old son here for his birthday on a Wednesday morning in August. The park was practically empty. No lines for rides, no lines for anything WOOOOO!! Six Flags Discovery Kingdom is an animal theme park and includes a variety of roller coasters and other amusement rides, along with a collection of animal exhibits and shows. Families can even get in the water and swim with Atlantic bottlenose dolphins!  The Dolphin Discovery program is available seven days a week throughout the year. 

Read reviews of Six Flags Discovery Kingdom on Trekaroo.

 The waterfront Children’s Museum of Stockton is amazing

The Children’s Museum of Stockton ‘Where Every Touch is a Know-Know!’ opened in 1994 as a memorial to the elementary students killed in a 1989 massacre at Cleveland Elementary School. The museum was the brainchild of a teacher at the school who was wounded in the attack, Janet Geng, Founding Director of The Children’s Museum of Stockton.  Each year, more than 55,000 children play in its little grocery store, climb inside its ambulance and peer inside the mouth of a larger-than-life Delta bass. KIDSWORLD is a permanent exhibit in the museum. KIDSWORLD which occupies three-fourths of the 22,000 square foot structure is a child’s version of a miniature city. Over 40 exhibits including a bank, hospital, grocery store, recycling, art center, and a post office engage children in a hands-on exploration of a functioning city. The new exhibit, “Healthier Ever After,” is an interactive feature highlighting exercise, nutrition and smart food choices and will be on display through mid-January

Read reviews of the Children’s Museum of Stockton on Trekaroo.

 Walk among roaring, stomping, realistic-looking dinosaurs at – Lawrence Hall of Science- UC Berkeley

Explore the prehistoric world like never before in Dinosaurs Unearthed. Scientists, engineers, and artists designed these creatures to be as lifelike as possible. The gigantic animals open their jaws, blink their eyes, and move their limbs. See the Hall’s dinos spring to life — if you dare! Dinosaurs Unearthed features amazingly real animatronic dinosaurs, a hands-on fossil dig site, articulated full-size skeletons, actual dinosaur fossils, and interactive multimedia stations. Younger visitors will have fun in the Young Explorers’ Experience. This special exhibition area features activities designed for visitors aged 2–7 years.

Visitors to Lawrence Hall of Science can also explore the skies in an interactive planetarium, where questions and activities are part of the program! The geodesic dome is installed with a state-of-the-art projection system. The 50-seat planetarium’s Public Planetarium Program is presented every Saturday and Sunday. Daily programs are also offered Monday-Friday during the summer. Saturday Night Stargazing, weather permitting, is held every 3rd Saturday of the month, year-round.

Read Trekaroo user reviews of Lawrence Hall of Science.

 Apple Hill growers such as #1 High Hill Ranch and #14 Denver Dan’s Apple Patch offer many kid-specific activities and fun for the whole family

One of the oldest ranches on Apple Hill, High Hill Ranch, offers daily fishing and you’re almost guaranteed to catch something there. Fishing is priced per pound and you have to keep your catch so unless you want to walk around all day carrying a dead fish I’d save this activity for last! On the weekends the ranch offers pony rides, face painting, and hay rides.

At #14 Denver Dan’s Apple Patch children will have a tour of the orchard, will be shown how to pick an apple (correctly) & will have a container which will hold about 3 apples. They will return to the barn and have a demonstration of an apple peeler (it will make apple slinkies!)  Next they will have a treat of apple cookies and glass of apple cider, and apple stickers to take home with the apples they have picked.  Also at Denver Dan’s is Cookin’ Kids, a pie making class for kids age 3 & up. Kids get to roll their own dough, place in 6” pie pan, and fill the crust with pie makins’. Then they learn to roll the top crust, place it on the pie, and crimp the edges. Any leftover dough goes into cookies that they can top with decorations! Their pies and cookies are baked and placed into individual containers for the kids to take home and share!

Photo by: Trekaroo/MissBirdieMFGS

Read Trekaroo user reviews of #1 High Hill Ranch

Be on the lookout for more “One  Tank Road Trips” heading your way as we launch this fun series across the US. 

Can’t hardly wait??  Tell us, what are your favorite places to go on one tank of gas from your city!

Travel with kids to: CA |CO | DC | FL | HI | IL |MA | NC | NY | OR | PA | TN | TX | VA | WA

If you live in the Boston or New York City area, you already have access to plenty of fun activities right in your own backyard. But sometimes it’s nice to take some time out as a family and enjoy a slow-paced weekend getaway.  Nestled right in the middle of both cities is the magical little town of Mystic, Connecticut.  Its easy-access location right off I-95 makes it a short hour’s drive from Hartford, 2 hours from Boston, and a slightly longer (and more congested) 3 hours from New York City.  But don’t fear hours of traffic in the car with the kids, even Amtrak stops in Mystic! The quintessential New England small town, Mystic offers big-city-caliber attractions, making it a perfect destination for family fun.

If you only have a day to spend, make the Mystic Aquarium and Institute for Exploration top on your list for a close encounter with beluga whales and penguins.  In our family’s opinion, the Mystic Aquarium is the best aquarium around.  It offers both indoor and outdoor exhibits, has an amazing animal rescue and rehabilitation program, an indoor sea lion show, and plenty of exploring space for even the smallest of visitors.  There are two well-staffed touch tanks where kids (and parents!) can hold and learn about New England sea creatures.  Kids can crawl through a tunnel under the lobster tank and see life from an animal’s point of view in the Crittercam exhibit.  Be sure to catch the sea lions at feeding time, as you won’t soon forget their loud hungry barking!  Check the aquarium’s website before you go as they often host seasonal special events.

If you’re ready for lunch after your visit with the fishes, head down to Mystic Pizza on Main Street.  Made famous by the Julia Roberts movie, this hot spot has some of the best pizza we have tasted.  The restaurant is decorated with memorabilia from the film, which parents will enjoy.  The kids will love the noisy, fun atmosphere and may even get a chance to take a tour of the kitchen where their lunch is being baked.

After lunch, be sure to wander around the Main Street area.  There are plenty of unique places to window shop.  The highlights of town for the kids are located near the bridge.  Aside from the bridge itself, which is a bascule drawbridge built in 1920 and refurbished just last winter, Mystic Drawbridge Ice Cream on the west side of the bridge is a favorite with locals and visitors alike.  It’s a good place to stop for a treat and watch the bridge go up and down on a cold or rainy day.  On the other side of the bridge is Mystical Toys, a local shop full of educational and specialty toys and books.  If the kids have some energy left to burn, turn onto Cottrell Street and walk to the end.  There you will find a great little fenced-in playground, providing a space for the kids to safely run around while Mom and Dad watch from a shaded bench.

After recharging, head over to the Mystic Seaport to learn all there is to know about maritime history.  Older kids will enjoy seeing all of the restored historic ships (and building a model of their own), and the younger ones will appreciate the children’s museum, especially for kids 7 and under.  Check out the “Fun For Kids” section of the Seaport’s website for a complete listing of age-appropriate activities.

If you have more than a day to spend in Mystic, consider visiting some of the lesser-known attractions that are favorites among locals.  If you happen to be visiting in October or November, be sure to make a stop at B.F. Clyde’s Cider Mill. The oldest steam-powered cider mill in the U.S., Clyde’s is a favorite for apple cider donuts and, of course, cider.  You can watch the mill in action and buy all things cider in the shop on site, from candy to wine.  Be warned that the lines for the cider-making demonstration and donuts can be rather daunting on a fall weekend, but the wait is definitely worth it!

If you have some budding artists in your family, consider a quick 10-minute drive north on Route 1 to the town of Stonington, where you will find Prescient Studios, an art glass gallery and factory.  You may have already stopped into their other location, Studio Jeffrey P’an, when walking through Mystic.  If you spoke to the owner, you might have learned that he always encourages kids to come check out the glass blowing in action at his factory.  The artists at the factory are very welcoming and take time to describe the steps of glass blowing as they are creating.  While there are shelves of beautiful art pieces on display at the factory, there is plenty of room to keep little hands a safe distance from the breakables.

On your way out of town, stop by the Mystic Market for some fresh-made treats or gourmet sandwiches for the road.  From cookies and cupcakes to paninis and salads, there is sure to be something for everyone.  If you happen to be celebrating a birthday while in Mystic, this is the best place around for gourmet cakes.

After your family’s first visit to Mystic, you’re sure to come home with your own list of places to visit the next time you return.  And there is sure to be a next time!

Christy Newell is a 2011 Superoo, mom to two little explorers, ages 3 and 5, and married to the Coast Guard, which always keeps us in new adventures.  We live our lives as perpetual tourists, treating each duty station like an extended vacation to experience all it has to offer.  Keep up with her family  at http://nomadicnewells.blogspot.com

Travel with kids to: CA |CO | DC | FL | HI | IL |MA | NC | NY | OR | PA | TN | TX | VA | WA

My family only had one full day to spend in San Francisco so we set out to make the most of it.  The day began at House of Air, a huge trampoline-filled building located at San Francisco’s Crissy Field. I take that back- the day began with us scrambling to find enough spare change in our wallets to make bridge fare ($6.00 is obsene!) followed by our GPS leading us deep into the city and far from the true House of Air location. We we reached the Financial District, I knew something was very wrong and after some research I discovered that the House of Air website actually warns that GPS will take you to the wrong location. Oops! Luckily, my husband is excellent at manuerving the crowded and crazy city streets and got us to our destination just 5 minutes late. Phew!

Win a Landmark Trip of your Own
and lots of other Prizes from Twizzler

As soon as we parked, we lept out of the car and ran to the entrance to make as much use of our hour long session as we could. We noted that the House of Air has an incredible view of the Golden Gate Bridge (a reaccuring theme in this trip) but didn’t have time to fully enjoy the vista. We had to get inside and jump!

I can’t begin to explain just how much fun House of Air truly is. My daughter was a bit nervous to jump on the super bouncy trampolines at first  because they propelled much higher in the air than the typical bounce castle. Luckily after about 5 minutes, she was completely sold on the experience. Although I can say with 100% certainty that my kids had a blast, I think that my husband and I may have even had more fun. There is just something about letting loose and bouncing to your heart’s content that is good for the soul. It didn’t take long for my husband to find his way into the dodgeball room. It was truly hysterical to watch my 6’5″ husband play dodgeball in a room filled with teens and preteens. He must have looked like a giant with a menacing red ball to the kids on the other side of the court.  While an hour doesn’t seem like very long to spend at a trampoline house, I assure you it is plenty of time. Bouncing is a great workout but our aging joints and bladders were definitely feeling a bit jossled by the end.

After all that bouncing we had worked up a good appetite so we headed up into the Marina District and had burgers at Barney’s, which has won awards for serving the best burgers in San Francisco. The atmosphere was casual and family friendly but the burgers were gourmet all the way. Besides having a menu with about 15 different topping combinations, the restaurant also gave diners the option to choose a beef, chicken, turkey or veggie patty for their burgers. Being the purists that we are, both my husband and I went with the beef patty, which was large and flavorful. I dined on  a very spicy chipotle burger, which was definitely up my heat-loving alley. Paul must have been dreaming of  more tropical temperatures because he went with the Maui Wowie, which he gave two teriyaki splattered thumbs up. The kids weren’t in a burger mood but the kids menu had many burger-free options such as hot dogs, girlled cheese, and chicken fingers.

After lunch, we decided that no trip to San Francisco was complete without a ride in the Twizzlermobile down Lombard Street. I have been to San Francisco dozens of times but had never actually driven down the street, famous for being the most windy in the country. I always had the “that’s what tourists do” mentality but today I face the reality that I am, in fact, a tourist. Riding down Lombard Street may be touristy but its also pretty fun. I think some of the most fun I had was when I hopped out of the car and tried to race down the hill through the crowds to get a good shot of the Twizzlermobile winding its way down the road. I felt like a member of the Hershey paparazzi.

We spent the afternoon at the Exploratorium, a hands-on science museum and San Francisco institution located at the Palace of Fine Arts. I have fond memories of enjoying the Exploratorium without my kids but this was the first time they were old enough to enjoy and understand the exhibits. Though my preschool-aged children weren’t interested in everything inside of the museum (many of the exhibits are geared towards ages 7 and up) , they did find plenty to keep them occupied during our 2 1/2 hour visit. My son was attracted to anything that related to balls including levatating balls, launching balls, and running marble balls down kid-created tracks. My daughter loved the exhibit that allows kids to create art using a wooden stick to manupilate sand on a spinning table and making the time lapse move forward and backward in the life cycle of a fungus. My favorite will always be the volcanic sand which has magnetic properties and is just so fun to play with!

We ended our day with family and friends who met up with us at Off the Grid, a popular weekly food truck event that is held at Fort Mason on Friday evenings. It was here that I was able to meet up with Liling and Brennan, the masterminds behind Trekaroo. It’s always great to have our little Trekaroo family together, and good food only sweetens the pot. Though my family enjoyed all the food we sampled from the different trucks, we concluded that Chairman Bao had the leg up on the competition with some amazing pork belly buns. The only downside to Off the Grid is that the lines are long and the seating is sparse, creating an environment that is not ideal for little kids. That being said, my kids love food trucks (they have been well-trained) and enjoyed the company of our group until Mr. Sandman started pouring extra doses of sleep dust into their eyes and it was evident that it was time to pile back into the Twizzlermobile and head back across the bridge for the night. Tomorrow, we take on Big Sur!

Sharlene and Liling at Off the Grid

Disclosure: I have been chosen as one of the Twizzlers Traveling Families.  My trip (gas, hotel, food, and incidentals) is being paid for by Twizzlers. I have received no other compensation and opinions stated are entirely my own.

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Sharlene Earnshaw (aka doubleadventure) is Blogger-in-chief for Trekaroo and the blogger behind Double the Adventure.

Travel with kids to: CA |CO | DC | FL | HI | IL |MA | NC | NY | OR | PA | TN | TX | VA | WA

I love my job. How many people get to wake up on a Wednesday morning in July, pile into a minivan completely decked out in a Twizzler candy wrap, and just start driving?

Today, we began Trekaroo’s leg of the Twizzlers Landmark Summer Adventure with smiles on our faces and a box full of Twizzlers in our trunk. After making it through Los Angeles with only a scant few stop and go moments, my husband and I breathed collective sighs of relief and watched the coastal towns on Highway 101 whizz by.

Win a Landmark Trip of your Own
and lots of other Prizes from Twizzler

After three or so hours of driving, I decided to pull off the road at the famous Pea Soup Andersens restaurant to get a fun picture of the Twizzlermobile in front of the iconic roadside stop and stretch our legs a bit. Obviously, I was not paying close enough attention to the numerous split pea themed signs because suddenly we found ourselves leaving Buellton and entering Solvang.

My navigation skills turned out to be a blessing in disguise. The last time I visited Solvang, a charming Dutch town on California’s central coast, my kids were less than a year old so everything in this Danish hamlet felt new to them. We decided to take a surrey ride around the town, which my kids absolutely loved, and stopped to grab grapes from the farmer’s market and pose in front of the same wooden shoe I posed my infants in years ago.

After enjoying ice cream in the town square and letting the kids point out to Mommy and Daddy all the toys they “needed” from the local toy shoppe, we hopped back on the highway, waving to Anderson’s Pea Soup just on the other side of the road. As we drove further along up the Central California coast, I marveled at how many new wineries had popped up in recent years and made a mental note to visit at least one on our trip back down from San Francisco.

We ended our day at the Lighthouse Suites in Avila Beach. I had never been to Avila Beach, the little sister of the much more popular Pismo Beach, but now that I have had the opportunity to get to know this tiny beach town, I have already made a mental note to return next summer. Lighthouse Suites, our lodging for the night, is definitely a property designed with families in mind. All the rooms are suite-sized with separate living and bedroom areas. The decor is charmingly nautical, celebrating the hotel’s beachside location and expansive ocean views. Families will love the heated pool, spa, life sized checker board, ping pong table, putting green, and complimentary breakfast.

Directly across the street, a pirate ship themed park sits next to the Avila Beach Sea Life Center. The beach is located about 20 steps from the hotel with soft sand, gentle waves, and two piers flanking it on either side. A set of swings and a slide sit on the beach as well. After enjoying the pool, playground, and beach my family made our way to the Avila Pier. We strolled on its wide planks while waiting for a table at the Custom House, a popular local eatery serving seafood, steaks, and kid’s meals delivered on frisbees which my children were absolutely delighted to take back home. While on the pier, we watched pelicans dive bomb the ocean in search of fish, usually with two scavenger birds flanking it’s sides in hopes of grabbing some of the pelican’s hard-earned prize. As the sun began to set, my daughter noticed a sea otter feeding in the kelp beds below the pier. Upon further scanning on the water, we found several little otters bobbing in the water. I can’t wait to see what unexpected moments we have in store for us tomorrow!

Disclosure: I have been chosen as one of the Twizzlers Traveling Families.  My trip (gas, hotel, food, and incidentals) is being paid for by Twizzlers. I have received no other compensation and opinions stated are entirely my own.

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Sharlene Earnshaw (aka doubleadventure) is Blogger-in-chief for Trekaroo and the blogger behind Double the Adventure.

Travel with kids to: CA |CO | DC | FL | HI | IL |MA | NC | NY | OR | PA | TN | TX | VA | WA

Life with four kids, isn’t always easy or blissful.  Occasionally, it’s pure chaos mixed in with some insanity (on my part).  When my husband and I decided to make to move from San Luis Obispo, CA to Dallas, TX, we knew it was going to be a lot of work.  Flying that distance with our kiddos wasn’t really an option, but a big road trip was!

I had two visions for what a long road trip would be like:  one being a lot of fun- well-planned activities and destinations with six smiling faces eager to embrace life and our love for learning.  The other vision was of complete misery- four cranky kids asking every minute the phrase that makes my skin crawl, the phrase no parent can avoid, “Are we there yet?”

Determined to get as close to the first picture in my head as possible, I decided to embrace the Boy Scout motto, “Always be prepared!”  Even though I strive to be, I am not always the most organized person.  If I told you I was normally Ms. Organization, my husband would probably be the first person to comment on this post calling me out.  However, my desire for a positive, successful trip encouraged me to plan ahead and think through what I packed and why.  Fortunately, our road trip was a hit!  My kids were happy and entertained the entire trip.  Only once did my 7 year old ask when we were going to get there!  Most of all, we enjoyed each others company, laughed a lot, and know we could do it again!  Here are some things we did:

#1  Organize, Organize, Organize.

One of my pet peeves while traveling are the toys, books, uneaten food and trash that accumulate and float around the van.  Determined to have as clutter-less a trip as possible, I wanted everything that entered the van to be in some sort of container or organizer.  Luckily, there are some amazing backseat organizers on the market today. The biggest thing to consider before purchasing any organizer is how much space you have in your vehicle to dedicate to the container.  If you can’t afford one, or don’t want to spend your money on an organizer or two, or in our case, five, don’t worry, you can make your own!  Just measure the space between the seats and find a tote or box lying around your house.  You can even cut up a box you aren’t using, cut dividers out of it, and tape tape them into a box or tote to your unique specifications.  It might not look pretty, but will definitely do the job!

#2  Girl Or Boy, They All Need Toys!

Have you ever given your kids a small bag, asked them to pack it with their own toys for the trip, and they stuff it so full that they can’t play with any items inside that bag without them all spilling out?  That’s what happens in our house every time, so this time I decided to pick which toys and books I wanted my kiddos to have on our trip.  I gathered their favorites and placed them neatly in the organizers.  Here are some suggestions for items that will keep them busy and happy for hours on end.

• Books
• Action Figures or Army Guys, Cars, Dolls (only a few and only their favorites)!
• Coloring Books and Crayons (a zip lock baggie of crayons for each child).
• Etch-A-Sketch or Magnadoodle
• A Small Notebook and Pencil For Each Child
• A Small Zip Lock Bag Of Legos For Each Child

#3  Surprise, Surprise!

One of my friends gave me a great idea ahead of time to pack little surprises for my kiddos that I pull out at random times (ie:  when we’ve been driving in the desert for a few hours, and the kids are starting to get restless).   When I pulled out their first surprise, they were so excited, it was like Christmas!  They laughed and played with their new toys for at least an hour without stopping!  The little surprises cost only a dollar each and my budget was $10 total.  I shopped in the dollar section of Target and in the arts and crafts area for kits that were on sale.  Here’s what I bought:

• Window Clings (We bought race car designs).
• New Books (Hardback for my younger kids and an easy reader for my 2^nd grader).
• Color Wonder Markers & Coloring Books
• Hot Wheels Or A New Music Toy
• A Kit With Foam Sheets  & Foam “Robots & Space” Stickers

#4  Less Is More

This one is a bit obvious, but it has to be said.  Packing light is the key to room under everyone’s legs to stretch out, versus stuff crammed between seats & piled so high, that the kids are practically sitting with their legs criss-crossed in front of them!  If you’re planning on camping, here’s a link to an excellent and thorough list of items you’ll need.  If you’re planning on staying in hotel rooms, remember that many hotels have laundry service or a laundry area, so you don’t need to pack 7 pairs of everything!  Of course, check the weather forecast before you pack and plan on layering your clothes.  For the summertime, I use the 5-4-3-2-1 rule.

• Five pairs of socks and undergarments
• Four short sleeve shirts
• Three shorts and pj’s
• Two, long sleeve shirts and jeans,
• One sweatshirt, raincoat, pair of sandals, tennis shoes or hiking shoes, and a fancier outfit for going out!

#5  Plan Your Route

Check Trekaroo for some excellent suggestions for places to visit in route to your destination!  If you have some extra time, plan for at least one fun stop a day.  It makes a big difference in your children’s attitudes if they’re able to run and play for a few hours and will make a huge difference in your peace of mind as well!  If you have an android phone, Trekaroo is gearing up to launch their Android App making Trekaroo mobile, hooray!

#6  Drive At Nap Times & At Night

Make it a second honeymoon and enjoy some quiet time in the car with your hubby!  We love to drive for a few hours while our kids are asleep and talk together about our plans, how the day went, etc… without distractions.

#7  Pack Snacks!

Some great kid and car-friendly items are:  fruit snacks, fresh fruit (apples, grapes, peaches, and plums), pre-cut veggies (carrots, celery, jicama, bell pepper, broccoli), trail mix (we make our own with pretzels, raisins, rice chex’s, almonds, walnuts, coconut, and a few M&M’s) , and whole wheat crackers.  For the fruits and veggies, bring a small ice chest to keep them fresh.

#8  Time Can Fly With Books On Tape!

My mom used to check out books on tape for us, and I’m happy to continue this tradition for our kids.  The library offers an amazing selection as well as downloadable books and cd’s for portable devices such as iPods, mp3 players, and iPads.  Check your local library for selections!

#9  Pre-Program Your GPS

If you are visiting several different destinations and you have a portable gps,  program the addresses into it before you begin.  As long as the satellites up in the sky are sending your GPS the right information, you should never get lost.

#10  Eat Your Meals In The Car

One of my friends gave me a very helpful suggestion.  She told me to eat most of our meals in the car, that way when we stop, we’re not wasting running around time, by sitting and eating!

#11  Stroller

If you’re not planning on off-roading or hiking on your road trip, I highly recommend purchasing or borrowing umbrella strollers.  They are extremely compact, take up barely any room, and come with sun visors.  If you have more than one child, they even make links to connect the two together!

#12  Water To Go

We always pack our reusable water bottles and purchase gallon size jugs at rest stops to refill them.  On average, we spend about $3 a jug which refills a family of 6’s water bottle about 2 times, versus $1.29 per water bottle per person a few times a day!  It’s a huge savings!

Good luck on your road trip, and happy travels!

Heather Reed (aka slofamilylife) is the Texas Destination Guroo for Trekaroo.  Her passion for travel stems from adventures she took growing up with her family.  She and her husband are thrilled to be exploring the globe with their four children and incorporating their love of learning into every adventure!