presents for the road tripper?

Hi! I have been lurking for a couple of days now. I am amazed at the amount of information on these forums! Thanks for being here, I could use the help! I have read back through most all of the the posts through the past year. I think there were 24 or 25 pages just in this forum!

My family (2 boys, dh and I) are planning a short week trip to New England this year. We are from North Jersey. Next year (summer 2006) we are planning/dreaming about a month long trip to the Rocky Mountain States. My question to you experienced road trippers is between now and then what kind of good travel road trip type gifts can I purchase for my dh for Father's Day, Christmas, birthday etc? Are there things that you have found really indespensable (sp) or fun to have?

Things I have come across on back posts are:
cb radio (any special brand?)
good sun glasses
a car top carrier for the top of the van (any special type?)
flat tire fixer thing (how is that for good english...I just can't think of the name of it!)
a good emergency kit
a good first aide kit
a good camera (we are the buy the over the counter disposable type and I think maybe I should upgrade!!!!) I need a simple simple SIMPLE one to use!!!!

any other suggestions?

Thanks!
peach
ps...if any of you are in the north jersey area...we went on a beautiful scenic ride today along the Delaware Water Gap on rt 615. Just beautiful and I am sure that in the fall it would be glorious!

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Hi! I have been lurking for a couple of days now. I am amazed at the amount of information on these forums! Thanks for being here, I could use the help! I have read back through most all of the the posts through the past year. I think there were 24 or 25 pages just in this forum!!

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Actually, the number of pages is closer to 300 -- but 24 pages is a great start.

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My question to you experienced road trippers is between now and then what kind of good travel road trip type gifts can I purchase for my dh for Father's Day, Christmas, birthday etc? Are there things that you have found really indespensable (sp) or fun to have?

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A road atlas is pretty cool -- some of our favorites are on the Maps page. I would also suggest a hand-held CB radio .

Thanks for joining and welcome to this board. Some of the editors are on the road, but we will be back in the office in a day or so (for more ideas).

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ps...if any of you are in the north jersey area...we went on a beautiful scenic ride today along the Delaware Water Gap on rt 615. Just beautiful and I am sure that in the fall it would be glorious!

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Great Tip! Thanks,

Mark

Whereabouts in New England are you going? I live in Central MA, so I'm here to help if you need some pointers, as are several other board members from this area.

The Delaware Water Gap area is quite nice. I've found several interesting drives in NJ that are just perfect for "Blue Highways" type driving. ie NJ-519.

And...you will absolutely love the Rocky Mountain states! A month? I'm jealous!

My list would also include (we do car camping/cabin camping most times, so if you're a hotel-type crew, feel free to disregard the camping items)

Bug spray
Plug-in cooler
Suntan lotion
Two-way radios
Travel literature (everybody should have at least one favorite book about travel)
Weber travel grill -even if you're not camping, this can come in handy. We've had ours for 8 years (gas) and it still works awesome. Best $50 I've spent.
Pocket knife.
Weatherband radio.
A small travel pillow/kneck-bone or similar.
Spacebags
A good air pressure gauge (for tires)
Naylor's butter mints

And, since you're going to the Rocky Mountains - a warm hat, gloves, and other comfortable cool-weather gear. Just in case.

For a camera, I use an old Ricoh SLR (and really want to go digital), but for your needs a point-and-shoot system would work better. (It sounds like you may be averse to digital cameras, though don't count them out.) The OTC method can get a bit pricey. There is a wide array of good quality point-shoot film cameras available for very little dough. Check out your local department store. For certain photos, a tripod comes in very handy.

HTH
Tim

I agree with the PLUG-IN COOLER. Great investment!!

Wow. Great ideas folks. I might go shopping.... although I'd prefer Werther's butterscotch candies.

Thanks for the great ideas!!!! I'll need to start a binder. Dh and I used to be the pick up and go type but with the kids, fondly named Squirrley and Quirky I really need to plan.

Mark, thanks for the suggestions and pointing me in the right direction for the maps and hand held cb. Our old map is in tatters and dh and I have reached the age where a large print one might be pretty handy!!! (gasp) I see I have more reading to do!!!!

Hey Tim! We have not yet decided where we are going this summer. I would love to go to Mystic but dh is not much into shore points. Sometime I would like to travel your state, but considering last year's baseball fiasco I don't think I can bring myself to do it this year. (sigh...my team...what an overpaid bunch of stinkers) We may do the Ben and Jerry's Vermont run...that was always fun! Dh is into history and although I like historical sites and all, I really need something like the big ball of twine or lucky the elephant to keep me happy. Gee... come to think of it...Salem with the witches might be kind of neat...I'll check that one out!!!

Thanks for the list especially the tips on the camera! I do have a question about the space bags, though! Do any of you pack your family's clothes for one day in one bag? We are a family of four, and that way I am thinking instead of hauling in our suitcase and the kids' suitcases we could just pull out one bag for the next day with a change of clothes for each person...plus daily needed items. Has anyone tried this? Is it more hassle than it is worth?

Syv....I am a peanut m&m's kind of gal...I really need to kick that habbit, although it makes me very happy...I mean, how fun are the green ones? I justify them by peanuts are protein, right? I don't think I've ever tried the buttermints...I do think that they would make me happy too. Werther's are good. Sheesh...I'll need a seperate binder just for my sugar shopping!

I should go sugar free.

yea

that might happen

thanks again!
peach

The butter mints can usually be found at Cracker Barrel. They aren't like Werther's (another tasty treat), they are slightly crumbly.

Fiasco? Destiny! ;-)
Salem is on the shore.

Anyway, with regards to packing a single day bag: do it. I only travel with one other person, but it is definitely worth the time to put items you will be needing right away in a separate place. I imagine the benefits grow the more people you add. Pulling out big pieces of luggage is far more hassle than packing this way.

You want kitsch with your history? Try Hammond Castle in Gloucester. Everything from medieval Europe to 20th century technology is represented there. What would this world be without wealthy eccentrics? I plan on being one myself someday. I already have half of it down!

Bummer! We don't have Cracker Barrel in Canada...

Although a bit on the expensive side, a GPS, either stand alone such as a Garmin C320 or something to use with a laptop such as either Microsoft's Streets & Trips or Delorme's Street Atlas 2005, both of which can be purchased alone or with a GPS receiver. They can be used to keep track of where you are, plan your route, and, unlike paper maps, most provide maps at the county level for the entire country, and, depending on the software, provide up to 5000000 points of interest around the country.

Even old dogs can learn some new things -- I will use the one-day clothes bag idea myself -- seems like a great way to organize and keep things orderly and quick -- always a plus.

For sunglasses, the best I've ever found for driving are Serengeti Drivers -- very good for contrast and glare control. I lost my last pair (typical!) and am wearing a different brand right now, but if I run across another pair of Serengeti's at a good price, I will snap them up. Their optics are good enough I have used them for a camera lens filter with EXCELLENT results. No kidding! By the way, it doesn't pay to wear cheap sunglasses, especially while on the road. Go cheap, and you may pay a heavy price in eye strain and fatigue. Bob

Dashboard hula doll. I've got two of em' from this site... http://www.hawaiistores.com/ordasdol.html

I"m no pro-grade photographer by any means, but I would recommend that if you are considering a film camera, consider the APS series over a standard 35mm. Kodak makes good ones for not much money (last one I bought was for $48 at Christmas, with a zoom lens and all the extras), and the film is SO easy to use because you just open the little canister , point it headfirst into the camera, and drop it in. The cameras load themselves (my technophobic mother loves hers!). The other added bonus is that you can easily take wide-angle and even panoramic shots, and the films come in standard varieties as well as black-and-white (a personal favorite of mine).

I will advise, from past experience, that if you intend to get any new camera you should obtain it a bit in advance of your trip, and waste a roll of film playing with it. I have several lost once-in-a-lifetime shots from a trip I once took with a new camera I hadn't gotten used to. Keep in mind that lenses and configurations and design can change what the camera actually sees as opposed to what the viewfinder is showing you.