Road Trip Tips
Secrets for Surviving
Holiday RoadTrips
The roads are jammed, the kids
are squabbling, the weather is sleety and the pumpkin
pie is going cold in the trunk. Ah, yes, it's the
annual Thanksgiving road trip. Is there anything you
can do to make this pilgrimage more bearable? Yes,
there is.
"
Over the river and through
the woods to Grandmother's house we go
"
Television commercials do a marvelous job
of portraying the ideal road trip. You're in a fabulous
car, alone on a scenic highway, headed for -- who cares?
You're free and moving with the wind. Life is perfect.
Now picture this far-more-likely scenario.
You're heading out the day before Thanksgiving to
get to your aunt's house in time for turkey. This
is no car ad, even if you're driving a dream machine.
If you or your aunt live in metropolitan areas, you're
going to be seeing a lot more red taillights than
magnificent vistas. There's a very good chance this
is not going to be a speed
run.
In fact, in our experience, those interminable
traffic stoppages occur just as your 7-year-old child
and your aging cocker spaniel both announce that they
need a potty break. You realize that the weather forecasters
failed to mention a sudden 20-degree drop in temperature
that is transforming your carefully crafted 12-layer
salad into frozen compost in the trunk. An impenetrable
tule fog has just obliterated the road in front of you,
and you are beginning to doubt that you'll find an exit
in time to prevent the double accident building in the
back seat.
It can be a challenge to keep a good road
trip attitude when you've got dinner waiting and you're
traveling with the holiday hordes, but with a little
planning, it's not impossible. These tips should help
keep a smile on your face, even when you're stuck
between exits on a jammed super-slab full of other
turkey-destined travelers.
- Don't follow the crowd. Sometimes
the best time to travel is on the holiday itself.
Or, if you can take the time, a couple of days before
or after the holiday rush. In the case of Thanksgiving,
that means hitting the road on Tuesday and/or returning
on Monday. We rarely have that much flexibility,
but we've found that traveling on Thanksgiving Day
is actually a nice experience. The traffic jams
are pretty much gone, and even if our arrival is
a little too late for the official feast, the reward
is a great selection of tasty leftovers and hosts
who have had a chance to relax from their frenzied
preparations for the holiday.
- Get a CB
radio and learn how to use it. There is
a tendency these days to think CBs are outmoded,
but nothing could be further from the truth. Yes,
professional drivers use cell phones and satellite
Internet connections, but they still rely on CBs
for local information and safety advisories. For
car drivers, no other device can provide such instant
information on road hazards, tie-ups and alternate
routes. Best of all, CBs work even with cell phones
don't.
- Keep all your electronic options in play.
Satellite radio is a great option, but if you'd like to listen to local radio,
and have internet access on the road, sites like
iheart.com and
audacy.com
provide a selection of stations near you and across the country.
If you hit one of those interminable delays, you
can always turn on your laptop, DVD player, MP3
player or other entertainment device. If you happen
to be in an area with good wireless service, you
can even log onto the Web and get up-to-the-minute
traffic information. Worried about depleting the
batteries? Get a power
inverter for your electronic gizmos.
- Think like a Boy Scout. Around
the holidays, you have to be prepared for just about
anything, so keep a cache of emergency supplies
in your vehicle. Include these items: blanket, flashlight,
candle and matches, bandana or tea towel, paper
towels, first aid kit, batteries, water and a good
adventure novel. Carry emergency food, too. Canned
items are best - We carry MREs (meals, ready-to-eat)
-- but things like SPAM (Don't laugh! Try it!) and
fruit cocktail are fine. If the cans don't have
pull tabs, bring a can opener, and don't forget
some plastic utensils. If you keep emergency provisions
in your vehicle all year round, now is a good time
to check that they are still functional or edible.
- Brush up on your winter
driving skills. Don't be fooled by all those
autumn decorations. Thanksgiving can bring some
of the worst winter driving conditions of the year.
Snow, sleet and ice are particular worries, so now
is the time to check those tires and recall what
it means to "steer
into the skid."
- Stretch and move whenever you get
the chance. If you find yourself trapped on
a jammed highway with a few thousand of your closest
strangers, do some road-trip calisthenics. Isometric
exercises like rolling your shoulders and flexing
your back and upper arms can be great stress relievers.
If possible, get out of your car and perform the
"Chicken Dance." You will entertain your
fellow travelers and get your own circulation moving.
It may not get the traffic to move any faster, but
it will put some of the festivity back into the
trip.
- Take along audio
books and some games. Audio books are great
because you can listen to them while you drive,
but bring along some other amusements in case your
route becomes a parking lot. A deck of cards is
the easiest and most portable entertainment, but
travel versions of popular board games can also
be good choices.
- Remember: Any road trip is a good
road trip! It's the unplanned events that can
transform an ordinary car trip into an adventure.
A few years ago, we were trapped in an ice storm
in north Texas somewhere east of Amarillo on Christmas
Eve. It was a dark, frigid night, and it was a little
bit scary, but our CB radio made it possible to
chat with "Moonrider," the driver of the
18-wheeler stuck in front of me. Nine years later,
we're still friends, and we would never have met
him if it weren't for that paralyzing storm.
This isn't to say that we hope you get
stuck in an ice storm this holiday season. But if
you do find yourself dining on SPAM and fruit cocktail
instead of turkey and cranberries, it isn't a tragedy;
it's an adventure. After all, life's a journey. Be
thankful when you find yourself on a scenic route.
Happy
Holiday Roadtripping,
Mark & Megan
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