All In A Days Work

With a boat load of kids and 2 adults, flying to our vacation destination isn’t always affordable. Most vacations consist of us driving to wherever it is that we might be going; which can be hours upon hours in the car driving, and driving..and driving. If you aren’t prepared for being on the road a long time, it can make the drive seem like an eternity. 

So with all our experience and lessons learned, we decided to share our ultimate road trip packing list for families.

This post is sponsored by Reedman-Toll Chevrolet of Exton.

Essentials.
Now before I get into a big long list of what you should plan to take on your trip, don’t forget the most important. 1. a sense of humor – things will go wrong; kids will fight, and hey you might actually get lost or run into an awful bit of construction and traffic. But keep a sense of humor! My kids laugh at me for laughing a the most ridiculous of things, but you know what? Those are the memories I want them to have. Not of Mom yelling or arguing or being upset, but laughing and enjoying life! 2. snacks – while its all fine and dandy and a bit fun to go into the gas station to get snacks, it will KILL YOUR BUDGET! I can’t tell you how many times we just have left for somewhere in a hurry and had to do this. Gas station snack prices are RIDICULOUS! So be sure to stock up at the store before you leave. 3. comfortable clothes & slip on shoes – I’m pretty sure my entire summer wardrobe consist of nothing but cotton, but for real, no one likes to travel in jeans or tight clothes. Make sure you and the kids are comfortable. .oh and slip on shoes make going to the bathroom wayy easier – plus it saves you tons of time. So on to the rest of the list…

Paperwork.
As much as this shouts OBVIOUS! be sure that you have all the paperwork you need for your trip. Drivers license, insurance cards, health insurance cards, paperwork for your  check-in, or tickets to any destinations you may have already booked in advance, credit cards, back-up emergency cards or money, etc. Double and triple check!
Also – a back up credit card, even if you don’t like using credit, is a really good idea. A few years ago I was on vacation with my parents and my debit card I had been using was compromised (pretty sure it was in one of those shady gas stations where I bought my kids snacks while my Dad filled up the van with gas). I saw it in my bank account the next day, and called my bank who immediately cancelled my card. I had no credit cards, no other bank cards, and my bank was a credit union that was only in Ohio – not in Florida where we were. Thankfully my Dad had a back up credit card he gave me to use for the rest of the trip. I can’t imagine what we would have had to do if I had been traveling alone! Ever since then I have always always carried a back-up card , even if my plan is to use my debit card or cash.

Tech.
This list seems to just be getting bigger – so you know the drill. You need your cell phone, your cell phone charger – a portable charger if you don’t have one, get one – your GPS (if you don’t use your phone for it) , the iPad, tablets/electronics for the kids – and all the charger cords. I usually bring a portable DVD player so the kids can watch movies, make sure you bring plenty of movies because they get bored quickly. Back-up batteries in case you need to unplug from the car (Those charging elements can get hot). Don’t forget the camera! Capture those memories (and don’t forget the memory card either). We have a waterproof camera that has captured some awesome pictures of swimming/snorkeling, and I would completely recommend getting one! I also like books on tape as well, for me. I like listening to music, but sometimes you just need to change gears.

Extra Clothes/Toiletries. 
Depending on how long you will be in the car – and what ages you are traveling with – bringing an extra set (or 2 ) of clothes handy in the front seat, or easily accessible is a good idea. It’s not always easy to unload a vehicle once its been packed to grab a tshirt or an extra pair of undies from your suitcase. Keep an outfit with undies and socks and even a light jacket in a bag near the front so you can get your clothes easily if you need to change. I also do this with our toothbrushes/toothpaste, hair spray, body spray and deodorant (try traveling 16 hours in a car with a teenage boy – ick!) We always take time to ‘freshen’ up, and it’s a lot easier if you don’t have to unpack the whole car just to get what you need.
It’s also nice to have sunscreen handy, Kleenex, hand sanitizer, wet wipes, grocery bags (for garbage, and dirty clothes) chap stick, bug spray, Tylenol, allergy meds, bandaids, neosporin, etc. Trust me – you’ll be glad you had it on hand  and didn’t have to stop somewhere and pay outrageous prices (plus it slows you down when you have to stop again!)

The list goes on – see part 2 here.

If you are planning a road-trip this summer – and if you’ve ever have been on one – you know that any successful road trip requires proper planning and execution. Before the days of internet and smartphones, we’d use road maps, and request brochures from locations we may be passing through. It was quite a project, since you had to really plan ahead to get all the info you needed and you sure couldn’t do a quick planning trip without just winging it.

Which is why I love technology. It’s made life pretty simple when it comes to travel – which is why I had to share some of my favorite sites and apps to help your road trip be the best road trip ever!

This post is sponsored by Reedman Toll Chevy.

1. Roadtrippers
   What is great about Roadtrippers is that you can use it on desktop AND your phone! I hate when I have a great app on my phone but I need to do a bit more research and I can’t open it up on my laptop and visa versa! What is also great about Roadtrippers is you can add all of your bucket list adventures and it creates an ideal route between all of them, giving you the best scenic routes and saving you time on the road. It also gives you an estimate on how much gas you’ll spend, how many miles you’ll be driving and arrival times.
   You can also share your trip with friends or family (safety first!) and edit your route in case you change your mind, or decide to add something else. This is definitely one of my favorites, and I think it will be yours as well!

2. Waze
So my sister actually introduced me to the Waze app, and it’s something I use anytime I travel, whether I’m heading downtown, a work event, or a road trip. Waze is a bit different than most GPS apps as it lets the community (Waze community) decide which routes are best to take. Believe it or not, I’ve saved myself TONS of time using the Waze app verses just a regular GPS app to get around town. Users also report hazards and conditions to watch for during your trip, such as accidents, traffic jams, police radars and so on so that you can safely avoid them – and get to your destination on time (or at least close to it). They also will alert you to the cheapest gas around, which is also shared by the Waze community.

3. Travel Blogs/Pinterest
There are a slew of bloggers and social media influencers that love to share hidden gems and great deals that they find along the way in their travels – be sure to check them out! Google or search on Pinterest your destination and you’d be surprised at what you might find. I have found some great places I would of never known about (hotels, adventures, and restaurants) if I didn’t search for people like me who had been there themselves.

4. Hotel Tonight
If you’ve ever traveled on a long trip, you’ve probably had this experience: you are just too tired to keep driving, and parking at a rest stop to get some shut eye just isn’t as safe as it used to be. SO you have to find a hotel quick and cheap, before you blare your music and roll down all the windows and crank up the A.C. to try and stay awake (we’ve probably all done that too, but remember – safety first!) If you’ve ever stopped and gotten a hotel and immediately wished that you would of slept in your car in McDonalds’s parking lot – well Hotel Tonight is for you. They specialize in last minute hotel deals and you can book a room right from the app! It will also give you ratings and reviews, so you can make sure you are staying at a place you can actually get some rest at!

5. Trello
Trello is like a virtual checklist which is awesome for anyone like me who ALWAYS loves to make lists. You can create a checklist, upload files, make notes and more. Trello can be used on the desktop and phone as well, so again, makes life a lot easier. You can use Trello for really anything, but if you are planning a road trip, or even multiple trips, this would be a great place to store everything together and be able to access anywhere!