Planning Fun Road Trips

The key to planning fun road trips is having the right attitude. For some, hitting the highway is worse than giving birth, while others look at long road trips as a chance to fulfill a life-long fantasy.

Whether you are crisscrossing the country on a month-long road trip or you are simply heading to grandma's house for the weekend, preparation is key when driving long distances. Road travel can be your ticket to big adventures or it can lead you down a disastrous detour to vacation purgatory. To ensure your next journey is filled with f-u-n, consider the following road trip tips:

Loading up on individual handheld video games is one option to keep the kids calm and your sanity in check, but nothing spells fun more than a classic road trip games, such as I Spy, 20 Questions and License Plate Bingo. What's more, even the youngest members of the family can get in on the action by playing car versions of Simon Says and Scavenger Hunt.

Another option is to turn storytelling into a game. Simply select a rider to start by having him make up a sentence or two with a cliffhanger ending, such as: "Once upon a time there lived a big brown moose who loved chocolate, but every time he sunk his teeth into a piece he…" The next person finishes that sentence and adds a couple more funny lines before adding his own cliffhanger. Rev up your creative juices and you can keep the story going for miles.

Music is a quintessential part of a road trip. Decades ago long car rides consisted of passengers taking turns singing "99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall," but these days you can create your soundtrack and load it on a MP3 player or burn a bunch of CDs to make cruising down the highway an enjoyable experience.

Today's technology allows you to choose music that the entire clan can rock out to, from children's favorites to rap, country, pop and everything in between. Play your personal road trip compilation when the chorus of "Are we there yet?" rises to an uncomfortable decibel level. You will be surprised by how a little car karaoke can lighten the mood of crabby passengers.

If you are really inspired, you could burn travel-themed songs onto a single CD. Some titles for consideration include:

Ventura Highway by America Every Day is a Winding Road by Sheryl Crow My City was Gone by The Pretenders New York, New York by Frank Sinatra Life is a Highway by Rascal Flatts

In addition, consider packing some audiobooks when planning fun road trips. You can choose from colorful kids' books to current New York Times' best-sellers. Books on tape are the perfect alternative to played-out playlists.

You can't survive a road trip without good eats. Food is often a saving grace when you are trapped in a moving vehicle for hours on end with friends or family. Pack a cooler with your favorite portable snacks and make eating fun by picnicking at wacky travel attractions, such as:

World's Largest Ball of Twine in Darwin, Minnesota The Toilet Bowl Museum in Alamo Heights, Texas Museum of Bad Art in Dedham, Massachusetts World's Largest Catsup Bottle in Collinsville, Illinois

Road side gourmets can also pack a small grill to make hot meals at scenic rest areas along the way. Grilling your own hamburgers and hot dogs can help save a ton of money and you can have fun in the process by swapping stories with fellow travelers who are also making pit stops on the side of the highway.

The bottom line when planning fun road trips is to eliminate as many road blocks as possible. Make sure to have your vehicle inspected prior to hitting the highway. Change the oil, check your tire pressure and make sure you have enough gas to get where you are going. Also, make sure your license, registration and insurance are current. Finally, don't forget to pack a few trash bags. Nothing is less fun than driving in a moving landfill piled high with food wrappers, empty soda bottles and mounds of half-eaten sandwiches.

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