We just got back from a 15 hour (each way) road trip along I-70 from Denver to St Louis. Like most people, I am guilty of focusing exclusively on getting to my final destination and forgetting that the journey is not just something to be endured, but can – and should – be fun as well. The reality is that, fun or no fun, I am unwilling to extend my drive time by much more than the required pit stops and most road trip tips require loads of time re-routing to scenic spots or various destinations. Here are some suggestions for adding variety to the trip that “cost” 45 minutes or less.
Add a safari tour. Travel far on any major highway and you will see billboards advertising a wilderness or safari drive. Ranging in price from $5 – $15 per car, they offer the glimpse of wild or exotic animals. While the “wild and exotic” may be nothing more then some deer or buffalo (and maybe a zebra if you are lucky) the excitement of searching for the animals as you drive through the park certainly breaks up the monotony of a long car ride.
Stop at a wacky or unusual attraction (largest ball of twine anyone?). The popular site RoadsideAmerica has a comprehensive list of offbeat tourist attractions so you can easily find one along your route. They even offer an iPhone app updated with the latest in wacky sites.
Follow a billboard. Our family favorite is the “See Rock City” signs that dot the midwestern landscape. The attractions they advertise are generally inexpensive, near the highway and – who knows – they just may end up being the stuff of family lore for years to come.
Take advantage of rest stops along the way. Many states pride themselves in having clean, park-like settings as their rest areas. Bring along some cones, balls, jump ropes or even a pocket kite and spend 30 minutes having a snack and playing in a rest area.
Stop at the ubiquitous Cracker Barrel restaurants. With over 590 locations you are bound to find at least one along your route. Why Cracker Barrel? They have a well-rounded menu and a large country store filled with things for kids to explore (and plenty of toys out to play with). Even if you don’t buy anything, it is nice to have a place to walk around and stretch your legs a bit. Plus, they are used to travelers coming through and serve up a quick meal.
Some of the best (and worst) vacation memories are made in the car so add some spark to your next road trip and you just might find that getting there is more than half the fun!
General Travel With Kids · Road Trips with Kids
Tracy · July 28, 2010 at 7:36 am
Thanks for posting this. We have four kids – ages 7 and under – so we never fly anymore. We’re guilty of focusing on getting to our destination as quickly as possible, especially our annual 15 hour trip. We *know* that we have much more fun when we plan interesting stops along the way and we have detoured a number of times and stayed in various cities to site-see for a day. But, sometimes we just need to get there. I’ll keep my eyes out for these mini-stops the next time. Btw, love the travel kit idea on your website – I’ve been doing this for years.