by Wendy
Follow me on twitter @wendylooksleaps
Jack and I take a fair number of road trips each year, most often to his hometown in the great state of New Jersey or a beach destination. Here are a few tips for an enjoyable road trip.

Are we there yet? Jimmy and Tulip navigate to Outer Banks

E-ZPass! Why did we wait so long to sign up for this? There are quite a few toll roads in Maryland, Delaware, Virginia and New Jersey. E-ZPass collects tolls electronically through a device on our dashboard. It has shaved as much as 30 minutes off our frequent drives to NJ. You are allowed to use a special E-ZPass designated lane. No more fumbling around for exact change. No waiting in a long line for the dude 3 cars up from you fumbling around for exact change. Sometimes, we still high five each other when we sail through a toll booth without stopping and see that “Toll Paid” sign flashing. They send emails recapping what you spent, so you can keep track. LOVE E-ZPASS 4 EVER!!

Make a playlist. Before our road trip to New York City with my sister and nephew, we each made a 5-6 song playlist. Once in the car, we listened to each playlist and voted on the best track. After hearing all 4 playlists, we voted on the top song. It was really fun to listen everyone’s New York-inspired music and at times be introduced to new tunes. The fam did this again for Hilton Head and it was just as entertaining.

View during one of our road trips to New Jersey/New York

Food is part of the fun of a road trip. I once grabbed a ride back to school in Chicago with a classmate from Kentucky. He told me the way to stay alert on a long road trip was to fast – as in not eat at all, drive straight through – then hit IHOP at your destination and go directly to sleep. Well, maybe – but that’s a very businesslike way to approach a road trip, and maybe not the most fun. I tend to view road trips as an opportunity to indulge in a bit of junk food – as if the hours of monotony in a car give me dispensation from healthy choices. Jack and I agree that early morning departures are the perfect excuse for McDonald’s breakfast sandwiches. Actually my love for McDonald’s breakfast on road trips goes back to happy memories of my family stopping there en route to Florida when we were kids, traveling with Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles and Cousins. I also like a good Taco Bell or Waffle House stop, or maybe just some Combos and a cold Coke from a convenience store.

Roadside bathrooms – always a roll of the dice, whether it’s rest stops, welcome centers and gas stations (the latter is usually my last resort choice). You may want to try your luck at restaurants off the highway. Grocery or giant box-stores are sometimes a better bet. Carry spare tissue and hand sanitizer (see below) and hope for the best.

We hit 200,000 driving back from Hilton Head several years ago. And yes, the car is still going.

You’re already in a car. So ideally you can stop to purchase whatever you need. But why not be a little prepared. Assemble or buy an emergency kit. Stash Kleenex, wet wipes, mints in the glove compartment. Other things I like to have on hand: a roll of paper towels in the trunk, ice scraper, spare phone charger, book of stamps, a pen.

Don’t underestimate the importance of treats for kids. Again, this goes back to childhood memories. When April and I were kids (Sunny wasn’t born yet), my family briefly lived a few hours away from our hometown. At the end of a fun weekend visit, my Grandmother would present us each with a treat bag that we could open in the car. The candy, toys and goodies helped cheer us up after saying good-bye to loved ones and preoccupied us during the drive back.

Jack with rental car in Spain

Are you road tripping this summer? What are your tips for enjoying the journey? Wishing you all safe and fun drives.

For a few more tips on road tripping in Spain, check out this post by me and Jack.