Life Lessons
Bathroom Breaks
Don't assume there's going to be a gas station: We still torture ourselves with memories of our journey down California's Coastal Highway. None of us could enjoy the country's most dramatic scenery with our nearly empty tank and dread of getting stranded on the Bixby Bridge. We wrongly estimated the size of the tank on our rental car and location of the next gas station. When we finally chugged into the Big Sur Shell on fumes, we would have paid $70 per gallon, not just the $7 they charged. My son actually got out and kissed the gas station ground.
Medicate Accordingly
A regular dose of Dramamine might make your kid doze through the whale watch: Worried about our 12-year-old getting sea sick, we gave her the dose of Dramamine for her age and weight. It brought on a full sleep that we couldn't rouse her from even when Moby Dick swam under our boat. For sensitive children, a half dose might do it. Talk to your doctor or test this out before you spend $27.50 on your child's nap.
Try Audio Books
Audiobooks: Take advantage of them: Our very long cross-country car ride one summer was actually wonderful with Jim Dale reading the "Harry Potter" series. We still reminisce about what happened in various states. (Remember when poor Cedric Diggory died in Wisconsin?) If you have older kids try "The Hunger Games" or, for an inspiring memoir, "I Am Malala." If your teens resist listening, get their summer reading titles on Audiobooks.
BYOB
Bring your own water bottles: Every family member gets a reusable water bottle. That's it. You are not buying 12-ounce bottles of Poland Spring for $2.50 at tourist sites and adding to the plastic disaster we've created in the world. This is the low bar of being green-ish on the road.
Freebie Fun
Your kids might care more about the free cocoa tea: You may be feeling ambitious to see every sight, but some of the best travel memories are made when you're just relaxing. I swear the thing my kids remember most about two weeks in Bolivia is not the amazing two-day boat tour of Lake Titikaka but rather hanging out and drinking the free cocoa tea in the hotel lobby.
Get Curious
Say yes to curiosity: If you hear, "Hey. What's that place?" in the back seat, consider investigating. You may just want to get to the hotel, but if your children are intrigued by an overlook or tower or inviting road, you are cultivating their curiosity by not rushing past it. Because my son spotted a sign for a small swamp, we ending up seeing alligators (live in nature, no admission fee) in the Florida Keys.
