Page 27 - Leisure Living Magazine June 2016

How To Road Trip -
A Survival Guide
With summer in full swing, now is a per- fect time for a vacation. If you’re planning to be among the one in four people expecting to take a road trip this year according to AAA, there are a few steps you can take to prepare for your trip to ensure it goes off without a hitch. Whether you are traveling near or far this summer, these five tips will keep your car and travel companions in good spirits from point A to point B and every- where in between.
1. Plan ahead and include all your travel com- panions. Be sure everyone in the car will have a special destination or point of interest to look for- ward to during the trip. Gather ideas of potential pit stops along your route in advance and let your group weigh in to chart the course. There are a variety of online trip
planning tools that make it easy for ev- eryone to offer sug- gestions and rank their choices.
2. Road trip ac-
tivities. Good play-
lists and great con-
versations are the
cornerstone for all
memorable road
trips. The games you
played on road trips
during your child-
hood are still fun and entertaining. Eye Spy, the license plate game and 20 questions are all good, low-tech ways to engage all your travel compan- ions who are along for the ride. Try a seated “scav- enger hunt.” Write out a list of likely items to spot along the route or at the sites you visit and the first one to check off the whole list gets to choose the next rest stop.
3. Keep the car comfy. Anticipate the var- ious needs and comfort of your travel compan- ions by stashing a few pillows and blankets in the car. Having a pillow will allow your passengers to take a quick nap before it’s their turn to drive. And keeping an extra blanket or two in the car will eliminate the battle over the air conditioning.
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Bring along cookie sheets or cutting boards for the kids to have on their laps so they can write, draw or do small puzzles in the car.
4. Pack smart snacks. Keep your body fueled while you’re on the road with portable and share- able snacks. Granola bars, fruit and crackers are easy options for snacking in the car. If you can’t decide between sweet and savory, try Combos Sweet & Salty Caramel Crème Pretzel and Com- bos Sweet & Salty Vanilla Frosting Pretzel. The new snack is perfect for road trip noshing and satisfies both sweet and salty cravings! For more information visit www.Facebook.com/Combos and www.Combos.com.
5. Prepare for the unexpected. Even the best- laid plans can hit a bump in the road. Road con- struction, flat tires and traffic can all put a damper on your road trip causing de- lays and frustration. Make sure your car is road ready before you head out—check the oil and wiper flu- id levels and make sure all the tires, in- cluding the spare, are properly inflated. And as a precaution, program the number of a nationwide emergency automobile service in
your phone.
Portable Food Ideas
Two new snacks feature sweet and salty fla- vors combined: Combos Sweet & Salty Caramel Crème Pretzel and Combos Sweet & Salty Vanilla Frosting Pretzel. They’re handy on car, plane and boat trips or tucked into your purse or backpack. Learn more at www.Facebook.com/Combos and www.Combos.com.
For an easier time on your next family trip, be sure to take along plenty of smart snacks and amusements.
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