What you need to know before you take a road trip
If your vacation plans involve a road trip, you have some work to do. Just hopping in the car and going? That’s so 2019. Today’s car traveler must be a road warrior, never caught unawares by this strange new travel world. Here is what to know before you pile the kids in the back and head off.
Leave almost nothing to chance …
Gone are the days when you hit the road carefree and ready for adventure. Today, the best kind of adventure is the one you want to have, not the one you have because you didn’t do your research. Problem areas to consider:
Safety. Of course you’ll have hand sanitizer, antibacterial wipes, a “restroom kit” with soap, hand sanitizer, a few paper towels and toilet seat covers. You’ll also carry masks and understand what the mask mandates are at your destination. Let’s say you’re going to Oregon. Quick, what do its laws require? How about Arizona? Nevada? Make sure to look it up.
Lodging. You’ll want to map out where you’re staying and check out whether the lodging’s cleaning protocols match your expectations. If you have questions, call and ask.
Dogs. Taking your pet on vacation is another reason to ensure you have lodging choices in advance. There may be more travelers on the road with their hounds in tow, especially now that many airlines have banned emotional support animals in the cabin. If you want your BFF along for the ride — and how could you not? — do your homework. The American Kennel Club offers a list of pet-friendly motels. Call ahead.
Don’t sacrifice sleep
It’s not a good idea to skimp on sleep, said Dr. Ann Romaker, professor of medicine at the University of Cincinnati and director of the university’s sleep medicine program. “Being sleep deprived is considered as bad as drinking and driving,” she said. “You have a moral and legal obligation to get better than adequate sleep at night.”
About 100,000 auto accidents occurred because of drowsy driving, according to a National Safety Council report on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s 2020 statistics. That number may be far higher, however, because it’s easier to deny drowsy driving than, say, alcohol impairment for which there is a test.
You’ll have an easier time if you don’t radically alter kids’ schedules, Winter said. Although it’s tempting (and good for a parent’s sanity) to suggest an afternoon nap for the children while you make headway on the highway, Winter has a different approach: He calls for “rest time” of 30 minutes, avoiding the word “nap” because it adds pressure. After 30 minutes, whether everyone is asleep or wide awake, rest time is over and the drive continues.
And just in case kids have built up a head of steam after long hours in the car, Romaker, mother of four children, suggests these magic solutions: Find a park in a small town and let them run, and/or stay in a motel or hotel with a swimming pool.