Road Trip Archives - The Road to Domestication

Are you planning a family outing anytime soon? With lockdown restrictions being relaxed across the country, and the holidays upon us, you might want to consider going on a road trip with the kids. After all, they need a change of scenery and a breath of fresh air after staying indoors for a very long period.

4 Tips for a Safe (and COVID-Free) Road Trip With the Family! #roadtrip #familytrip Click To Tweet

Before you go on your first adventure since the lockdowns began, road safety should still be a priority. With health protocols still in place, you need to make sure your travel goals go unhampered by the dangers that lie ahead. Here’s a guide on how you can spend quality time with your family during a road trip in this time of pandemic:

Finalize your destination

Regardless how long the road trip will be, you need to come up with a surefire plan that includes specific destinations and stopovers. This also helps you identify the safest routes to take. More importantly, mapping out the trip involves determining the places with increasing COVID-19 cases that you should avoid. Give yourself at least a few weeks to plan for the trip. This should give you ample time to check with friends or family members living within or around the destination to see if it’s safe. Make sure to review any health protocols you need to be aware of.

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The great road trip has fast become a quintessentially American tradition, accounting for nearly 39% of all vacations taken. From the Pacific Coast Highway to Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia (where I grew up traveling to), there are a plethora of gorgeous natural areas to drive through and stop for a few days. Hey, you can even fly abroad and then rent a car to explore the best Asia destinations, if you’d like your road trip to stretch even farther! After all, road trips appeal to America’s love of independence and freedom. It can be extremely liberating to let your wishes be your guide, and to take every day as it comes, sleeping in your very own RV or booking local hotels with charm. If you are keen to take your very first road trip and you need some advice for traveling with children, keep these considerations in mind and enjoy a fun-filled bonding experience with those you love.

Tips for Preparing for Your First Family Road Trip! #roadtrip #familytravel Click To Tweet

Choosing a Destination that Appeals to Everyone

Because a road trip enables you to visit more than one site, ask everyone in your family to come up with their own ‘bucket list’ that covers the general area you are visiting. If everyone feels like they have chosen at least one top destination, the trip can be a little more satisfying for everyone involved. There is one proviso when it comes to lists, of course. Some places are particularly magical and may entice you to stay for longer than envisioned. For this reason, you should keep your bucket lists fairly ‘loose’ and agree to slightly alter your route if you become enamored by a new spot.

Selecting and Preparing Your Vehicle

If you are traveling with children (and let me tell you: you haven’t travelled with children until you’ve traveled with 3-year-old twins!) or simply taking a road trip spanning more than a long weekend, a spacious RV-style vehicle will certainly make travel easier and more convenient. On the one hand, items like strollers, toys, and other essentials can be easily stored, as can sports equipment and sportswear – including items like boots, thick coats, and the like – without worrying about space. Check your vehicle maintenance book and ensure that your oil and filter are clean/new, change your spark plugs if need be, ensure spare tires are in good working order, and obtain extra items such as car belts and other essentials. If a maintenance check is due in the next few months, pull up the date slightly to ensure you don’t go over the stipulated mile count.

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