Featured on the Plain Dealer

Taking a holiday from road-trip Whining

11/11/01

Susan Glaser
Assistant Travel Editor

You’ve barely backed out of the driveway and the whining begins. Are we
there yet? How much longer? I’m hot (cold, hungry, bored).

The five-hour trip will seem like 25 if you don’t act fast.

Out comes the aluminum foil, a piece of which can be
turned into a monster, a dog, a ball to lob into the front
seat.

“I make sure I really plan things out,” says New
Orleans mother of three Laurel Smith, a frequent
traveler and founder of the Web site momsminivan.com,
which lists more than 100 activities to keep the kids
content in the car.

Foil art is among her favorites. So are travel tickets: Give your child 10
for a five-hour trip and have him turn one in every 30 minutes. He can
track the remaining travel time. Maps are another popular way to pass
the time, with highlighting markers so kids can monitor the progress.

Almost 35 million Americans are expected to travel next week, about 2
million fewer than last year, according to the AAA. Air travel will take the
biggest hit, says AAA Travel Vice President Sandra Hughes, and is
expected to decrease about 27 per cent from last year. Auto travel,
meanwhile, is holding its own. About 30 million people will climb into their
cars next week and travel more than 50 miles.

It’s a trip that need not be tension filled. Before you strap your kids into
their car seats, do a little research. It won’t take a miracle to keep those
kids well behaved. Just some advance planning.

Audiobooks:

Everybody loves a good story. And if you have a cassette or CD player in
your car, you won’t even have to tax your vocal chords.

Just head to your local library, which stocks hundreds of books on tape.

Leslie Molnar, assistant manager of children’s services at the Cuyahoga
County Public Library, says there are lots of titles that will appeal to the
kid in all of us. Among her recommendations: classics such as “The Wind
in the Willows,” “Homer Price” and “Pippi Longstocking.” Adults and kids
alike also love the Harry Potter books, she says.

Another option is Talking Book World, which sells and rents audiobooks
at two locations, in University Heights and Fairlawn. A one-week rental
runs $7; a vacation package includes five titles for one week for $25.

In addition to Harry Potter, owner Angela Underwood recommends “The
Golden Compass” series, “The Lord of the Rings” and “The Hobbit” for
older children and adults. Kids of all ages will enjoy the “Hank the
Cowdog” series, which offers several levels of humor, depending on the
age of the listener.

Games to go

From Matchbox cars in a shoebox to magnets on a cookie sheet, from
bubble-gum-blowing contests to puppet shows, there’s no limit to the fun
you can have on the road.

Smith recommends putting together a travel box filled with toys and
games only for long car trips. That way, the contents will seem like new.

Or, pack a travel bag for each child, filled with books, stickers, toys and
other goodies. Wrap each item and pass them out at intervals to increase
the kids’ excitement. (The company Sealed With a Kiss can do this for
you, creating made-to-order travel packages for every age. Call
800-888-7925 or visit www .eswak.com).

There are lots of games, too, that don’t require props. Try the Animal
Game (“I’m thinking of an animal with a long neck that eats leaves . . .”) or
Favorites (everybody takes a turn revealing his or her favorite flower, flavor
of ice cream, season or place to visit.)

Taking breaks

Couples who remember the days of traveling for 10 hours without taking a
break need to adjust to a new reality. Smith and others recommend
stopping every two to three hours if you’re traveling with small children.

Highway rest stops are perfect spots if the weather isn’t awful. Pack a
jump-rope and Frisbee and you’re set.

If it’s raining, snowing or too cold, you’ll have to be a little more creative.
No matter where you’re going, there are bound to be interesting stops you
can make along the way. Smith and her clan stopped at Elvis’ birthplace
on a recent trip through Mississippi that sparked a thoughtful conversation
on poverty. “I hate driving by stuff and then wishing we had stopped,” she
says.

And there’s almost always a McDonald’s within reach. The fast-food giant
and other chains have indoor and outdoor playgrounds that are real
energy-burners for little kids. The only trouble is tearing the kids away.

For a list of McDonald’s Playlands along your travel route, visit
www.vicinity.com/mcdonalds, click on Travel Planner and input your
starting point and destination.

Catch a movie

VCR/TV combos that plug into a cigarette lighter are becoming more
popular for frequent travelers. And the prices have come down. B&B
Appliance in Bedford Heights has five models, ranging in price from $229
to $500.

Or, you can rent them. Sun Rental Center in Mentor has four for rent, $15
for the first day and $2 for subsequent days. Alas, they’re all booked for
Thanks- giving. The Web site www .drivinsane.com has units available
over the holidays, but for a higher cost – rent a unit with a 10½-inch screen
for $240 for 10 days (or a 5½-inch screen for $99 for a week). Call
866-652-7263.

Snacks

When all else fails, Laurel Smith reaches into her bag for her
can’t-miss-way to keep the kids quiet: food.

“It always keeps them busy,” she says. Among her favorite snacks for the
road: trail mix, pretzels, raisins, crackers, string cheese, dry cereal and
bottles of water. On the leave-behind list are chocolate, which will melt
and make a mess, and juice, which will spill and make a mess.

Amid all the food, games and movies, Smith also makes sure to set aside
some drive time to just talk. Juggling the schedules of three kids and two
adults means five people rarely sit down together at home at one time.

“It’s nice to have that time when everyone’s together,” says Smith.

And before you know it, you’re there.