by Rhonda Crone

Created on: June 27, 2008   Last Updated: November 08, 2009

The Family Road Trip:
You Can Do it, Have Fun, and Not Break the Bank

When my husband and I decided to take our one and four year-old across the country to the California coast by car, we looked at it as possibly our last chance for the classic Griswold family vacation, with gas prices predicted to increase yet another 50 cents per gallon by the first of July. And believe me, we hoped for the best, but expected the worst. Now that it's done, even after shelling out over $1000 on gas and having many petty arguments and mini-tragedies in our now for-sale Toyota Landcruiser, we regret nothing. The trip was a tremendous success, a true test for our family, proving to us that if we did this, and actually lived through it, we could do just about anything together.

I'd like to share how we kept our sanity and from going completely broke, both during our 4,000 mile excursion, and after we reached our beach destination:

Packing Food/Goods: We packed one cooler full of water bottles, Starbucks coffee drinks, juice boxes and the baby's milk, and another of string cheese, hummus, boiled eggs, baby carrots and the 10 sandwiches I pre-made for the two-day drive. We also had a canvas grocery bag full of packaged goods like granola bars, protein bars, chips, crackers and cookies, and another of things we'd need like paper plates, plastic baggies, plastic utensils, and a mini dish and laundry detergent (since we'd have facilities at our lodgings). I brought a couple extra canvas shopping bags, knowing that California is quickly phasing out plastic bags altogether. Additionally, I always keep a cylinder of Wet Ones in the car, as well as tissue and a small bag for trash. We only ate out a total of 5 meals during the 4 days of driving).

Packing Appeasements: Be sure to bring your kids' favorite books (thin ones), color books and learning books (in the vain of Where's Waldo), colors (not markers!), a Magna-Doodle, and a portable DVD player (most important) with a case of favorite movies. Also, candy that you don't normally approve of, like suckers, Starburst and Skittles work wonders in times of desperation. Also, play games like spot your ABC's and storytelling from the view out the window. This can fill in a lot of time on a sometimes monotonous road like I-40. For adults, be sure to bring only your favorite music, an Ipod for the passenger, and books and magazines.

Packing Clothes: Each of us had our own suitcase for clothes, we shared a shoe bag, and we had a "family overnight

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