Need tips and info for a road trip

**Missy** · 05-22-2007, 04:12 PM

This is the route we will probably have to take when mom passes. anyone live along any of these routes that can give me a heads up of bad info or of what i need to avoid? About half way through we will need to stop at a motel overnight. If you know of a safe choice and inexpensive, please give me a heads up!!

http://www.mapquest.com/directions/m...2z=&panelbtn=2

**frugalfriend** · 05-22-2007, 04:17 PM

I don't have any tips, sorry, but just wanted to say I'm so glad it looks like you'll be able to go. I'm still praying for you and your family.

**Missy** · 05-22-2007, 04:23 PM

as long as this weekend's party doesn't cancel on me I should make enough for gas at least (praying hard, since gas prices are high!). and hoping FIL can help us too.

**i.m.cheap** · 05-22-2007, 06:13 PM

You can estimate the cost of your gas for the trip here:
http://www.fuelcostcalculator.com/TripGasPrice.aspx

For our car, a 2001 Toyota Corolla, it was $431.78

It varies a lot depending on your vehicle, a 2001 4WD Chevrolet Blazer would require over $700 in gas for the round trip.

**Missy** · 05-22-2007, 07:38 PM

ouch. over 500 bucks

**Missy** · 05-22-2007, 07:39 PM

but then again it's still cheaper than plane tickets for each of us. heck that's cheaper than the dog boarding we'd need if we flew and couldn't take him

**PrairieRose** · 05-22-2007, 09:34 PM

Missy we don't live along the way but just wanted to say you can save lots of money by being prepared ahead of time and taking all food you can haul for your family. Lots of people eat picnic style at roadside parks and rest areas. We always take our own snacks and drinks and this makes any trip cheaper.

**Cricket1** · 05-22-2007, 09:47 PM

Missy--I don't live far from Rte 95 in NH. Unfortunately, that's toward the end of your trip. From here, the drive into Maine is a nice one. My grandfather use to live past Bangor.

I'm sorry that you're having to plan this trip. If you're driving through during the day, let me know. You can stop here for lunch.

**McD** · 05-22-2007, 10:03 PM

Missy,

You are passing right through my neck of the woods on I-80 near Des Moines. The closer you get through Des Moines, be more cautious in speeding, state cops pull over a lot of out of state cars because of the drug running on I-80. Des Moines has relatively cheap hotels that are nice, but it's not really half way.

**coltsmama** · 05-22-2007, 10:57 PM

Missy avoid CHICAGO if you can!!!! Traffic is horrible.

**zakity** · 05-23-2007, 01:14 AM

When we go on trips, we take a ball or frisbee and stop at rest stops and play for 15 min or so. When the boys were tiny and just potty trained, we tried to stop every two hours. Everyone pottied first thing, we ate and played for a few, and then everyone hit the potty again. You had to at least try (if nothing came out, then that was fine).

We also take picnic meals. We use old sheets to use as table clothes. They fold up small. They can also double as light blankets if they are folded several times.

We take a few old towels in case of spills or whatever.

Take a bag of plastic grocery bags. At each stop, gather up the garbage and put it in the bag and put it in a trash can. It keeps your car cleaner.

Take a few sample sized bottles of shampoo. I save the small bottles and just refill them. I always have two in the car (one for the girls bathroom and one for the boys). If you are at a rest stop bathroom and there is no soap, you can use the sample bottle. If you have a huge poop diaper blowout, you can wash a kid up in the rest stop sink with the shampoo and dry them off with the towel or with the old picnic sheet.

We take bottles of water, bags of pretzels and crackers, cereal/breakfast bars, and beef jerky. If you are desperate, you can hit a drive-thru and get dollar hamburgers. With the water bottles and the pretzels or crackers, you have a hearty meal for cheap. If you are really desperate (for things like being stranded along side the road), the jerky, water, bars, and pretzels or crackers will keep you from starving if you don't have a picnic meal on hand. The bars can also work as a sub for a breakfast if you want to leave early and drive for a few hours.

Also, we only do water in the car. If it spills, it is just water. It will evaporate and it won't be sticky.

We try to leave really really early (like before 5 am). You miss the morning traffic jams and you get a few hours on the road while the kids are (hopefully) sleeping.

We buy small toys at the dollar store. When they were small, we give each child a plastic pencil box with a few toys in it. Every time we stop, you take out a toy or two and add something new in. Now that they are older, we listen to story cd's or they read.

We also have a few dry-erase games that I found at the dollar store (tictactoe, hangman, travel bingo, etc). I actually keep a few games in a ziplock baggie with some markers and an old washcloth in the cars at all times. It is great when you get stuck in traffic or they need to wait quietly at a doc's appt.

**Grayce** · 05-23-2007, 01:27 AM

We always stay at Holiday Inn Express as they are consistantly clean with nice rooms. They cost about $89-99 a night (kids stay free in their parents room). They have a really nice free buffet breakfast and many have indoor pools for the kids. I have been to quite a few and have not been disappointed.
For meals we take a cooler and have it filled with drinks and snacks. For a nice hot meal we go to a grocery store and buy one of the ready made roast chickens and some sort of side such as mashed potatoes. Then we buy one of those salad kits that include the dressing and everything. Along with some pre-washed baby carrots we have a good meal for much less than a resatuarant. We always bring along paper plates, napkins and plastic utensil. Baby wipea are good for clenaing up sticky messes.

**TheRootedNomad** · 05-23-2007, 07:25 AM

I'm not anywhere along that route but have done much car traveling. Leaving early, early, early, is always a good thing. You can get a good chunck of drive time in while they sleep, in the dark, at the beginning of your drive rather than at the end of it when your tired. We bring food and water with us as well. I always pack more quantity and verity than what we'll want. The boys bring their gameboys and stuff to do for when the non-driving grown-up is sleeping and we play routine roadtrip games like looking for all the state license plates as we go. ****On a side note****You guys from Ontario just are travelin fools. Doesn't seem to matter wear we're going we always see a least a few Ontario tags.

**acidcookie** · 05-23-2007, 07:47 AM

Avoid big city areas in general, the slight detour will take less time than city traffic, especially if you hit them early in the morning or early in the evening.

**Edna_E** · 05-24-2007, 08:35 PM

I'm not familiar with that particular territory, but farther south you tend to get better motel prices at no-name motels in smaller communities. Often these are owned by East Indian families, and they often seem to know each other - so , wierd as this may sound, I'd find a hotel owned by such a family close to where I live and explain the circumstances to them and ask if they have friends or relatives who have hotels on my route that they feel they can recommend. These tend to be very decent family-oriented people, and I have become life-long friends with some that I have stayed with. If you want, I can ask for you - just let me know. Also, some campgrounds have little cabins for about 15-30 a night. I tend to take a cooler of stuff and make sandwiches for lunches on road trips, and instant oatmeal for breakfast if I have hot water available. I've never been very adept at really cooking on the road, but can keep 2/3 of the meals really cheap. Also, making koolaid or lemonade from powdered mix can keep beverage costs down (or learn to drink water, which took me several decades to learn ;-).