Are We There Yet? Part 3 -Route 66 Bound

So by now you should have narrowed down your trip to more realistically fit your time and budget, if not let me know maybe I can help. For now though let’s assume you know where you want to go, what you want to see, and how much you have to spend. Now, its time to start those final steps towards getting on the road.

Step 10 – Finalize Reservations

Now that you know where you want to go and what you want to do its time to finalize your plans. Get your reservations at Hotels, Motels and restaurants in now, but make sure you carry a list of all the names and numbers with you, and put a list together of contingency destinations as well. You may find yourself needing all this data if you find yourself running behind or even way ahead on the road.

Step 11-  Plan what to bring

This is an important step to do as soon as possible, since you want to give yourself time to get what need before packing begins. The first step is to go family member by family member and make sure they have what the need for themselves, you may want to start a checklist. Make sure everyone has the clothes they need, swim trunks, a light jacket, good walking shoes etc. Ideally you want to make sure that everyone has enough clothes for a week as well since you can at least go that long between washes. You also want to check on hygiene items as well, buying special travel tooth brushes, combs and brushes, deodorant and whatnot will make sure that everyone has the basics, and nothing will get forgotten at home the morning of.

After personal items plan for what you need to support your trip and vehicle. A family medicine cabinet, a car sick kit (see my blog on these items), laundry items like an mesh (dirty clothes) bag and detergent, a bag with maps and books, the GPS, laptop, and a car emergency kit with fix a flat and fold away shovel, are probably all items you want to have.

Lastly don’t forget items for the little ones, you want to bring as few toys as possible so they are more easy to track and put away.

By planning early you have enough time to get the family to the mall for new clothes, buy stuff online as you need it, and pick up whatever else you need. This also gives you time to plan how and where to pack stuff, and look for alternate items to pack stuff in or bring with if you don’t have space as it is.

Step 12 – Time for Car

Unless you’re traveling in a rental car or brand new car, you may want to bring your auto in for a checkup. You just want to see if there is anything wrong with it you may be unaware of that could leave you stranded. Just be careful not to get sold anything you don’t need.

After the checkup you may want to get your car clean. On a long road trip every bit of space may count, so cleaning out useless items in the glove compartment, and the blankets piled up in the trunk may yield space you need. Plus its nice traveling in a clean car.

Step 13 – Talking About Check Ups

About a week before leaving you may want to get yourselves to the doctor. It’s a good chance to find out if you’re coming down with anything, and get prescriptions you may need filled one more time before leaving.  This is also a good time to get prescription motion sickness meds for any of your family members who may require them.

Step 14 – Don’t forget home

One worry to me when I leave on a long trip is my house. Plan far enough advance as to what precautions you want to take to protect your house. Now is the time to get timers, and other home security devices to make it seem like you’re at home. It’s also a good time to inform you’re local police department that you will be away. Also you may want to ask someone you really trust to drop in from time to time and make sure everything is ok. Lastly, don’t forget your mail and newspapers you may get, make sure you put holds on both so neither is piling up indication that you’re not home.

Step 15 – Pets

Cats can be pretty self-sufficient with multiday food and water feeder, and clean litter box left behind but will still need someone to stop in and check on them occasionally. As for Dogs, well they are different all together, in my post “Appy to See You” I cover and app called Travel with Pets that will help you find pet friendly motels along your way, but not all Route 66 staple Motels are going to be ok, with doggy. You want to get this situation figure out as soon as your can and decide quickly whether to take doggy with or board the dog for however long your gone. Boarding locations can fill up quickly in the summer as other folks board their dogs too, so getting arrangements made early will be a huge help. Also keep in mind that boarders want you to have all your dog’s shots up to date so the earlier you work on this the quicker you can get those done too.

As for other pets you are going to have to make arrangement for others to watch them, the earlier you can get to that the better.

With all these steps done know we get down to those final, of the final steps.

Step 16 – Pack and repack.

A day or two before you leave you want to prepack. This is going to give you a chance to make sure that everyone has everything they need, and that your bags can hold it all. This is that one last chance to get new luggage, clothing or toiletries so that you are completely prepared before hitting the road.

You also want to prepack the car as well, having suit cases and bags to fit everything is great but if they don’t fit you may have an issues, and you don’t want to be finding that out the morning of. Make sure everything fits and move things around like a puzzle before deciding to dump items. You want to make sure that items fit with some logic to their placement and where items like the car sick kit, snacks, and map bag are easy to grab in a hurry. This is a big step that really lets you know you are on your way.

As a suggestion try to do your prepacking, and actual packing out of sight if you can, perhaps in your garage, this way you aren’t advertising you won’t be home.

Step 17 – The Day Before

Between packing, washing the last laundry, putting timers in, taking care of pets and all those last minute store visits the last day before leaving can get really stressful. You may not be an advocate of it but my wife and I have always chosen to go out to eat, gotten carryout, or have food delivered for all meals the day before. This helps reduce the stress of making meals, keeps everyone fed, and keeps a pile of dishes from being made.

Also, keep stress levels as low as you can. I have found that all the running around can produce a long day and short tempers. Try to make sure that everyone has a job to do, this may not include younger children of course but the older kids can help out immensely. Not only can they get themselves packed but they can help the younger kids too, and then help you with additional jobs.

Overall, try to start on all your tasks as early in the day as possible, so you have some time in the evening to bring things down and get everyone rested and slept for the days to follow.

Step 18 – You’re on Your Way!!!

Have fun, good luck, and have a safe journey!!!!!!!

Are We There Yet? Part 1 - The Journey Begins?

We here in Northern Illinois are in what is unofficially early summer or a close approximation of it. We're finally begining to see a lot of sun, and occasionally some really warm and dare I say it even hot days. Of course this time of year always brings a feeling of optimism and with it a case of the summer fever. It first strikes you as a need to get out of your house, and then begins to strike you as a need to hit the road and wonder blue skies, and new terrain.

For me the need to hit the road has been haunting me all day in the form of sudden memory flashes from places I have been, and many of them are places on Route 66. These memories and the urge to move have even made me grab a few moments of internet time from my within my busy day to peek at some of the places I've been to and want to see again. 

What it all reminds me of though is the fact that if I or let's say you "want to take that California trip" to qoute the song, now is the time to plan and plan well. 

You see for me nothing says summer vacation more then a good old fashion family road trip, and there can't be any place in the world better to road trip on then Route 66. 

Now, I'm guessing your no neophyte to family travel, and that although you may have not traveled Route 66, you do know what's out there and on it. With that said though I know you maybe feeling a bit overwhelmed, there is so much to see and so little time. So I'm going to give you some step by step instructions that can help you plan the type of trip you want. 

Step 1 - Get a Guide

Jerry McClanahan's EZ66, and Route 66 Magazines Complete Guidebook and Atlas of Route 66 are two very good ones. I wrote an article covering both last year just see my older postings to find the one right for you. You will want one to help you plan, and to keep in the car along the way.

Step 2 - Get a Wishbook

Remember getting the Sears or Penny's Wishbooks near Christmas as a kid? Do you remember going through the toy section and circling what you wanted so your folks would know what to get you. If your planning on traveling the route you may want to repeat this old custom as an adult. There are lot of great Route 66 books out there with some great insight into the Route and that cover the many landmarks with great story's and photos. 

One of my favorites is Route 66 by Nick Freeth. This book goes state by state and covers a lot of great attractions. You need a book like this where you can mentally circle what you want to see and go plan it from there. If you don't want to buy this book you might be able to get it or some great books like it through your local library. Also if you need any suggestions just go ahead and contact me. 

Step 3 - Read My Blog

http://route66forfamily.blogspot.com/?m=1

Shameless self promotion? Well, maybe a little, but I also have tons of great tips, and history's on my blog that are great for planning. I even have my Route 66 Kids Picks articles about authentically kid approved sites along Route 66, and my Family Travel Must Haves a great series about the road trip items every family must have to make life on the road easier. 

Step  4 - Get A Notebook

 

This is simultaneously a fun and hard part. The first thing you want to do is plan your dream trip. Put down all the places you want to see and the amount of time you want to invest into each one. Want to see the Grand Canyon via the Grand Canyon Railway add two or three days in. Want to catch a Cubs game in Chicago, and do some shopping add a day or two there, and so on. 

Why plan a dream trip first?

The goal is to purge your system of everything you want to see and do on a Route 66 trip, then pear it down to fit reality. That may seem a bit depressing, but it's not as depressing as missing something you really wanted to see on the route becuase it wasn't planned in. We'll talk about doing a reality check in a later step. 

The goal here is to give yourself a written idea of what you want to see and do that has no constraints, and where you can cross stuff off and/or pencil other items in with very little effort. If you review your guides or Wishbook ahead of time it's also a great place to jot down notes about potential detours, other alignments, and off the beaten path landmarks. 

Well this is where I'm going to end Part 1, becuase you probably busy getting together all these items. Watch for Part 2 coming out soon.

What's Route 66's future? Families!

A few weeks ago noted Route 66 author Jim Hinckley asked "What are your thoughts about the future of Route 66?", on his blog. Of course Hinckley asked this question rhetorically mainly to lay out some interesting facts about 2013 tourism and planning events taking place for next year. But, this question has stuck with me over the last few weeks and I thought I would take the time to examine the question and answer it here.

Over the past decade many on and/or with an interest in Route 66 have opened their hearts and doors to the influx of international travelers. Now don't get me wrong I don't have an issue with this at all. As a matter of fact there is something heartwarming and that makes you proud that one of the biggest symbols of freedom in the world is Route 66, and people come from everywhere to experience it. At the same time though I can't help but feel that the Route 66 community hasn't really thought the international tourism concept out, and I am afraid it may come back to bite them in the near future. 

You see international tourism is up becuase the Dollar is down. Without breaking out my international banking textbook from college, here is how I can explain what that means. An international traveler can get more Dollars for their form of currency. Let's use British Pounds for example, for one British Pound a traveler from the UK can get a $1.75 (+/-). So they can buy more for less meaning an American vacation is a great bargain. 

This is all well and fine, but I think many overlook the fact that there are a lot of factors that can quickly change this situation. I mean with our economy the way it is I'm sure we all have our doubts whether or not our Dollar could ever again become an international powerhouse, but it can happen. So the question then remains if the Dollar should climb in value internationally, what happens to the pool of international tourist? Well to be honest that pool drys up as each currency loses value against the Dollar. 

For the Route 66 community which has almost become dependent on international tourism over the past decade this would be a disaster. But, I'm here to help and provide my ideas as to how the Route 66 community can take the potential downturn in international tourism in stride. 

What's my blog about? Route 66 for families, and this is an area the Route 66 community hasn't bothered to take seriously. The Route 66 community has a domestic audience that has heard of Route 66, but is unaware of its relevance. This isn't becuase Americans are ignorant of there own history, but becuase the importance of Route 66 isn't exactly something taught in history class or put on the High School civics exam. Route 66 in the minds of most Americans is a small niche of our history, but considering it lacks the relevance of things like the Civil War, or various presidents it gets pushed off to being Americana for fun rather then for history. It's also hard for American who are used to monuments and parks all being in a certain area, to imagine a monument of history being a neary 2500 mile long stretch of highway, that is still alive in most areas.

What the Route 66 community needs to do is take the giant gift wrapped with a big red bow given to it by Disney-Pixar in 2006 and known as Cars and use it to really capture the minds a hearts of kids and their parents. Then the community needs to educate from there presenting itself in family friendly chucks. They need to let families know they don't have to travel the whole route, but get a feeling for it here and there. 

The Illinois Tourism Board for example is using this approach. Illinois is breaking Route 66 down into family friendly portions, and even presenting ideas for family activities along the way. Imagine if all of Route 66 did this and did it in an advertising campaign before the start of summer the same way individual states and other tourist attractions do. 

So once again Route 66 community look to your own country and look to families wishing to experience Route 66 and the old fashion road trip for your future. 

Route 66 Movies - Route 66: The Marathon Tour

My guess is that your not getting ready to head down Route 66 within the next few months. As matter of fact this being a blog about family Route 66 travel, I'm guessing it's going to be late Spring till you begin to think about it again. All I have to say is why wait? Why not plan now? Which is why I have a documentary that you need to check out.

 

This is Route 66: The Marathon Tour. It's a boxed set of 5 DVD's that cover the route from Chicago to LA, in a lighthearted way. The series includes segments about famous sites on the way, interviews with owners of landmarks and historians, and is just generally fun to watch.  

The reason I think this set is a good planning tool, especially for the first time Route 66 traveler, is because you get to see the route in motion. Not only that but the series helps capture the spirit of Route 66 as the interviews give you insight into life along the route, and what it's like to explore it. It may not be a bad idea to watch the series with a notebook in hand, or a tablet computer so you can look deeper into some of the sights mentioned. 

The only problem I have with this set is that it is a bit cheesy at times. That and most of the funding to put the series together came from Hampton Inn's and Cheverolet so at times it does feel like a bit of a commercial. 

Overall though, this is a great "Winter Watch". It's a excellent tool for planning, and just getting you tuned into and ready to travel the Route.

If you interested you can find this set on Amazon, in the green collectors tin for $10 or less. 

Keeping Route 66 Family Friendly Works Both Ways - Part 1

The primary reason I started this blog was to create awareness of Route 66 as a family destination, for both families and those who make their lives on the road. I wanted families to see traveling the route as a satisfying family vacation option, and for those with businesses, restaurants, motels and etc to be ready to welcome families. 

For the most part I have found folks along the route to be more then friendly and welcoming. Always ready to share their love and knowledge of Route 66, with adults and kids. My last posting on McClean for instance mentions the museum staff at the Devils Rope Museum, and how welcoming they where. There not the only place where we have gotten an awesome reception, I could mention many others and I have in some of my past postings. 

Like anything else though you do find some soarheads (sorry for the old timey term). There are some out there who seem to believe that only older folks, and adults from oversea's should be traveling the route. These range from business owners to fellow travelers. 

My family and I had and incident in Holbrook, AZ in which a restaurant staff didn't seem to want families in there. The main reason we choose this restaurant was because they we suggested by the Route 66 Federation which had given is some really good suggestions before, and even after.  The staff seemed annoyed to have a child in their restaurant, and just kind of sat us down and forgot about us well they openly welcomed senior's in the restaurant and served them cordially. 

Keep in mind my son is very well behaved but being a little kid trapped in a car all day he was a little squirmy. Even though he wasn't moving that much, one of this lovely restaurants lovely favored customers felt the need to come up to our table and say "Well since he's going to move around so much, we're going to move to a new table. We have been in our car all day and would like a quiet meal thank you!", I hope this lady doesn't have grandkids to scare. Yeah really great place no wonder why it was nearly empty on a Sunday night at dinner time. 

But this is an example of only a few of the incidents we had, only a few. Here is this steak house that has its name in the Route 66 Federation guidebook, that should be welcoming to everyone especially families instead picking and choosing who gets good service who doesn't. To say the least when I got home I e-mailed the Route 66 Federation on this terrible restaurant (the food was awful too). 

My issue is that if those living and working on Route 66 want the route and its history to survive they are going to have to learn that families are the future. Those looking for a bit of that retro and historic travel, by traveling as a family in the steps of many other families in the routes past are a major part of the routes future. Welcoming only seniors and foreign travelers potentially endangers the route since your talking about an older generation, and overseas travelers mainly coming here since the dollar is down compared to their own currency. Families are not only the routes past but its future, kind of a strange circular way that works. 

Continued in part 2.

Route 66 - The Song and Introducing Your Kids to 66

Ok, I know it's cliche but apparently at one time or another anyone writing about Route 66 has to mention the song. Now I love the song, but what I'm about to say may be sacrilege, "I can't stand Bobby Troops voice". Route 66 is a great song but I am so glad it's been remade over and over. 

My two favorite versions are by Nat King Cole, and the Bing Crosby and the Andrews Sisters version both versions made shortly after the song was written. Both versions have that 40's wartime feel but sung in 1946 they also have that great feel of post-war optimism. But there have been some other great versions of the song made and still being made. Visit Wikipedia or Route 66 Magazine for a list of the artist and bands that have remade the song. 

If you don't know the story behind the song here it is. The War (WWII) was over and Bobby Troop and his wife where traveling west. They came from Pennsylvania to Chicago to catch Route 66. To say the least they where enjoying Route 66 so much Bobby decided he wanted to write a song about it to get people to drive the route and have the same great experiences. The only problem was he just couldn't get the song put together in his head. He knew he wanted city names in the song, but the chorus was killing him. Finally as legend has it they where outside of Tucumcari, NM when his wife blurted out the phrase "Get you kicks of Route 66!". To say the least the song came together at that point, and by the time they got to LA the song was written. Inspired by and born on Route 66. 

Driving down Route 66 now its hard to not want to pop the song on. It's also hard to not see the song eluded to just about everywhere you go down the route. 

Traveling with your family you may find the song is great for introducing your kids to the route, and teaching them a little bit of geography too. The song can help them learn cities and even states along the route. Give your kids a map and they may be able to show you the way down Route 66 just by singing along and pointing out the town the song names. 

Great Route 66 Books - EZ 66 by Jerry McClanahan

Trying to navigate Route 66 for the first time can be daunting. The maps show Route 66 but don't make clear the twist turns and detours the route has, and apps and GPS systems can at times be off or even make driving on the route very jumpy. 

So one of the questions I always get from first time travelers is; are there any good books out there that can help me navigate the route? Well there are two good one that I know of and have used the first is McClanahans EZ 66, and the second is The Complete Route 66 Guidebook and Atlas by the editors of Route 66 Magazine.

Traveling Route 66 as a family though my first suggestion would be for you to pick up Jerry McClanahans EZ 66. The book is geared both towards novice Route 66 travelers and families. 

Why I like the book;

First of all I love that its spiral bound and its small size. I know that seem like an odd first thing to love but if you spend enough time on the road working with maps you'll find out the value of spiral bound books quickly, especially small ones. Compare it to a regular road map in the compact space of a car and you'll get it all very quickly.

With this being a Route 66 blog about family travel here is something else I love about EZ 66, its very family/kid friendly. McClanahan adds unique scavenger hunts and fun stuff alerts to the book to help keep your kids engaged in the trip and on the lookout. 

On that note another great part of this book are the drawings and layout. It's like having a artistic friend give you his/or her sketchbook of Route 66 images, with notes made on the pages about taking the route. 

The directions are also very good as well and will guide you down Route 66 easily. But here is the best part about it, if you have an older child with they can help navigate you down the road with this book. It's laid out to be fun and inviting. And it is also laid out to put everything into easy to read sections, taking the route in bite size portions. 

The downsides;

This book is awesome but its not a singular solution. I would have to suggest bringing with additional guidebooks, no reflection on this book at all but Route 66 had so much going on that sometimes one book/author can't get it all. McClanahans version is great, but it keeps to the most traveled route. I would say use EZ 66 as your guide but keep in mind other alternates and past alignments.

Another thing is as great as that book is laid out the pages can at times be a bit too busy. This can make it hard to orient oneself in using the book to navigate. My suggestion is to study the book a little before using it. This will help you understand it's layout a lot better, so that if you choose to let someone else use it you can get them accustomed to it as well. 

Also the maps are good, but can lack a bit to be desired at times. So keep additional maps on hand just in case, a GPS may also help you here as well. 

Overall though the book is a must have. It will give you the confidence and ability to navigate the route successfully, and keep you family occupied as well. 

Podcasts to Help you Plan

Podcasts are topic specific talk shows that anyone can download for free from places like iTunes,  or Podcastalley.com. Basically you download these shows to your iPod or MP3 player, and you can listen to them any time. The best part is unlike a normal talk show radio station you can pick shows that are on subjects that interest you. 

Sadly at this time there is no dedicated Route 66 podcasts. But there are a few that touch on 66. The best one I can suggest is a video podcast series produced for the making of the first Cars movie. The podcast chronicals a trip the movies producers and animators took down Route 66 to inspire the movie, and give it an authentic feel. Just look for the Cars: Video Podcast on iTunes. 

I have actually come across a few that you as my readers may find helpful in family packing and planning your trips. You can find them in iTunes or at the links below. 

This blog link below is for a site called the  Domestic CEO

http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/house-home/organization/how-pack-traveling-kids

I this particular blog and accompanying website, the host Amanda Thomas gives some great tips on getting your family packed for a trip. Ultimately you have to pack in a way that works best for you and your family, but I think you will find her tips useful. 

Another great podcast is from the guys at Road Trip Radio. The episodes are filled with great tips, little side trip ideas, and a lot of usable and sometimes comical information. Just as a warning though the comedy bits at the end are always incredibly corny. 

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/roadtripradio

Family Travel Must Haves: #3 Traveling with Families Best Friend

In many families dogs are considered to be family members, and accompany families on trips, when possible. But not all trips are pet friendly, and it's common for dogs to be boarded or left with friends or family on vacation. 

If your considering taking a Route 66 trip, I might be able to help you find ways of bringing your dog (or even cat) with so you can enjoy your trip without worrying about the family member left behind. 

Where to Stay?

The first thing a lot of people worry about is finding a place to stay with their pet. True, not all hotels and motels will allow you to bring a dog in with you, but many establishments are pet friendly, some even friendlier if you pay a little extra. 

One easy way to find a pet friendly hotel or motel is the Pet Friendly app available for iPhones. 

This app allows you to search for hotels and motels that accept dogs of certain weights, and allows you to search by town name or zip code. On the road you will find this app is a great tool for helping you find places that will take your pets, without have to search individual motel website or make phone calls. 

This app is one of was the first if it kind, but there are many others out there now as too. Also if your in doubt as to whether a hotel or motel takes pets it always helps to call ahead and find out. 

Packing for Doggy (or Kitty)

Luckily there are a lot of people traveling with their pets now days, which means there are a lot of pet travel products out now days. One of that best items out there for travel is the collapsible pet bowl set. 

The set as you can see above is in the set up position. In holds about 2 cups of food and water, which depending on the size of your dog may be a full days food, or just part of a days food. 

The bowls collapse, and the legs fold down, and can easily fit in a backpack. Also if you put messy soft food in the bowls easily pop out so you can clean them individually, without cleaning the whole set. 

As far as carrying food and water many pet owners keep a special bottle of water set aside for doggy. A regular bottle of water is often more the enough to keep doggy hydrated at a meal time, or after a long walk. As for dry food one great method is to put aside an empty 28 oz plastic peanut butter jar, after cleaning it out it can hold a serving or two of dog food, plus the lingering peanut butter smell will really keep doggy happy. The jar may not be enough to keep doggy fed for the whole trip but it will allow you to control daily food more easily.  

The bowl set and food and water storage methods listed here will work for kitty too.

 Walking with Doggy

There are lots of leashes and pick up bags out there. But when walking with doggy there is another cool gadget out there you should know about. 

This is a special harness your dog can wear. This allows you to have doggy carry some of the stuff they need to support themselves, on the trail, or just on walks around the park. Plus it doubles as doggy's suitcase for your trip. 

International Route 66 Travelers Unite

Hello my fellow Americans and International audience. I just thought I would like to give a shout out to any international readers planning on traveling Route 66 with their families.

Being a long time Route 66 traveler, and enthusiast I know Route 66 has a huge international appeal, and why not there is nothing in the world like it. There is one thing that bothers me though and that is as I travel the route I notice that we have very few international travelers with their families. I see groups of adult men and women on motorcycles, some renting classic cars, or new one, even international travelers biking or hiking old 66. It seems families are few and far between though. 

So my International audience let me know what the story is. We really want you to bring your kids because there is so much a family can enjoy together.

Stay tune to my blog for more!!!

Great Stays: #1 The Georgian Hotel - Santa Monica, CA

There is something that can be said about a great hotel or motel stay after a few days of road tripping. Although many places to stay on Route 66 are nice, hospitable, and even unique, there are times when you need to be pampered, and to rest in luxury.

The Georgian Hotel in Santa Monica is one of those places to rest in luxury. The 1933 Art Deco hotel not only exudes the class and sophistication of the era it was built, but on top of that offers a level of service that you only see in really fine hotels thanks to its pleasant and helpful staff. Part of the reason this hotel always ranks high on travel websites.

The Georgian Hotel is located at 1415 Ocean Avenue in Santa Monica. Meaning that the hotels west side has some breathtaking views of Santa Monica Pier, Beach and the Pacific Ocean. Not to mention via some pedestrian bridges the hotel is only a short walk from Santa Monica Beach, and Pier, and if you forgot beach towels the hotel will lend you some for your stay.

The Georgians history definitely connects it to Route 66 since that section of Ocean Ave was a section of Route 66 leading to its western terminus  at Santa Monica Pier (or Will Rogers Hwy marker at nearby Palisades Park). Plus dating back to 1933 this hotel defiantly saw Route 66 and the LA area in their respective heydays.

The Georgian offers some unique dining experiences as well. The Georgians restaurant "The Veranda" serves Breakfest, Lunch, and Dinner, as well as cocktails with recipes dating back to prohibition served in the afternoon and evening. The food and drinks served at The Veranda for all meals are first class just like the hotel itself. But be prepared prices can get a little high on their menus, but the food is worth it.

On that note you may also like to know that the Georgian can get a bit high on room prices as well anywhere from $200 to $450 (Ocean views) per night. Which after days of Route 66 classics charging you $50-$100 a night can seem expensive but the stay at the Georgian is worth it, especially to celebrate reaching the end of Route 66 in style and luxury.

Now don't let the prices make you think that the Georgian is not family friendly. The establishment is remarkably welcoming to families including leaving a special little gift named Georgie for kids on the Bathtub. Plus the rooms come with optional Nintendo systems which may help ease your kids traveling angst. But with the beach and the amusement park on Santa Monica Pier nearby I doubt your kids will feel like spending a lot of time in your room.

Here is the website for the Georgian:
http://www.georgianhotel.com/about-our-santa-monica-luxury-hotels

Also here is the site for the Santa Monica Pier which is close by the Georgian, and a must see for the Route 66 traveler:
http://santamonicapier.org/

Route 66 Kids Picks #2 - Wigwam Motel, Holbrook, AZ

 A Kids Opinion – James 9 Years Old

“I liked it because it was like sleeping in a tent, but really being inside. I liked the old cars around other tipis, and the town was really cool because of the petrified woods, and the dinosaurs near the one place that sells the petrified wood. The tipi had was white like a real tipi and had a red stripe on it. We got to park our car right in front of it. It also had a TV in it, I liked staying there.”

The Holbrook Wigwam Motel is actually just one of two of these motels on Route 66, the other being in Rialto, CA. Although I should mention that these structures are not strictly confined to Route 66, since Wigwam Motels was actually a chain once found around country originating inKentucky, where the third surviving Wigwam Motel still stands. Many of the structures date back to as early as 1935 making them true historic Route 66 landmarks.

Both the Holbrook, and Rialto locations are well restored and maintained and worth staying in if you have the chance. Essentially each ‘Wigwam” is a small concrete cabin in the shape of a tipi. Although a bit smaller then a standard motel room, the one we stayed at in Holbrook was still very comfortable and allowed us room to move around, and bring some of or luggage in. The rooms come in one or two bed varieties and have there own private baths complete with showers. So although they look small they actually have everything you need.

I can tell you for certain that the Holbrook Wigwam is very clean and well kept, and from reviews the Rialto Wigwam is as well. Pricewise on the other hand the Holbrook Wigwam will set you back in the neighborhood of $50 a night depending on the day of the week, and the Rialtoabout $100.

These motels are true Route 66 gems, and definitely pop culture icons, ala the Cozy Cone Motel in Cars. Your kids will love it and it will defiantly make and impression. The Wigwams are a great and fun family stay.

Holbrook

http://sleepinawigwam.com/index.html

Rialto

http://wigwammotel.com/

Like this Blog? Follow me, and be sure to look for my up coming Kindle Book Traveling Route 66 with Kids

Lure of Route 66 - Preface

What is route 66? In once sense Route 66 is a teenage dream, that place of fantasy we have after we obtained our drivers licenses and want to step out into the freedom bought by driving a vehicle. The mere daydream of boys 14 or 15 years old completely unexperienced behind the wheel.

Just saying Route 66 conjures up images of the American landscape, the open road, and ultimately that freedom that comes from both.

Route 66 in essence means adventure. The thought of traveling it conjures up the image of a great odyssey. An adventure in which one may seek to find a new place to live, a beautiful woman, a new job, a new way to live, or might also seek to find themselves on this road.

The open road no matter where it is or what it is named always presents a chance for self-discovery and self awareness. Ultimately any road traveler no matter what the age, no matter what the relationship status, or their lot in life travels upon the open road to discover something new about themselves. Route 66 even though it is a particular name that travels through a particular place in essence embodies the spirit of the open road no matter where it is.

Traveling route 66 weather by yourself or with a girlfriend or boyfriend or with your family is always an adventure. It is a journey through history, a journey through many different types of terrians, a journey through many different types of regions, and it is a journey to discover what is in your own soul.

I won't lie to you there is a certain amount of hype in Route 66. This is hype and myth that has been left to us by previous generations. Yet at its core there's something unique and special about this journey. When you start your journey on it you will start as a stranger you'll find yourself feeling as out of place as the road itself is in our modern age. You will feel the call to travel the interstates to travel quickly to travel safely. You will feel the call to climb upon airliner and get to where you're going in a couple hours. Route 66 at first will not feel right but as you continue on your journey something about it will feel right, something about it will make you feel whole. You will find that the open road beckons you, and you will also find so too does it's many ghosts. For this route is not only a route from modern city to modern city it is also route through time and through the remains and graveyards of a world that once was.

These graveyards will present themselves in forms of forgotten towns. They'll present themselves in the forms of long-lost gas stations, tourist courts, roadside attractions and cafes formally all teeming with tourists and travelers but now forgotten to deteriorate into ruins next to the interstates and modern facilities that have replaced them for good.

Although Route 66 may have many ghosts so to does it have many of the living. Those who remember the route and it's heyday who are willing to pass down it's stories whether positive or negative. You will meet those who remember the route as it was, and who made their business and their lives upon the road. But you will also find daydreamers those who have staked their existence upon the road as it once was to bring it back to his former glory. Those who have purchased and are restoring businesses and buildings that once used to represent the road and all that it epitomized. You will also find a road that is very much alive. You will see as it travels through Chicago and as it meanders through Los Angeles that the route although sometimes forgotten very much lives and is used every day by people on their way to work or to home or any other place they may have to travel. You will also see the route as the main thorough fare through many other small towns and small and medium-size cities like Tulsa, Oklahoma City, Amarillo, and Flagstaff just to name a few. Not to mention you'll see 66 as part of the famous Colorado Boulevard through Pasadena California meaning that Route 66 is the star of every New Year's Day as Pasadena presents it's Parade of Roses.

That's the thing about Route 66 there are so many juxtapositions. From farm fields to deserts, from urban blight to urban renewal, major world cities to forgotten small towns, rich to poor, from future to past. In many ways there is a surrealism about the whole route. On a three day trip down the route one could find themselves at Navy Pier in Chicago indulging in the cities luxury, and twenty-four hours later find themselves in the flatlands of Oklahoma sharing a cheap motel with oil field roughnecks. Then the day after that sleeping in a Wigwam Motel in the deserts of Arizona, and the next day starring out accross the Pacific on Santa Monica Pier. 2000 miles of changes, 2000 miles of different ways of life, 2000 miles of incongruity bought together for one uniform past.

In a way that also sums up Route 66's history, incongruity bought together for one uniform goal. 66's past is that of a country with growing pains, and ever changing opinions. The route was aligned, and realigned over and over to suit the needs of the country that traveled it, till finally it had popped its seems and needed to be superseded. Much like the philosophy and beliefs of our nation had been superseded as we moved into a more progressive and unfamiliar new era.

Dont misunderstand me the journey down 66 does not require some deep philosophical understanding of history and politics. It just requires that the traveler be willing to grasp a new understanding, and appreciation for the route and our nation. Most travelers on Route 66 discover the route engages them and not the other way around. The route presents a level of awe, hospitality, and lighthearted playfulness to the first time traveler. It's story may be sad but it's a story about life going on, and drawing inspiration from the pasts mistakes and triumphs to move forward, expressed on a level of accessibility and optimism.

All I can tell anyone is to take the journey, and most importantly if you have children make it a goal to take the trip. Experience Route 66's wonders, and emotions. Feel the adventure, and the excitment of the unpredictable around every corner, just as life always is for children. Be open to what the road had to show you, and be willing to discover. 

Family Travel Must Haves: #2 Dirty Laundry Helpers

It’s the day before you leave on your big trip. You make sure all the laundry is done and that you have all the clothes you really want ready to go. You pick out the outfit you’re leaving in, and maybe something nice to wear after you get back till you can do the laundry again. You pack all the suitcases nicely, folding here, rolling there, and stuffing things in a bit too.

A day or two later you suddenly become terrified when you realize some of your nicely packed clean clothes are now dirty, and crumpled and having to share space in your suitcase with all your clean and folded items. Yes, dirty laundry is the scourge of any trip longer then a weekend, and so is managing dirty laundry while you travel. But, don’t worry I’m here to help with a few great suggestions and gadgets I know you’ll love.

Tip #1) Plan ahead for dirty laundry – Be sure to recognize that all those nice clean folded clothes will at some point, be the exact opposite and need cleaning. Then based on the length of your trip ask if its practical wait to get home to clean or clean on the road. For instance a trip of 4 days or less may allow you to just repack dirty clothes, but anything over that may mean odors from dirty clothes may affect your clean clothes.

Tip #2) Factor in the type of trip to your laundry dilemma – Going to a resort for seven days? Or since you’re on my blog can I anticipate that you’re in for a real road trip moving from place to place daily? These factors will allow you to decide how to keep dirty laundry stored. 

Tip #3) Accommodations – Some hotels offer laundry service, but it can be expensive and take a day or so to get clean clothes back. Most motels and hotels though do not offer laundry service but many have washers and dryers for guest to use. Based on your downtime at the motel and availability of these facilities they may be very convenient in getting a quick load, or all your laundry done.

Tip #4) Keep clothing cleaning supplies on hand – Laundromats and motel washer and dryer facilities have detergent and bleach available in vending machines, but the usual price is a $1+ for a small one load box. This is why you may want to consider bringing your own detergent and bleach. You can find small bottles of each at your local store, and although the small bottles may sell for as much as a larger one, odds are it will still be a cheaper option then buying your soap out of a vending machine. Just make sure you keep the bottle of bleach in a leak-proof bag in case it should somehow leak while you on the road.  Also, carrying stain treater’s with will help to keep stains at bay till you can wash your clothes, Oop’s, and All are just a few companies that sell travel stain treaters. Oh and I nearly forgot to mention change, getting a 1 or 2 $10 rolls of quarters from you bank will  be a great way of making sure you always have the change on hand to pay for washers and dryers at your motel or at a laundromat.

Tip #5) Watch where you put dirty laundry – Enclosed bags are OK, if you have an odor and moisture absorbing device you can place inside. But, my best suggestion is to choose a mesh container to put them in so smells and moisture can escape and not replicate in a small enclosed area.

Now Time for the Gadgets!

Mesh Containers

You have two travel friendly options, one is a mesh bag, and the second is a travel hamper.

Mesh bags are a great option if you’re traveling on a road trip like down Route 66. Essentially what you would want is a mesh duffle bag. Depending on whether you’re traveling by yourself or with your family the mesh bags come in a variety of sizes.

The mesh duffle bag gives you the ability to put dirty clothes in a breathable sack, therefore cutting down on odor and moisture. But the mesh duffle also has a few other bonus features as well, for instance they are enclosable meaning that a draw string or zipper will keep all your dirty laundry together and not floating around your car. Also the mesh duffle is flexible and can be smooshed, and stuffed into your vehicle in open spaces you may have, these may not save space but at least it is not ridged and needing a defined space.

Travel Hampers are very cool and can give you a lot of options in separating and cleaning your clothes. If you find yourself staying in one place for a few days they give you the ability to set one up in your motel room or bathroom to act like a regular hamper you have at home. If you’re on the road though these may not work, out but the travel hamper still can help you. Travel hampers can be used as makeshift laundry baskets to help you separate clothes when laundry time comes around. The best part is that these hampers have a wire inner structure that allows them to be folded down into hoops about 9” inches in diameters, and about ½” inches thick, small enough to hide in your suitcase. There is also a wide variety of travel hampers out there now too, some allowing you to separate clothes within two or three compartments in the hamper itself. Others come in sets where each hamper is a different color which may be great for presorting clothes or assigning everyone traveling with you their own hamper

Mesh laundry bags, and travel hampers can be found at stores like Bed, Bath, and Beyond, and even Wal-mart. But for a really great selection I would suggest checking out Amazon.com, here are some links below to a few of the items I mentioned

Route 66: How long does it take?

This is one of the biggest questions I hear from people when I talk about
traveling the route. Often I have to counter ask "how much time do you have?" or
"how much do you want to see?". There is no right or wrong amount of time,
although I would say that anything less than 3 days is unrealistic, unless your
flying over the route in a plane.

If time is a factor you’ll have to ask yourself some basic questions. Start with how much time do you have and how much do you want to see? Then ask yourself how long do you want to travel each day? And lastly how well does my family take to long periods in the car? This last one should be asked even if time isn’t a factor.

For my family and I our first trip true to the route took 7 days. The 7 days allowed us enough time to see a majority of 66's sites and even linger at some of them a bit. By the end though we were exhausted and our two days at the Georgian Hotel, and at Santa Monica Beach where greatly appreciated. But being our first trip there was also a
learning curve, we had a few long travel days brought about by time wasted here or there that could have easily been cut to bring us shorter travel days or to have shaved a day off the trip.

Three days may be enough time to travel the route, just be prepared to have long travel days and to have very little time at the many sites. Obviously, though the longer you can take the shorter your travel days. Ideally speaking two weeks would be perfect for this, but some RVers, and motorcyclists have been known to take a month making the trip. Traveling with kids though I could tell you a month would be exaggerated, and probably lead to
boredom and discontent. This is why it’s also important to know how your family behaves on the road. For some families 4 hours a day in the car for 14 days maybe as bad as 12 hours for 3 days.

Ideally speaking, to give yourself enough time and to see as much as you can I would suggest 7-10 days. Keep in mind that unlike the long an boring interstates Route 66 has plenty of distractions along the way perfect for kids, and spending time at these sites can make for an enjoyable trip for the whole family.

It is my hope that through this blog I can pass what I have learned on to you,
so you can avoid or at least be aware of time eaters so as to properly prepare
for them.

Family Travel Must Have's: #1 The Car Sick Kit

No matter what way your traveling the odds are you or one of your family members has the tendency to get ever so slightly motion sick, and with that some unpleasant consequences that can make for a heck of a mess. My ordinarily iron stomached older son found his limitations twice, traveling down the winding roads through the mountains, and both times we where unprepared. After that second time, and with the possibility of more mountain roads ahead of us my wife and I decided it was time put something together to help limit the mess of car sickness, and if necessary always have the tools to clean it up. 

We came to call this “The Car Sick Kit”. As unpleasant as the thought of having someone on your trip get sick in the car may be, its even more unpleasant to be completely unprepared. So even if your traveling with kids, or even all adults “The Car Sick Kit” may become one of your best travel buddies.

Here are some tips towards making your own.

First, try to prevent the mess. I don’t mean by traveling down flat and straight roads only but provide a car sick passenger with a way getting sick but not messy in case you can’t pull over. The airlines lovingly call them barf bags. But you can also call them grocery bags, try to keep a few plastic grocery bags (make sure to check them for annoying holes) in storage areas in for your back and front seat passenger, make sure the storage compartment makes access to the bags easy, and quick. By doing this you can contain the mess until you can get to an exit of some type, and you may be able to avoid using a lot of the other items in “The Car Sick Kit”. Just be sure to remember that this option is probably not good for smaller children since they may not have the reaction time to reach for the bag, and/or the use of a plastic bag like this may be dangerous for them.

The Kit Itself:

My wife and I opted to use a Kelty Camp Container to put the kit in. A Kelty Camp Container is a rectangular bag that can store a lot, but do to its shape and size takes up little space. You may want to consider using a container like this to keep the contents of you kit together, and easy to grab.

Picture of Kelty bag and kit

Drinking Water - The next item that is a must have to the kit is a gallon of drinking water. Now remember its always good to keep drinking water with you in your car, especially on cross country trips, but this water is to help clean up. You can use this bottle of water to help clean car seats and other areas, as well as the sick passenger, or anyone else he or she might have gotten. Keeping it to drinking water also allow the sick passenger to use some of it to drink or wash their mouth out with.   

Paper Towels – Yes a roll of paper towels like you have in your kitchen. You’ll find out in a hurry restaurant napkins don’t go far. Paper towels get the mess cleaned up, and can even take a little bit of water without crumbling to pieces. Paper towels will make your clean up efforts a lot easier and they are also disposable.

Mouth Wash – Lets be honest if you passenger is old enough they aren’t going to dig being covered in vomit, they also aren’t going to be too happy with the taste in their mouths. Gum isn’t going to do the trick, and full out brushing teeth may not be within reason. Keeping a small bottle of mouth wash will allow your passenger to get a little more cleaner, and they can spit the mouth wash out on the ground if they need to. Mouth wash isn’t suggested for all ages, but there are mouth washes out there now for kids that adults will find pleasant too.

Deodorizing Spray – Perhaps you can get away with opening the windows, but if its too hot or too cold that option wont work, plus there is no promise open windows will get the odor out. This is why you may want to keep a small spray can of deodorizer. Companies such as Yankee Candle and Fabreeze make small spray cans perfect for this. I would suggest not using something overpowering like Oast, and also picking a scent that is clean smelling but not prone to getting your sick passenger sicker, or getting yourself and other passengers sick.

Fabric Cleaner – Yeah your going to want to get something on your seats right away to get that stuff off (assuming you have cloth seats). A fabric cleaner such as the afore mentioned Fabreeze works well in this roll. If you have leather seats you may want to see what the manufacturer suggest for caring for them in such an event.

More Plastic Bags – Plastic bags can be used to hold the dirty paper towels, and other garbage from what you cleaning up. If the passenger has the ability to change clothes they can also throw their dirty clothes into these bags for cleaning later. The plastic bags should to some degree be able to hold odors in, until you can get them out of your car.

Disinfecting Wipes – Clorox, Lysol, or generic your going to want a small tube of these in your kit. After the main mess is cleaned up these can help disinfect the areas your just cleaned, there are also great for cleaning up plastic and vinyl in the car as well as other items that may have gotten soiled.

Baby/Diaper Wipes - Theses are easy on the skin and great for removing stains from clothing. Baby wipes are great for helping freshen soiled adults as well as baby's, and can help a sick passenger or victim of one get skin and clothes clean until they can get changed elsewhere.    

Old Towels – I wouldn’t suggest using cloth towels to clean up a car sickness mess, but they can be used in helping clean up your passenger(s), as well as being placed on the recently cleaned seat so your passenger(s) don’t have to sit in a wet spot. Having a few old wash clothes, hand towels, and maybe a bath towel may come in handy.

Anti- Bacterial Hand Sanitizer – In case your cleaning up no where near a bathroom your going to want to get hands clean any way you can. Hand Sanitizer is the best way of getting everyone hands clean without soap and water, a minimizing the potential of additional illness.

Here are a few additional items you may want to have in the event of car sickness, but should be kept outside the kit.

Ginger Ale – Or a 7up like beverage are also great for calming the stomach, it may help in preventing illness, or help a recently sick passenger feel better quicker.

Saltine Crackers – Or Ouster Crackers also help calm the stomach, used in conjunction with Ginger Ale or Lemon Lime soda it may help in preventing illness, or help a recently sick passenger recover quicker

*Pepto-Bismo – Or something like it, can help reduce additional nausea and additional illness. Remember this may not be appropriate for all ages.

*Dramamine or Motion Sickness Remedies– I’m not one for medicating my kids unnecessarily, and these remedies aren’t for younger children. But these remedies can help those who suffer from chronic motion sickness, it can also me used to help a recently sick passenger feel better, and get them in better shape for traveling, especially if the motion sickness persists after the initial illness.

*Please consult a doctor on use of these items for your kids, other family member or yourself. Chronic motion sickness may be a sign of other medical conditions.