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!!!!!!!

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.

Dropping Out in McClean Texas - Part 2

The Devils Rope Museum

The museum opened at 10AM and we got there at about 10:15 after exploring McClean.

Having gone to college in Dekalb, IL the birthplace of barb wire, and hearing about the Glidden's and the Elwood's, and the barn behind the Burger King where barb wire was invented we had to make that connection.

Although barb wire was invented in Dekalb, IL it was here on the western plains where the wire really got its use. It's also the only place where there is a museum dedicated to it. I know what your thinking barb wire doesn't sound all that interesting, but trust me you have to see this place. 

Since Glidden invented his barb wire there have been hundreds of variations, and thousands of uses. This museum shows hundreds of examples, everything from the simplist first forms to modern razor wire used for military applications.

You can easily spend and hour or so here, and we very well did. The museum staff was fantastic as well especially the lady running the register and gift shop, and we must have spent a half hour talking to her alone. The museum is a nice place to visit and it and its staff are family friendly. Overall, our few hours lost in McClean have always stuck with us, especially those haunting pictures of what McClean once was. 

The most important thing you have to learn on the road is how to occasionally "drop out" or take "time outs". These breaks can give you a good recharge to help you carry on, while learning something new along the way. For us it was what we needed and got us out of the every day state of mind of rushing around and finally into vacation mode. To say the least we took the rest of the day at a study and slow pace, and put our vacation in a new more restful light.