better
FAMILY
CAR TIME
Had enough of the license plate
game? Try some music. Skip the
headphones, though, and go for a
little car karaoke. Set a rule that
everyone gets to play DJ for a set
amount of time. You can introduce
your kids to the Stones, and you
might just enjoy grooving to their
Jay-Z. Google song lyrics and print
out ahead of time.
For those who’d rather listen
than sing, check out
audible.com’s
75,000 downloadable titles includ-
ing Michael Scott’s bestseller
The
Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas
Flamel
and John Grisham’s new
release for kids,
Theodore Boone:
Kid Lawyer.
Or you can keep it low-fi. Pass
around a Rubik’s Cube to see who
can complete a side the fastest. Or
use the uninterrupted time on a
road trip to give a crafty tutorial.
Pack a skein of yam and knitting
needles or a crochet hook, and
teach your kids to cast on or how
to make a crochet chain.
If you have a teen in tow, this
is the perfect time for your young
driver to give that learner’s permit
or new license a workout under
your direct supervision.
Uncrowded highways are a great
way get some hours behind the
wheel—and no one will be bored.
One final way to keep everyone
entertained? Make the “car” the
entertainment! That is, rent a
recreational vehicle. When you
factor in hotel and restaurant
savings, the rental could aim out
to be a better value than you’d
expect. Go to
rvrentalsofamerica
.com
to for more information.
—Rebecca Ffrench
GO THE DISTANCE
Road-tripping is the ideal time to engage
the whole family in an activity (and PS,
watching a DVD together doesn’t count!).
The
W ORST-CASE
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FULL DECK
Card games like the Worst Case
Scenario travel editon ($6) or the
comparison fun of Apples to Apples
($15) score high points for car-travel
convenience and conviviality.
NEAT FREAKS
Keep the backseat super-
tidy with this pocket-filled
backseat organizer.
$34 at
thestoragestore.com
FOLLOWING DIRECTIONS
Family vacation harmony?
Bring on the GPS—and
forget the arguments.
Gar min 1260T, $1
90
DRIVE-TIME DINING DONE RIGHT
Single-serving sizes are one of the rules of road food,
as is cleaning out and organizing the cooler every
day. Some desserts can even pull double-duty as
toys. Try Pez, animal crackers, or Lego-shape candy
($9 a pound at
am azon.com ).
BY THE BOX
Divide and conquer: Interior
containers keep snacks ultra-
organized—and they’re a
cinch to wash afterwards.
Deluxe lunchbox with five
interior containers,
S45;
spoonsisters.com. Canteen,
$19, LLBean; llbean.com
SPORK IN THE ROAD
Whatever yummies you’ve
packed, these multi-use
sporks can handle. They’re
reusable (and dishwasher
safe), so don’t toss them
when you’ve reached your
destination.
$9 for a set of
three; spoonsisters.com
FOOD
A cooler is essential, for both trip
and destination. Fill it with bags of
trail mix (kids can make their
own), cheese cubes, yogurt tubes,
and containers of firm fruit and
hard veggies. Instead of a
sandwich, put favorite fillers
inside wraps or pita pockets—
they’re less crumbly on seats. And
remember to test your cooler for
leaks before you leave!
Make dining part of the fun.
Skip MickeyD’s in favor of a local
diner or roadside favorite. For a
state-by-state guide, check out
Guy Fieri’s
flavortownusa.com
or
Jane and Michael Stem’s
roadfood.com.
They’ll send you to
places you might never find on
your own—or forget.
Once ensconced, have
everyone pick a night to make
dinner and theme it around
regional specialities. At a
Wisconsin lake house? Grill some
bratwurst and serve German
potato salad followed by a pie
made with Wisconsin apples. Or
complete a week at Cape Cod with
a dinner of cod cakes, Boston
baked beans, and brown bread,
capped off by blueberry cobbler.
—Holly Robinson
GO NATIVE
Same old gets old.
Find out what the
locals eat and sample
some yourself,
f
‘w
1 9 0
AUGUST 20)0 BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS
