7 Ways to Have a Fun Family Car Trip

  
Memorial Day weekend marks the beginning of the summer travel season. According to AAA, more than one-third of Americans will take a family vacation this year. Many people who will travel to Bald Head Island this summer will arrive from Deep Point Marina by the Bald Head Island Transportation, Inc. passenger ferry.  Download the ferry schedule here.

 **We discuss a few games you can play in the car in the blog post below.  You can start with a game created by a BHI team member about Bald Head Island.

Download the game here  https://bhibarge.com/logo.html 

Directions for the Game: See if you can land the BHI logo on the barge. Use the arrow and thrust buttons to move the logo. BEWARE: the shark gets more interested in your activity the more points you score, don’t let him gobble you up! 

Many families will drive at least two or more hours to arrive at their desired vacation spot this summer. However, your vacation can start on your car trip. Here are 7 ways that you can transform you car trip to a fun and exciting time for your entire family: 
  
      1.  Fill a Backpack with snacks, books and small travel games.  You can also pack a travel journal to have everyone write down their favorite places or restaurants along the trip. To see an example of a travel backpack in action, click here. 

      2.  Download apps that will help make your trip both memorable and productive.  Apps like iExit, Waze and Gas Buddy will give you updated information on traffic patterns and gas stations. Spotify and doubleTwist are two great apps that are free to listen to music on your trip.  If the kids need a game to hold their attention for a few hours, WordFeud (similar to Scrabble) or Majesty: The Fantasy Kingdom Sim (a fun adventure game) are good options.  For the readers in the car, Zinio is a nice free app that allows you to access the most popular magazines on the planet.  To keep track of your personal travel adventures like photos, blog posts or notes, try FindPenguins. 

      3.  Have a family meeting and enlist help in planning the car trip by choosing restaurants or landmarks to visit during the trip that the whole everyone will enjoy. With the help of AAA and similar websites, you can easily find all of the options that are available on your upcoming road trip.  Having planning time prior to departure can assist the entire family in getting excited about the vacation.

      4.  Plan the traditional car games that you will play.  Games like “I Spy,” “License Plate Game,” “Memory Game,” and “20 Questions” are all favorites.  Edmunds.com has a great blog post that lists the rules for the 10 most popular car games that require no smartphone or tablet.  Try a technology free two hours and see how much fun you can have with the entire family.  

      5.  Ensure your gadgets are charged and working properly.  Make sure you have packed extra chargers for your smartphone and tablets and they are in a place that is easily accessible.  Decide in advance when you will allow everyone to use their device of choice during the car ride and when traditional games will be played. Set expectations ahead of time and you may experience just a little resistance when it’s time to put the tech away. 
 
      6.  Try to buy everyone’s favorite snacks to take on your car trip.  It is said that “variety is the spice of life.”  This is definitely true when it comes to car trip snacks.  Bottled water, granola and chips are popular alternatives that many people like.  Survey the family ahead of time, make a trip to your local grocery store and then pack the snack bags and/or cooler. 
  
      7.  Research destinations in advance.  Review landmarks on Trip Advisor or in National Geographic Kids Ultimate U.S. Road Trip Atlas to get the youngest family members involved in the planning.  They will be happy to contribute their opinion on where to visit or what to do.

      Car trips can be a great time to bond.  If you are driving to Bald Head Island, riding on the Bald Head Island Transportation ferry has also been reported to be one of the most relaxing things to experience associated with the trip. Planning a trip to Bald Head Island, follow us on Facebook to get the latest updates on what to do during your time with us.  

Published on Monday, June 12, 2017