Traveling on Thanksgiving? 5 Tips to Arrive with a Smile
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Photo:Britt Reints
Thanksgiving weekend is believed by many to be one of the busiest travel weekends of the year in the United States. The reality is that the summer months are busier for airports, but the highways will see about 54% more people taking long-distance road trips between Wednesday and Sunday. In other words, chances are good you'll find yourself in a car with family or friends for a few hours next weekend. Here's a few tips to make the trip more enjoyable.
1. Leave Wednesday night.
Photo:Britt Reints
Traffic is usually heavier on Thanksgiving day, so leaving the night before can help you avoid annoying delays. Your kids might also be more likely to sleep in the car if you're driving at night. Of course, this isn't a good idea if your driver is also prone to falling asleep in the car or has trouble seeing at night. But if you've got an nighttime road warrior? Hit the road the night before and make Turkey Day a little less stressful.
2. Bring a travel game.
Photo:Tobyotter/Creative Commons
The license plate game is one of our family's favorite things to do on long road trips. The best part is that it keeps us engaged with one another and has the kids looking out the window instead of engrossed in their own portable electronics. Any travel games that encourage kids to play together seems to cut down on the backseat bickering that often happens when kids are doing their own thing and end up fighting over space or conflicting noise. Travel games won't be any quieter than the arguing, but at least it's relatively happy chatter.
3. Pack healthy snacks.
Photo:Britt Reints
Yes, you're headed to the biggest meal you'll eat all year -- the kids won't care. An inkling of an idea that might have something to do with food turns into all out starvation when trapped in a car, and logic does nothing but stoke the fire of that hunger. Expect your kids (and probably the adults) to want food when the trip starts to get long. Pack carrots, celery or sliced apples to satisfy your boredom... er, cravings without spoiling your Thanksgiving appetite.
4. Compromise on the radio.
Photo:mick Lumix/Creative Commons
Do you know what's worse than listening to children argue for two hours? Sports talk radio. Fine, maybe that's just me. Maybe you'd rather listen to ESPN than NPR or the top country countdown. To keep the peace in the car, make a playlist of family favorites. Don't have an mp3 player you can organize ahead of time? (Now you know what to put on your wish list.) Share control of the dials in 20 minute increments. Another option is to shut the radio off and talk. But...
5. Don't have the talk you've been avoiding for weeks.
Photo:Katie Tegtmeyer/Creative Commons
Sure, you've got a captive audience, but you're also headed to a family gathering that's supposed to be about gratitude, not grudges. Table controversial topics for the ride home. You'll also want to avoid any commentary on your future hosts; a child's ability for verbal recall is at its best during holiday meals. Use this time in the car to have discussions that are too trivial to fit into the daily grind. What would you do if you won the lottery? What's on your bucket list? Who would you invite to your fantasy dinner party? These cliche ice breakers can be a great way to reconnect with the people you love the most.
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