Friday, December 17, 2010

road rules.

I have never been a huge fan of long car trips. When Kyle and I drove my car to Atlanta to move me in, I swore that the next time I made the drive between Texas and Atlanta it would be to move back to Texas. 

Little did I know that we would find a 50 pound furry friend in Atlanta and bringing him into our family would been LOTS of drives to Texas. Since adopting Tucker in January we have made that long drive many times. I still wouldn't say that I love spending 12-13 hours in the car, but we've learned how to make the experience enjoyable for everyone. 

In case you and your loved ones will be traveling via automobile this holiday season, here are the Krueger's tips to a tolerable happy car trip!

  • Pack a big variety of snacks. We try to avoid picking up lots of fast food on the way (for money, time and because fast food doesn't really fill you up with car trip energy) so we pack lots of treats. We also make sure to have a variety of sweet and salty things to satisfy any craving. For this trip we're taking grapes, homemade cookies, sandwiches (two each), chex mix, mixed nuts, Pringles, fun size Twix bars (these are for times when the drive is really getting long!) and some drinks. 
  • Wear comfy clothing. My goal is to be dressed in something as close to pajamas as possible. 
  • Bring a pillow because if you're like me, you will fall asleep. It's nice to have something fluffy to snuggle. (it will also keep you warm when your husband tries to freeze you out)
  • Bathroom breaks are NO JOKE in our family. We try hard to have them line up with when we need gas...two birds, one stone! We have these bad boys down to a science. It's important that these stops are fast because they help us with the ultimate goal (more on that later) Here's how it works for us:
1. Kyle starts pumping gas while I put Tucker on his leash.
2. I pass Tucker off to Kyle. While I go into the fine gas station restroom, Kyle takes Tucker to potty and fills up his portable bowl with water. 
3. When I return from the restroom, I let Tucker finish getting a drink and I finish pumping the gas. This is when Kyle gets a chance to visit the luxurious facilities. 
4. As soon as I see Kyle coming out of the building, Tucker's water bowl is emptied and I load him back into the car. 
5. We hit the road again!

We must look hysterical during all of this. We know the routine without saying a word to each other and move as quickly as possible. We are roadtrip robots.
  • I have two words for you: Mad Libs. That's right, the fun word games you played in the fourth grade are perfect for those moments when the car ride seems like it just won't end. My dad bought us a slew of Mad Libs books before that first car trip and they have come in very handy. Kyle always rolls his eyes when I pull them out of the glove box but they have us laughing within five minutes of starting. 
  • The driver has control over the music and thermostat. They may relinquish control if they are feeling generous, but the driver is the boss. Period.
  • Know what music perks you up. I know that when Kyle starts looking a little too sleepy, it's time for us to listen to the Phantom of the Opera soundtrack. I then yell at Kyle until he starts to sing... wakes him right up! My music of choice is the Wicked soundtrack. If that fails, I turn to my boy Ursher. Yep... some good ol' club music is always a success.
  • Dramamine. The Simar girls have always been prone to car sickness so I take Dramamine before every trip.
The most important thing to remember if you are traveling in the car with Kyle and me is the ultimate goal:

GET TO TEXAS FASTER THAN THE GARMIN SAYS YOU WILL

Y'all, this is NO JOKE with us. When we first get into the car and set our destination on the Garmin, we make note of what time it thinks we will arrive home. We spend the next 12 hours trying as hard as we possibly can to beat.that.time.

You should hear us when we get back in the car after a restroom/gas stop. We complain that we wasted too much time because we (I) decided to buy a fountain drink or cheer because OHMYGOSH we didn't lose any minutes! We take incredible pride in beating the Garmin. It's pathetic, but it passes the time and hey, it's good to have goals, right?? On one trip back to Georgia, the power cord for the Garmin went missing. We were miserable, not because we didn't have a map to guide our way... because we had lost our game. How were we going to beat the Garmin when we couldn't turn the Garmin on?? And don't even get us started on the two times we got stuck in traffic at the end of our trip... once in Beaumont and another time on the outskirts of Houston. It was killer to watch the minutes tick away and see the Garmin beat us.... shameful!

In all honesty, the drive to Texas is usually pretty fun. We are always so excited to go home and filled with energy and anxiousness to be with family, we're like kids on Christmas morning! The drive back to Georgia, however, is usually a little less fun. That end of the trip also typically involves one of us crying until at least the Texas state line (I'll let you decide which one)

Here's to safe travels and twelve hours of glorious togetherness for the three of us! 


3 comments:

  1. Oh baby girl you make me smile, laugh out loud, and be overall amazed at your wit! I have no idea where you get that from ;).

    Mommacita

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  2. "Beat the Garmin" sounds exactly like our road trips! I was cracking up. I'm only allowed one bathroom break when we go to New Orleans, and it always has to be when we need gas.

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  3. You knw, I thought this post may be boring, but boys was I wrong! :)

    I always travel with a pillow and blanket. I get frozen too. ;)

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