Weekend Getaway, is your car ready?

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #DropShopAndOil #CollectiveBias

I don’t know about you but this cold weather is giving me the blues. It is time for a weekend getaway. As you know we love weekend getaways so its just a matter of going! Fortunately, there is not a whole lot of planning that needs to go into a weekend getaway. This is because a weekend getaway is more like an escape than a traditional vacation. A traditional vacation involves a lot of planning around sightseeing, activities, and tours. It also involves quite a bit of packing and paperwork, telephone conversations with travel agents or airlines and hotels. Oh but not with weekend getaways. Throw a few things in a bag and hit the road…

There are, however, a few things you need to do in order to make the most of your weekend getaway; however if you prepare ahead of time, the trip can be one of the most memorable experiences for you and your spouse and/or your family.

Here are some quick and easy tips for making your weekend getaway a fun and safe one.

First, prepare a checklist of items you will need.  This will include first aid kit, food, snacks, drinks, and lots of toys, coloring books, paper and crayons, a portable DVD player so your kids can watch their favorite movies; and a cooler.  A good idea is to ask the kids what games they would like to take, within limits of course.

Ensure that the snacks are healthy in nature.  Too many sugar snacks can have the kids bouncing off the car seats.  Remember, this is a relaxing family vacation and you want to avoid the kids getting bored or repeatedly asking you when you are going to arrive.

In addition, if you are traveling with children be sure to pack age appropriate distractions, such as: toys/books/games. Make sure you have something that is your child favorite and will hold their attention for a long time.

A photo posted by Still Dating My Spouse (@datingmyspouse) on Jan 1, 2015 at 7:35am PST

Second, decide on the destination.  Take the scenic route for this trip, one that is much more calming and pleasing to the eye, especially the driver! Gas is much cheaper now so you can take your time and stop and see more things on the way to your getaway and take the long route without worrying about spending an enormous about on gas.

Third, while on the road ensure that you make pit stops regularly.  Make sure your pit stop has clean bathrooms, hot food and a vast array of snacks for purchase (or plus souvenirs LOL). Use the pit stops to allow you and the kids to stretch your legs, use the bathroom and reenergize.

Finally, it is very important that safety concerns are met.  This includes having the car checked at your local Wal-Mart Automotive Center to  make sure the car is in great condition before you head out.  Number one concern is the oil in your car.  We faithfully get our oil changed every 3K miles and use Pennzoil conventional motor oil which is designed for complete protection and will allow you to drive an extra of 550 miles per year vs. a dirty engine. We travel too much not to keep our car up to date and the way we love to just jump in the car and go this is a must. Plus we make sure the tires are well inflated (don’t forget the spare tire, too); and check the windshield wipers (replace if needed).

Plus, while we are waiting on the car to be serviced at Walmart, we are able to shop for our healthy snacks for the trip. I like to have fruit (pineapples and strawberries) and vegetables (carrots and celery) readily available because I eat all up and down the highway when we travel. Don’t judge me lol it keeps me up and talking to the hubby while he drives.

In addition, you may want to place the following items in your trunk: a lawn chair, extra blanket, emergency road kit, umbrellas, water, flashlight and batteries, a battery-powered radio, and windshield wiper cleaner.  In the glove compartment include a first aid kit and cell phone charger.  Keep all medications in a Ziploc bag in the glove compartment as well.

We have a weekend getaway planned for next weekend. I’m too excited. I need the weather to behave so we can take our trip. How do you prepare for a road trip?