Find the offbeat attractions near where you're traveling next at this site: www.roadsideamerica.com.
I'm not sure how thorough or useful it will be though because the only attractions listed for the York area are the Weightlifting Hall of Fame and the Haines Shoe House.
What about Mister Ed's Elephant Museum? Why isn't Geppi's Entertainment Museum listed for Baltimore?
Who knows. Maybe they're not weird enough.
When you gotta go, you gotta go.
But if your only option is a scuzzy cement-block room in the back of a gas station you might think twice about how long you can hold it. Especially if you're traveling with others and you've already used up your alloted number of bathroom breaks.
Here's a solution: www.thebathroomdiaries.com. Before you snap your seatbelt, check this site for safe, clean restrooms along your expected route -- just in case. Or, print them out and bring the list along.
If nature's call catches you off guard and you find yourself pleasantly surprised by the facilities, add it to the list and help out another traveler.
When you're about to go insane in the car with your kids, there isn't much you can do.
Savvy moms can plan ahead to ward off some of the chaos and unhappiness by visiting
www.momsminivan.com. There, you'll find a variety of games and activities to keep kids occupied in the car, using basic materials such as string, paper and aluminum foil.
I especially like the part about how to make a cootie catcher!
If you use any of these, shoot me an e-mail and let us know how the ideas worked out!
Below are a couple of packing tips I thought were pretty smart. I figured it would be a good time to share such information as people prepare for beach weekends, camping trips and other summer excursions.
*Squeeze excess air out of bottles before packing so they don't explode with changes in pressure that happen if you fly.
*To ensure that bottled liquids won't leak, unscrew the cap and place a small square of plastic wrap between the bottle and the lid.
*Use the space inside shoes to stuff items that won't easily wrinkle. Not only will the cushioning of the shoes protect breakables and save precious suitcase space, but you'll help your shoes hold their form and not get squished.
Anybody else have a good tip to share? Packing horror story? Post it as a comment or send me an e-mail.
So, as you know if you read this post from yesterday, I am not driving far for Thanksgiving.
Nor do I have children who may get antsy during the interminable ride to grandma/aunt/cousin/other relative's house for Thanksgiving.
Still, I couldn't help but share this cool list of ways to make the ride less painful for both you and the kiddos. It even brought back a memory I haven't thought about in years... playing string games such as "Jacob's Ladder" and "Kitty Whiskers" in the back seat with my sisters.
What games did you play to pass the time in the car?
Even if you don't drive an SUV, chances are that ridiculously high gas prices are taking a toll on your wallet.
My little Honda Civic is a polite little sipper when it comes to gas, but because I live 30 miles from work and frequently drive for my job, I go through the gallons and greenbacks like crazy.
There's not much I can do about it (unfortunately, we're still waiting for decent public transportation here in Central PA). Except cry. Combine errands. And check this nifty site before I head out.
There are plenty of sites like this online where you can compare the price per gallon at your local filling stations, but this is the best I've found.
Many others aren't as comprehensive, and I use the map to figure out which of the low-price ones fall near my travel route. You don't want to waste the extra pennies you'll save driving out of your way for the cheapest place.
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