Xavier Bishop

Bishop Family Top-Ten Tips for taking your vacation by car.   

1 – 2. TIME OUT. Unless you’re driving to take another form of transportation in order to complete your vacation, the first order of business is to let go of time. That’s right, ditch the clock.  Time is the driving force behind so much of our daily life the last thing you want to do is allow it to control your vacation too. Relax time’s control and mastery of your family.

Make plans to leave for your vacation at a particular time but if you’re “running behind schedule” don’t panic or become frustrated. Relax, you’re on vacation.  Enjoy the time you spend preparing to leave for your trip.  Make it all part of the vacation. It will help set the tone for the remainder of your trip.

3 – 4. ENJOY THE JOURNEY. Say your destination is to the mountains, the valley or maybe to the sea. No doubt you can’t wait to get there. On average, when traveling by car as much time is spent getting to the destination as there is often spent at the destination.  So relax and enjoy the ride. Not just the roadside, but also the places in between. All of the cities, attractions and landmarks that define our beautiful country.  

Try this, take an unexpected detour into a town you know little about and discover why people live there.  Make an unplanned stop by a landmark you come pass along the way. There are many little known landmarks that can leave you with wonderful memories and they also make the perfect backdrop for those must-have family portraits.

5 – 6. RELAX THE RULES. If you’re like me maybe you’re used to a high degree of structure and order in your life. For many of us it’s the secret for getting lots of different things done.  And if you’re like me you probably believe that structure and order can “benefit” nearly all areas of your life just as well. Not necessarily so when you’re on vacation.

Instead of treating vacation as your home away from home, do things differently. Just for the experience of it. If you normally eat pizza with a knife and fork, try eating it with your hands. Bend a little. Don’t be so rigid.

7-8. BE A FAMILY.  The average American family spends less than 2 hours per day interacting together as a family. A family vacation by car is a great way to get to know each other all over again. Don’t loose that opportunity by doing “private” activities like playing personal music devices, videos or even reading while traveling as a family. Set aside some of your drivetime for talking, listening and truly getting to know one another. And once you reach your destination, have as part of your vacation plan, sightseeing and visiting others together as a family. Rediscover the joy of living together.

9-10. LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION. Yes, getting to your destination is half the fun. But make certain where you’re going to is worth it – for everyone. Choose a destination that others in your family will want to go to.  Make certain there are activities that will satisfy everyone’s needs, even the youngest member of the family. Of course you’ll want to be sure you’re all well rested so no one feels cheated on his or her favorite part of the trip.