Driving the distance

[BrittBlaz]

Any advice for the looooong car drive to visit your SO? I am leaving this Thursday to go see my SO and it's a 14 hour drive by myself. I started with the basic ideas...food, LOTS of music, and of course the bluetooth to talk to my SO for a few hours on the drive. But are there any other ideas anyone has? I would love some help

[annamorgan]

Books on tape? It's kinda dorky, but I used to do that with the Harry Potter books haha. Also, try to give the people in the cars around you names

[BrittBlaz]

haha I like the names idea for the cars, thats pretty funny, thank you. I wish I could do an audio book..but my car doesnt have a cassette player

[Rach321]

Do you have an mp3 player or can you burn cds from your computer? Audible.com lets you download audio books for a reasonable price, and sometimes you can get your first one for free.

I always download a bunch of podcasts- I find that someone talking alternated with music keeps me alert better than music alone. My favorite for a drive is "Stuff You Should Know"

I usually challenge myself to drive for so far before I stop. When my SO was a 5 hour drive away, I would challenge myself to drive halfway before I stopped. For a 14 hour drive, look into some interesting places you can stop quickly every couple of hours to stretch your legs.

Have a good trip!

[paulawriteslove]

I drove 29 hours on Spring Break to see my boyfriend. But my best friend was in the car with me. And he has driven here by himself once. The best advice I have is LOTS of music and food and cold drinks! Bring a little cooler so you can put an ice pack and put drinks in there. Luke warm water gets annoying after awhile. Have fun!

[squiddie]

Most "books on tape" now are actually on CDs. Your library might have some you can borrow, and will definitely be able to make recommendations.

I went to college 8 hours away from my parents, which was a drive I did not enjoy making, and I did two things that helped break it up.

1) Make "checkpoints" along your route. Get a map, and look for things that are like, 40-50 miles apart. So for me, it would be like "ok, I have to get to Roanoke...now I have to get to Lexington" and so on and so forth. You don't have to stop the car and get out, but think of them as a driving "to do" list and check them off mentally as you pass them. Or heck, even make a list of cities you need to pass, and whenever you stop, physically check them off.

2) Remember all those old car games you played as a kid? Like the state license plate game? Adapt them so you can play with yourself. I always play the state license plate game. Challenge yourself, like "I bet I will find 20 different states before I stop for the night" or something to that effect.

Oh and definitely snacks! I usually keep a bag of Jolly Ranchers or Life Savers with me for long rides because my mouth gets really dry, and sucking on those helps. Paulawriteslove hit the nail on the head with the cooler...if you can't manage that, a large lunch box with an ice pack will work just as well. Get squeeze bottles or ones you can suck so you don't have to worry about opening them.

[lisaar910]

This might be a stupid suggestion because it's pretty obvious, but make sure you have a car charger for your phone and bluetooth.

[XX, Lexi]

I only drove 7 hours to get my SO from the panhandle, but I recommend snacks and water. Playing music in the car that you like/love will help keep you from being distracted. I wish I brought mine on my trip and ended up listening to static for an hour! And a phone charger for your car always helps.
Have fun =]

[Čternity]

Ok, because I'm a bit paranoid about long car trips, even if you have a phone with you, you may not be in service range so tell someone:

- when you are leaving
- the route you are taking
- where you plan to stop
- when you are due to arrive
- call them when you do

take extra water for radiator issues and a jacket, blanket and shoes you can walk in if you get stuck

[Karringtyn]

I have half that amount to drive..

But definitely get lots of sleep before...and take comfy shoes, enough music, water bottles, and snacks. Have your trip all mapped out...and be sure to stop every 2-3 hours to stretch...

[delhommefan]

I typically have to drive anywhere from 8-10 hours to see my SO and we do it every two weeks so I'm a pro lol. He drives here one weekend, then we spend the weekend with our kids, then I drive where he is, and on and on and on. Or when we hit a good fare we fly but here lately due to money, we've been driving more. Do you have an AUX jack in your car so you can plug in your iPod or phone? I know I'm probably behind the curve (forgive me...I'm 32) but I just figured out how to plug in my Pandora radio on my Droid in my car a couple months ago and I LOVE IT! It totally makes the drives alone fun. I personally kind of like driving alone...its very peaceful. But I know 14 hours is long...really anything over 8 is pretty darn draining. Good luck to you!