Our Road Trip Tales series brings you the adventures, and advice, of some of our favourite travellers, like Tracy Moore, Erin Bender, Carol Cain and Kathy Buckworth. Now we want to introduce you to blogger and writer Emma Waverman, as she shares some of her memories and best advice for a vacation on the road.
Overlooking Barcelona. Photo Courtesy of Emma Waverman.
I’ve long admired Emma’s writing and it’s not just because she went to high school with my husband (true fact!). She’s got a no-nonsense, tell-it-like-it-is style I love. Here’s some of Emma’s advice:
What’s your favourite summer road trip memory?
Before we got married, my then-boyfriend and I were both unemployed for one summer so we got into his car and drove through the U.S.. We started in Chicago, went to Memphis, New Orleans, Florida and everywhere in between.
As a family, we don’t do a lot of road trips thanks to a tendency of two of our kids to get car sick. But one of my favourites has been driving from Toronto to Mount Tremblant. And also driving from Barcelona to Avignon.
What is your top tip for Family road trips?
Know your kids’ limits (and your own) and plan accordingly. If 5-7 hours is the tipping point of breakdown, plan your route so that you stop every 5 hours. It may mean you don’t get too far. But at least your everyday won’t be full of fighting.
What’s the one thing you wish you’d known before you set out on your first family road trip?
Bring a barf bowl.
In Provence. Photo Courtesy of Emma Waverman.
Top 3 snacks for in the car?
CHIPS. What else is there? Bagels and cream cheese. Pepperettes. Homemade trail mix.
Worst snack for in the car?
Ice cream cones. Too messy. And they never finish the cone and so it gets soggy and stinky.
Musts on the road trip playlists?
Hmmm… We have this Pitbull Song that we always sing along too, also Waving Flag. Now we mostly listen to Vinyl Café, Ask Me Another and Invisibilia podcasts.
Never on the road trip playlists?
My son’s favourite,
HipHop.
I most embarrass my kids in the car when I….
SING.
My kids drive me nuts in the car when they…
Fight over who goes in the middle. It is the legendary fight of their childhood.
Biggest challenge you’ve faced traveling with kids by car and how you handled it:
Kids fighting and then husband losing his mind. Pray that it is over quickly.
Dream road trip destination?
Newfoundland
Photo Courtesy of Emma Waverman.
Aw, how unfortunate that the kiddos get car sick! So frustrating! Definitely agreeing on knowing the kids limits. It isn’t always the easiest thing to do.
The journey of a car is a tale of exploration and adventure, from the assembly line to the open road. It traverses landscapes, encountering obstacles and milestones, carrying passengers through memories and destinations, weaving stories of freedom, discovery, and connection along the way.