{"id":3495,"date":"2021-11-16T15:28:19","date_gmt":"2021-11-16T02:28:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/myautoshop.co.nz\/info\/?p=3495"},"modified":"2021-11-16T15:28:19","modified_gmt":"2021-11-16T02:28:19","slug":"the-zen-guide-to-peaceful-family-car-trips","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/myautoshop.co.nz\/info\/the-zen-guide-to-peaceful-family-car-trips\/","title":{"rendered":"The zen guide to peaceful family car trips"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Seinfeld\u2019s famous \u201cSerenity now!\u201d<\/a> skit was always a favourite in my family, and goes some way to setting the general tone of our family car trips growing up. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We all seem to be searching for ways to access our inner peace these days, and I\u2019m just going to go ahead and say this, but it does maybe <\/em>seem a little bit harder to find serenity, now?

I suppose that comes down to where you are, what you\u2019re up to, and so forth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today we\u2019re talking family car trips.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In my family, our version of \u201cserenity now\u201d on the road was my Dad playing a brass band rendition of the William Tell Overture<\/a> at full volume on our annual road trips to Wellington.  It was easiest to just go with the flow, but I can still hear the sound of those pipes ringing in my ears today as I write this article, and even today I can\u2019t stand within 50 feet of a trumpet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ultimately however, it all brought us closer together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I share these details to set the scene.  We all know how trying a family car ride can be when the chemistry just isn\u2019t quite right.  With holidays coming up, we thought we\u2019d take a shot at our tips for finding moments of zen on your road trip.

<\/strong>1.  Get planning, and get planning now<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019ve got a long stretch of driving to get through, make sure you plan your rest stops.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When will be the best time to make a stop for the bathroom, and are there bathrooms in that area?  If they\u2019re public bathrooms, make sure they\u2019re open.  This National Toilet Map<\/a> might come in handy.

If you\u2019re looking at a long trip of 4+ hours, you might like to factor in a stop at a local tourist attractions or roadside stalls so you can get some fresh air, stretch your legs and grab a coffee. You\u2019ll also be supporting the local economy in the process! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Little moments of zen like this add up to a fun car ride without the tension that can build up from being in a confined space with other people for a long time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

2.  Control the temperature, stay cool<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We\u2019ve all known how hard it is to sit in a car that isn\u2019t\u00a0 effectively temperature controlled, and if you\u2019re going on a long drive with the family, we recommend doing your best to ensure that your A\/C is up to scratch before heading out on your road trip.

Depending on the make and model of your car, you may not have access to air conditioning (we get it!), and if this is the case, we recommend making good use of the cooler outdoor temperatures in the morning and evening to get through your mileage.\u00a0 It\u2019ll make all the difference and give you more time to spend at the destination.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another pro-cooling tip you can use is to drape a damp cloth\/towel over an open window.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re dealing with the opposite – colder temperatures – rug up and create a cosy vibe in the car with coffees, hot chocolates and other crowd favourites.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3.  Stay fed, not fed up!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The range of travel-friendly, healthy snacks available these days is pretty incredible. While we\u2019re not saying there isn\u2019t<\/em> a place for pies and sausage rolls doused in tomato sauce, we are saying that maybe it\u2019s not the best option at every small town rest stop on your long trip.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Choose foods that will sustain you and the fam without giving you sugar highs and lows.  If you\u2019re going to pack a bag of lollies, choose ones that the kids aren\u2019t going to go insane for (and from!).  Fruit is perfect, easy-pack foods that will stay fresh for hours like carrots are good.  Muesli bars are a godsend and boiled eggs are also a quick win, although admittedly an acquired taste.

Lastly, stay hydrated!  Pack multiple water bottles, ensure the team has access to water and that the younger ones are drinking water, and you\u2019ll all feel a lot better for it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4.  This isn\u2019t a car ride, it\u2019s the greatest show on earth<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The great thing about today\u2019s entertainment choices is that there are plenty of them to choose from!  Whether you\u2019ve got movies sorted for the ones in the back (make sure they\u2019ve got headphones sorted) or other car-friendly activities for the kids (okay, probably someone\u2019s cell phone, in reality), as long as you plan ahead, you\u2019ll all be good to go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Up front, podcasts are a must.  We\u2019re also big fans of audio books if you want something a little more longform, and it\u2019s amazing just how many titles are published on Audible<\/a>.  Just make sure the subject matter isn\u2019t too dense, or you could risk needing to replay every 15 seconds to get the details, or risk getting fatigued from information overload.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

5.  A clean ride is a serene ride<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Call me grandma, but truly I believe a clean and orderly environment is often the first step to having a good time.  Travel wipes can turn a ho-hum car ride into a luxury affair (okay, maybe that\u2019s just me).  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In that same spirit, getting your car serviced before heading away with the family is a surefire way to avoid a headache or say, a simmering tension with your loved ones – they\u2019re relying on you, after all!  My Auto Shop<\/a> can help you find a mechanic<\/a> to match your location and budget.  Just hop on over to our service area to get started.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oh, and have fun!  <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Seinfeld\u2019s famous \u201cSerenity now!\u201d skit was always a favourite in my family, and goes some way to setting the general tone of our family car trips growing up.  We all seem to be searching for ways to access our inner peace these days, and I\u2019m just going to go ahead and say this, but it […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":3506,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[135,4],"tags":[253,254,251,7,250,252,249],"post_folder":[],"class_list":["post-3495","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-driving-tips","category-fun","tag-activities","tag-air-conditiong","tag-car-ride","tag-car-service","tag-family","tag-peaceful","tag-road-trip"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/myautoshop.co.nz\/info\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3495"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/myautoshop.co.nz\/info\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/myautoshop.co.nz\/info\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/myautoshop.co.nz\/info\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/myautoshop.co.nz\/info\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3495"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/myautoshop.co.nz\/info\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3495\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3507,"href":"https:\/\/myautoshop.co.nz\/info\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3495\/revisions\/3507"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/myautoshop.co.nz\/info\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3506"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/myautoshop.co.nz\/info\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3495"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/myautoshop.co.nz\/info\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3495"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/myautoshop.co.nz\/info\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3495"},{"taxonomy":"post_folder","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/myautoshop.co.nz\/info\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/post_folder?post=3495"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}