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Trip Preparations – Keys to a Good and Safe Road Trip in the Car

When you decide to go on a cross country road trip vacation in your own car, the experience can turn out to be very thrilling and adventurous. But before actually embarking on a cross country road trip like this, you need to follow certain precautionary measures.

First of all you have to plan this car trip strategically.

Do you want to derail your holiday by not doing the mandatory planning? To enjoy an organized holiday, you must do your thorough homework much in advance, even if that doesn’t sound very romantic or exciting. You have to study the places where you will be going, you have to study all the possible routes and their alternatives, the time you might take to reach these places, the hotels where you will be staying, the kinds of food that will be available in different places and their prices etc.

You can read up internet travel sites and you can derive help from the American Auto Club in plotting a course. The latter can also help you find fuel stations, food and lodging, heavy traffic spots and construction hindrances. The glove box in your car must carry maps and a good road atlas.

Then you have to ensure that your car is mechanically sound and all the components including brakes, tires, cooling systems and engine and other vital systems are in top order. The tires should have the proper amount of air, the oil should have been serviced recently and remember to use fresh coolants and other fluids.

You must be ready for unforeseen roadside emergencies such as a radiator leak or a flat tire. Therefore spare tires, tire changing kit, road flares, jumper cables, jacks etc should always be stored in your car. Another thing that you must always carry in your car is a first aid box for emergencies. At a minimum it should contain an antihistamine, motion sickness medicines, antidiarrheals, analgesics, fingernail scissors, tweezers, alcohol, antiseptic, antibacterial cleanser, antiseptic ointment and bandages.

It is also a good idea to carry some snacks, fruits, dry fruits, bread, butter, jam, jelly, cookies, chips etc and some water or refreshing drinks to keep you going or in case the car breaks down in a remote spot.

Don’t over plan how far you can travel in a day, it will be important to take frequent breaks to refresh yourself, and make sure you are sleeping well. If you do get too fatigued, just stop driving and seek refuge in a motel or inn, it’s not worth the risk.

Adventure

3 Family Adventures to Bring You Closer Together

Family adventures to bring you closer together is a great way to help bond and catch up. It’s easy to for your relationships to get a little lost in the confusing bustle of everyday life with work, school, cell phones, computers, and all of the other screens that tend to occupy our time. The three ideas below should help you learn a bit more about each other as well as have some fun new memories to look back on in the future.

A mystery dinner theatre type of event is fun, adventurous, easy to do locally, and a great option if you’re not looking to go outdoors. Typically you go to a dinner with a group of people and some actors and try to solve a murder mystery, there will be clues given to you as you go.

A weekend, or a week, in the outdoors camping might be just what you need. There are a variety of activities for you to do together, such as kayaking, hiking, canoeing, mountain biking, or board games at a picnic table. End the days around the campfire talking or reading spooky stories or playing more board games (try games like Apples to Apples to get you all talking) and hopefully by the end of the trip you’ll all have caught up on your lives as of late.

Towable tubes are inflatable tubes that are towed behind a boat. The ride is a lot like what you’d expect on a roller coaster, it starts off slow but as the boat takes off the tube picks up speed and soon you’re zipping around on the water having a fast, fun, amazing ride of your life. They have ones for solo riders, but for family adventures you probably want to look at ones that can hold multiple riders, they can hold anywhere from one to a dozen riders so you can find the one that works best for your group.

Travel

5 Best Disabled Travel Tips For Cheap Or Free Travel For Travelers With Disabilities

Disabled travelers can enjoy free, cheap and discounted travel just the same as their more able-bodied friends do. There are many good deals and opportunities for travelers with disabilities to take advantage of for accessible travel. Save yourself a lot of money by taking advantage of the following disabled travel tips.

1. Discounts are available in top name hotels and motels today to disabled travelers as well as the able- bodied. They have to comply with the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) regulations so finding good accessible rooms is much easier than in the past. Of course the newer hotels and motels may be your best bet where you know they are more than likely built from the ground up correctly for accessibility rather than being patched up as some hotels and motels have done that were built in the not recent past.

2. Hostels are one of the cheapest ways to go of course. Hostels in the past have always been for the young folks, college students and those willing to sleep in rooms with others and not very private. And many were not wheelchair accessible either. Today there are many hostels that cater to wheelchair and those disabled travelers with mobility problems. Many go out of their way to make things more accessible and private for the disabled or wheelchair traveler. There are many accessible hostels.

3. You may not have thought of a home exchange but this is perfect if you have a wheelchair accessible home to offer. These may be a little harder to find and you may have to plan some vacation plans around the location in order to take advantage of it. Instead of Rome you may have to go to Paris! Instead of Disneyland you may have to go to Disney World – both cater to wheelchair travelers and have been wheelchair accessible for many years. If location doesn’t matter this is a great opportunity to take advantage of, so consider an accessible home exchange.

4. Don’t forget about the YMCA and YWCA. They have offered many accessible options for the disabled traveler for years. Many have accessible rooms and most if not all have swimming pools and weight rooms in order to get your daily exercise and fitness workout in.

5. If you’re staying at a hotel in the United States, find out if they offer free transportation from the airport for guests. If they do then by law they have to provide free accessible transportation for disabled travelers too. If they don’t have accessible hotel vans they have to use an outside van service. In any event they have to get you free to the hotel in a wheelchair accessible van or other accessible mode of transpiration.

These are just a few of the best disabled travel tips for free or cheap travel doe travelers with disabilities. There are many more, too many too list here. You’ll find more and more freebies are offered to disabled travelers today than ever before.