Travel Archives - Wealthy Turtle

Well we’ve gotten pounded hard with snow here in New Jersey. There’s at least two feet of snow out there I still haven’t dug my car out of the driveway.

Playing in the snow with my kids always makes for some good laughs but driving in the snow is not quite as fun. But if you follow these 7 tips for driving in the snow you’ll be sure to reach your destination in one piece.

Stay Home

Every time it snows, the weathermen on TV say the same thing…”Avoid the roads unless you absolutely have to be on them.”

Good advice, and I wish more people listened to them.

I’m fortunate that I can work from home when the weather is bad, but not everyone can do so. Still, it amazes me how many people hit the roads when they don’t really have to.

Do you really need to hit the bar or the mall in a snowstorm? Maybe staying home would be wiser.

Seriously, the safest way to drive in a snowstorm is to not leave home to begin with.

Check Your Tires

Not everyone has the luxury of staying at home in a snowstorm. If you have a job or responsibilities that require you to be there no matter what, you might have to brave the elements even if there is a blizzard outside.

If that’s the case, you definitely need to keep a close eye on your tires. Tires are the most important safety feature you have when driving in snow. After all, they’re the only part of your car that is actually in contact with those slippery roads.

If your tires are bald are worn, now is the time to replace them.

Don’t Get Cocky

Just because you drive an SUV with 4 wheel drive doesn’t mean you’re invincible.

In my experience driving an SUV often gives drivers a false sense of security in the snow. They drive around like they own the road and can do no wrong.

One time I was driving home from work in the snow and taking my time in my Camry when a Ford Explorer when blowing past me like I was standing still. I cursed under my breath as he sent up a stream of snow right on my windshield as he raced past.

A couple miles down the road I saw the same Explorer where it had lost control and popped up on the curb and into a small retaining wall. The driver was just fine but his beautiful SUV was in rough shape.

Four wheel drive won’t help you brake any quicker if you hit an icy intersection or black ice. Don’t get cocky.

Slow Down

Many car accidents can be avoided if everyone just slowed down a little bit. This is especially true in bad weather when you have less time to react and make decisions.

When roads are slippery I always drive in lower gear because it gives me more room for error and it will help me stop quicker.

Remember, slow and steady gets home safe and sound. Accelerate slowly. Leave plenty of room between you and the car in front of you. Start stopping well before you have to.

And if possible, don’t stop at all. If you’re careful you can sometimes roll up to an intersection when you have a red light and then slowly accelerate when the light turns green. Stopping completely can get you stuck with spinning tires, but if you can avoid stopping you’ll have inertia on your side and it will be easier to get going again.

Stay Focused

Driving in snow can be tricky business and you don’t need any more distractions making things even more difficult for you.

That means you need to turn down the Lady Gaga, put down the Egg McMuffin and stop sending text messages so you can focus on the road.

Driving while distracted is a bad idea under the best circumstances. In the snow it is downright dangerous.

Keep Your Tank Full

A few years ago I got caught in a snowstorm and had to drive home from work under horrible conditions. Winds were gusting and visibility was practically nil. Snow was accumulating quickly and the roads were a disaster.

My normal drive home took about 25 minutes but under those conditions it took me 3 hours and 15 minutes.

Fortunately I had a full tank of gas when I left the office. If I had been running low and planning to stop on the way home I would have been screwed.

People have run out of gas while driving in snow before, and you could find yourself stranded on the side of the road for hours without heat.

Be Prepared

Driving in snow adds an element of unpredictability to your trip and it’s best to be prepared for something to go wrong.

Make sure your cell phone is charged. Keep some jumper cables in your trunk. Toss in a small shovel and ice scraper. And don’t forget a bag of sand to help get some traction if your tires are spinning. Cat litter or even a couple boxes of dried pasta will work too.

A blanket and some glow sticks are also a god idea to keep handy.

And don’t forget some snacks. A few granola bars will keep you going if you’re stranded in your car and waiting for help.

Do you have any other tips for driving in snow that you can share?

In just a few short weeks, the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays will be upon us and with them, for many of us, comes travel to visit friends and family. According to AAA (American Automobile Association), in 2010, “42.2 million Americans traveled 50 miles or more from home over the Thanksgiving weekend”.

If you’ll be hitting the road or the skies this holiday season with small children in tow, my deepest sympathies. Just kidding. Actually, with our own children, ages 9, 5 and 3, we’ve found a variety of strategies to make long travel with small children less painful, and often even enjoyable.

1. Use the DVD player.

If you have one, use it strategically. For instance, in the middle of a meltdown or fight between kids, popping in a DVD can do wonders to soothe them and restore calm. However, if you play DVDs a lot in the car, this might not work as well. That’s why strategic use is essential.

2. Take breaks.

If you’re driving, take breaks. One of the rest stops on the way to my mom’s house has a large playground, so we always make sure to stop there for about 15 minutes so the kids can run around, stretch and play. If you’re on a plane, let the kids walk the aisles with you for a few minutes just to get out of the seat and move around.

3. Bring sticker books.

Kids love stickers. We invested $8 in a thick sticker books for each of our two younger children. This kept them occupied for hours on a recent long trip.

4. Play car games.

In the age of Pinterest, you can find many, many car games. One car game is a bingo sheet that, instead of letters, has pictures of different things you’ll see when driving such as a stop sign, a traffic light, etc. As your kids find these items, they can mark off the box. The typical bingo rules apply.

Of course, you can also go low tech and play I Spy or create a family story. One family member says the first sentence of a story, the next family member creates the second sentence until everyone in the car has created a sentence. You’ll likely be amused at how the story turns out.

5. Listen to audio books.

Now that days are so much shorter, if you’re taking a long drive, kids will have less time to do activities in the car that require light such as many of the suggestions above. When darkness falls, pull out the audio books. Kids will listen to the story, and if you’re lucky, perhaps even fall asleep.

6. Bring food and water.

Young children get hungry every few hours. If you don’t want to stop constantly, make sure to pack healthy snacks for the kids. Dried fruit or freeze dried fruit is a healthy, mess free option. Water is also mess free. Give each child their own small bag of treats for easy dispensing while driving.

Traveling with young children requires preparation, but if you have a number of different activities to do with the kids, you’ll find that the trip goes faster for everyone.

What are your favorite techniques for enjoyable travel with young children?

7 Tips For Driving In Snow