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	growing child family time

Tips for "Getting There" Peacefully

Get a cooler that plugs into the cigarette lighter of the car so you don't have to deal with ice anymore! They have adaptors that plug into sockets at motels-or your cousin's house.

I'm a coffee snob, so I try to find the best coffee house around and fill up my thermos. And I must have half-and-half in our cooler, or I can't go anywhere. To find quality coffee, go to the more trendy parts of town or explore college campuses.

I don't own a cell phone, but I borrowed one for the trip I took alone to Philadelphia; it was a great reassurance.

Last year, traveling from the West Coast with my mom and my kids, we made advance reservations at campgrounds and motels. It made my mom feel better. But I still think that half the fun is just heading out to see what you'll find.

Keep a stack of Post-it notes in the glove compartment. Kids enjoy drawing on them and using a window for their very own gallery.

Be sane about the number of hours you spend in the car at any one stretch. Finding playgrounds, pools, and parks should be part of your routine.

Take time beforehand to learn about where you are going. Check books out of the library; you could read aloud one that pertains to the region you are driving through. Stock up on free brochures at rest areas and chambers of commerce.

Plan stops at friends' houses across the country.

We keep a notebook in the glove compartment to record the gas mileage, the name of a favorite restaurant, or a campground we wished we could have stayed in. It becomes a kind of journal and a handy reference for next time.