Travel Rules!

1. DRIVER RULES! - The driver always controls the music or in R's case, the talk radio (I sleep during that).
2. WE'RE STOPPING, YOU'RE PEEING! Multi use stops are preferred - gas, food, restroom - that's the way to go.
3. CAREFUL! - Never drink without a straw while travelling a winding road - this can result in lemonade in your shelf!
4. SAVE THOSE VACATION CARDS! - Vacation cards are imaginery cards to be used in place of words that you have forgotten because your brain is in vacation mode. When you forget - present your vacation card for assistance or just to pass altogether on the comment you were attempting to make. NOTE: Negotiation proceedings are occuring to determine the true allotment of vacation cards per day. I mean really, just five for the whole trip? We've both already blown through those and we're not even half way through the trip.
5. CRUNCH 'N MUNCH! - When traveling through great states, like "Yosemite National Park", be sure to bring a snack. You will get hungry or sleepy driving long distances and you'll need some serious crunch to keep you awake even on the winding hills.
6. GAS UP! - Don't let the tank go below 1/4 - you'll just feel better knowing you have some gas! (hehe)
7. READY FOR YOUR CLOSE UP! - Take all the cameras and smart phones when its time to take pictures. In addition, be sure to carry all chargers, inverters, changing cables, etc. when you leave the house. You never know what's going to run out of battery life first and there's little worse than NOT being able to take a picture in the park.
8. JACKETS RULE - If you're going to be in varying climates, its not ever going to be a bad idea to have a jacket with you. Don't be afraid to pack both sandals and sweatshirts, they can all come in handy.
9. KNOW THE NUMBERS - Use AAA's fuel cost estimator to check your gas estimates for road trips. You can input the year, make and model of the car as well as your origin and destination. The site will provide a one way and round trip fuel estimate. No surprises and in my opinion if you're lucky...it will overestimate and you'll have extra dough at the end of the trip!