This summer, I attempted something that took me out of me straight out of my comfort zone – and into the mountains. I was taking the kids on a solo road trip. This time, I would be out of my usual, passenger-seat, answering emails and scheduling social media, handing out the occasional snack zone. This time around, I would be the one in charge, following the turn by turn directions to take the kids out of town and a hike, spending a weekend in the mountains, solo, without another adult in tow.
It turns out, it was a good time to do it – since earlier in the season we partnered with Hankook Tire to give the Ventus S1 EVO 2 SUV tires, a go, trying them out through the summer season as we shared, and learned about, the importance of choosing the right tires, for the season.
Here are four things you should know before you take the kids on a solo road trip:
How to Check Air Pressure in Your Tires
I had a crash course before going out of town about how to check the tire pressure when an error message came up in the vehicle, and unsure of what to do, I just stopped at the Ford dealership close to our house. Jamie goes as far to maintain that I should know how to change a tire, but the knowledge of where to find the tire, and a number for roadside assistance felt like enough information!
Being aware of how to maintain the tires, and how to check the pressure is going to keep you safer on the road – just like choosing the right tires for the season is going to keep you safer on the road. You can visit www.hankook.ca to find the right tires for your vehicle, but also the right tires for the season. Travelling solo with the kids, you’re going to want to mitigate as many of these potential issues as possible, so it’s even more important to be aware of things like choosing the right tires to increase the safety of the vehicle.
What’s the Route You’re Going to Take?
This one’s obvious, but you should know the route – without having to fully rely on the navigation in your vehicle, or Google Maps on your phone. ‘What if your phone dies? Are you just going to pull over and let it charge until you can access to the maps app again?’ – something to consider when you’re travelling with the kids, in a place you might not be overly familiar with.
What’s the plan? Where are you Staying?
Earlier this year, we learned that a road trip without a plan is a fun and romantic idea, if you’ve got no children and you’re feeling adventurous. Once you’ve got children, travelling on a road trip without a plan can often leave you with the last-best choice of hotel, without a waterslide, and a day spent driving to a destination where you do nothing but play in the hotel pool because the kids are cranky and off-schedule. Make a plan. Trust me – make a plan.
Where are you going to Stop?
Further to our last post, where we talked about the things you should check before you embark on a road trip, you’re going to want to plan a lot of stops – especially if you’re travelling solo with the kids. Stops that double as places to tire the kids out while you’re travelling? Those are even more important – think free places like playgrounds, roadside attractions that are cheap and fun, places you can fill up for gas and let the kids run around – you know, that sort of thing.
How did the solo road trip with the kids go? Though I didn’t quite embark on my original plan of road tripping for ten days, solo – the two day trip was just enough to give me confidence to plan an upcoming trip with the kids, for a little longer, just the four of us. It’s a workaround to my husband’s schedule, that’s a little more fixed than ours, and has me thinking about getting on the road, and being prepared.
With summer road trip season just about over, you just be might be thinking about fall and winter – and the importance of winter tires, here.
