Long Car Rides

[purplehairedwonder]

It's summertime and you know what that means: people piling into their cars and heading on vacation. More often than not, this means a long ride in the car. Personally, I'm headed to Colorado for a softball tournament this weekend and it is going to be a ten hour drive either way. So the question is this: what do you do on long car rides to keep from utter boredom?

[Wanted]

Here's my list, as I've been on many road trips:

sleep (when everything else fails)
read (when sleeping fails)
eat and talk with the family (every now and again, you'll stop for food)
write/draw (the streets and vehicles provide neat inspiration)
(here's a new one) watch DVDs on my NEW portable DVD player (still waiting to test this baby out)
My family always keeps the radio off, as it never fails to give more than one of us a headache on long trips.

[Michael24]

I always just bring plenty of CDs and maybe a book or two, and those always keep me occupied. I'm heading to San Diego ComiCon next month. That's about six hour drive for us, so we'll just load up with CDs and such for the trip down. On the way back, I'll have plenty of reading material to occupy my time. :)

[Punisher]

I believe game boys were simply invented for the sole reason of entertaining people on long car trips. Works for me.

[TrogdorNyimbhat]

Listen to music and enjoy the view, occasionaly talking. (my dad doesn't allow eating/drinking in cars).

[Youko Recca]

Sleeping is the last resort. I always bring some kind of handheld, paper & utensils, books, and a deck of cards. Yeah, and CD/MP3 players work good too. Usually in cahoots with the previous items, sans reading.

[Phantasm]

Listen to music and gaze out the window as the world flashes by...love that feeling.:)

[Tenku]

Hmm...

I bring several books, a cd player, dvds, pencils and pens, eat, conversate with my folks, looking out the window (sunsets and moonrises are the best things ever) and, my favorite, sleep.

But sleep is a last resort and often the cause of boredom. Of course I bring a journal or some paper, just incase I have a flash of brillance (even if it's completely dark, I just pull out my cellphone and go from there.)

[PaQ]

I believe game boys were simply invented for the sole reason of entertaining people on long car trips. Works for me. I completely agree. I think that's the only time my GB color gets any attention from me is on long trips or just during long waits generally. I always have to blow off the dust on such occasions. :p

[RD!]

You guys are terrible. The radio in your car (and mayhaps an FM tuner if you require an ipod for music) should be all you need to make a road trip. If you're not enjoying the ride you're doing something wrong.

[Aquagirl15]

I can't read in the car without getting a massive headache so I:
Watch DVD's on portable player
Listen to books on tape
Listen to music on headphones

That's all I really do cause I have to do something that doesn't bother my parents or brother. >.<

[sun]

I went on at least 7 long car rides with my family..there were three of us in the back seat, we played silly games, talked to each other,argued, fought, not physically (my two brothers, and I ) and
as a bonus..saw the country. The real country, what ever it was in the 50s and early 60s..I remember going south (we lived in Chicago) and seeing fountains and washrooms for "colored" and "white". (and I asked what that was all about to my parents, it seemed kind of silly coming from Chicago) I remember rural poverty, in certain parts of the country with no running water, I remember seeing unbelieveable beauty at Yellowstone, Yosemette, Grand Canyon, Glacier, many more. But most of all, I remember the long, rides, and destinations, motels, and my dad's desire to get there...........................................................................................
Later as an adult, I drove long car rides all over U.S.A from Maine to San Diego, from Vancouver to MIami..I learned that I could do it, and enjoy the rural,urban, and suburban places, that are what the U.S.A. is all about...It isn't like a plane, it is stopping at some small town resturant, and meeting the waitress and maybe some new people..Later I camped out, on long car trips..and met other campers and shared stories with starngers..Once in Jasper National Park in Canada, we (I was with a friend) were woken at 5 am by some guy's dog barking..I was angry, and later went over and talked to the owner,..Oh he said, "his dog is usually very quiet, something was wrong, there was probably a bear near the campsite.." By the way,,Japsper and Banf in Canada, are something as beautiful and breathtaking as anything we have in the U.S.A. ..See them too, if you can, by car...Stu

[Mittenz]

I listen to CDs that keep me awake, most my EDM. I also draw while I'm riding on long car trips. The only time I wouldn't do neither of these things on long car trips is when I'm in a stock car at a Nascar race. :p

[Nightflower]

Next Wednesday, I am driving from Vancouver to Edmonton through the rocky mountains. That's at least a 16 hour car ride.

I'm bringing my laptop, CD player, a couple of DVDs, my sketchbook and some books. Here's hoping I'll keep entertained!

[LightShadow1890]

I hate long car trips. When I had to ride in my aunt's car to Rockland County NY (I live in Queens, NY), it made me so nauceous (sp?). And the hard head cushion didn't help me either.

One time I went to Altantic City with my family. We mostly talked, ate a few things, and listen to CDs that my brothers would bring along. Sleep can take away some minutes but it doesn't work sometimes. And I can't read while the car's moving, since it makes me dizzy. What sucks is I don't have a DVD player. >.<

That's it. But I hate long car trips. And long airplane trips. Argh!

[solarflere]

I love long car rides especially when I go to road trips with some of my friends to upstate NY. We usually travel in two cars, a small but fast Honda Civic (stand alone fuel ejection system on board) and a Hummer; it’s big and comfy to move around. We bring usually tons of music DVDs and portable Satellite TV. I love those good times.

[One Radical Dude]

Long car trips: I just enjoy the scenery, and listen to the radio. That's good enough for me.

Traveling by air: I spend a lot of time looking at the sky. I might watch a film.

[Wanted]

Listen to music and gaze out the window as the world flashes by...love that feeling.:)Ditto. Looking out the window and playing music at the same time is the best way I can remember the scenery I see on the sides of the road. So, that later, when I'm playing that same track, I remember that certain ride. Pretty uncanny.

Hummer; it’s big and comfy to move around. We bring usually tons of music DVDs and portable Satellite TV. I love those good times.I'm green with envy right now. Hummer, DVD Audio, and portable satellite TV? Sounds like great times to me.

[TimTwoFace]

I always bring a journal with me whenever I travel - and I write whatever comes to my head (regarding the trip or not) in that journal to keep myself occupied. I've done it every time since 1987, and I don't intend to stop anytime soon.

-Tim