2020 has been a tough year. The pandemic is leading to a housing crisis as people can’t pay their rent. The US fatality count is now up to 137,000.
At the same time, the Black Lives Matter movement has taken to the streets in the wake of George Floyd’s death. Institutional police racism is a hot button topic.
It’s no wonder that many Americans feel stressed like never before. You might be dealing with, among other things, your kids being out of school, with no guarantee they’ll be able to go back in the fall. We love family road trips and summer is the perfect time to go on one! Our car is pretty old nowadays and there are a few dents and scratches too! I’ve thought about contacting a Ceramic coating Melbourne company but the damage doesn’t bother me too much at the minute. We’ll see how we get on during this summer’s road trip!
For these five reasons, you might want to take a family road trip this summer.
It’s a Change of Scenery
You need to be careful about getting out on the road this summer, especially if the area you are travelling to is prone to summer storms. That said, if you are travelling by a Honda Ridgeline, then perhaps purchasing a retractable tonneau cover (from this link) for your tonneau could be a good way of saving your luggage from the storm. After all, you would not want all your belongings to be destroyed by the wrath of nature. Besides this, remember that if the temperature is up, you should not leave your kids alone in the car, even for just a few minutes. Between 1998 and 2018, pediatric vehicular heatstroke killed over 800 kids, so you need to exercise caution.
Setting aside that grim statistic, the summer can be a great time to travel across the country. Your kids get the chance to:
- See cities and states they never have before
- Get out of the house they’ve been in for months
- Spend some time reconnecting with one another
Seeing new areas will broaden their horizons. At a time when their schooling may be at a standstill, getting some real-world experience away from home will help make them more well-rounded.
It Saves Money Over a Traditional Vacation
Now is a time when lots of Americans are doing some belt-tightening. Those who have not lost their jobs might be looking at reduced hours. Some can work from home, and if you are among them, count yourself lucky.
What is evident for many, though, is that now is not the time to fly anywhere. That is because:
- Flying during a pandemic is inherently dangerous
- Flying is more expensive, and you might not be able to afford it
In theory, driving yourself and your family somewhere will be cheaper. Gas money rarely amounts to what plane tickets would cost, particularly if you have a hybrid or electric car.
No matter what kind of vehicle you take for the road trip, safety should be topmost priority. You probably already know to follow best driving practices wherever you are headed, but even then, it doesn’t hurt to brush up on some of them before you leave. Besides that, you might also want to have a few trustworthy accident lawyers in your contacts; this should serve only as a precaution, and an immediate person to contact in the event of any unforeseen incident. Nevertheless, one can never be too careful, and your family’s safety should come above all else.
You Can See Some Natural Wonders
You might not feel ready to take the kids somewhere like Disneyland, because you feel like the coronavirus precautions they’re taking are not sufficient. There is ample reason to avoid such locales, especially if someone in your family has serious health issues already.
It’s a far better idea to head to a national park. You and the family can get out in nature, and you can heal yourselves from stress seeing flora and fauna in their natural habitats.
With climate change occurring every year, there are some sites you can see now that might look quite different a few years down the line.
The Drive Time Gives You a Chance to Learn About One Another
Many families might live together and spend more time than ever with one another in the pandemic. Still, how much do you really know about one another?
Too often, family members spend their time staring at their phones, even when they are together. They might be in the same room but watching TV and barely speaking to one another.
Car time gives all of you the chance to open up to one another. If you’re a parent, you can take the time to talk to your kids about their future hopes and fears.
They can ask you questions about your childhood. Maybe you can reveal some family lore or anecdotes that better explain who you are as a person if you feel the stories are age-appropriate. Furthermore, you should keep in mind that once your road trip is over, your car should be given to a Mobile Car Wash Miami (or wherever you’re based) service so that you can use it for many more road trips.
You Can Visit Relatives
You also probably miss the relatives you haven’t had the chance to see in a while. You can visit them, provided that you wear masks and practice social distancing.
The pandemic has made it hard to reconnect if you live in a different city or state from a parent, grandparent, or other family members. Still, you can spend time with them as long as you follow CDC guidelines and don’t endanger each other. It will do all of you some good.
Families face challenges this year like never before in this country. Depression is widespread, and medical professions aren’t sure when a vaccine will emerge. If you can afford to take a road trip this summer, that’s one way that you and the family can shake off the doldrums and hopefully have some fun together.
Additional resources:
– If you’re in the market for a new car, check out these car ratings.
– Keep your kids busy on a road trip.