Holiday traveling experience doesn't have to be painful

Christmas, for many, means traveling. Some people travel long distances, by plane, while others travel shorter distances, by car, to nearby cities. Regardless of the distance, it still takes an effort on the part of the traveler to get where he or she needs to go. And it’s an effort many people don’t like, especially when the destination is a place they try to avoid the rest of the year.
Traveling sometimes has to take place in bad weather, like this year as it is expected to be, putting an even bigger damper on a downer day for those travelers who would rather stay home.
For those reluctant travelers, myself not included as I have a blast at gatherings of my family and my wife’s family, I offer 10 tips to make the journey more fun:
1.) Road-trip music. Load the iPod or your CD case with your favorites, but make sure they are fun for the entire family, as you don’t want to hear “Ughh. Not Bob Seger again.” “Old Time Rock and Roll” does tend to get old after several thousand listens.” This may be the only safe entertainment available to the driver, so other passengers need to respect it.
2.) Give your passengers cell phones and tell them to catch up with old friends. To be honest, I love it when my wife is talking with others, because then I can enjoy tip No. 1. And when she’s done talking with others, she provides me with good conversation about the conversations she has just had. Just make sure the person with the cell phone isn’t the driver, as this country already has too many cell phone-talking drivers.
3.) Play games. “I spot” is always fun with little kids, and a box of “Trivial Pursuit” cards can provide entertainment for older people. Just make sure you know the difference between “Moops” and “Moors” if you have the first edition of the First Genus.
4.) Campfire stories, but without the camping, fire, marshmallows and mosquitoes. My 4-year-old son loves to hear stories. I oftentimes have a hard time making them up, so I steal them from other sources, such as movies I’ve seen and books I’ve read. Someday, when he watches “Gremlins” for the first time, he’s going to think the producers of that movie stole my story.
5.) The “Quiet” Game. This game should be played when the passengers get too noisy or the kids are fighting. Nobody really likes it, but it can make for peaceful traveling. Plus, it can be fun trying to get others to break their silence. Just hope it’s not done by breaking wind. That’s never a good thing in close quarters.
6.) Portable DVD players are great for backseat passengers. Rent a good movie, or grab one from your collection, and watch away. For long trips, television show DVDs may be the best entertainment, especially if you need to catch up with shows you haven’t seen. Good suggestions: “True Blood,” “The Wire,” “Mad Men” and “Dexter.” For short trips, select a good film you’ve seen before but always enjoy watching. For some, that film will probably be “The Shawshank Redemption,” as it was recently named a film people never get tired of.
7.) Read a book. When I was a kid, I spent many long car trips reading, which helped instill a lifelong love of reading for me. Plus, it’s a great way to keep your focus away from the smelly person next to you on an airplane.
8.) Catch up on homework and office work. My wife, who is well on her way to getting her master’s degree, often studies as I drive. It’s as though she’s enrolled in a traveling college.
9.) Select a weird topic and talk about it. In the past, before having a kid, my wife and I often discussed names we’d choose for a kid. Through these talks, some of them lasting entire trips, we eventually came up with “Braden” for our son’s name. It’s a name that perfectly fits him, especially since it combines the names of our two fathers, Bradley and Dennis. It was recently named as the seventh most popular boys’ name for 2009, but we came up with it in 2005, long before it became common.
10.) Talk about what gifts may be waiting for you upon arrival to your destination. Although nobody likes to admit liking Christmas for the gifts, let’s be honest, gifts rule. Even the bad ones, as they can provide a humorous conversation for the ride home.
Remember to keep the traveling experience as fun as possible because headaches and misery may be in store for holiday grinches at their destinations.