Tips on how to stay alert on a long drive?

[bbdoll22]

This post is very informative for me because my husband is going to have to drive to a class from orange county NY to Dulles airport in a couple of days. he'll be driving and going alone, I am nervous because it will be the first time we will be seperated. looks like its only a 5-6 hour drive but I have a horrible fear of bridges, tunnels and any interstate. I am so glad to have these tips and have been telling him all the you guys have posted. Thanks!!!

 

[zorana_dragonky]

Originally Posted by LawGuy

My car has RCA inputs for an iPod fortunately. I am thinking of stopping at Borders this weekend to purchase music and books on CD. I like those ideas.

As for aspirin to prevent clots, it's unfortunately something I can't do for medical reasons. I can ask if there is something else I can take to prevent a clot though. Fortunately there are physicians in my family, including immediate family.

I won't be driving at night, so that's nice. I did that on purpose. Probably 7-8 hours a day of only driving during day time.

I do have roadside service as part of what's included with my vehicle. It's the Inifiniti roadside support program.

I like a lot of the ideas mentioned though.

I will work on starting with what's been posted.

I definitely think that audiobooks are a GREAT idea. I recently started listening to audiobooks while I was working on crafts. I discovered that they were a great way to break up the monotony of pinning or cutting fabric (very easy, mindless tasks

), and I listened to an audiobook on my last car trip. It was fantastic! I didn't get nearly as tired (car trips always make me tired) because I wanted to stay awake to find out what happened next! Plus the book I was listening to was very funny. The books that I got were not very long as novels, a little over 300 pages perhaps, but are 9 hours as audiobooks.

One or two audiobooks could easily take up half of your huge car trip.

I got mine from the library, but I don't think that would work for you. You are going up there for school, right?

I also agree about getting up to stretch every couple of hours. You don't always have to go to the bathroom or eat, just get up and walk around for a few minutes. You will feel loads better. Actually, if you have enough time to plan ahead and map out your route, you might find some cool things to see on your way, like a park or a monument that you might want to just stop and take photos of, since you will only be driving 7-8 hours of the day. That leaves enough time to stop for a couple of hours in the middle of the day to see something and still be driving largely in the day time. That sounds like fun!

Just out of curiousity... what will Ally and Ollie be doing during this trip? They are coming with you, aren't they?

 

[mrblanche]

There are good reasons why truck drivers are legally limited to 11 hours of driving before they have to stop for at least 8 hours of sleep. Even experienced drivers lose their sharpness, starting a downward slide at just 4 hours!

My friend had a fellow teacher who drove 14 hours to get home. He fell asleep, ran into the back of a truck, and was killed just a few miles from his destination.

If you get sleepy, sleep for an hour or two.

If you get sleepy enough that you do the "jerk" one time, stop and sleep. The next jerk may be you going off the road or hitting something.

Talk radio is pretty good, too.

 

[lawguy]

Just out of curiousity... what will Ally and Ollie be doing during this trip? They are coming with you, aren't they?

They will not be coming up with me via the car. I ultimately decided that an 1800 mile car trip would be too much stress too long for them. I didn't want to do that to them.

My mother was going to meet me up in Minneapolis anyways to help me move in (my father would do it but he has a work obligation that can't be moved that week). She is going to take Ally and Ollie on the plane. It's all arranged. They'll only have to be stressed for about 4 hours and then they'll see me and I'll make them comfy in Minneapolis at the hotel until I've got the apartment set up enough for them to move in and get to know their new home. It's costing $150 to fly them one way, but I think it's worth it to not stress them for days on end.

 

[zorana_dragonky]

Originally Posted by LawGuy

They will not be coming up with me via the car. I ultimately decided that an 1800 mile car trip would be too much stress too long for them. I didn't want to do that to them.

My mother was going to meet me up in Minneapolis anyways to help me move in (my father would do it but he has a work obligation that can't be moved that week). She is going to take Ally and Ollie on the plane. It's all arranged. They'll only have to be stressed for about 4 hours and then they'll see me and I'll make them comfy in Minneapolis at the hotel until I've got the apartment set up enough for them to move in and get to know their new home. It's costing $150 to fly them one way, but I think it's worth it to not stress them for days on end.

Awwww. You are so sweet to those kitties!

I would have done the same thing.

 

[nanner]

Ooh, this thread makes me want to take a road trip!!! I haven't done that for ages!

I actually have nothing to add, except to agree with the sing-along music, the books-on-tape, stopping every once in awhile to get out and stretch.....also the peppermint thing. I bought a bottle of peppermint oil (you can find it at any health store, in the section that has "essences".) A couple of dabs of that on my wrists and under my nose was eye-opening!