Going on long road trip
 

What do you do when traveling to keep busy? I don't like to sit and stare out the window.

I drive, LOL. I enjoy listening to recorded books on a long trip.

I have embroidered blocks, made hexies (precut squares), needlepointed. I seem to do anything but read. Before you go, you may want to go to quiltinghub.com and get a map of any quilt stores you'll pass. It's a fun way to break up the trip as long as you don't shop too long. Afterall, why purchase gas at exit X when there is a great quilt shop at exit Y with a gas station nearby.

I turn on the hotspot on my IPhone and use that to connect my IPad to the internet. Then I'm able browse to my hearts content or research interesting information on where we are traveling or signs we read, look up upcoming towns, find the best places to eat, see if there is a convenient gas station or even look for gas at the best price, etc.

I usually read or sleep (except when driving of course.........haha). My job is navigating, well sort of. It usually doesn't work that way when on our way to our destination. We wander off the beaten path most of the time till we get to where we are going. Once we arrive the navigator takes over and gets us to our hotel and other spots we want to go to.

My husband has a picture on his desk of a man and a saying....."It's not the destination but the journey getting there."

p.s.
My husband does 98% of the driving when we travel. I have to make sure we stop every two hours to get out and just stretch our legs. My husband has a DVT running the length of his left leg so getting out of the truck often is a must.

Thanks all

I knit washcloths. I've even bought cotton yarn at Walmart in the middle of a road trip but I prefer local yarn shops if possible. I also keep a little spiral bound memo pad and a pen handy to jot down notes about the trip or billboards and signs of interesting shops etc. to check out the next time. I've brought hexies before but it isn't always easy to sew them in a moving vehicle. I also load my IPad with free books from Overdrive. I do need a better charger for it, though.

audio books, enjoy the scenery, handwork, nap, mess around on tablet, sketch. I can't read--get very car sick, but I do like maps.

We talk, look at the scenery, listen to the radio, or rarely, sleep. I'm usually the navigator, and the way some people drive now-a-days, I'm the second set of eyes.

I've lost count of the number of dishcloths that I've knit while on trips.:)

Since I usually travel alone, I don't have the problem of just sitting and staring out the window, but I do get bored. I listen to talk radio, preferably NPR. I listen to favorite music. But my favorite is to listen to books. I check out audio books from the library. They can either be the actual books on cd or I download them through a library program called Overdrive. I really like Overdrive because I can download a new book any place.

I have been working on a hexie quilt for the last several years. Needless to say, it is now too big to go with me and too difficult to make the blocks I still need. I will be looking for another project before we leave again.

I'm on a road trip right now! I read, navigate, look at maps, knit washcloths, look at quilt patters, listen to audiobooks and talk to dear husband while sitting in front seat with three small dogs.

I save all my hand binding for road trips. I don't like to do hand sewing but this keeps me from being too bored on a long trip.

I take a book, the Ipad and my crochet basket. I usually crochet small projects: scarves, baby hats, ear warmers, baby headbands. When it gets too dark to crochet, the Ipad comes out or just my cell phone. Sometimes I listen to audio books, but my husband always starts talking in the middle of the good parts. If I tire of crochet, the book comes out. I, also have to navigate, so it's easy to look away from the crochet and not lose my spot.

I don't like being the passenger and DH doesn't like to be the passenger. We swap driving every two hours if we don't drive separately.

I always had some handwork to do, knitting, crochet, made several embroidered crazy quilts. I miss doing that since DH passed and I have to do all the driving.

I bought one of those kid-type lap desks that have side pockets (I've seen them at Michaels but I got mine at a thrift store). They're great because it doesn't just have the flat surface, but the side pockets which allow me to put books, notepaper, writing implements and sewing projects including scissors etc so it give me many options. It also has a little internal lip on the top so things don't slide off as easily.

I bring any quilts that need hand binding. I also make hexis - lots of hexis when I travel. I think that seems to be the only time I get hexis made. We listen to books and/or podcasts.

I read, sleep or play the alphabet game . LOL Our trips are always to our sons so the scenery doesn't change except for seasons.

I love to knit and crochet dishcloths and towels, I also do small quilted items that i can put together in the car when i am not driving.

Take a camera with plenty of batteries or a recharger and plenty of memory cards. I try to download each evening and since the digital pictures are dated, I can keep up with the trip in chronological order. I don't do handwork or read because I don't want to miss anything. :)

We get books ahead of time about the history of the areas and especially like "Roadside Geology". Sometimes these are on tapes too. Cameras are a must so we remember correctly the dates, locations etc.