Dapper Days: 10 Ways to Pass the Time on Road Trips

Captain Dapper declares this the summer of travel!

The Mister and I are jumping back into the car and heading out for another road trip. We logged a full fifteen hours in the car for our roundtrip jaunt to Minneapolis last weekend. This week, we'll be spending an equal amount of time in the car going one way. Ridgefield, Connecticut here we come! 

By the time we get back next week we will have spent roughly twenty hours on the road. Passing the time on long road trips can seem tortuous. Stick with Captain Dapper's tried and true road trip tips to keep you entertained on the road. 

Here are 10 of my favorite ways to pass time in the car:

ENTERTAINMENT

Audio books: Nothing passes the time faster than getting lost in a story. While it's frowned upon to read a paperback while driving, audio books are fairly distraction-free. You can download audio books MP3s from iTunes or Amazon but I prefer to check out CDs from the library.  

Old time radio shows: I've been singing the praises of old time radio for years. Just as it's not a good idea to read a book while driving, you shouldn't watch TV either. Old time radio shows will get you close to that TV experience without taking your eyes off the road. You can order CDs of old shows or find downloads available online.

99 Bottles of Beer (and other sing-alongs): No, I'm not suggesting you drink beer while whizzing across the country in your automobile. You can, however, sing about it! Have you ever started and finished 99 Bottles of Beer on a Wall? Now's your chance! 

Local newspapers: Pick up a local newspaper at a rest stop or gas station and let the passenger regale you with tales of the locals. Skip back to the police blotter section for a colorful look at the communities you're passing.
Make your own movie: Remember when folks would gather in their living rooms and watch each other's home movies from their travels? Why don't we still do that? Armed with your smartphone's camera and an editing app, you can shoot your travelogue and edit it on the go.

GAMES
Mad Libs: If you haven't played Mad Libs since you were a kid, you're missing out. If you've never played Mad Libs, you're really missing out! In this simple word game, you are prompted for a list of word types (adjective, noun, etc.) that you then plug into a story. Fun tip: use dirty and nonsensical words to really crank up the laughter!
The Alphabet Game: Whenever I go on a road tip, no matter who is with me, I inevitably break into this word/memory game. It start out, "I'm going on a trip and I'm taking an apple." Then, the next person repeats the phrase and adds a b-letter word. So, "I'm going on a trip and I'm taking an apple and a basketball." Continue until you get to Z -- or until the first person makes a mistake.
Name That Tune: I owe this game to my mom, who would always break into it when we were in my family's AM radio-equipped 1980 Volkswagon Rabbit. Hum a tune until your travelling companion can identify it.
License Plate Bingo: This game will take a little prep work but it's totally worth it. Create a simple Bingo board by writing state names on a 16-square grid (4 columns across, 4 rows up and down). As you spot the states on the highway, check them off your Bingo board. Good luck if you get Hawaii!
I Spy: You might remember this game from your childhood. One person says, "I spy with my little eye something beginning with..." and then says a letter. The other person tries to guess what the person sees. Variation: "I spy with my little eye something orange/red/etc."

Images: Jason Loper