The Great American Road Trip Travel Tips

The Travel Mom, Emily Kaufman, frequently appears on The Steve Harvey Show and The Today Show to share her insider travel trips. If you’re planning a great family road trip this summer, she has some ideas to pack your vacation full of fun and great memories.

The Road Trip is a Big Part of the Vacation. First, remember that the road trip is part of the vacation and not just a way to get there. In fact, some of my favorite memories are from the cool places we stopped along the way to our vacation destination. So make sure you build in time to stop at unique roadside attractions, beautiful spots in nature and take some time to enjoy your favorite summer treats like ice cream.

The First Sustainable Ice Cream Trail. In fact, July is National Ice Cream Month and you have to check out the first Sustainable Ice Cream Trail created by natural oral care leader Tom’s of Maine. It features ice cream shops in 14 states that not only give back to the community, but they make their delicious ice cream (or gelato) using local ingredients with no artificial ingredients.

Now, if you have sensitive teeth like 40 million of us do, you usually have to skip eating ice cream but Tom’s of Maine new Rapid Relief Sensitive Toothpaste uses a patented combination of arginine and calcium carbonate — both derived from natural sources — to seal the pathways to sensitive tooth nerves to help block the pain.  It is the only toothpaste currently available in the U.S. to use this technology.

You’ll get rapid relief when you apply it directly to a sensitive tooth with your fingertip and gently massage it for one minute. Continuous use provides long-lasting protection so make sure you pack a tube in your suitcase and enjoy the great ice cream and gelatos around the country. Go to TomsOfMaine.com\icecream for more information.

Ways to Keep The Kids Entertained in the Car. Next, let’s talk about how to keep the kids entertained while you’re in the car for the long drive so they’re not constantly asking, “Are we there yet.”

I’ve always been a fan of loading up a boredom buster bag packed with lots of toys, coloring books, games, and snacks.

Also, bring several cookie sheets to use as a lunch tray, magnet board, or even a hard surface for coloring. Although electronic gadgets and video games will keep the kids occupied, I like to encourage moms and dads to get the kids to enjoy the scenery and play old fashioned road trip games to create family memories.

How to Find Hidden Nature Spots Just Beyond the Highway. Finally, make sure you stop at beautiful places along the way to enjoy nature. ExitTheHighway.com has a map of some hidden gems in nature located throughout the country that lie just beyond the highway. You might even find a great spot for a picnic and that’s so much nicer than grabbing a quick lunch through a drive-thru.

So before you hit the road, take note of these travel tips from The Travel Mom and have the best road trip ever.

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Bill Bixby’s TV Son on a Crusade to Get ‘Hulk’ Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame

 

Bill Bixby with TV Son, Brandon Cruz, in 1967

Many former child actors don’t have a good track record when it comes to life after stardom and Brandon Cruz, a child star from the 60’s and 70’s, could have easily become a sad statistic. He struggled with drug and alcohol addition for 25 years, but unlike many who lost the battle, Brandon beat the odds. After conquering his demons, he now helps others stay clean and sober as a rehab specialist that works with a confidential clientele (including celebrities) in private and personalized treatment programs – much like the addiction treatment Prince’s team was working on arranging for him the day before he died of a suspected overdose of pain medication.

But Brandon is not just a crusader for people struggling with addiction, he is currently on a mission to get his late TV dad, Bill Bixby, a much deserved star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Bixby, who starred in My Favorite Martian, The Courtship of Eddie’s Father, and The Incredible Hulk, was like a second father to Cruz.

“Bill was a mentor to me,” Cruz said. “He was a father figure to me. He was the guy who told me, ‘No acting. We hired a kid. Remain a kid’.”

Bixby was loved in Hollywood and his career, that included acting and directing hit shows like Blossom, but somehow never received a Walk of Fame Star before his untimely death at 59 from prostate cancer in 1993.

Brandon is on a crusade to raise the $35,000 needed to cover the costs involved of the installation. He’s started a Go Fund Me page and needs to enlist the love and donations of fans to meet the cost and he is reaching out through social media and any means possible to give his TV Dad the honor he deserves.

Brandon Cruz – 2016

Brandon Cruz was just five years old when he was cast as Bill Bixby’s TV Son, Eddie Corbett, in the hit television series The Courtship of Eddie’s Father that aired on ABC from 1969 to 1972. Bixby and Cruz spent a lot of time together even when the show was on hiatus and according to Cruz, “Bill Bixby was like my second father.” When the series ended, Brandon had guest roles on iconic shows including Kung Fu, Gunsmoke, and The Incredible Hulk—which reunited him on-screen with Bixby. Cruz also played the role of Joey Turner, the Yankees pitcher, in the Blockbuster 1976 movie, The Bad News Bears. In the 1980s, Cruz turned to music as a member of the hardcore punk band Dr. Know. He has been working in the drug and alcohol recovery field for 15 years.