April 2011 — Planning to pack the kids into the car for a traditional family road trip sometime this summer? Road trips can make for fabulous family fun and even grand adults-only adventures — easy on the budget and heavy on the fun, as the occupants of the vehicle bond over the sights zipping past the windows, unplanned side trips decided upon on a moment’s notice, and the sense of adventure and discovery that accompanies a sojourn on the open road.

© Antikainen | Dreamstime.com

Road trips can also be total disasters, fraught with flat tires and malfunctioning climate controls, sniping siblings, bad food, closed attractions, hours of discomfort, and dull changeless so-called scenery alongside the interstate.

The following eight steps can help you tilt the balance toward a memorably great vacation rather than a nightmarish experience that’s got everyone vowing they’d prefer a TSA pat-down daily rather than a road trip ever again.

1. At least a week before you leave, get the car checked, top to bottom. That way you won’t find yourself 100 miles from the nearest gas station and 50 miles from the nearest cell tower, pouring lemonade into your empty radiator and praying.

2. If you’re not already a member, join AAA or whatever roadside assistance club makes you happiest. Gather maps of your routes, even if you’ve got a GPS device. GPSs can break and be wrong; paper maps require neither electricity nor satellite connection to function.

3. Pick a route with your fellow road-trippers in mind. With a carful of tween kids, a winding scenic route filled with historic landmarks and gorgeous scenery isn’t going to be as peaceful and charming as you might believe — particularly if the tweens have already expressed primary interest in motel pools, video arcades and beach destinations.

On the other hand, adults who’ve commuted up and down the interstate for years probably won’t be thrilled to blast up I-5 past the rice fields and dust. All sorts of scenic byways crisscross through California; pick a road you’ve never yet traveled for a new experience.

4. Plan to stop for regular bio-breaks. Squirming on the seat of a car — trying desperately to “hold it” — isn’t fun or relaxing or educational or bonding or any of the things a road trip is supposed to be. So don’t force yourself, your children, your spouse or your friends to do it.

5. Also plan to stop to check out cool stuff along the road — including stuff you hadn’t planned for. That is, decide that it’s OK to stop if someone in the car sees an interesting sign on the side of the road. After all, isn’t that part of the point of driving to faraway places rather than flying or taking the train?

6. Make sure that the seat ergonomics are working as well as possible for all the passengers in the vehicle, including the driver. Spending hours every day in a car will magnify every ache, as well as creating plenty of new pains. Use pillows to aid in lumbar support, neck support and joint placement. If not all the seats in the vehicle are created equal, rotate positions among the passengers to allow everybody a chance at the most comfortable seat.

7. Instead of relying on fast food restaurants and gas station convenience stores for road trip dining, pack a cooler full of fresh fruits, salads, nuts, juices and bottled water. Add some homemade cookies for treats. On the road, stop at farm stands and farmers markets to pick up local, seasonal fresh produce. Then check your maps or GPS to find pretty picnic grounds to stop at for lunch.

8. To create a more interactive road trip, spend at least a couple of hours a day with the overhead DVD players turned off so that everyone can actually interact. Smaller kids and adults with good senses of humor find the fun in old-school games like License Plate Bingo, I Spy, and 20 Questions. Even singing can pass some time.

Only you can say whether No. 8 will work for your crew — if you’ve got teenagers, zero interaction may be the only way to keep everybody sane.