How to keep the trip from feeling too long
Take rests at rest stops, historical landmarks, beautiful vistas, something that looks interesting, food to kill the hunger pains, get fuel, etc.!
I do the driving, so I need to keep my family safe and happy on the drive if I am going to be.
At rest stops I love to stretch because sitting for extended periods have such a negative impact on your health like sclerosis, respiratory issues, gaining size in weird places and shrinking in others…, muscle and joint issues, and more. So, I stretch.
Play games with the kids. Kids go from being the cutest little things to little monsters while driving for hours. So, I make up a game to play with the kids for about 15-20 mins. I’ll make it up with whatever is around and get as creative as possible to keep both my mind operating and not zoning out during the drive but more importantly bond with my kids, but for them I try to make the games physical and mental so they can be entertained but also physically and mentally awake. And morally straight for those who resonate with that. Sometimes I’ll have them balance on a wall or curb while balancing something which is great for motor skills and cognition as well as triggering creativity neurons for mental development. Our oldest still has a vendetta against “level 6”. She’ll complete it sooner than later. With my youngest, I pick her up and twirl her around as much as possible. Physical bonds with your babies/toddlers is essential for building healthy relationships as well as discipline. She loves being tossed around and I usually get a really good workout before she will let me stop.
I try to touch my wife more for similar reasons because we both need to continue developing together. And being a solid unit together will make trips so much better. Not will make you want to quit traveling. So, try to make it a priority the take a moment at every stop to touch your partner.