Well after reading part one and figuring out that taking a drive this summer with the family is a fun vacation, you now have to figure where to go.

Well here are some sites and a few tips to make the planning easier.

The biggest thing about planning a driving trip is the distances. Do you want to have short little legs on your trip of no m ore than 300 miles a day? Or do you just want to get there, so you do not mind driving for 12 hours or more. This is your first decision. Remember that with older Kids your going to need to keep the distances per day short or perhaps drive at night so they sleep all of the way. A good rule to follow, in my opinion is weigh your options. If you drive straight through, you avoid having to get hotels on the way up and back. You also get more time to enjoy your destination. But then again there might be many things you want to see in between. And if this is the case, then take your time. You are in total control, and you’re the one who knows your passengers best. So take some time and look at all of the factors we discussed (time, distance).

AAA. Back in the old days our Dad’s used to go to the local AAA office and they would make for their members this really cool set of maps called a “Trip Tik.” Well now in the information age this process has gone online. Go to www.AAA.com and go to the Trip Tik planner section. Yopu are able to turn on and off all of the features you want. From attractions, to AAA offices to Gas Stations, to Hotels. Also your able to plot your route and see how many miles/ how long it will take you between legs of your trip.

Map Quest. Another amazing site. This one is a little les friendly than AAA, but it gets the job done. It will give you precise directions to anywhere.

Garmin, or some other navigation system. You might want to invest in one of the newer navigation systems out there, or better yet, rent a car that has one in it already. This way you will never get lost (or almost never).

A little planning before you leave will save you a lot of headaches when you on the road. With Map Quest directions or a Nav System or a AAA Trip Tik in your hands you do not have to spend your time looking for that elusive highway, or that little street.

Oh, and do not forget a DVD player, or the Nintendo DS's for your drive. Trust me! :)

In Part Three we will take a look at Hotels and the best Places to book them.