It’s almost summer, and many of our parents will be dragging us to the car on what they claim will be a fun trip. You will be crammed between pillows, snacks and a little sibling that won’t put headphones in when listening to music, and no matter how many times you ask “Are we there yet?” the trip will not go any faster. But there are easy things you can do to make the trip a little bit more entertaining.

   Keep track of license plates

While this may seem cliché, you’d be surprised at how much more attentive you become while lisence plate hunting. Make a list of every different license plate you find and see how many you can spot by the end of the trip. Who knows? Maybe the person who spots the most can get a prize.

   Be willing to take detours

Yes, this may add a little extra time to your trip, but you’ll get to see and do things that you may not have the opportunity to do otherwise. Look up interesting sites from your starting point to your ending point and pick some that wouldn’t be too out of the way to see. There are tons of places right off the highway that you can stop at just for the sake of stopping there, like South of the Border just on the border of South and North Carolina on I-95. Yes, the place is a bit bizarre with its statues of bright colored animals everywhere, but it definitely would make for an unforgettable experience if you were to stop there.

   Stay away from national chain restaurants

This may be difficult because there’s a big chain at pretty much every exit, but if you can, try and find some local chains or mom and pop places to eat at. You’d be supporting smaller businesses, getting what is probably a healthier meal and making an adventure out of something as simple as your meals.

   Bring a deck of cards

  Cards might be one of the best sources of entertainment. They’re easy to pack, and there are dozens of games tat you can play, such as President or War. An empty seat can always be used as a playing area, but also try and bring something like a box that can serve as a flat surface to play on, or even a hat to pass the cards around.