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San Diego Mom Offers Advice For Summer Road Trips

Lilly, left, Sammy and Jackson Breuner at Grand Canyon National Park in 2008.
Lilly, left, Sammy and Jackson Breuner at Grand Canyon National Park in 2008.
San Diego Mom Offers Advice For Summer Road Trips

This is the time of year that families across the nation pile into the car, or the SUV or even the RV to see the country and create memories that last a lifetime.

Unfortunately some of those memories are the kind you wish you could forget. Life on the road can be challenging- getting lost, car breakdowns, and traveling with kids.

A classic episode of the Simpsons sums it up this way:

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But San Diego mom Gretchen Breuner was up to the challenge. She pulled her three kids out of school, put them in a used RV and took them on a 10,000 mile adventure across the United States.

After visiting 19 states, Breuner is now sharing lessons she learned about life on the road in her book 'The Roadscholarz: Lessons from the Scenic Route.'

Here are some of the highlights:

Lilly, left, Sammy and Jackson Breuner at Mount Rushmore in 2008.
Lilly, left, Sammy and Jackson Breuner at Mount Rushmore in 2008.

Plan ahead. Set your route and make reservations but be careful not to over plan.

Slow down and expect the unexpected.

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Keep kids busy during long drives. Breuner said she played games and CD books came in handy.

Be safe. Scheduled a daily phone call with family or friends back home to check in.

Breuner says she turned the country into the classroom, while on the road, she home schooled her kids, hence the book's title. She adds, she also managed to learn a few things about herself.

"In the beginning I thought it was just a road trip but there was a lot of self exploration along the way," she said.