I am constantly on long car rides mostly because of rowing, but summer is no exception when it comes to family vacations and weekend trips. This week my family travelled to Tennessee, and with 9 plus hours of driving we were in desperate need of things to do. Luckily, we were able to use many of the things my friends and I have come up with, so here are some of things we did.

1. Sleep

Sleeping isn't necessarily entertaining, but sleeping is better than being bored. It is also nice to catch up on much needed sleep since you can't go anywhere.

2. Read A Book

I'm not much of a reader, but it is nice to read every once in a while when there is not much else to do.

3. Watch Netflix

Now that you can download Netflix shows, you can watch it on the go! This might just be one of my favorite features of the Netflix app.

4. Play Bingo

There are plenty of road trip bingos that you can play with family or friends as you ride along. You can also make custom bingo boards if there are certain things your family members will probably do or say along the way.

5. Play Games

On rowing trips we play different games like Mafia, 21, or headbands. We also make up complicated riddles, and sometimes we even invent our own games.

6. Listen to Podcasts

I especially enjoy listening to podcasts if I am driving, even on my everyday commutes. My favorite podcast is Myths and Legends, which goes into detail about how some of the most common stories came to be, and it is super awesome to listen to the writer to listen to the host, Jason, tell the stories. You can find his podcasts and many others on Spotify.

7. Listen to Comedy

My friend Maddy actually introduced me to this one. You can listen to different comedians on Spotify, so it is easy to download a few acts you want to listen to before leaving.

8. Eat

My mom said I had to add this one because it's what she typically does on road trips... but I'm not going to lie to you and say I don't do it too.

9. Do Work or Homework

Unfortunately I typically have to spend the majority of car time on rowing trips doing homework, but it is the best time to get it done, so you can really enjoy your trip, and don't have to spend time at a race course or vacation doing work.

10. Read Odyssey Articles

Road trips are a great time to read articles by the Odyssey, especially the University of Florida's Odyssey, you can even find super cool articles on what to do if you get bored on your road trip.