What’s the best way to see our great country? Behind the wheel of an automobile! But long road trips can get monotonous. Here are three classic driving games that will surely chew up big blocks of time.

Know Your Geography: One person names a place—city, state or country. The last letter of that place is what the next person has to use as the first letter of another place. Example: Cincinnati (ends with an “i”), then Indiana (begins with an “i” and ends with an “a”), then Armonk. The next person has to name a city/state/country that starts with a “k.” When a player is stumped, he/she drops out. Continue the game until only one player is left…or just quit playing when you’re all “geographied” out.

I Went on a Picnic and Brought…(or any of its variants): One player starts by saying, “I went to a picnic and I brought…” then says a picnic favorite that begins with the letter A, like apples. The next player repeats the opening phrase, and after “…I brought,” he/she repeats the A item then adds one that begins with B: “I brought an apple and some bologna.” The third player repeats the opener, the A and the B portions, and then adds something that begins with C. The object is getting through the alphabet, remembering all the items everyone contributed. Variants include “I’m making a casserole (cake, pie, stew), and I need to add…” and “I went camping and I brought…” You get the idea!

Tell Me a Story: You may want to record this creative progression on your smartphone. One passenger discreetly peers into another vehicle on the road and begins a made-up story based on what her or she sees, stopping after a few sentences. The next passenger picks up where the first person left off. Keep the story going as long as possible…long after the inspiration vehicle is out of sight…and try to wrap it up with a suspenseful ending. If the story is any good, transcribe your recording and get a literary agent to represent it!

If you want to see if driving is cheaper than flying for your specific trip, click here.

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