Everybody has a good old Uncle Lou who still talks about that wonderful road trip he had back in 1977. Now it's your turn. Next summer, pack your bags and get in the car. Here are some tips to help you with your road trip:

* Get your map out. Make sure you know where you're going before you get on the road. Use mapping software to help you design a route.

* If at all possible, drive during the day if you're going somewhere you don't know. It's really hard to see signs in the dark.

* Look out for Traffic Traps. AAA has information on their website about locations that they consider are either traffic traps or strict enforcement areas.

* Pack food, drinks, and light snacks.

* Schedule frequent stops; plan on stops every couple of hours for bathroom breaks and leg stretching.

* Take along an extra pair of glasses if you have them or at least your eyeglass prescription if you wear glasses.

* Carry a second set of vehicle keys.

* Pack an emergency kit with a first aid kit, emergency flares or reflectors, and a flashlight with extra batteries.

* If you have kids, consider getting them a personal DVD player to help them pass the time.

* Buy a book or come up with a list of car games you can play to pass the time away. My family likes to play a game where we try to think of all the songs a band has ever penned or all the movies a favorite actor's ever been in.

* Consider joining a automobile club like AAA. Check to see if your insurance has roadside assistance. This can really come in handy when you're in unfamiliar territory.

* Make sure you take your car in for a check-up before going on a long road trip. Out on the road is not where you want to find out that you've got some issues under the hood.

* Make sure you windshield wiper fluid reservoir is full.

* Pack light. With less luggage, you'll get better gas mileage.

* Check out some books on tape or CD from your local library. Just make sure you don't get something that will put you to sleep or scare the bejeebies out of you. We had to quit listening to Intensity at the part where everybody was driving on dark lonely passages of highway (just like us).

* Carry a cooler in the back filled with ice. It will really save you money carrying your own drinks around.

* Check out guide books or search online to pick up as much local flavor as possible. Once, while we were out in Texas, my family went to go visit a Stonehedge reproduction that was made out of cement. I kid you not. Our trip to Texas was much more interesting because of it.

* Plan extra time for diversions (like the one above). While you do usually have a ending point in mind, don't treat the miles in between like prison. Have fun along the way.