In the age of digital everything, vacation memories are no exception in our virtual world. From instant Facebook posts to uploading You Tube videos, documenting your family road trip is as intimate and creative as you want it to be.

Completely underestimating the number of digital photos taken during our twenty or so adventures in 2011, explaining our current filing system is best described by the word convoluted. A scrapbooker in my single years, fast forward one decade and add three kids. Gone are the leisure days spent hand-writing witty antidotes onto gingham-patterned note cards. Road Trips for Families is it for now, people.

When invited to review the My Memories Suite scrapbook software from the folks at MyMemories.com and Story Rock, Inc., I jumped at the opportunity. After downloading Version 3 of the the software to my PC and watching a few video tutorials, I took a deep breath and dug deep into the digital annals of family fun. Truth be told, the experience confirmed my profession as a writer and NOT graphic designer. Could someone please explain the difference between chartreuse and light green?

To see what naturally creative and talented people can do with the help of creative and powerful software, go to Google Images and search  “My Memories Digital Scrapbook”. Holding a much fancier example in your minds, behold, page one of my album cleverly titled 2011 Road Trips: Not bad for a first attempt, eh? Taking the experience a bit further down the electronic rabbit hole, I exported the entire file to a video format compatible with You Tube (adding background music for the fun of it). Losing some of the default “for print” resolution, importing an equivalent magnitude of photos in any other way would have otherwise taken me all day (locating the source folders was really half the battle).

MyMemories Suite retails for $39.97 US, with templates, kits, and downloads available on the website. Some downloads are free, others are not–discount clubs and kits are also available and explained on the My Memories website. If you order the software and want $10 off the top, use this code at checkout: STMMMS2980.

But wait, there’s more!

Up for grabs is a free copy of My Memories Suite for one lucky road warrior. Leave a comment in this post with someplace on your travel “bucket list”. We’ll pick one winner at random on January 31. Good luck!

In the spirit of giving and good cheer, Road Trips for Families is honored to participate in the 2011 Passports with Purpose (PwP), an annual fundraiser hosted by some of your favorite travel blogs. In its third year, PwP has raised money for a school in rural Cambodia ($30,000 in 2009) and a village in rural India (rallying with over $64,000 in 2010). Partnering with Room To Read, PwP has set a goal of $80,000 to  build two libraries for children in Zambia, Africa. A family-travel site and parents of our own literate kids, we feel particularly inspired by this year’s fundraiser.

Here’s how it works:

• Travel bloggers around the globe register their websites with PwP.
• Prizes ranging from tours, hotel packages, clothing, travel gear, electronics, gift certificates and loyalty points are donated by fantastic sponsors (more on this in just a bit).
• Between November 30 and December 16, donations are made in $10 increments through the PwP website. The more you bid on a prize, the greater your odds are for winning (donations are tax deductible and winners are selected at random—a bunch of rules and FAQs can be found on the PwP website).
• Winners are notified on December 23. (Last year we didn’t win, but we sure felt good about our 2010 charitable contribution.)

 Our fantastic sponsor:

Thoroughly enjoying our visit to several Ohio State Park Lodges earlier this fall, we asked our friends at Xanterra Parks & Resorts to participate in the 2011 PWP program. Generously donating a Buckeye lodging package for two people at a Xanterra-managed Ohio State Park Lodge of their choice, here are the details:

Xanterra operates  Hueston Woods State Park Lodge in Southwest Ohio, Maumee Bay State Park Lodge in Northwest Ohio, Mohican State Park Lodge in Central Ohio, Punderson Manor State Park Lodge in Northeast Ohio, Shawnee State Park Lodge in South Central Ohio, and  Deer Creek State Park Lodge and  Salt Fork State Park Lodge in Central Ohio.

Maumee Bay Cottage

The popular Buckeye Lodging package is available at all lodges mentioned above and features two nights of accommodations, one dinner for two, one breakfast for two, and a gift shop credit. Valued between $250 and $450, the prize is available until December 31, 2012. Gratuities not included. Based upon availability. Some blackout dates will apply, and they vary from lodge to lodge.

Thanks for participating and your support!

P.S. Follow Passports with Purpose on Facebook or the #PWP Twitter hashtag.

Renting a redbox DVD at a gas station in Alabama

As a general rule of thumb, we provide our kids with unlimited opportunities for self-entertainment (i.e., looking out the window) for road trips under nine hours. This is partly because our Hail Mary minivan is as analog as it gets and partly because most computer repair shops generally frown upon jerry-rigging laptops using a combination of bungee cords and Newton’s Third Law of Motion. That said, there are occasions when even the most seasoned road warriors are faced with choosing between the digital baby sitter and eating our offspring.

Redbox to the rescue.

About two summers ago it dawned on me we could rent and return DVDs as we traveled. Allowing kids to select new movie releases and video game rentals from one Redbox location, we’d drive 400-500 miles, find another self-service kiosk and repeat the process at $1.20/rental ($1.50 for Blu-ray/$2 for video games) . With now nearly 28,000 locations nationwide and a handy mobile app (we use the iPhone app, but Android is also available), the rent, travel, rent process is much more streamlined than calling your husband for help from 1642 miles away. The smart phone apps also allow you to browse titles and reserve advance copies.

Currently subscribers to Netflix from our home mailing address, Redbox “on the road” offers the additional flexibility and instant gratification necessary for preserving your mental health when driving solo, say, to the Gulf of Mexico from Wisconsin in two days. (!)

Viewable from the car, hotel room, airplane, train, and boat (we make lots of trips across Lake Michigan), the folks at Redbox are generously donating 20 FREE DVD rentals to the first 20 people (one each) who leave a comment on this post with their favorite road trip movie.

If you read our “10 Best Places to Get Your Marshmallow On” story earlier in the week, you may have S’mores on the brain. Er, in your stomach? A perfect non-perishable camping dessert, S’mores are easy to assemble, easy to pack, and fun to make. Thank goodness Hershey’s, Honey Maid, and Kraft have partnered together for this summer-fun giveaway.

Here’s the scoop: You can win a S’mores kit including all the classic S’mores ingredients—Hershey^®’s Milk Chocolate bars, crispy Honey Maid^® Graham Crackers and Kraft Jet-Puffed^® Marshmallows—and a branded skewers set!

If you want in on the campfire action*, simply like the Road Trips For Families Facebook page and leave a comment here with a favorite round-the-fire memory or S’more making tip. For me, it’s listening to Grandpa play his harmonica while the kids analyze the fire for the perfect roasting spot.

* Open to U.S. Residents only. Contest ends at midnight on August 31, 2010. Road Trips for Families received S’mores ingredients in the mail as part of this giveaway. We already love S’mores, so today we practiced making gingerbread houses instead. This post brought to you by the letter “f,” for fun!

They are jokingly referred to as Wisconsin/Minnesota/Your State Here’s National Bird. They bite, carry disease and the red welts itch for days after you’re bitten. You resort to DEET just to keep them off your kids. Yep, mosquitoes. They have ruined many a camping trip.

But, toxic chemicals aren’t the answer. Instead, try the all-natural Don’t Bite Me! Patch. The clear, discreet (as if you care if it keeps the mosquitoes away, right?) transdermal skin patch delivers a blend of Vitamin B1 and Aloe throughout the body, making you stinky to biting insects. You can’t smell a thing, but apparently mosquitoes don’t think Vitamin B1 smells very good and they go off in search of tastier (and less odoriferous) pastures. The Aloe contains anti-inflammatory properties and has been reported to alleviate some of the pain and swelling associated with itches and burns.

The patches are waterproof, last up to 36 hours, offer total body coverage, are safe for children and are natural — no toxic DEET. You can buy the patches nationwide at Kroger and Rite Aid, and online at www.dontbitemepatch.com. They are about $1 each for a pack of five, or you can get a 10-pack for around $8.

If you’d like to win a box of Don’t Bite Me! Patches, Twitter the giveaway, leave me a comment on why you need to try them, or send me an email. Additional entries if you sign up for the RSS Feed or follow us on Twitter, just leave a comment with the info.

The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASTHO) is asking for your best ever road trip stories. I looked them up, and there is really an association of highway and transportation officials, and they really want your story.  Who knew?  The “Are We There Yet?” campaign asks that you visit their site and enter your story (300 words or less please) and they will award prizes to random winners. I bet there are some really great stories out there. The entries so far have some awesome itineraries, so spend a second and get inspired reading a couple. Then, hit the road!