iFrogz Hits ADRoadtrip As A Main Sponsor

iFrogz has just signed on as a major sponsor of ADRoadtrip. If you haven’t heard or seen their ipod and iphone cases and accessories yet, then you should check them out. I am already a huge fan of their earphone and headphone lines. The good news is that we will be rocking our tunes and watching movies on the trip with quality audio and in killer style.

One of the best parts of their website is the headphone designer… you heard it right, you can design your own headphones. And not just a couple colors here and there - they have up to 8 design features with tons of great designs, colors and materials to choose to truly create a set of headphones that only you own. Here’s a shot of a simple build I did earlier today:

Want even more good news, they are going to work with us to give away free gear, so if you follow us on twitter, you will get all the details on the dates, times and locations for your chance to score their swag.

But for now, stay tuned for more updates from ADRoadtrip, and go pick up some great gear from iFrogz.

ADRoadtrip In 140 Characters

Millions of people tweet and microblog everyday, each time in 140 characters or less. “Duh!?”, you say… well I figure everyone should be able to explain themselves in 140 characters, so here it goes:

ADRoadtrip is a real family on vacay. We combine outdoor advertising and social media to promote your business in a new and interesting way.

That’s 140 characters, spot on… and it basically says it all.

Can you do it? Give it a shot -  follow us and tweet your pitch in 140 characters or less! Good luck.

What You Are Running For

It is National Running Day, and I will openly admit that I suffer from a moderate case of runner envy. I know, that’s something you rarely hear, but it is true - I wish I was more of a runner. No matter how fit I am (always relative), I can never seem to run with ease.

My wife, on the other hand, can start a new run routine and after three weeks go from an average 2 mile distance to well over 6 miles per run consistently. It just isn’t fair. We can never run together.

I’m sure proper nutrition is a big part of a capable runners repertoire, and I think MyNutritionStore.com has pretty good stuff for the whole keeping balance thing. Honestly, all of that is a challenge for me too.

A fun segment of our road trip is going to include a relay race, in which my wife will participate with 10 of her good friends over 189 miles of mountain road terrain (we’ll see if they are still friends after this race). The relay is produced by Epic Relays - here’s the link to the Cache-Teton Relay (CTR). Maybe you’ll see us there, then again maybe not.

Anyway, whether like me or more of an avid runner, get out there run today and give National Running Day some props.

7 Road Trip Mistakes To Avoid

We all make mistakes sometimes, but mistakes on a road trip can really escalate fast due to tight quarters and lots of “are we there yet”s. Here are a handful of mistakes to avoid to make the most of your upcoming road trip:

1. Covering Too Much Ground

You can always travel a long distance, but make sure you have a solid ratio of miles to smiles. Simply put, don’t go too far without having solid destinations to visit and enjoy. Too much travel and no fun is just that - no fun (especially for the kiddos.)

2. Staying in the Car

This is part of the “smiles” mention from mistake number 1… how many fond memories do you have of driving across Death Valley? Probably not very many. Avoid making the entire trip a Death Valley memory; get out and enjoy the scenery. Spend a couple hours outside of the car for every 4 to 5 hours in the car, even on the distance days, that will keep a balance and the kids should nap in the car from outside play.

3. Not Making Reservations

Regardless of tough times and a slow economy, don’t think there aren’t lots of other families out trying to make the most of their Summer vacations too. Avoid last minute arrivals with no reservations - hotels and motels fill up fast, and you don’t want to be stuck with only a double bed and handful of cots in your room for the 5 of you.

You can always hit up Priceline too for the best prices on hotel reservations.

4. Spending Too Much Money

You don’t have to spend a lot of money to have a good time… there are so many sights to see and facts to learn, that your kids won’t miss the 4 star breakfasts and 40 mph rides. Ok, they might miss them a little, but the point is, you can find so many great parks, beaches (ocean or lakefront) and museums to keep really busy.

Buy snacks from the grocery store, and don’t be afraid to have a picnic lunch or dinner now and then too. It doesn’t all have to be about 5 dollar kids meals and cheesecake desserts.

5. Not Planning Ahead

You will want to avoid Sergent Slaughter mode, but having a solid plan for each travel day is important, otherwise you will find a general lack of discontent and lagging morale among your crew. Planning can be a pain, but keep it simple and you’re sure to hedge your bet against road trip frustrations.

Also, leave a little room for delays, extra fun time a family hot spot and longer than expected goodbyes - flexibility will be your friend too.

6. Only Doing the “Kid Stuff”

Find time for you… 10 days of just kid stuff can wear on parents. Part of planning ahead should include a family member caring for kids for a half day or work in a late show or something. Don’t rule out the importance of an adult “breather” or two in your vaca.

7. Too Tired to Capture

The camera and camcorder and get heavy and become a burden, especially when the thoughts “I’ve already captured tons of great memories” creep in. Just go get the camera - you’ll be glad you did. So you’ll have 40 hours of photos and footage that may never see daylight for 10 years to come, at least you will have it - that’s what’s important.

And when you are ready to showcase your road trip memories Snapfish is a great place to print and deliver photos of the family standing on the dock or sitting by the campfire. And they will cover your first roll for free!

Far from all inclusive, and a bit of common sense, but a good reminder non-the-less of things to avoid to stay busy, stay active and have fun on your next road trip.

Zipcar Is On The Move

Are you in the market for part of a car or need occasional use of a car, but don’t think your friends will stay friends if you ask them to borrow their car again for the day? Then you might be the perfect candidate for zipcar.

The zipcar rental model is cunningly simple, and while they are not in all major markets yet, that is quickly changing. You have to join their program, but as a member they make getting your hands on the steering wheel fast and easy. It is almost the perfect utlity model for car rental - just pay for what you use.

Of course you can join zipcar for all the reasons you can imagine needing a car on a temporary basis - weekend drive to the coast, travel to a wedding, as a getaway car, for a job interview or for wooing your date (the ladies do not think riding halfsies on a banana seat is cool.)

And if you are into green, you will really feel good because you will have more of it in your pocket (vs. owning a car) and because you are allowing more of it grow on trees. Now if you are in the market for that new Hummer, but want to wait until GM get’s everything sorted out and you need to know who the new owner is, then zipcar is good interim solution too.

I could go on and on about zipcar, but their website does a great job of saying it all - visit www.zipcar.com.