“I find it fascinating that most people plan their vacations with better care than they plan their lives. Perhaps that is because escape is easier than change.” — Jim Rohn

Jeanine and I are taking a road trip later this summer to see friends in Santa Cruz and San Francisco. We’ll be driving: Jeanine’s car, of course. I don’t trust the Volvo on long road trips… at least not of the 6 or 7 hour variety.

This brings thought once again to the cost of gas and why we couldn’t fly in the first place. I’ve lived in California for 8 years and in the 20+ trips taken to San Francisco, I’ve always flown and never made the trek by car. But Jeanine and I couldn’t make any of my gazillion AAdvantage miles work with our timing and the cheapest fare we could find was over $365 a piece. The high cost of fuel is putting a damper on things… so we’re making the drive.

Here’s the reality according to Gene Sloan. He writes, “Even with gas prices around $3 a gallon, vacationing by car is still far, far less expensive than by air for the typical family.” Well, since when are the lesbians considered the typical family?

For the real take on “family” travel visit my friend, David, at his travel blog cleverly titled Upright and Stowed: Notes On Traveling With Intention. On occasion, he even suggests doing things on a budget as he did the other day when he pointed readers to AAA’s Fuel Cost Calculator. He shares my annoyance with expensive air travel.

The calculator is great tool for budgeting. Populate the questions on screen with a few quick answers, click the calculate button and find an approximation of your road trip fuel costs. Our trip north will cost $87.42 for the 762 round trip miles. It would be $97.92 if we braved it in the Volvo. We’re not, but this brings me to my second point.

Make sure your car is ready for the road trip. Roland Jones at MSNBC writes that Tire Upkeep Can Boost Safety, Fuel Economy. I know, I know, car safety isn’t exactly a riveting topic, but as pending parents, it’s amazing how these thoughts start to cross your mind.

In a nutshell, the article states that, “It’s really all about maintaining air pressure ” that’s how you get the best wear, fuel economy and performance out of your tires.” The experts continue, “Tire pressure is important, but there are actually better ways consumers can save money at the pump. The greatest enemy is aggressive acceleration and braking. Moderate drivers can save up to 37 percent of their fuel costs if they simply ease off the gas pedal.”

“Other tips to save on gas include clearing out the clutter in your trunk, and reducing your cruising speed to 65 miles per hour from 75 miles per hour would also mean gas savings of about 11 percent.” For more spellbinding tire advice, check out the entire article. Who knew someone could write two full pages on the topic?

Once you’re done reading, drive safely. Slow down. Enjoy the scenery.