DON'T TURN YOUR TRIP INTO A FAMILY FEUD PLAN AHEAD TO KEEP KIDS HAPPY ON SUMMER DRIVING VACATIONS.

Byline: Chris Parker  Correspondent

This is the summer of driving vacations, experts say. There will be less air travel and a lot more loaded SUVs as families choose road trips over what they perceive to be more expensive and more dangerous long-distance trips.

That's what the travel experts say. What they don't say is how family members are supposed to do this without driving each other crazy.

Because the fact of the matter is that for many people, family vacations are great except for, well, all the family. At least at home there's school and work to keep family members separated. At least on a far-away vacation, there's sightseeing and kids' clubs. On a driving vacation, there's only the parents and the kids in a little moving box for three, four or more hours.

So what's a parent to do? Experts in keeping families together - and sane - say a successful family vacation starts in the driveway, not at the destination. Parents who plan the trip from the first mile, not just the last, and who get their kids involved in making their own happiness can have great memories to go along with their digital photographs and wonderful stories to journal into their scrapbooks.

``It's a bonding time when you're in the car,'' says Julie Edelman, a family lifestyles expert and editor at BestStuff.com. ``It can be a daunting experience unless you plan ahead.''

There's no doubt this is the summer of driving trips. With anxiety over anti-American feelings abroad and a still-soft economy at home, families are forgoing the far-away destination trips in Europe and Asia for the comfort and low cost of a vacation in America. And many people are still skittish about airplanes and airports because of terrorism fears.

The California Division of Tourism forecasts a 4 percent increase in in- state travel this summer vs. 2002. In some spots - such as Hearst Castle in San Luis Obispo County - reservations are up 10 percent or more. In fact, 86 percent of California's tourists this summer - or 17 out of every 20 - are expected to be Californians.

TV is your friend

Parents have a new tool for those long drives up Interstate 5: television. What was once a highly expensive, fringe electronic device has reached the masses. Discount department stores sell VHS and DVD players with small screens that plug into car lighters. Mobile TV/VHS boxes that can be plugged into a car outlet start at about $150 at major discount department stores or online electronic retailers. DVD versions typically run $300 to $400. Even more sophisticated systems - built into the vehicle's interior and plugged into the sound system - have come down in price considerably over the last few years.

``The guy who couldn't afford it two years ago can buy the package now,'' says Sean Khorra, manager of Mobile Fantasy electronics stores in Sherman Oaks and Northridge. Khorra says business has picked up as summer approaches and ``people upgrade (their auto electronics system) because they're going on vacation.'' Systems installed at his stores start at $600 and run as much as $3,000 for high-end options, Khorra says.

Some parents object to putting televisions in cars, saying kids will miss out on the changing countryside if they're watching ``Rugrats'' or ``Kim Possible'' instead. And besides, these parents say, they didn't get to watch TV in the car when they were kids.

Let the kids watch TV, says Dr. Drew Yellen, author of ``The Art of Perfect Parenting and Other Absurd Ideas.''

``If that gets the family to their destination in good shape, then you're really buying those good times ahead,'' says Yellen, a clinical psychologist with offices in Northridge and Thousand Oaks.

Edelman says the backseat entertainment systems are even good for babies and toddlers, assuming the right videos are selected. Educational videos such as those produced by the Baby Einstein Co. can keep the youngest children entertained through stretches of a long drive. And older children should be allowed to watch the videos they choose, she says.

``This is a special time, they're on a vacation,'' she says. ``They need a break, too.''

Have a family game plan

Yellen says parents should discuss the trip beforehand with their children, explaining what's going to happen and what behavior is expected. That way, the children know what's expected of them and understand the time line of the trip.

``It's just like going out to dinner the first time,'' he says.

This pretrip discussion shouldn't be just parents laying down the rules to their kids, he says. Parents need to be aware of their own child's behavior patterns, whether it is the inability to sit still for more than an hour in a car or to sit quietly in an expensive restaurant.

``Parents need to know their child and need to know what their limitations are,'' Yellen says.

If that means stopping the car every 60 to 90 minutes so Jacob or Haley can run around a fast-food playground for 10 minutes, so be it, Yellen says. That advice may be counter to the logic of getting to the destination as fast as possible, but Yellen says it's worth it.

``So what if it's longer?'' he says. ``What are you going to gain (by getting there faster), or what are you going to lose?''

That's Susan Blaser's philosophy. The Camarillo mother of two and her husband take frequent driving vacations in their recreational vehicle and make frequent stops to let their 2-year-old daughter run around and 6-month-old daughter get out of her car seat.

``They've gotten accustomed to riding,'' says Blaser, ``and we make stops along the way for them.''

Edelman says older children should be encouraged to help pack games, books and toys for the trip. Kids can pack a backpack or small bag with some favorite items - with parental approval - and keep it with them in the car. Shoe bags can be hung from the back of the front seat so it's easier to reach the kids' stuff.

Another bag - the ``Surprise Bag'' - can have toys, car games and books that the children haven't seen before the trip. Every hour or so, children who behave properly can grab something new out of the bag.

Edelman suggests giving each child a lightweight cookie sheet, to be used as both a flat play surface and eating tray for snacks or meals. That way, spills are on the tray, not the upholstery.

Speaking of snacks, pack plenty - but keep an eye out for salty snacks like crackers or jerky that make kids thirsty. The crackers/juice box/bathroom axis can be especially frustrating for long-distance traveling. Stick to fresh fruit, yogurt and other healthy snacks. The most important thing to pack, Edelman says, is the right attitude.

``Don't forget to pack a smile,'' says Edelman. ``Go in with the attitude that rather than being the worst part of the vacation, this could be a good opportunity to start a great vacation off right.''

Packing for a smooth ride

Here are a few items suggested by Beststuff.com's Julie Edelman and other parents and experts that should find a place in the over-packed minivan before your family's next road trip:

--SNACKS/DRINKS: Fruit, carrot sticks, yogurt, mini-bagels and water are just a few examples. Avoid foods that will make children thirsty, such as salty or flavored crackers.

--VIDEOS: Educational/enrichment videos for toddlers and babies, fun movies or cartoon show compilations for the older kids. Let them have fun.

--GAMES: Can be a deck or cards or a traditional board game that is now available as a smaller travel version. If kids play nicely together, this will keep them entertained for hours.

--BOOKS: Age-appropriate books, so whoever is riding shotgun doesn't have to keep turning around to show the pictures.

--CAMERA: Let older kids take their own pictures and keep their own scrapbook of the trip. They'll get into the trip a lot more readily.

--``SURPRISE BAG'': Every hour (or half-hour or hour and a half), allow children to take one new toy/book/game from the ``Surprise Bag.'' They shouldn't get a peek inside the bag before the trip - and make them reach into the bag without peeking inside once on the road. It'll turn this time into a game.

CAPTION(S):

2 photos, box, drawing

Photo:

(1) An ample supply of games and snacks can keep children happy during a summer driving trip.

Gus Ruelas/Staff Photographer

(2) Mike Karian of Mobile Fantasy shows off a Lincoln Navigator equipped with a DVD player.

Hans Gutknecht/Staff Photographer

Box:

Packing for a smooth ride (see text)

Drawing:

(cover -- color) AT HOME ON THE ROAD

Secrets of a successful family vacation

Jon Gerung/Staff Artist