Great Tunes Keep Family Road Trips Humming

Great Tunes Keep Family Road Trips Humming

MINNEAPOLIS, May 15 /PRNewswire/ -- It's logical to believe that road trips are more popular these days because of all the technology and entertainment options that are available to keep the family occupied -- but good music continues to be the most important factor in keeping road trips running smoothly.

According to a recent survey of 1,700 frequent guests of Country Inns & Suites By Carlson, most people enjoy tunes as a family, including 85 percent that have music playing at least half of the time they are on the road, and 36 percent that make sure the stereo never goes off.

Portable music players like iPods are definitely making their way into the road trip lexicon, but not as much as one might think. Only 14 percent of respondents indicated that they utilize their iPod on the road. CDs were the most popular option for music on road trips (44 percent), while tuning into the radio (34 percent) continues to work well for many families.

As far as who picks the music, mom and dad still dominate what comes out of the speakers, choosing the tunes more than 60 percent of the time. Thankfully, most families enjoy variety while they listen as the majority (38 percent) prefers a mix of all musical genres to keep everyone happy. Some (34 percent) even create special play-lists that include favorite songs from each family member.

In a poll of the best driving songs, Don McLean's eight-and-a-half minute opus American Pie was the top choice at 22 percent, followed by John Denver's Take Me Home, Country Roads (14 percent) and Willie Nelson's On The Road Again (13 percent). For summer vacation-themed songs that are popular on road trips, the Beach Boys still rule with their 1963 hit Surfin' USA, favored by 20 percent of respondents. Other favorites were Cheeseburger in Paradise (19 percent) by Jimmy Buffet, Summer of '69 (11 percent) by Bryan Adams and I Can See Clearly Now (10 percent) by Johnny Nash.

In case you've hit a sour note with music on your previous road trips, Country Inns & Suites (http://www.countryinns.com/) offers the following tips to make your next trip a sure hit:

   -- If everyone is going to listen to the same thing, make sure to mix up      the type music and let different family members have a turn at      choosing.   -- There's nothing worse than relying on the radio and only being able to      tune in the farm report. Make sure to pack plenty of your own CDs      and/or cassettes.   -- Embrace new technology -- advancements like satellite radio are perfect      for road trips, ensuring great-sounding music from coast to coast.   -- Mix tapes/CDs are the perfect way to include variety in your road trip.      Get everyone's input on their favorite songs or take your own poll of      the best road-trip tunes.   -- The family won't always be in harmony. Don't be afraid to get the kids      their own iPods so everyone can listen to what they want.  

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Source: Country Inns & Suites By Carlson

CONTACT: Jeff Faust of Carlson Hospitality, +1-763-212-3371,
jfaust@carlson.com

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Profile: International Entertainment