Brad Mathias offers 10 excellent reasons why you and your family should embark upon a road trip.

It’s no secret that families today are struggling. Pulled in a dozen different directions daily by jobs, schooling and extra-curricular activities, parents and kids often feel disconnected from each other, and the distance can produce devastating effects.

So here are 10 Great Reasons to Road Trip with your family!

 1) It’s time to disconnect!

Leave the office behind. Power down your computer and that smart phone. Give this time to your spouse and kids, and allow old-fashioned conversations to occur.

2) Go somewhere you’ve never been!

We live in the greatest country in the world. Go explore and don’t be afraid to pull off the road on a whim. It’s time for an adventure.

3) Face your fears and try a new activity together!

New experiences can change past ones, and build trust and respect. Go horseback riding, river rafting, rock climbing, zip lining, etc.

4) Discover new cultures and savor new flavors!

Try regional foods and sample local culture. You might just find something new to enjoy.

5) Go outside! Introduce your kids–and possibly yourself–to outdoor life. Go fishing, hiking and camp out under the stars. The stars might look a little different than they do in the city!

6) No schedules allowed!       

This is a vacation! It’s time to leave calendars and deadlines behind. Don’t be afraid to venture off course and enjoy some freedom. Show your kids how to be spontaneous!

7) Let your kids make decisions!

This is their vacation too! Let them make some choices along the way. That horrible dining experience or weird roadside attraction just might give you an opportunity to laugh together.

8) Change your perspective!

Walk above the clouds on a mountain top, or swim under a waterfall. Reconnect with your family while sharing incredible experiences.

9) Fall in love with your spouse all over again!

Book a separate hotel room from your kids for at least one night. Allow yourself some time to reconnect as a couple.

10) Life is short!

Your kids won’t be kids forever. Use this time to create memories that will last a lifetime.

Brad Mathias, author of the new book, Road Trip to Redemption (Tyndale, June 2013), thought everything in his family was fine, until they discovered a devastating secret. So the family piled into the car and embarked on a wild, crazy, 7,000-mile, what-are-we-thinking trip across the country. As they drove, they realized how far apart they’d drifted, found unexpected blessings along the way – and journeyed together from pain and loss to recovery and redemption.