This is a compensated review from BlogHer and the Shell Family of Cards.

We are at the beach! We are at the beach! To be more specific, we drove to the beach from somewhere in Ohio to Emerald Isle, NC. Google Maps told us that it would take us about ten hours. You know, if we didn’t have a one-and-a-half and a three-and-a-half year old sitting in the back seat singing along to the song Moose A. Moose taught them. “We’re goin’ on a trip. We’re goin’ on a trip. Are we there yet? Are we there yet?” We banked on closer to twelve hours. We were spot on.

We choose to drive on this annual vacation for various reasons. Many of them have to do with the two previously mentioned (loud, very loud) children who sit behind us and sing songs for twelve hours. Packing enough toys, music CDs, DVDs, clothes, diapers, shoes, books, coloring books, crayons and snacks to keep them occupied… just for the drive… requires more than the plane would allow. Plus, despite the threats of turning the car around, we do enjoy a good road trip! And, yes, we’ve seen gas prices.

That’s why we’re taking the advice of BlogHer and Shell this year.

BlogHer and Shell have paired together to tell us (you, me, everyone) about some great time saving and money saving tips for road tripping.

Maybe you already took a vacation this summer but are planning to drive over the river and through the woods for Christmas. Maybe you didn’t get to take a vacation this summer because you’re saving up for next year. Maybe you’re leaving in two (2! Two! TWO!) days as well.

Read on about these products and how they might benefit you on your family road trip.

• Newest Product: Shell $aver Card: This is a card that you simply attach to your bank account and use when you’re purchasing gas at Shell stations. Why would you do such a thing? Because right now you can save two cents on every gallon! There are no enrollment fees and no credit check. Just simply attach it to your bank account and save money on the road. Sounds good to me!

(We considered this option for our trip though we have previously utilized one below.)

• Credit Card: Shell Platinum MasterCard® from Citi®: While this requires a credit check, you should know that it could really benefit you. This particular card offers a five percent rebate on Shell gasoline purchases and a one percent rebate on all other purchases. You’re basically saving money every time you use this card at the pump. Don’t believe me? Visit 877myshell.com to calculate your savings. You can apply for the card there or call 1-877-MY-SHELL and apply over the phone.
• Gas Only Credit Card: Shell Gasoline Card: Different from the above MasterCard from Citi, this card can only be used at an of the Shell gas stations (coast-to-coast). And also at Jiffy Lube locations. (Just in case you forgot to do something before you left on vacation!) And at ATMs across the US. This is a great idea for customers who want to keep their gas budget separate from the rest of their budget whether that’s for vacation or monthly treks to and from work. This card boasts no annual fee, flexible payment terms, the convenience of paying at the pump and free (FREE!) online account access.Best thing? For a limited time only, the Shell is offering a return of 30 cents per gallon on the first 100 gallons purchased with a Shell Card within a 90-day period. The promotional savings is available at all Shell-branded stations nationwide for those who sign up and are approved for a new Shell Card from June 29, 2009 to September 30, 2009.
• Refillable Card: Shell Refillable Card: The FireFamily has utilized this particular option in the past. We guesstimated how much we thought we would use on our road trip for gas. We loaded our card via the phone (though they offer an online method as well). And we hit the road. In the end, we had extra money left on our card that we used for our filling up after our return home for… quite some time! (It felt like free money!) This way, our gas money was kept separate from our vacation fun money. We didn’t get in the car at the end of the last day of vacation to realize that we had no money left. We had more than enough! This particular card is also a great way to teach younger drivers about money management.
• Gift Card: Shell Gift Card: Works like any other gift card. You can use it for gas at Shell. And car washes! Repair services! (Which hopefully you don’t need on vacation!) Food and drinks. All at any Shell station. Keep this in mind if you know you’re going on a long-driving trip next summer. When asked what you want for Christmas, reply, “Shell gift cards, please!”

But don’t just take my word for it. As I said, BlogHer has paired up with Shell and various other bloggers are talking about these products and sharing their travel stories. Check out the other BlogHer reviewers’ tales from the road. And for more information, hit up Shell: The Shell family of cards is great for Summer road trips.

We’ve been having a fabulous time on vacation. I’ve been talking about it on our regular blog. You can follow our trip until Saturday over there… and then we drive back home with the help of Shell. And caffeine.