Take that exit and continue on I-80 east for 92 miles to Exit 174 signed for Soda Springs/Norden/Donner Pass Road/U.S. 40.

Or say that this is the main street of Iowa, its most traveled road. I could tell you that it's a road of extremes, this busiest-of-the-busiest-in-Iowa stretch of I-80 from Des Moines to Davenport.

Our resident girl dad loaded the whole crew into a minivan to find road-trip gear essentials for families. From tech and gadgets to sunglasses, here's what he found.