For anyone who knows me, I am a traveler. Whether it is a humanitarian trip, a school trip, a girls’ trip, or a weekend to visit an old friend, I love to travel. I am usually always planning my next adventure. Despite the growing gas prices this summer, I knew it was time for us to get into our car, get out of the house, and go on an adventure. It had been a while since we had been on a proper road trip, and after dealing with a long illness, I was starting to get out of the sickness cloud and ready to hit the road to find some good inspiration.
Reader Disclaimer: my children are car experts. My youngest went on his first 10+ hour road trip when he was six weeks old. Most of our extended family lives in the Pacific Northwest, so we have put thousands of miles on our cars ever since we moved to Idaho Falls, going back there to visit. While we are pretty content living without family here, we love that our families are within a drivable distance that can be easily accomplished in a long haul in one day. We have driven to Oregon and Washington at least once a year for the past 12 years.
And our children have been trained to entertain themselves without annoying us too much. I have not had to listen to the endless “Are We There Yet?” “How much longer?” “I have to pee!” Instead, they just now complain of cramped legs, bags falling on them, and not getting enough A/C. I can handle those complaints. I am proud of my trained road trip warriors.
So—how did I do it? How did I train these children? Well, from an early age, their first road trips were properly planned.
Driving at Night
I know how awful this sounds, but when we had young children, this was our life-saver when it came to road trips. If we had a 12-hour trip ahead of us, leaving our house at 7 pm, right around bedtime, we could arrive at our destination the next morning, and the kids would sleep through most of it. While it might not be the most desirable for the driver, it helped my kids from not screaming, crying, and needing to be entertained while constrained in a car seat for so long. Taking turns and lots of caffeine as drivers can also help each other not fall asleep.
Even though we usually needed a full day of rest after arriving, it was so much easier on us in general if we could get our kids to sleep for most of the trip.
Technology and Cheap Toys
Our kids have unlimited technology on road trips, so even at an early age, they had iPads filled with games and as many apps as they enjoyed to keep them entertained. Dollar Tree runs are a necessity. The Dollar Tree is the BEST resource for any road trip for any aged child. They have countless cheap coloring and activity books, games, toys, and even grabbers—which are a MUST for any road trip. Nothing is worse than a child screaming because they dropped their toy. I don’t know about you folks, but I get incredibly dizzy from motion sickness if I have to constantly turn around, lean over, and pick up toy after toy because these kids in their car seats can’t figure out how to hold on to their items.
While my husband always complained when he would see my hefty bag of Dollar Tree “junk,” it’s a necessity when a toddler starts screaming, as you can just throw another toy to give him something to do for the next hour. It is junk. Absolutely it is. But I’d rather spend $20 on junk if it entertains my children and keeps them occupied during long trips. And it has always been a win in my book.
Food
Nothing will kill a road trip budget faster than constant gas station goodies. My kids grabbing snacks and drinks at a gas station can cost our family upwards of $20–$25 as gas stations are anything but cheap. That is why they ALWAYS have a snack bag accessible to them. We always go to the grocery store before our trips, and they can choose “special” treats they ordinarily do not have at home. And by allowing them to have constant access to it, I don’t have to be continually bothered to find something for them. There are great Amazon buys for snack containers that do not spill, as no one loves goldfish cracker dust all over the car. I can’t tell you the cleanup I have had after a road trip; moldy McDonald’s fries lost in the side of a car seat and pretzel bags exploding all over the car. Ziplocks and bag clips are also a great way to organize and distribute snacks on demand.
I also ensure not to load my children on drinks, as their small bladders will make the drive even longer. As a family, we usually stop every 2-3 hours, as it’s also necessary to get up and stretch and use the restroom. But if they are constantly draining their cups, we will have to stop even more, and nothing makes a road trip longer than constant bathroom stops.
Easy Mix and Match Outfits and Souvenirs
I only have boys, so I have no advice for girls’ cute outfits, but my boys live in shorts and tees, which are easy to pack. Shorts can be worn for several days (unless they are spillers like my youngest. He can turn any light-colored clothing into a “lovely” brown outfit in no time. So darker colors are sometimes better if you have a spiller, like mine).
Shirts should only be worn once but can easily be rolled up and thrown into a duffel bag to save room. The more space you can save while packing, the better the trip will be. We have had road trips where there were literally bags falling on my kids’ heads because we had either packed too much or bought too much on our journey.
On that note, I am sure every parent has their own idea of how souvenirs should be purchased. When I was a kid, I was given a certain amount of money in advance for the trip. I would buy my own things that I wanted and had to keep track of it. If there was leftover, it was still mine to save for something else at home. We are a bit more frivolous regarding souvenirs and don’t set a specific budget for each kid. We like to shop together and shovel out money on an individual basis. Shopping is much more fun on a road trip because you will always be around items you’ll never be able to get again. Like on our trip to Roswell, New Mexico, buying alien items is a bit more special as you know that you may never return there again.
Planning a Trip with Everyone’s Input
I know my children pretty well at this point, and I know what they like to do on trips. I always ensure that their input is considered when the trip’s itinerary is being made. It’s sometimes difficult because, in our family, we are not equal adventurists and thrill seekers. I would pack an itinerary filled with zip lines, paragliding, rock-climbing, and even sky diving if I could plan my own trip. But my husband and youngest are terrified of heights and would soon rather die than do any adrenaline activities. Sometimes, I will throw a mild thrill-seeking adventure for us, pushing the boundaries, but I have to realize that this is not just my trip.
My husband and I would like nothing more than to gear our itineraries full of hiking and national parks, but my oldest is not a complainer until it comes to hiking. His whole face becomes a terrible scowl, and he will complain the entire hike, which mostly ruins it for the rest of us. My youngest is a sweetheart and usually comes with a good attitude to anything we do. (I hope he keeps that attitude up and doesn’t become a moody teenager like my oldest.) So when I am planning a trip, I try to make everyone happy. It can be difficult, but I often have to tell my children that they might not like everything we do, but it will be an adventure of its own. I understand that they are blessed that they can go and see parts of our country that others may not, and I want them to understand that.
Detailed Itinerary or Flexibility?
I laugh at this because I am infamous for a good laminated itinerary. I didn’t always use to be this way, but nothing makes me happier than a crisp, specific, and detailed itinerary. It is often a good laugh for friends. However, the friends who have been on trips with me know how much fun I can pack into a trip. My mantra has always been that when I visit somewhere new, I want to do EVERYTHING I possibly can so I can leave that place content with the fact that if I can never go back, I won’t have any regrets about the things I didn’t do.
I know this is silly because you can’t possibly do everything, even though I definitely make a good run for it.
There are pros and cons to both types of vacation, so it’s really up to you and your family on what you guys are looking for in a trip. There are so many wonderful and hidden treasures in every city you visit, and it’s a great adventure to see what you can unfold. One of my very favorite websites to find “off the beaten path” types of activities and places is Atlas Obscura. It’s a hilarious collection of the weirdest and “coolest” things in every city. It can take you to exciting places that are absolutely Instagrammable and a great way to photograph and remember your trip. I have visited so many Atlas Obscura-suggested places on my road trips, and I have to say that I have never regretted any of them.
I also believe in doing a lot of research before you take on an itinerary. I read many blogs and have my favorite bloggers that I always go to first when it comes to planning. For example, if you are planning a trip to Seattle but only have, let’s say, two days there, you can honestly type in Google “2 days in Seattle,” and lots of blogs will pop up with a specific and detailed itinerary for you. Most blogs will suggest hotels to stay in, restaurants to visit, and heads up on cheap museum days and even free activities. If you have a young child, you can type in “2 days in Seattle with children,” and there will be blogs that will help give you advice on what to do with young children. Even if you are traveling to a national park, wonderful blogs will help navigate a trip there that is still doable with small children.
The point is that many people have already done the work for you, so you don’t have to start fresh on your own! I usually end up combining a lot of different activities from several blogs, customizing just for my family.
Another great piece of advice regarding itineraries is to create both a detailed and flexible itinerary. I will have some days outlined explicitly for the whole day, and then on other days, I will just list a few suggested places to visit. We will perhaps sleep in and chill and have more of a relaxed day. As much as I would like to go-go-go on a trip and have every minute planned, my family always appreciates the “chill” days where we can make it up as we go.
So! As a born traveler and a person who wants to live every day like it’s her last, here is my humble suggestion on how to travel with your family and make it work for you.
I hope you have found some tips that could really help on your next family road trip. Don’t be afraid to go out there and find out what your family likes most. Every family road trip learns more about each other and creates the best memories together. I hope my boys will never forget our road trips, even when they are grown, planning their own family road trips.
