Road Trippin'

Road trips are a great chance to create lasting memories with your kids. Most of my childhood memories of vacations included long periods of time in the car. I clearly remember my dad reaching back from his driver's seat to swat my leg if I started kicking the back of his seat or if my brother and I wouldn't stop arguing. Back in the days before car seat regulations, I recall sprawling myself out along the back seat with the seatbelt just barely placed across the tiniest portion of my legs. There were coolers filled with sandwiches and lukewarm water bottles for picnic stops along the way. But what I remember most is the feeling of adventure and anticipation of what we would encounter along the way. Rest stops boasting strange attractions (see the World's Largest Ball of Paint in Indiana, the famous Wall Drug store in South Dakota, or bizarre Mystery Hole in West Virginia!) and crossing state after state encountering new people, new cultures, new foods, were just the tip of the iceberg. I have been to 48 of the 50 states thanks to our many trips across our great land, and I hope my husband and I can do the same for our kids. We love taking trips to other countries as well, but our very own United States has so much to offer, much of which you can reach by car. 

When our oldest son was just about 15 months old, we took a family trip to the Outer Banks. Other than traveling to Texas to visit family, it was our first big vacation with a baby. We had flown with him several times, but long road trips were a horse of a different color. 

Key to making a road trip with small kids a success is planning stops along the way. Research your route ahead of time to find playgrounds, parks, or picnic areas where your kids can get out and get at least a short break. The Playground Buddy app is super helpful for locating playgrounds along your route. In some areas, the best we could hope for was a large rest stop with a patch of grass that we could at least let him run in for 10 minutes. I suggest trying to plan your stops around nap time, so you can get a long stretch of driving in while the kiddos are sleeping. The trouble is that car rides make naps somewhat unpredictable, in my experience, so be prepared for changes in your plans. 

As far as keeping a kid entertained in the car, it largely depends on their age. At 15 months, J was not yet interested in movies and TV and we really tried to keep him away from electronic devices entirely. Everyone's feelings on this matter vary, but if you're like me, I had to get creative on how to keep J entertained for our 8 hour drive. Pinterest is going to be your best friend. Make ahead a few busy bags, activity boxes, and manipulative toys to keep on rotation. Just like on an airplane, you need to only give one activity at a time and wait until they have fully exhausted their interest in it before offering something else. I love those paint with water activity pads or the magic "mess-free" Crayola markers and coloring books for traveling. When kids get a little older, dry erase markers and notebooks are also wonderful. (Be warned, however, getting dry erase marker stains out of clothing is a sort of torture reserved for the most heinous of criminals, so make sure your child is old enough to know not to draw on him/herself.) 

By the time our boys were around 3, we were more comfortable letting them play on a Kindle (or other electronic device) for short periods of time. They also have a longer attention span and can handle watching a kid-friendly movie in the car. To this day, we try to wait as long as we can before breaking out the electronic devices. If we can keep the kids entertained and not fighting with other activities, we stick with it for as long as possible before moving on to electronics. It helps to spread them out as a "treat" for the kids to look forward to. 

On that particular trip, we made one stop in Williamsburg, VA for two days before heading the rest of the way down to the Outer Banks. It was the perfect break for our one year-old to break up a long driving trip. We worried a bit about choosing Williamsburg since so much of it revolves around history, but he absolutely loved it. I know he doesn't remember a lick, but we treasure those precious memories of toting him around on guided tours (he was a willing participant, amused at most things we showed him), letting him explore the living museums and gift shops with period-accurate toys and tools. 

I think so much of our kids' experience in travel (and life, really) depends a lot on how we approach it. If we set ourselves up for stress and failure, it will find us. (Let's be real, it will find you anyway, but your entire experience doesn't have to be tainted by it.) If you prepare your kids to roll with the punches and find adventure and wonder wherever you can, they will rise to your expectations. Whatever type of vacation you prefer to take, give your kids the chance to surprise you. They're more resilient than you think.

Everyone's travel style is unique. Some like to have as few destinations as possible, choosing instead to pick maybe one or two places to stay and relax there. Others prefer to see as much as possible with the time they have. Whatever your preference, I hope you'll contact me if you'd like assistance planning your perfect trip. I'll do the work so you can sit back and enjoy your vacation. So if a road trip is in your future, let's get planning. 

You have kids (or maybe you don't), now travel!