When my daughter was a baby, I barely drove to the grocery store without a thorough assessment of my diaper bag and a perfect plan for our departure and return. My family lived two hours away, and we rarely visited them. They always came to us. It was just too much to pack up and make the trek.
Now, in all due respect to my former self, I was a first-time mom, and many of my travel concerns were founded in someone’s worst-case scenario. But now I’m kind of chuckling at little Miss “Can I make it two hours in the car with one kid?” Because in two weeks, I’m rolling out with five kids on a 27-hour drive to visit family a few states away.
That’s right: It’s one mom (me!), one minivan, my super-helpful tween daughter, and four boys ages 1 to 9.
The first question I usually get is, “Why not fly?” The biggest reason is logistics. As a group of six, I either need my car or would need to rent a car for over a month. Not to mention that flights for six are super expensive, and we have hotel points to help us make the few-day drive pretty affordable.
So now that you know the why, here’s the how. I hope this breakdown of how I make road trips successful is helpful for you — you can hit the road, mama — adventure awaits!
The non-negotiable: AAA
It is rare that I’ve used our AAA membership, but the peace of mind it brings when I’m clocking lots of hours on the road is priceless.
Road trip-only snacks
By happenstance, Pringles have become our family’s road trip-only snack. It makes them so special! I buy a tube for each kid before we leave and they get to eat it as fast or as slow as they want.
Screen time galore
When we’re on the road, I don’t limit screen time at all. I have lots of activities packed and the kids don’t usually choose to watch things back-to-back, but I promise, nothing makes time pass faster than popping in one more DVD.
Audiobook goals
We’ve been saving some much-anticipated audiobooks just for the trip and we all can’t wait to listen. First up is the final book in The Menagerie trilogy, then we’ve got The Penderwicks, and How To Bee on the docket.
Playground stops
Rather than break at rest areas, when we get off the highway for gas or bathroom breaks, I look up a playground for us to explore. Even if it takes us a bit off our path, a fun play to get the wiggles out is very much worth it — and there’s most likely a bathroom there too.
One backpack
The majority of our things will be packed in two big suitcases and stored in the car top carrier. That’s what we’ll use when we actually reach our destination. For the in and out of hotels on our drive though, everyone has one backpack with everything they need. So, when we pile out of the van, everyone will pop on their backpack and we don’t even need a bellhop cart to reach our room.
Popsicle stick activities
For the inevitable “I’m bored!” and “How much longer?!”, one cup holder holds a plastic cup with a handful of popsicles sticks in it. On each stick I write an activity, treat, or special announcement and it’s a mystery what will be next on the agenda when we need a little spark in the day. Stick examples: get a piece of candy, turn on the road trip playlist, next person to spot a ______ license plate gets to pick a movie, play the ABC game, Mad Libs, Paint-by-Sticker books, Seek-and-Find books, and even a stick that says “nap time”.
FaceTime to the rescue
When I need a break from the chatter, I hand back my phone for the kids to FaceTime a grandma or aunt. Call it a virtual babysitter!
Less stress
Finally, so much of my early road trip worries came from a place of stress. Now I remind myself that there will always be a Target close by for forgotten things. I accept that people will cry. I remember that I can cut a day’s drive short if need be and book a hotel with pretty short notice. I know that spills will happen and car seats and clothes and the floor can eventually be deep cleaned — I just need to pack lots of wipes and a spare towel to help in the meantime.
It’s been quite the journey to go from frantic mom of one who will barely drive a couple hours to a mom of five who will happily head out on a 27-hour drive. This last year we’ve gone on quite a few road trips, one of which was 15 hours, so I feel like we’ve had a decent amount of practice. And now, it’s time for our biggest adventure of all – I think we’re ready!
