30 Hour Road Trip with a One Year Old??? WHAT?

Yah, you tell him that statistically flying is waaaaaay safer than driving all that distance. I loved this quote that actually puts the whole 'pandemic' into perspective:

“People have a very weird perception of large numbers. If you have 2,000 cases of flu in a country of 300 million, most people think they’re going to be one of the 2,000, not one of the 299,998,000.” As a friend pointed out, its the same thing that drives ticket sales for the lotto.

Book your flight, and enjoy your trip, especially knowing that you're doing the right thing by flying. GL.

Hi K.,

At the last minute, we had to drive from Denver to NC during the holidays. It was tough, not going to lie, but it's manageable. On the way to NC we drove through the night and this would be my best suggestion if you and your husband can handle it. This way your son can sleep and you can cover a lot of ground. If you are going to drive during awake time, invest in a portable DVD player (I actually just brought my laptop) and bring some of his favorite videos. Also, although the trip may be 28 hrs, you should add at least three-four hours on top of that for the stops you'll need to make. I found that when we drove during the day, my son needed to get out every 2 1/2 hours. Snacks are also key. I tried to keep it healthy, but at times cookies were just necessary :). Also, save up your money now for hotel rooms. We had to stay an extra night on the way home simply because my son had had enough. We stayed in Holiday Inn Express and really loved it because we staying in suites, so my son could go to bed and we could stay up and watch TV.
It got tiring, but it was pretty fun. You'll be surprised at how adaptable little ones can be, I know I was. Good luck!

Have your husband read this article from the NY Times, written by a doctor about the actual risks associated with flying and swine flu (virtually none): http://consults.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/05/02/flu-risk-and...

There's no way you'll be able to drive that many hours straight through, so you'll be spending several days traveling and it will be a shame to spend that time in the car instead of with your family.

Hi K.!

Sorry to hear that you have to makee that drive. I am one of those people who really doesn't like being in the car, so anytime I can get up and move around I'm happy. Rent an RV it may not be cost effective but thats all I've got. Have fun!

Hi K.,
I have actually done a similar road trip 3 tmes, from Denver to Rochester, NY with my daughter. The first time she was 8 mos, then 20 mos, then 32 mos....We did it over the span of 3 days, leaving early afternoon on Friday, travelling for 8 hours, then 8-10 hours on Sat, then remainder on Sunday. She actually did great on all three trips, sometimes better than the adults! The first time when she was 8 months, she slept through most of it. The second and third time, we brought along a DVD player, and I have to be honest that definitely saved us - she watched a lot of movies! We also brought along other toys and art activities, but being in a car seat and given her age it was tough to coordinate, so the DVD player was the key entertainment. We also stayed at hotels wih pools so that at the end of the trip, we could have some fun swimming. This summer we will be doing the trip again, but now with two girls! and can't forget the dog! I actually enjoy these trips, crazy as it might sound, its a way to see the country and spend time with your family. Good Luck!

I love road trips with my kids. We have been doing them since both were very small.

I pack tons of snacks for the road, have a DVD player and I look on line to see what might be fun for them along the way.

If you can make the first day the longest, that has worked well in getting them into the car for a shorter trip the next day. Once we got past KS we found children's museums, zoos and so much more. We always began driving in the morning, stopped for lunch and kid fun time and then drove again until we had dinner in the city we were aiming to get to for the night. That being said, we always play it by ear. Never know when they need to get out of the car, will be sick, etc.

Good Luck and HAVE FUN!