I am going to be a bridesmaid in my best friend's wedding in Colorado this summer. My family has never been there and I lived there as a child, and I really want to share it with them so we've decided to make a road trip out of it. Then I started thinking, I haven't seen my grandparents and relatives in Nebraska for 4 years. They haven't even met my youngest two children. So we decided to add Nebraska to the trip. Well, my other grandmother, aunts, uncles and cousins live in Utah and have been trying to get us up there forever. I haven't been there for nine years. Only a couple of them have even met my husband, let alone my kids, and they are wonderful. So... I really want to take a long road trip from Texas to Nebraska, then CO, then UT and finally back to Texas. The drive is roughly 45 hours. We would stretch our trip out to about 15 days, staying around 3 days at each of our destinations. My husband thinks this would be mean to our little ones. The kids will be 12, 4 3/4, 3, and 2. I really want to make the trip, but it is a really long way to drive. Have any of you made a similarly LONG road trip with little kids? We have a van with DVD player, but I know that it won't keep their attention the whole time. Thanks for your thoughts!
Traveled with 4 kids this past summer. DVD a must, Car bingo (I found mine on ebay), books, surprise bag, and of coarse snacks. 3 days at each. Sounds reasonalbe. It's rough at times traveling with that may little one, but there are some fun things too. Just stop ever so often let them run. and just have fun.
Oh an this is a great time to teach the oldest about reading a map, and maybe the almost 5 year old.
If you were getting in the van and making the kids sit for 45 hours then I would agree with your husband but I don't understand the use of his words otherwise. If you leave Texas and make regular stops then it makes the trip much more tollerable for the little ones. With a 2 and 3 yr. old I would say you must stop every 2-3 hours and have play time, whether it's McDonalds or an elementary school alongside the road. Plus I would add some sight seeing stuff into the trip. The older child will have different interests and it may be hard to blend activities. I prefer to get in the car after dinner and travel with a stop for snacks and play time around normal bedtime then get back in and hopefully the kids will drop off and you can continue your trip for another few hours, Then stop and get some rest in a hotel. You'll be less cranky and feel better overall.
If you visit Omaha/Lincoln area I recommend the SAC museum. The space craft and planes are very interesting to guys and the other kids will like it too, but it is a no hands touching kind of place, look only. My favorite place in that area was Freedom Park. You can climb all over submarines (USS Marlin), boats (USS Hazard), WWII helicopters and ambulances, etc....lots of running around and climbing...there's even a boat (an LSM-45) in the river at one end. My favorite picture is of my husband sitting in the seat and pretending to shoot the guns....I have nearly one whole scrapbook of the 2 museums.
We stopped and did the museum in Hastings (Koolaid was invented in Hastings) and enjoyed the IMAX theatre. We also went to see the trains at Cody Park in North Platte. The kids can climb all over the Union Pacific Challenger, the worlds largest steam locomotive. There is also a area that has an animal reserve in it in the same park. It's worth the drive and visit.
If you have a well planned trip then it will be interesting for everyone and they will always remember the wonderful event. There are many different things to see and do, that appeal to everyone. Some things are free and you can choose which pay sites you want to go to. When we went to South Dakota we didn't go to the museum for Mount Rushmore, we had seen all the specials on the History channel so we felt it wouldn't give us any more of an experience than to see it from the parking lot, that was about $50.00 we saved.
When we were on our honeymoon we went to Provo to visit my cousin and go to Conference and stopped at many different places too. My favorite was Dinosaur National Monument in Vernal, it is awesome, I had such a great mental experience there, it felt like dinosaurs we real after that. In OKC there is the National Cowboy Hall of Fame, lots of places like that all along the way.
I know that will take time away from your family but it may make the vacation a bit more of a memory for them instead of must memories for the families you'll be visiting. You can get online and order free visitors guides for just about every state.
You can do this! It will be fun too. It might be a little crazy, but it looks like your driving will be around 9-12 hours each time. Very do able, especially with the dvd player. I like to get them things to play with like coloring books that use crayolas magic markers and paper, wikki sticks and a bunch of movies that they haven't ever seen.
For your older child, you can get books or books on cd (if carsickness is an issue) and put them on a mp3 player or if you have an old portable Cd player with head phones. Small electronic games are good to, and I think you can also hook a Wii up to the player, if you have one.
An early early morning start is best if you can do that, like 5am. Then you will get to your destination around 4-6 at night.
They will be starving when you wake them in the morning so be prepared with a good healthy protein snack/breakfast with plenty of grains and dairy, here are some suggestions...
-hard-boiled eggs, peanut butter, lean slices of meat and poultry, or fish, such as water-packed tuna or slices of salmon.
-low-fat yogurt and low-fat cheeses, such as cottage and natural cheeses.
-fresh fruits and vegetables or 100 percent juice beverages without added sugar.
whole-grain rolls, bagels, low-fat bran muffins, crackers, or melba toast.
We usually eat breakfast before we start and then bring lunch in the car, and stop for dinner. But sometimes we eat breakfast in the car too.
I like snacks that keep hands busy, so small things, but that also tends to get all over the car:) I take Tupperware flat bowls with lids to pass back luch and snacks, and it doesn't get to messy.
We only do water in the car, anything else makes bathroom stops more often. The longer we are in the car the faster we get there.
We take long road trips all the time. It is a bit of a pain but we still keep doing it, so it must be worth it once we get there:)
When we are staying at different locations, I also try to split up luggage so that there is less repacking. For example, I will put our first destinations clothes in one or two bags and the 2nd in another and the third in another. and the toiletries and daily necessities in a bag. That way we are not carrying in 7 bags every time, just three. Easier to unpack and repack the car.
Gook luck, have fun and you will be surprised how many movies they can watch in a row!:)
E.
We have traveled from Texas to Penn. from Texas to California, Texas to North Carolina. The best time to travel with kids is early morning (3 or 4am) The kids will sleep and you and your husband can take turns sleeping. If you stop at a hotel, stop about 4 pm. You and your family can get something to eat maybe go swimming. Your kids will fall asleep a you can leave about 5 am the kids will sleep more in the car. This is what we did and we would be able to travel about 10 to 12 hours aday. I bet you will have a wonderful time this summer. Also bring crayons and lots of coloring books and snacks.
Plan stops every 4 hours at a park. Let the kids get out and stretch their legs. Have a picnic. It is worth the 45 minutes to get out and move around.. good time to clean out the car too.
Remember most elementary schools have playgrounds, but you can mapquest your trip and find parks close to the highways. You and your husband need to stretch and walk around too.
