Road Trip with Four Kids!

Updated on August 15, 2013
S.R. asks from Saint Charles, MO
11 answers

My husband and i are planning to take the kids on a family fun road trip from San Diego to Seattle in the near future.
My question is, how do i do this the right way?
we have never taken the kids on such a long car trip! we are planning to stop along the way and see the sights, so it wont be 20 hours of car ride straight up and down or anything.
where should we definitely make pit stops that are kid friendly along the way?
What should we not forget to bring?
do you know of any good campsites or inexpensive non-scary hotels?
What money-saving tips can you provide?
anything you learned from long road trips with kids?

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M.H.

answers from Chicago on

Do you have AAA? If so they can map it out for you.. they can also provide books etc to help plan.. THey will highlight places with bathrooms etc..

Bring pincic lunch/breakfast.. eat them at a nice rest area.. Expect to spen a little time let them run and move,stretch..

Get gas before stopping for the night. Full tank. you never know what time you will get up and move and what time the gast station will be open at.

We always left at 4 am.. to get a few hrs of driving in before stopping.

Pack a refresher kit in the car.. Underwear, wash rag and small towel to be able to wash up in the rest area.

Water/juice.. something to drink in the car.. Proetin snacks.. nuts, seeds, fruit etc.. sandwhiches.

You never know when you will be stuck in a traffic jam, always have food and water ...

Oh.. and bring an old coffee can, incase you can not get to a rest area for the bathroom. BYW my family did not stop unless the driver needed something.. :)

1 mom found this helpful

More Answers

B.C.

answers from Norfolk on

My Mom took me and my sister on a 6 week cross country road trip from New York along a northern route to the west coast and down to San Diego to visit family and then a southern route back across to New York in 1976 in a Malibu Chevy station wagon.
We were too young to help with the driving on that trip.
We took turns one of us sitting up front with Mom or sitting/laying down in the back (we didn't use seat belts back then).
It - was - AWESOME!
The plan was to get in roughly 8 hrs of driving in per day and stay at a hotel with a pool every night.
Mom would call ahead and make reservations one or two days in advance of when we'd get there.
Mom used AAA Trip-Tiks, Tourbooks and maps (no GPS systems back then).
The long drives did get a little boring but we had a few word game books and we played spot the different state license plates and other road games.
Besides our luggage, Mom brought along a plug in hot pot and a cooler.
We shopped for simple breakfast and lunch items which we could eat on the road (cold cereal or oatmeal with a banana or apple or orange for breakfast that we ate in the hotel room and sandwiches for lunch.
We shopped in our first Piggley Wiggley super market in the mid west and thought that grocery store name was a riot.
Most lunches we'd stop at rest stops or road side picnic tables.
Once a week we had breakfast in a restaurant and we had dinner out every night - we relied a lot on AAA ratings and recommendations.
Once a week we'd do laundry in a laundry mat where ever we could find one or at the hotel if they had laundry facilities.
We helped Mom with reading the maps while she drove (we took turns playing navigator) and as we got close to where we were staying for the night we read over the tourbooks to see what sights there were to see in that area.
We'd check in, do dinner, see a local sight, then go swim in the pool.
Ice from the hotels refilled our cooler.
We saw The Corn Palace, Mt Rushmore, Walldrugs, many national parks - Yellowstone, Redwood National Park, (for those we usually would stay nearby 2 nights before we moved on), lot's of little off beat places along the way (makes me think of Weird Al Yankovic's "The Biggest Ball of Twine in Minnesota") .
Most big cities we didn't bother to stay near (too expensive) but Mom made a point of seeing San Fransisco (crossed the Golden Gate bridge, rode on a cable car, saw China Town, and the mint, etc). and we were staying with family in San Diego.
On the way back we stayed in Los Vegas just to see the lights at night, crossed Hoover Dam, saw The Grand Canyon and the Petrified Forest, it took 4 days to drive across Texas, and crossed the Mississippi in St Louis.
Mom taught 6th grade so we learned about what crops grew in what states we went through (lot's of corn and pigs in Iowa), state flags, etc.
It was a wonderful trip!

5 moms found this helpful
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A.G.

answers from Houston on

Put a small new toy or treat in different lunch bags and write the time or the city your kids can open them. For example, Lego or Halo mini-figures, 2-3 small cans of playdoh, new markers or colored pencils, or snack size bags of M&Ms or Skittles, and my son got to open a bag whenever we crossed a state line during a 2 week road trip one time (we went through 18 states so that was 18 little bags one way!). Sometimes he liked what he got, sometimes he didn't, but it was all in fun.

I got that idea from Pinterest.

3 moms found this helpful
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N.W.

answers from Eugene on

Ahhh, I've travelled that way many times.

There is no "right way" to do a road trip this long. But here are some things you can try to make the trip more pleasant and even fun.

You can leave at 4 am, drive past LA (and any morning traffic) and make your first stop a breakfast break.

Along the way, stop at truck stops that have a fast food restaurant connected. That way you can get gas, eat and use the restrooms, all in one stop.

We like to stop at Costco along the way. Cheap gas, food court, big clean bathrooms and you can buy chips or something to snack on in the car.

I prefer driving 99 instead of I-5. Better pavement, the road seemed wider, too. There are fewer trucks, more small towns along the way and the route is only a few miles longer.

Take an ice chest with cold water, fruit, carrot stix, juice and milk.

With 4 kids, avoid making bathroom stops at small gas stations that only have one ladies and one mens room. Especially if there are other people in line, you could spend a half hour just waiting to use the facilities.

We used to like stopping at a park to eat the picnic lunch I'd pack the night before. Kids could play, adults walk and stretch. Bring a ball and frisbee.

Be careful about stopping at McDonalds with play areas. My kids loved these but it's easy to pick up germs and come down sick on vacation.

Sometimes we'd make a longer stop along the way to spend a couple hours in a museum or to sight see. That makes the road trip seem more like a part of the vacation, not just a miserable 20 hours in the car to get there.

Some places we've stopped on our way from SoCal to Oregon/Washington:

Sacramento. Railroad museum and the Old Town boardwalk are fun.

Redding. Walk across the bridge. See Turtle Bay museum. Take a walk along the river.

The Travelodge in Redding is older but clean and inexpensive. This is where we've stayed many times going back and forth from Oregon to SoCal. They have rooms with kitchens. We used to ask for the Sleepy Bear Suite which had beds for 6 and used to be under $100, as long as 2 kids are small enough to share a double bed. I've also gotten the kitchen suite and added rollaways for extra kids.

Portland. Tons to do and see. Or stop at one of the malls. We like staying at the Phoenix Inn across the street from Washington Square Mall. It's not fancy but has a pool and you can walk to the mall and shop or get something to eat. I think that's the mall with the lego store. Plus, no sales tax in Oregon. I prefer Bridgeport Village along I-5 which my kids call an old lady mall but there are a couple good restaurants there and some home decor stores.

When booking hotels, call the hotel itself, not the central reservation line. Ask if there's space for a rollaway in the room. We've also found some suite hotels like the Phoenix Inns have rooms with 2 queens and a sofa sleeper. They cost the same as a regular room, cheaper than having to get 2 rooms. Especially because some hotels are sticklers for allowing only 5 people in a 2 Q room for firecode.

If you plan on camping, try to find state campgrounds with yurts. Then you only need sleeping bags to stay, and won't need to pack tents and mattresses for 6.

Have fun!

2 moms found this helpful
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E.T.

answers from Rochester on

Last month we did a two week road trip. The first week my husband was with us. The start of the second week I drove about 400 miles in one day and at the end of the week I drove 951 miles, 21-1/2 hours travel time over two days. Just me and an almost 6 year old and an almost 4 year old. It was great!! (Not being sarcastic, it really was a great trip!) We drove a total of over 2500 miles in those two weeks.

Pack lots of car friendly things for your kids to do. I had a bag of "surprises" that I would pull from throughout the trip--books to read, coloring books, travel bingo, sticker books, library books on CD, Spot It game, bubbles with spill proof lids, the scratch pads (black coating over colored paper, kids scrape off the black to draw pictures), thinking puddy (kind of like silly puddy), etc. We also bought lap boards at Michael's Crafts that made it easier for the kids to do things on. I will also say THANK GOODNESS for DVD players and iPads/iPods. They really helped to keep the kids entertained on some of the longer stretches.

We also took lots of snacks in the car-- granola bars, individual sized bags of crackers and cookies, pretzels divided into small bags, fruit, fun sized bags of M&Ms, etc. That prevented us from buying lots of junk food when we had to stop for gas. We had a small cooler in the front of the car with cold drinks and some fruit and a large cooler in the back that had more cold drinks. We didn't buy a single beverage on the road except when we stopped for meals (and my morning coffee!).

Take time before you go to arrange things in the car so they are easy for you and the kids to reach. Take an extra box of Kleenex, a roll of paper towels, and a couple packages of wet wipes.

Plan to stop every hour or two for short stops (potty breaks) and at least once or twice a day for a 1-2 hour stop. Even though it was tempting to stop at fast food restaurants, we stopped to eat at actual sit down restaurants to get a longer break from the car. We stopped at little museums, tacky tourist stops, places to hike, a butterfly pavilion, and things like that for some of our longer stops. You can always pick up Subway sandwiches and take them to a park to eat and let the kids play.

If you are stopping for the night I highly recommend a hotel that has a good swimming pool or one that is near to someplace where the kids can run around. And stop early enough so they have time to swim or run. Pack one smaller suitcase or bag with the things you will need overnight. You won't have to haul your huge suitcases into the hotel.

We also gave the kids a set amount of money from their piggy banks at home that they could use to spend along the way. I think it was about $25 for the two weeks. They got to decide how they wanted to spend it, although I had the right to override a choice. We paid for souvenirs for them from some of our bigger stops, but they enjoyed having the freedom to buy things along the way.

Most importantly, I think what made the trip so fun for us was the slow pace we took. We didn't rush anything and just enjoyed the time. Have a great trip!!

2 moms found this helpful
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❤.M.

answers from Los Angeles on

Definitely bring portable DVD players for each child & movies. Lifesaver

Bring plenty of snacks & drinks in the car.

I would stop for the night after 8 hrs of driving.

In Seattle, I like Pike's Market on the wharf & the Space Needle (a one-
time must see. I remember seeing it as a kid. Don't feel the need to go
again but still a family favorite memory.

Have the kids bring some toys for them to entertain them in the car &
their favorite blankets.

Are the Redwoods on the way? Kind of fun pit stop if you are.

1 mom found this helpful
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D.D.

answers from Pittsburgh on

My family drove from PA to CA every few years to visit family when I was a kid (and we have 4 kids). Here are my suggestions.

Do you belong to AAA? If so, get a triptik for each kid (if not, buy a map and just highlight the route on it). My kids really like tracking the progress of the trip (hey mom, we just finished another page!). It gives them an independent way to see how are along you are without the dreaded "are we there yet?" a million times. And you can mark on each one the sites you'll stop at too so they can see when you are getting close. Bonus - map reading is a great skill for them to learn. Even if you use GPS, get the kids some maps.

Pack a cooler, and plan for meals at rest stops or parks, not restaurants. Making kids sit still and use inside voices in a restaurant (even fast food) is like torture when they've already been sitting in a car for hours. If you stop at rest areas and parks, they can run around, play tag, be loud and rambunctious, whatever, while you get the food ready. Saves on $$ AND saves on sanity.

Look online for old-fashioned car games. Yes, my kids play DS and watch movies in the car. But they also really like to play the sign alphabet game to pass the time.

You'll have to stay somewhere at least 1 night. Make sure the place has a pool so the kids can release all that energy.

If you like camping, you might try KOA campgrounds. You can get a cabin pretty inexpensively and they almost always have a pool I think (you should call in advance to make sure).

Have fun!

1 mom found this helpful

L.B.

answers from Phoenix on

Depending on the ages,i would bring,toys,legos etc.Lunch (there gonna be starving by the 3 or 4th hour)Bring blankets and pillows.And bring lots of food or money because your kids will be hungry and will wanna go some were.

Money saving tip:

Bring them lunch..dont buy them or go out ( i bet you will but its saving)

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O.O.

answers from Los Angeles on

If you're not doing the driving--I'd pack some vodka & ice. :)
Have fun!

1 mom found this helpful
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G.B.

answers from Oklahoma City on

How old are the kids. What vehicle will you be driving? Does this vehicle have a DVD player or cigarette lighters in the back half to plug electronics into? Or actual plug ins? My van has plug ins but we've never turned them on yet.

Need more details.

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D.G.

answers from Las Vegas on

Check into joining KOA, they have Camping Cabins at most of their sites. We travel by RV so I don't know how much the cabins are. The parks usually have swimming pools and playgrounds (often other recreational activities also). Your sightseeing can be planned around the KOA locations.
I would suggest traveling up Hwy 1 and 101. Must see: Hearst Castle; Monterey Bay Aquarium; tons of stuff in San Francisco; Eureka and the Redwood Forests; lots of beaches along the coast of Oregon; and (depending on time) drive around the Olympic Pennisula thru Port Angeles. Drive back on I-5 thru Portland, take a side trip at Medford to see Crater Lake; then consider hwy 99 rather than I-5.
There are also lots of National Parks and State parks to see, and most have campgrounds. You might consider installing a trailer hitch and towing a small pop-up trailer (rental) if you want to camp most of the time.

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