Road Trippin’ With Kids

I’ve been MIA on the blog the last 2 weeks because I was out on the road with my kiddos. Yeah, I’ve heard it all before from “You’re crazy” to “How do you do it?” The short answer is with a little bit of planning and a whole lot of snacks. But the long answer to how I go road trippin’ with kids can be found below.

1. Plan ahead. Make a complete itinerary so you know how long the drive will be between stops and where the nearest gas stations and bathrooms will be. This usually takes me a full day to complete. But then again, I’m very thorough. See an example of my itinerary from this last road trip by clicking HERE.
2. Pack lots of snacks. You’re not going to want to stop at every gas station or truck stop for snacks, so plan ahead and be sure to pack all of your snacks in the backseat where they are easily accessible to the kids. Don’t forget to pack some snacks up front for yourself! This also includes beverages in a small cooler. My go-to, one stop shop for snacks is Target. Plus, if you have their red card, you can do it all from home and have it delivered for free!
3. Leave early. My routine is to leave at 4am. This may seem counter intuitive, but since the first stretch of the drive tends to be the longest, it gives my kids extra time to sleep in the car (and extra time for me to sing at the top of my lungs to some good ‘ol blues). Then, when they wake up, we’re generally pretty close to our destination! Plus, I have an excuse to drink a Red Bull. Ha!
4. Drive at a minimum. I try to make sure we have some stops every few hours so that the kids don’t get too antsy. Unless of course I’m planning on them sleeping. For example, on our upcoming trip to Portland, on the drive up, we plan to stop in Alabama Hills and Mammoth on the first day. Then on the second day, we’ll hit Mono Lake and a few other sites on our way up through the state. What could be done in a day will be done over 3 or 4 days.
5. Bring music. If you have an iPod, make sure it’s got all of your kid’s favorite tunes on it. Using Spotify? Make sure that ish is downloaded since you’ll be going through spots that don’t have cell phone service. Speaking of cell phone service…..
6. Download your map. This should be a no brainer, but make sure you download all driving maps for offline use. If you encounter a road closure, you’ll want to be able to get around it as quickly as possible and won’t be able to do so unless you have your map downloaded. Or better yet, pack an old school Thomas map of the state you’re traveling in.
7. Pack your child’s essentials. Every child has one or two things they just can’t be without. For my three year old, it’s a constantly changing carousel of toys and headbands. For my older kids, it’s the phone (and charger) and Gameboy (yes, we take it back old school yo).

Going road trippin’ with kids can be a wonderful adventure that you’ll both enjoy and remember for years to come. With just a few simple guidelines, you can have the time of your life…with your kids!