On the Road Again...

Have you ever taken your children on a road trip?
I mean a LOOOOOONG road trip,1,100 miles from home.
We did, and it was way better than I anticipated. Check out the Details.

Although I was virtually terrified about the trip, I continually re-assured my husband everything would be perfect and the children would transition smoothly from our normal airline trips to this driving adventure to Florida.

The trip itself began super smoothly indeed! The car was packed and children in their seats comfortably snacking just after lunchtime, nearly exactly when we had planned on leaving.

The drive was virtually uneventful, the children slept (afternoon nap time), until we arrived in the Carolinas', where we were able to stop for dinner at Outback (using a gift card that was about 10 years old - yay for CT for not letting them expire). After a quick stretch and a change into pajamas (just for the children ;) and back on the road again.

A few more stops for gas, bathroom and stretches and we reached Florida! The children did SO well! They did not utter the dreaded "Are we there yet", until roughly 30 minutes from the Hotel! Then it was off the the EXPO, and a much needed shower and dinner!

Yay for awesome kids!

Are you thinking of taking a trip?

Here are some MUSTS:

1. Start talking about the “adventure.” It was going to be fun and exciting, and I wanted the kids to be just as excited as I was.
2. Load up on books and other media! Grab a handful of books and DVDs new to you, and separate them into two bags, one for the way there and one for the way back.
3. A good list is a must. As a mom I never leave home without a container of baby wipes and an extra change of clothes for my little ones.
4. Pack “surprises” for your tiny travelers. The dollar store is my go-to for this! I grabbed cute reusable bags, and filled them with coloring books, crayons, books, stickers, tattoos and snacks.
5. Make stops! This is the biggest non-negotiable! Believe me, I would have loved my 22 hour drive to have only been 18 , but I realized that this was my children’s first long road trip. So, we stopped at every time we went below a-half-a-tank, filled up, used the restrooms and did a good-old-fashioned stretch.
6. Talk with your kids! Lets face it, kids won't sit quietly in a car. We sang, chatted and viewed all sorts of things we passed.
7. Pack snacks. All sorts of favorite things, especially those that they have not had in awhile. 
8. Make mess stoppers! I have a brand new vehicle and I don't like messes, but we are driving... for 20 hours.... with three kids. I made trays for them to hold their snacks, AND allow them to have a flat surface for reading and drawing.