Hello! I am looking for suggestions about an upcoming trip we will be taking this fall. We live in Central Indiana, and will be taking a vacation just outside of Destin, Florida. There will be 7 of us making the trip (myself and my husband, our 4 kids and my mom). Our kids are ages 13, 11 and twin 7 year olds. We had considred flying down, then renting a van to drive back, but that looks like it will be more difficult to plan than we thought. So, we are looking at renting a larger van (like a 12 passenger one) and our goal in getting there will be to make it as direct a trip as possible. But on the way back, we would like to detour a litte, try to see the mountains in Tennessee and such. I am looking for any suggestions on how to make the trip down as painless as possible (even though my kids are a little older, long drives are not their thing). We are thinking of doing some driving at night, or possibly making an overnight stop to break up the drive. Any thoughts on that? But I'd also like suggestions of places we should stop and see, things we should do on the way back - experiences the kids will enjoy. Thanks in advance for your help!
Thanks for the great ideas so far...keep them coming - I am making my planning list from your responses :)
If you are not opposed to electronics then get a DVD player for the van. You can rent movies at Cracker Barrel then return them at a different Cracker Barrel while you travel.
Look for some travel books/kits, my kids had a bunch of travel activites and kits.
I like to stop at a hotel along the way to Chicago (home) from DC, instead of driving all night.
Make frequent stops, every couple hours or so. Even 13 yo's get antsy.
First, and this is just my opinion, I would not do night driving - that just screws up everyone's sleeping patterns and you end up with a lot of crabby people, adults included!
What I do for road trips is get on Google Maps and look along my route and see what there is to see. If you're a member of AAA they can also help. Then I make up a quiz/information packet for each child and by the end of the trip they've really paid attention to what places you visit. They've followed along and had to answer questions and have actually learned something plus it encourages conversation/discussion instead of fighting. Of course, there were also prizes included; nothing big: candy bar, spending money, etc.
My kids are in high school now and still talk about our road trips and what fun they were because of my little quiz/info packets.
Yes, it takes some preparation but it makes the trips a lot more fun and tolerable!!
Good luck!!!
This is a new book in my school library, with 5 things to see and do in each state:
912.73 BOY
National Geographic kids ultimate U.S. road trip atlas : maps, games, activities, and more for hours of backseat fun 1st ed.
Boyer, Crispin.
Washington, D.C. : National Geographic, 2012.
We just got back from a trip to Fort Myers, FL (from Cleveland, OH) and we drove. We have 3 kids (5, 3, and 10 months) and my Mom went also. That was 6 people in our Honda Odyssey and it worked out very nicely. We drove straight through 23 hours, because it's easier for us to just keep going (and definitely much cheaper than flying). Also, it gives us a vehicle when we get there. There were 3 drivers and we just switched off and the kids slept fine at night. We left in the evening when we started the trip. On the return trip, we left in the morning. It worked either way - we changed it up to accomodate our schedule. Our DVD player was invaluable and the older kids had activities and toys in their travel bags. The kids have all been on long distance trips since they were infants, so they really don't know any different. As far as all the suitcases and "stuff" to take, we have a large top carrier for our van which is great!
A fun place to stop that I haven't been in more than 20 years is Chattanooga, TN. There are good attractions there - Rock City, Lookout Mountain (you can see 7 states on a clear day), and Ruby Falls (in a cave). I remember my brothers and I really liking this place.
I hope my experiences can translate to your kids and needs for your trip. Have a great time and good luck!
