Tags
blankets, infant neck pillows, road trip tips, road trips, snacks, toys, traveling, traveling with a toddler
Well – we made it back safely from our 10 day trip! Our 12 hour drive to Florida took 14 1/2 hours, our 2 hour drive from Florida to Gulf Shores took close to 3 hours, and our 11 1/2 hour drive from Gulf Shores back to Plano took close to 12 1/2 hours.
And Cupcake did fantastic. When she did fuss, it was because she was either bored and just needed human interaction and attention, or was tired and fighting it.
I was worried, and asked everyone I knew if they had any secret tips. So, here are a few things that I found extremely helpful, followed by only a few pictures from our trip (blog post about camp specifically is coming soon):
- Drive through the night, or leave super early. During winter break, my husband and I left at 10:30 at night with Cupcake and she slept the whole way. It was beautiful. But this time, it was me and a girl friend, and I knew that I couldn’t drive through the night. So we left at 4 in the morning. I was expecting Cupcake to go right back to sleep, and sleep for at least another 2-3 hours. But I was wrong. She was awake most of the time. But I knew that her body could handle going until 7:30 to eat breakfast, and that we would get a solid 3ish hours of uninterrupted driving in without having to stop. Not to mention, we were in no hurry. But we arrived at our destination at dinner time which was perfect for Cupcake’s schedule.
- Before pulling out of the driveway, put blankets/towels up in the back windows. It helps eliminate any extra sunlight in the morning, and keeps it darker for longer. Now for Cupcake’s situation, it helped her but more so in the middle of the day since she didn’t really go back to sleep in the morning. Safety alert – it blocks vision from your blind spot, so be VERY aware of your surroundings while driving.
- Snacks are yours, and your child(ren)’s, best friend. I am a routine person, and so is my daughter so I was worried about disrupting that. But after the first 30 minutes of her being bored – I handed out the snacks – and it was amazing.
- Pack your child’s favorite toys in a box. I put the box right next to her seat, so it was easily accessible by whoever was sitting in the passengers seat. And then just rotate toys.
- Use an infant neck pillow – backwards. Cupcake didn’t like it around the back of her neck because it pushed her head forwards. But once she fell asleep we (my friends riding with me) would put it around her neck in the front and it helped keep her head in a position that she WOULDN’T wake up with a kink in her neck.
- Overpack!!! I know it sounds crazy, but you never know what is going to happen. An aunt of mine travels with her twins more than anyone I know, that is advice that she continuously gives me. Many people will ‘wait to buy diapers until they’ve arrived at their destination’ but I worried about my car breaking down on the side of the road, and being stranded for hours. Same thing applies to snacks and food. I packed PLENTY of clothes – especially in preparation of beach/water time. I brought an entire additional package of wipes, and used most of them. We brought plenty bottles of water, mainly because I knew that the milk wouldn’t stay cold sitting in her carseat cup holder, and while water wouldn’t stay cold either, at least it wouldn’t make her sick.
- Last, but not least, prepare yourself. Know that it is going to take significantly longer to get to your destination than it would if it were just you. Expect to take lots of stops, even if it’s just for a 10 minute “walk around” break.
Grab a cookie, and enjoy the journey. 🙂