Our plans to head to Canada are still derailed by a missing license plate... but we're taking a 'practice' trip to Atlanta this weekend - about a 5 hour drive... and then we'll come back... hopefully get the plates we need and be off to Canada sooner rather than later...
With so much travel in our immediate future, we decided that we'd share a little bit about how we see travelling with our kids...
For me, it's an adventure - one I try to plan and understand, but that I know will take twists and turns that I had never anticipated... and when that happens, I am thankful for my GPS! Even last summer, when Erik wasn't yet a year old, I could already see that when one of my boys needed to make a stop, we needed to make a stop! Of course, that was the road trip where I was driving the kids home from Canada solo, and everything was magnified... This summer, I am happy that Wayne will be doing both ends of the drive with me... it's so much easier to plan and drive the way we want to when we have two drivers...
Back to the GPS - it's a godsend for finding playgrounds and parks - as much as I'd love to stop at museums and attractions on our travels, the boys prefer to just get out and run, so it's cost effective and sanity saving to be able to get off at an exit, punch a few points on the GPS and find the nearest park or swing set!
When we have two drivers, it makes sense to drive when the kids are tired, so we're going to do an overnight drive to Toronto this year... with the kids conked out in the back seat it makes driving 100% easier and the miles just fall away, as long as one of us can stay awake to do it... our secret - Wayne naps when we first get into the car and I drive the first 3 hours or so... we stop to eat and let the kids run for an hour or so and then strap the back into the car with a favorite DVD... and Wayne drives the next 3-4 hours while both the kids and I snore away... when we stop for gas, it's my turn again... although it's usually a bit shorter stop, since the kids get up for breakfast pretty early... and we find somewhere for them to run and stretch...\
When the kids are awake, they have about an hour and a half span when they can stay asleep... and it's pretty common for us to find a rest stop for a quick walk, or a state park for a longer one... but if both Wayne and I need to take a bit of a load off. it's definitely best to find some swings and a slide or two and let the boys and Robyn just get all their energy out while we cop a squat...
Every time we head out on the road, I remember the quote "Life is a journey, not a destination" and try to make the journey as pleasant as possible, but I have to say that getting to the destination when you've been in the car together for two days is really sweet! Especially when there are grandparents at the end of the rainbow to watch the kids while Wayne and I take a well deserved nap!
Read what Wayne has to say by clicking here
