We just got back from our first two-week family road trip. This was a trip with many firsts. We never had a two-week vacation before. Never attempted a road trip with kids. Never traveled to numerous locations within one vacation. Never took the kids on a vacay that wasn’t solely planned for their enjoyment.
We all have different interests and abilities so I had to be mindful of what we could all do so everyone could participate together in most of the activities. Since my oldest son is in a wheelchair, I made sure to call beforehand to have a definitive answer that a wheelchair, without transferring him, would be accommodated.
I admit that I was overly ambitious when planning this trip, which made it more exhausting during our travels. I regret nothing though. We can rest when we get home (lol). We were in fifteen states within a two-week time frame. Thirteen of those states we had never been before with the kids. We stayed in nine hotels just moving right along, usually staying one, two, or three nights (only once).
My goal was to have a northeastern vacation since my husband and I have never traveled to that part of the U.S. It took three driving days each way just to get there and back. We did not drive more than eight hours in one day so it wouldn’t feel too torturous for all involved.
To make the long journey bearable, I planned fun stops along the way, so the trip was about the journey and not the next destination. This did lessen the time spent in the northeast, but I am glad I planned it this way because three straight days of driving would have been miserable for everyone.
Each day was balanced with frustration, exhaustion, fun, laughter and making memories together. We each had a great time. I do recommend road trips. Road trips with your family, your partner, friends or even alone. It is a great way to see more places in a short amount of time.
For us, we will probably alternate our vacations with multiple stops on a road trip just getting a glimpse of what a place has to offer, and single destination vacations where we can fully embrace a particular location in the world. Getting the best of both worlds.