My 10 Tips For Road Trips For Larger Families

We love to travel!  When we had kids that did not change; however, how we travel did change.  We love to hike, so we invested in carriers for when the kids were babies.  We love to bike, so we invested in bike seats and a bike trailer until the kids could all ride bikes on their own.  Just because you have a larger family does not mean that you have to give up doing what you love; it just may look different for a bit.

We have always done road trips with our kids.  From the time they were infants we have traveled.  One of our daughters was 3 weeks old when she did her first road trip (about 9 hours to visit family).  Over the years we have done countless 17+ hour trips to visit family.  We have flown a few times with them but mostly have driven.  There are many ways to travel with kids and each family is unique.  We tend to be spontaneous and not over-plan.  The tips I'm sharing are pretty general but are things we've found to be helpful.

 In no particular order; here are my top 10:

Set Expectations:

We have kids who tend to be more introverted so "personal space" is a priority.  We have another child who likes to know all the details of a plan and has a harder time with unexpected changes.  While we didn't have a complete itinerary we did explain that we would be stopping somewhere each night and that they would all have to share beds.  We also set the themes of "go with the flow" and "for the next two weeks there is no such thing as 'personal space' ".  Knowing these things ahead of time helped set the tone. We also explained that once we got to our rental unit there would be more room for some time alone and less kids would have to share a bed.  

Be Flexible:

Being flexible made this trip, probably, one of the most fun trips we've taken.  At one point we had our oldest girl just googling what was on the road we were currently on and then we decided if/where we wanted to stop.  The kids loved getting to help decide.  Hotels were booked a few hours before we were set to arrive at our stop for the night. 

Prioritize hotels with free breakfast:

Eating out is expensive!  Feeding a family of 8 (4 of those kiddos being teen or adults) is a lot.  Finding hotels that included breakfast took away any added cost/hassle each morning.  Since I don't typically eat breakfast everyone would get ready, head down to breakfast and I would have that time to get myself ready.  It worked wonderfully! 

Check if membership is cheaper (factor in if you'll use reciprocity):

This is something we have done since the kids were little.  We used to buy a family museum membership each year; when we would go to visit family we would check which museums had reciprocity.  The program has changed a bit, with many museums only giving a 50% discount but many still do give free admission.  This trip we decided to stop at the Columbus Zoo; it was cheaper for us to buy the family membership than to pay for day tickets.  Now that we have that membership we can go to museums closer to home for free for the year; using the museum reciprocity.  

Using the reciprocity program over the years for museums and zoos has allowed us to take our kids to many places that otherwise would have been out of our budget. 

For longer stays have a kitchen & cook:

This tip is similar to the breakfast one.  Eating out is expensive!  Due to the size of our family we usually have to stay in rental properties  (we do have a timeshare but I do NOT recommend those!  a decision made when we were younger that, while it has been useful over the years, is not one we would repeat; especially now that short term rentals are so prevalent.)  

Having a kitchen is a huge bonus.  My hubby and I enjoy cooking together; and while usually I handle the cooking when home; while on vacation it's fun to have more time to cook together.  We typically do some simpler, fun recipes with ingredients that can be used for multiple meals.  On this trip, the grocery bill was higher than our normal grocery bill but it was still much less than if we had eaten out every night.

Truck stops:

We have found that truck stops are generally a better choice than the smaller gas stations.  We found that the gas is often cheaper, the bathrooms cleaner and their snack choices are better. This trip we grabbed some meal boxes which included hummus, veggies and pita breads.  The truck stops also often have pre-made sandwiches, etc.  Which are less than buying a full meal but more nutritious than chips, candy, etc that the smaller stores typically have available.

Everyone tries to go at every bathroom stop:

Okay, so this tip is one that we learned quickly when the kids were little.  We would ask who needed to use the restroom, a couple of them would go and then we'd get a bit down the road and suddenly someone else had to go.  So, now every time we make a bathroom stop; everyone has to try.   Live and learn. :)

Bring comfort items:

It can be tempting to try and minimize packing but allowing the kids to bring a small bag with a few "comfort" items, such as a blanket, stuffed animal, etc.  really makes life easier.  We are fortunate that all of our kids will sleep in the car, having that special blanket helps.  Also, each of them having a smaller bag of activities/items that they keep at their feet minimizes having to get into the back for everything.

Pack cooler/snacks:

Having a cooler and snack bag helps minimize stops and money spent.  We typically pack crackers, hummus, veggies, granola bars, dried fruits/trail mix, cheese sticks, etc and drinks such as water, seltzer, cold coffee and sometimes we'll bring yogurt drinks.

It's their vacation too; let kids have some say:

Trips with the kids look very different from trips without kids...and that is great!  We have been to Disney with kids and without kids; same place but the experiences were very different.  While we do plan most of the trip we also fully recognize that this is their vacation as well. We want them to have fun and have a say in what we do too.  For example, we took a side trip to Niagara Falls because one kid wanted to use their passport for the first time and a couple other kids have wanted to see the falls for a few years now.  Another, very simple example from this trip.  We mentioned how that once we got to the rental unit two of the girls would have to share a bed, while one of them could have their own bed (two double beds in the room they would share).  All three of them did not like this idea; so our youngest asked if we could bring one of our twin air mattresses for her.  The mattress didn't take up much space in the car and she was more than happy to use it for the week to have her own bed.  It was a minor thing but made all of them happy.  

BONUS TIP:

Credit card points!  We have a credit card that we use for pretty much everything.  We pay it off each month.  This credit card gives us points that we can then use to cover travel expenses, etc.  We have used these points to cover airfare, hotels, uber trips, etc.  We have taken trips where the airfare for all 8 of us was covered by credit card points.  Credit cards can be a wonderful tool when used responsibly!

Have FUN!  

Family Road Trip 2024

 Stats: 

Miles Traveled: 4109.5

Hours driven: 74:37

Countries seen: US & Canada

Number of States seen:  19 (NY, PA, OH, KY, IL, MO, AR, TN, MS, AL, FL, GA, SC, NC, VA, WV, MD, CT, MA)

Number of States stayed in: 6 (PA, KY, MO, MS, FL, SC)

The short summary is we had a wonderful time together as a family and praise God for safe travels and many amazing moments.

We have never done a two week vacation with our kids before.  This trip was amazing; so many miles traveled, states seen, memories made and fun facts learned.  I want to get it all recorded while it is fresh in my mind.  For those, like me, who love to read travel stories; I hope you enjoy this overview of our trip! 

Day 1: Home to Erie, PA

We headed out earlyish morning.  The oldest two knew that we were stopping in Niagara falls for a few hours but the other kids had no idea.  A couple of the kids have been asking, for a few years, to see the falls.  We recently got them all passports so we thought it would be a fun surprise.  As we were crossing the bridge into Canada we asked "hey, do you guys want to go to Canada?" they said "yes.  Wait!  You mean today?" we then told them that yes, we were currently headed to the border crossing.  It was a one of many funny memories. 

The falls were a great stop; the last time we had been was over 20 years ago so it was nice to experience them with the kids.  Fun fact: More than 44 million gallons of water go over horseshoe falls every minute during "peak flow". 

 After seeing the falls and grabbing dinner we crossed back over the border.  We stopped in Erie, PA for the night.

Day 2: Erie, PA to Shelbyville, KY

One of the beauties of this trip was the flexibility and spontaneity we were able to have.  We had originally planned to stop at the Cincinnati Zoo; however, we realized the timing wasn't going to work. Instead we headed to the Columbus Zoo.  On the way there we noticed that if we got off the highway for a bit we could make a stop at Lake Erie.  We found a cute park to stop at; it was fun to see one of the great lakes and the kids thought it was pretty neat how that it does feel a bit like the ocean because of the water going to the horizon without any trees or land in sight. 

 After stopping at the lake we continued on to the Columbus Zoo.  We were able to spend the afternoon walking the zoo.  We always enjoy going to different zoos and the Columbus zoo did not disappoint.  The highlights were definitely getting to pet and feed the stingrays, the closeup view of the cheetah, seeing a Tasmanian devil and watching the adorable koalas sleeping in their tree.  This little guy was holding his tree just snoozing away.

 We left the zoo at closing and just decided to drive until it got late enough that we wanted to stop.  This put us in Shelbyville, KY for the night.

Day 3: Shelbyville, KY to Poplar Bluff, MO

While we were making it up a bit as we went; we knew that Mammoth Cave was a definite stop.  Since we had the younger kids (and some kiddos who aren't huge fans of caves) we took the basic cave tour. This tour is a little over an hour long.  It was very interesting learning about the history and importance of the cave; and it really is Mammoth.  We only saw a tiny portion. This was one of the rooms we saw.

The other "must stop" was at Buc-ees.  We had never been before and our oldest daughter (who had been once) wanted us to stop.  It was a fun, chaotic experience.  We grabbed some t-shirts for souvenirs and some lunch.  The pulled brisket sandwich was one of the best I've had.  The one we stopped at had this fun artwork on the barn next to the store.

One of the benefits of having some time flexibility, is that we were able to change our route as desired.  When we left Buc-ees my husband suggested we see how many states we could hit without adding too much time to our route (we did have a deadline for college drop off #1).  We figured out that by getting off the highway we could head a bit northwest and hit Illinois and then dip into Missouri before heading on to Arkansas and Tennessee.  

We put our oldest girl in charge of finding interesting things to see along the way.  There was a roadside attraction called Turtle Rock; I would post a picture but we didn't get one.  It was two rocks painted to look like a Turtle and much smaller than we expected.  It was so funny!  

One challenge of not being on the highway was bathroom stops.  The next roadside attraction she found was the Jefferson Davis Monument.  This is an obelisk in a park with a small visitor's center. We used the restrooms and talked a bit about who Jefferson Davis was and some Civil war history.  

Next up was a drive through Cairo, IL. This little town sits at the point where the Mississippi and Ohio rivers merge.  It was very neat to see this point but the town sadly isn't in great shape.  There is still some beautiful architecture and we were curious what had happened as it was clear that at one point it had been a thriving town. It's a sad and fascinating story of how changes in transportation and industry affect a town.  Here is the wikipedia article for those interested. 

We continued on to Poplar Bluff, MO and spent the night there.

Day 4: Poplar Bluff, MO to Tupelo, MS

This day was another day that didn't go as we had "planned".  We originally planned to drop off our oldest daughter at school and then spend the night in town.  We drove to the college and got her settled (a bonus was seeing our niece who is attending the same school!).  We then surprised one of our other daughters with a lunch of fried pies.  We had discovered fried pies on another adults vacation, and our daughter had wanted to try them.  

We realized that we had a long trip the next day and it didn't make sense to stay in town so we said goodbye to our girl and headed further south.  We drove as far as Tupelo, MS and stayed the night there. 

Day 5: Tupelo, MS to Pensacola Beach, FL

The next morning we got up and headed to our week-long destination of Pensacola Beach, FL.  We were all looking forward to reaching the condo and having a "home-base" for a few days.  As we drove we discussed the poverty and health issues that plague Mississippi.  It was another interesting dive into internet research.  For more information on Mississippi's history you can check out it's wikipedia page  

We checked into our rental, did some grocery shopping and settled in for the night.

 

Day 6 - Day 12: Pensacola Beach, FL 

Over the next week we spent a lot of time just relaxing.  Our rental unit was right next to the pool so we were in and out of the pool.  We took many walks down to the beach.  Unfortunately, on our first dip into the beautiful warm waters; one of our daughters was stung by a jellyfish.  We were fortunate that our unit was on the beach; we googled how to treat it and followed the recommendations from the mayo clinic website.  We also got some cream from the pharmacy; it's very common there for jellyfish bites so they have something called "sting kill" that works very well. 

After that experience we mostly stuck to the pool for swimming and the beach for walking.   

Later in the week we went to the Naval Aviation Museum.  This is a free museum and has some great old planes.  We arrived just as a guided tour was starting so we joined in and learned a lot about the planes they have there at the museum.  Since the Museum is on a naval base, and is where the blue angels are stationed, they often host ceremonies.  This atrium is the venue for those.

While we were away a friend came over to our home to feed our cat and koi fish.  We wanted to get a little something for her as a thank you.  While looking up things to do I found a link for the Palafox Market.  It is a cross between a craft fair and a farmer's market with many local artisans and food places each having a booth.  We found some great local honey, local coffee, and some handmade jewelry.  There were a lot of other very fun things; if we had wanted to spend more money!  One booth in particular was very interesting. It's called the Graffiti Bridge and they have some very fun jewelry.

Day 13: Pensacola Beach, FL to Sumter, SC

As much as we wanted to stay in Florida; alas, vacation had to end.  Once again we changed up our original plans.  I have always wanted to visit Savannah, GA; so my hubby suggested that rather than heading north right away, that we head east and then north; making a quick stop in Savannah.  We ended up only having about a half hour there but it was a great place to stop, stretch our legs and use the restroom.  Forsythe Park was beautiful and the houses surrounding the park have some gorgeous architecture. 

After our break in Savannah we continued on to South Carolina and spent the night with family.

Day 14: Sumter, SC to Home

We had a lovely visit with some family members that we only see once or twice a year.  It was a great time of fellowship!  The next morning we were discussing our route home; we mentioned that we really didn't want to go up interstate 95.  The suggestion to go route 77 was made so we headed that direction.  Before getting to the interstate we drove through some beautiful areas of South Carolina.  One town was Camden, SC.  Camden is the steeplechase "capitol" of the U.S.  It was the site of revolutionary war battles and also hosts the Carolina Cup.  It's a pretty little town and was fun to drive through.  

Along the way we enjoyed the farmland vistas of Western Virginia, the state of West Virginia, Western Maryland and Western Pennsylvania; all while reading about the industries in those areas.  The history of mining and that the top industries are food processing and manufacturing.

We drove through the night and made it home at 3am in the morning.  The following day the kids here started school.  So, it has been a whirlwind since we got home but we are so thankful we were able to make this trip. 

Boston on a budget (with kids!)

 A few weeks ago the three older kids were away on a youth group trip so we decided to do some fun things with the three younger kids.  We had a great time checking out a zoo and going to the aquarium in Boston (this was not the "budget friendly" trip ;) ).  If you asked any of the three what their favorite part of that day was they would say the splash pad that we came across and let them play in.  As we sat there watching them splash and play Matt and I commented how we should bring all the kids into Boston to walk the freedom trail; so this past Monday that's what we did...well...sort of, as you'll see.

We had such another great time this past Monday with all the kids and despite having double the kids with us this was a much more budget friendly trip; and no less fun!  There are a hundred (probably more) things you can do in Boston and there are countless blog posts about day trips but I thought I'd share what we did since I had never done some of the things we found to do.

So, how do you get into Boston?  Well, we've done both the T (subway) and driven in and it really depends on what we're doing, and how much time we want to spend getting there.  On this trip we didn't decide until we were on our way which we would do.  The closest T station to our house costs $9/day to park.  Children 11 and under do ride the T for free but it is $2.40 each way and takes about 1/2 hr to ride into Boston.  The T is also old and while they do have elevators it is not the easiest to navigate with a stroller.  We decided to drive in since I found a parking garage that was $22 for the day and we didn't want to spend the extra 1/2 hour in time to ride in.  I would highly recommend the parking garage we chose (be aware that full size vans and large SUV's do not fit in this garage); it is the Nautica Parking Garage in Charlestown, just across the bridge from North Station.  The garage is about a block from the USS Constitution Museum and Ship.  

Things we did:

1) Bunker Hill Monument - this is a short walk from where we parked and is usually the end of the Freedom Trail but we figured we would just walk the trail backwards.  Unfortunately, the monument was closed so we weren't able to climb it. Total cost = $0

2) USS Constitution Museum & Ship - we had never toured the USS Constitution and after being encouraged to do so by a local guy who chatted with us we decided to head over.  The tour of the ship is free and we all really enjoyed it.  We did not go thru the museum since the kids weren't interested; they ask for a suggested donation of $10-$15 per adult and $5-$10 per child if you do decide to check it out.  Maisie needed to use the bathroom and you can use the Museum bathroom but again they do ask for a donation to use the bathroom (the amount is up to you and it's not required; we did make a small donation). Total cost = $5 to use bathroom

3) Water Shuttle/Taxi - This was a favorite for pretty much everyone.  You can catch the water taxi just past the Museum.  It is an 8 minute boat ride across the harbor dropping you at the Aquarium.  The views of the Harbor and skyline are beautiful.  Since it is part of the public transit system children 11 and under ride free, otherwise it's $3.70 per person.  It was well worth the cost.  Total cost = $18.50

4) Quincy Market - Our one splurge for the day was to get lunch at Quincy Market. It's an indoor marketplace with all sorts of different food vendors.  After getting our lunch we found a spot in the square between the Quincy Market building and Fanuel Hall and watched a street performer as we ate.  If you don't want to splurge for entire meals you could grab a pastry from one of the pastry shops and still enjoy a fun show (this is a popular place for street performers).  They also have public bathrooms here that, while busy, are easy to get in and out of so we made use of those a couple times. Total cost = not sure but it was definitely a splurge; I would guess about $10-$15 per person.  

5) Armenian Genocide Memorial Park - As we headed towards the North End to pick up the Freedom Trail again we stopped in this beautiful park.  There is a labyrinth to walk around in and a beautiful sculpture.  The kids had a great time with the maze and it was another great place to sit and enjoy the gorgeous weather.  Total Cost = $0

6) North End/Freedom Trail - You can pay for a guided tour of the Freedom Trail but we always just walk it ourselves and enjoy the sites.  The trail is marked by red bricks so it's easy to follow.  We headed to the North End and walked around a bit.  Matt and I grabbed an iced coffee and we enjoyed the outdoor seating while we discussed which direction we wanted to head next.  The kids chose to continue towards Boston Common so we did that. This path took us back by Fanuel Hall and this time there were other street performers so we stopped and watched their act; it was great and we all enjoyed it.   On our way we saw the Granary Burial grounds where Samuel Adams, John Hancock and other famous people are buried.  We saw the site of the Boston Massacre, Old South Meeting House and even spotted some Revolutionary War reenactors.  We took some time to walk through the Holocaust Memorial; which is a very moving place with glass towers containing the numbers given to many of those killed in the Holocaust. The memorial also contains quotes from those that survived.  It truly is worth taking the time to walk thru and remember.  On our way to the Common we found a cute bookstore tucked in one of the alleyways and Amy found a book on the $1 rack.  Total Cost = $9 

7) Boston Common/Frog Pond/Public Garden - Once we made it to the common we found a shady spot to sit and have a snack (brought from home) while people watching.  After a bit we walked over the the Frog Pond, which is a shallow wading pool that the kids loved!  They played for awhile and then we walked through the public garden that is adjacent to the Common.  Total Cost = $0

8) Riding the T - By this time the younger kids were very tired so we decided to take the T to North Station so we would have a shorter walk back to the car. The kids always enjoy riding the T so it was another "attraction" for them.  Total Cost = $9.60

The Rose Kennedy Greenway runs through the city and has several green spaces with splash pads, benches and nice places to rest.  You could easily pack a lunch and save that amount while enjoying any of these spaces.   It's often hard to find things that all the kids (ages 3-17) will enjoy but this day was a winner.  Total cost for the day (less lunch) was $64.10 and you could certainly cut that down even more by not riding the T and not getting coffee. :)  Even with that it was $8/per person for a full day of fun and adventure.  

DC Pictures

Here are a few of the pictures from our DC trip:

In front of the Washington Monument

The White House

The Museum of Natural History

The Capital Building

The Air and Space Museum

The Lincoln Memorial

Looking down the mall from the Lincoln Memorial

The Korean War Memorial

The Vietnam War Memorial

The WWII Memorial (the entire center is a fountain
but of course it was not turned on this time of year)

DC Hits & Misses

This past weekend my husband and I went away for a couple of nights. We had been wanting to get away for some kid-free time before baby #4 arrives and, thanks to some credit card miles, were able to do so with free airfare.

Washington D.C. in January might sound like a strange place to pick but we chose this for a few reasons. 1) I had never been before and he had not been since high school 2) Most of the sights & museums are free 3) I had no interest in going someplace warm where I might have to get into a bathing suit at 6 months pregnant ;)

We arrived in D.C. on Friday night and took a taxi to the hotel. This I'll count as a miss because I should have done more research on the Metro stops and rather than spending almost $17 to go about 4 miles we would have only had to spend about $1.65 since there is a Metro stop at the airport with a direct line to the block where our hotel was.

As for the hotel, this was definitely a hit. We stayed at The Sofitel Lafayette Square. The staff was very friendly, concierge was helpful and the room was great. It wasn't overly fancy but nice. The biggest "point-getter" for the hotel is definitely it's location. We were one block from the White House and about 3 blocks from the National Mall plus within walking distance to many restaurants and most of the museums.

After checking into the hotel we walked to a nearby restaurant called "Mezza Luna". It was more of a tapas bar, which was great because neither of us were very hungry.

Saturday we spent the day walking...pretty much everywhere. We started with seeing the White House (we did not take a tour inside), then went to the National Aquarium. The Aquarium would be another miss. It is not free ($9/pp for ages 12 and up) and is very small. We spent about 1/2 hour there, did not rush and still saw everything. It is literally a room in the basement of the Dept. of Commerce where they have tanks around the edges and a few tanks around a central block. It was very disappointing for the money we spent.

Our next stop on Saturday was the Museum of Natural History. This was free and was very interesting...and huge. We spent 3 hours here and more browsed than really looked at everything. We did see the "highlights" such as the hope diamond and the dinosaur fossils. My favorite room was probably the mineral room. It's fascinating to see how each one naturally forms so different. Some form in cube shapes, others in "V" shapes and others form small "hairs" on them. The minerals were beautiful and yet another example of God's creativity.

After the Natural History Museum we walked a block or so to the National Archives. This was another of my favorite stops. It was amazing to see the original Declaration of Independence, Constitution, Bill of Rights and other historical documents. When looking at these it is easy to see the care and time that went into drafting these documents and why they are still so important today.

I'll pause here to say that one of the advantages of going to DC in the winter is that the crowds are much smaller. We waited about 1/2 hour in line to see the documents at the Archives and, while still very busy, the museums were not over crowded and it was easy to see everything we wanted to see.

After the Archives we walked across the street to one of the National Art Galleries. Since most of the museums close around 5PM we didn't have much time here but still enjoyed looking at the paintings and sculptures. Another interesting display they had here was the original scale model cast of the Lincoln Memorial. It was interesting to read the thought process and planning that went into making this monument. After the museum closed we walked the rest of the distance to the Capital building and were able to get some nice outside shots before heading back to the hotel.

Our last stop Saturday night was Levante's for dinner. This Mediterranean restaurant was nice, the service was pleasant and the portions were huge. We could have easily fed both of us with one dinner, needless to say neither of us finished our dinner but it was good.

Sunday was another day of walking. It was drizzling when we headed out so we decided to take advantage of the Metro. The DC Metro is a hit/miss. The pricing is crazy and while you can get an all day pass it's confusing that they don't have set rates. Each stop is a different rate so you have to sort of plan out your stops to figure out how much you need to put on a fare card. Once this is done; however, it's very easy to use and find your way around town. As a side note, my husband enjoyed the fact that the game "Fallout" got the graphics for the DC Metro correct :)

We started out on Sunday taking the Metro to the Air and Space Museum. We were here for about 4 hours and didn't go to any of the shows or see some of the exhibits. It's just that big, you could easily spend a full day at each of the National Museums. Again, this was free admission and would be a great place to take kids as there are several interactive displays.

After the museum we took the Metro to a stop closer to the other end of the National Mall so that we could see the monuments. We started at the Lincoln Memorial and this was by far my favorite. Not only is it beautifully constructed but the quotes on the walls are inspiring and the view down the mall is stunning. The other monuments we walked to were the Korean War Memorial, The Vietnam War Memorial and the WWII Memorial. All of these were very touching and it was humbling to really get a sense of the sacrifice that our Veterans have made over the years. We ended with the Washington Monument, which is just big!

For our last dinner in DC we went to Georgia Brown's Restaurant. This was a favorite for both of us. The atmosphere was great; it was relaxed, yet elegant, not pretentious at all. As my husband put it: "they're not trying to be more than they are". The staff was extremely friendly without being fake and the food was delicious.

Monday morning we did take the Metro to the airport, which was very easy and much less expensive than a taxi ride.

I know this post is long and if you've read this far I hope you have enjoyed it. I wanted to write this all down while it is fresh in my memory to look back on in the future and see what we did and didn't like. I'll be doing another picture post of some of the sights we saw.