may have to cancel

[frtchr]

We have driven straight through during the night from Ohio the last 3 trips. Yes, you are pretty tired when you arrive - that's why the first day is usually pretty low-key. We switch off drivers and the one rests while the other drives. The first trip ds was 6 months old; next trip he was 3.5 and dd was almost 1; last trip ds was 5.5 and dd was almost 3 - they never woke up when we stopped at rest areas, gas stations, etc. On the way home last time ds slept from the FL Turnpike until we reached Cincinnati. My kids can sleep through anything - they don't need dark or quiet.

This trip we (me, dh, ds8 and dd5) are leaving very early in the am and driving until 8-9 and then stopping for the night. The rest of our group (dd25, my cousin, her dh and children - ds9, ds5, dd4 and dd2) will be flying - our goal is to meet them around noon.

We drove in March with DD2 and DS6 months. It was a nightmare of mythic proportions, and I booked our flight for our December trip the day we returned from driving. LOL. Maybe we'll try again in 15 years.

 

[Leajess99]

I have been driving my kids on trips since the oldest was just a few days old and we went to Vancouver. I have only driven through the night once with a friend and will never do that again. We drive in the daytime and stop when the kids need a break. My youngest was hard at traveling when she was a toddler but we changed her car seat and that helped as well as making more stops.

We are always driving as my middle child cannot tolerate flying due to ear pain. They do good in the car now and each have their own Nintendo DS and portable DVD players. It ends up being cheaper for us to drive than fly and we love having picnics along the way.

 

[DisneyBamaFan]

Wow, I would love to know how you do it for $300...

Pretty easily - 1100 miles each way = 2200 miles. Add another 200 miles for misc. driving and I am up to 2400 miles. 30 MPG = 80 gallons of gas. Even if I paid $3/gal, that is only $240 dollars for gas - and gas is cheaper than that right now.

That still leaves us $60 for food. Since we only need 2 breakfasts, and we eat breakfast that McDonalds when on road trips, we can get breakfast going and returning for that $60.

No need for a room as we drive through the night. Total cost - $300 - actually, probably less...

 

[homemaker]

We did NOT have to cancel!! We got airfare for all 7 of us for 950. Now all we need is to save a little spending money. We will unload some more stuff on ebay and maybe even have a yard sale. Thanks for all of the help.

 

[aspcamhreditor2]

This is not meant to be snarky, but I don't understand driving through the night. How are you not completely exhausted on the first day at your destination? And how, when stopping to change drivers every couple of hours, were kids not woken up by slamming car doors? Maybe it's because my kids are still little, but I don't get it.

Wow ... am glad I got MY kids! My kids have been professional travelers since they were tiny. It helps having to travel 4+ hours just to visit closest family and that we show horses on a national level and not every show is in my backyard. My kids could travel okay and not wake off if we stopped to switch.

Of course ... we tried to avoid any door slamming!

Both hubby and I used to be good at driving well into the night. Can't so much any more but it's an age thing. But, I routinely have to work well past midnight and be in the office again by 6-ish in the a.m. So, it's all a matter of what works for you. Still ... my kids could travel okay and not wake off if we stopped to switch.

 

[aspcamhreditor2]

We did NOT have to cancel!! We got airfare for all 7 of us for 950. Now all we need is to save a little spending money. We will unload some more stuff on ebay and maybe even have a yard sale. Thanks for all of the help.

Yay!!!

Glad to hear that.

Good luck w/ garage sale & selling online. We'll be right there w/ you!