Need to vent...

[disneychic2]

Take a deep breath. You CAN do this. Make sure your vehicle is ready for a long journey, plan it well with plenty stops and turn the journey into part of the adventure. Show yourself what you are capable of

Good luck

OP... I'm sorry everyone has left you high and dry. But as others have said, you can do this. Totally. You're a mom to an 11 year old boy. Trust me, that's a tougher task than driving 2000 miles. Just take your time, use common sense along the way as far as safety goes, and you will be fine.

If I were in your shoes I would try to look at this as an opportunity to make some special memories with your son and mom. Focus on the positives.

Agree with both of these!!! Good luck to you!

 

[gator girl]

Does your mom not drive at all, so she can take turns? If the flying thing is not a medical issue, can she take one for the team & get some xanax & power through it? I know my mom would try to get through the flight for her grandkid's sake if other plans weren't working out. Definitely spend at least one night each way on the road, and get AAA, and you'll be fine. I'm pretty sure your son will talk enough to keep you nice and awake the whole time!!

Idk. From reading your post, it seems like what's actually bothering you is the fact that your family members bailed on you. That's certainly understandable, but look at it this way. This situation gives you a chance to grow as a person & develop new strengths in a relatively risk-free environment. I mean... think about it. You must have thought your car would be fine on the trip, because you were planning to take it anyway. There are *two* adults in the car, which is one more than single moms have when they take their kids places. You'll probably stay on the interstate most of the way there, so you're never more than about 20 miles from gas, restaurants, hotels, etc. and there are tons of other families on the road all around you.

My mom drove my sister and I on a road trip vacation from Florida to Vermont and back before we were old enough to help her drive. And we had a blast! It's actually the vacation I have the most fond memories of as an adult, because of all the bonding time we had in the car.

And look what a powerful example you have the chance to set for your son! His mom doesn't buckle when life throws her a curve ball. She just finds another way!

 

[lakelandgal70]

Ugh...I need to vent and have no where else to go with this. My mother needs to go to Florida to deal with some property. My sister, my son, and I were supposed to go with her. My sister's idea was to also go to Disney...then she backed out. My husband stepped in and said he would go. My mom will not fly so we must drive. The trip is a month away and I just made my final payment. Now my husband says he may not be able to be away from work for that long and does not think he can go. We have been having major issues so I can not say I am surprised....but I am flabbergasted that he is okay with my driving myself and my son 2000 miles by myself. What am I going to do now? We live in New York. My mom is 72. I don't know if I can handle the drive all by myself. My mom may not be around or healthy enough for a trip later at 72...and she is excited to see Disney with her grandson. My sister still can not go. My brother does not wish to go. What am I going to do?????

You will be fine! Just make sure your vehicle is ready for the trip. I drove 10 states in 4days by myself. In fact have made many trips by myself cause hubby couldn't get off work. I say go for it! Life is too short and you will probably end up really enjoying the trip.

 

[mikerobrewer]

Why will your Mom not fly -- is it health related or does she have a fear of flying? If it is a fear then there is a variety of tools and methods to overcome or at least cope with it.

I would try my best to get her on a plane but if you can't then you're looking at about an 18 hour trip which isn't so bad if you drive 10-12 hours the first day and stay overnight at a hotel.

 

[minnie mum]

Everyone here has given you some really good advice to ponder, so I will try not to repeat a lot of it. Breaking the trip down into daily milages makes things feel easier- 500 miles a day feels much more doable than 2,000 miles, right? I would really recommend that you spend a little time on the Transportation board. Particularly this LOOONG established thread:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2815923

There are lots of drivers from NYS on this thread who make the trip regularly and can give you great advice on routes, departure times, how to avoid rush hours in the major cities etc.

We make the drive from Ontario, Canada and break it down into 3 easy 8 hr days. With the proper preparation I think you'll do just fine.

 

[ols386]

You can do it, op. As others have said, just make sure your vehicle is ready for a long drive. It would be worth it for you, your son, and mother to go on this trip together.

I drove from central Indiana to WDW many years ago when my kids were 6 and 8, and it was so much fun. We drove it in two days, and stayed overnight in a hotel near Nashville.

Back in those days, we didn't have cell phones, but we did have a cb radio in the vehicle.

 

[WDSearcher]

Do you have a friend who can go with you and share the driving? Take the train? Take a bus?

You don't have to drive 2000 miles all in one stretch -- use this trip as a way to explore part of the country as you make your way down (and back) to Florida. There are lots of great stops inbetween.

Figure out how much driving you're comfortable with in one stretch (200 mi? 500?) and plan your stops in advance. Be flexible, be prepared, and make it an adventure.

We used to drive down from northern Michigan every winter. The drive was a huge part of what made those trips special!

And as far as you wanting it to be a "family trip" .... it is. It's not the whole family, maybe, but it's still a family trip.

 

[Cajun28]

Join AAA. You'll get roadside assistance if you need it. You can also get (for no extra cost) a TrpTik and books that contain hotel and restaurant info for the states you'll be driving through.

A bazillion people have driven on road trips. You can, too.

Agree with this 110%. After being bailed out by AAA on a couple of occasions, including when my son was stranded in the middle of nowhere at 4:30 in the morning trying to get back to school, I would never take a trip without being a member. I know some of the auto insurance and cell phone companies offer road-side assistance, but I don't know if they are as comprehensive as AAA.

I would also add, with AAA, you can get some good discounted hotel rates for your stops along the way.

Good Luck

 

[moozle]

I haven't read all of the replies, but DITTO. You can do this.

My mom, my brother and I used to make trips from Florida to New York every single year growing up. I agree with not planning exactly where to stop - we would just stop when she couldn't drive anymore. Usually it was in the Carolinas though, and there are lots of inexpensive safe hotels right off I95.

I have some GREAT memories of those trips. Especially when I was your son's age. We were AAA members and we'd always get their triptiks (you just need a map though). Once I hit about 9 or 10 I was given the important job of map reader (not like you need a map reader when you are driving I95 the ENTIRE way, but it made me feel special). I'd read that map like it was a bible, telling her what cities were coming up, what rivers, etc. It was so much fun for me.

 

[tinkerbellmagic]

If I was worried about driving that long distance, I would take the train or bus. I wouldn't like it one bit, but I'd rather do that than drive if I was reluctant to do so. It wouldn't be very comfortable, especially for sleeping, but what can you do? Or, as others have said, take your time and make stops so you don't get too tired driving. Has your mom always gotten to FL via car? It would be great if you could talk her into flying.
Good luck!

 

[jojbell4]

Thank you all again for the encouragement. My mom does drive but she gets nervous so while she may be able to do some of the straight driving on the thruway I don't anticipate her doing a great deal of the driving. We have always driven to Florida because like my Mom my husband is afraid to fly so I am familiar with the route, and we have a GPS system. I believe my Mom is already a AAA member so we do have that covered. My car is going to be 4 years old but has made the trip a few times already. I need to have it inspected next month so will just be sure to mention we are going so they can top off and tune up and fill whatever needs topping. I am feeling better about going on our own. Thanks for also correcting me that the 2000+ miles is round trip....driving 1000 miles one way sounds a whole lot better. Especially when broken up into 2 days it is much more managable. I agree that there is no reason to cancel. I was feeling hurt and overwhelmed by my husband's attitude. That is still there but many of you have made me see that it is a family trip still and we are still going to have a good time. This is doable....might just take us longer to do it than it has in the past. It might work out for the better really. We need to stop in Sarasota first so my mom can do what we are going to Florida to actually do...handle a deceased relative's property sale. She wanted to spend a few days in Sarasota but with my husband's schedule we could not do that. Now we can as we have no time table other than to be at Disney on August 26th. I like the idea of not really having an agenda going down and stopping where and when we need to. Thanks again for helping me to see I can tackle this on my own.

Amy

 

[MHSweb79]

This situation gives you a chance to grow as a person & develop new strengths in a relatively risk-free environment.

I agree with this. I think if you confront your fears and manage this major undertaking on your own, it will not only give you some great memories with your mom & your son, but might also give you some added confidence and strength to take on some even bigger challenges. (Just reading between the lines of your OP.)

Good luck! A bunch of strangers has complete & total confidence in you - that should help! (No, really - all good wishes & encouragement to you.)

 

[duffy]

come back and bump this thread when you're home, so we know how it went!

 

[mousiemom]

What is the problem here?? GGGOOOOOOOO! You & ds will be fine, you have cell phones, leave early in the morning and travel. I would not miss this trip. forget about everyone else and you, ds and your mom go and have fun. i agree with the mother's age, go!

 

[pampam]

OP, please let us know how the trip went.

 

[jeankeri]

Just did a solo drive to DC with my kids. While the oldest could have helped with the driving, I didn't think it would make the drive less stressful so I did the driving myself. It went so much better than I thought it would be! Could not believe the cost of tolls It was a confidence builder for me- now I know I can drive long distances if I need to. VT is one of those 'can't get there from here' states as far as air and train travel go.Both boys were talking about going again on the return drive.

 

[gwmort]

Couple things:

If you don't make reservations in advance for where to stop the first night, be sure to start looking before it gets too late. We've made that run lots of times, but occassionally end up in a spot where we drive until we're too tired, and then can't find a hotel with a vacancy for several exits which can be exhausting in its own way.

Also, on our last trip we got an audio book on CD from the library before going, we found listening to a story with a plot kept us more alert than endlessly droning music.

You also might want to look into some one way flights back for your husband, maybe he could drive down and stay for a while then fly home when he needed to for work (some vacation > no vacation). If with his help you can make it in a single shot the cost of the flight might equal the savings on hotels and extra food etc...

 

[christinou]

how about driving to Lorton VA and taking the auto train to Sanford FL, we have done it a number of times, it is a great way to travel

 

[lynn46356]

For the last two years my friend and I have done a Girls Only Trip to Disney in January/February leaving the husband and kids at home!!!!! We live in NW Indiana and leave around 5 a.m. and stay in Lake City, Florida, the first evening. We travel 2 1/2 hours to Disney the next morning! Its hard to believe but the time flies by and before we know it we're checking into our hotel!!!!! I'm sure half of the fun will be time spent with your mom and son during the drive. It has made for great memories for us!!!! Happy Travels! You can do it!!!!!!

 

[DznyCrzy11]

I agree! Go and have fun and enjoy the time with your mother and son! My mother passed away 5 years ago and I wish I could go to WDW with her.
When I was very young we use to drive 10 hrs from TN to WDW every year. We would leave later in the day, drive about 5 hrs, stop overnight, and drive the rest of the way the next day. There was only 2 or 3 times my dad would go with us (my aunt & uncle also went) which was very unfortunate but the rest of us created great memories to last a lifetime! My aunt, uncle & I still talk about our trips to this day!