Disclosure: This is an unsponsored post. All opinions expressed are our own.
By Amy Alinkofsky
Let me start by saying that my favorite way to travel is by cruise ship. I may sound like I’m advertising, but they are like floating resorts. You get on, you unpack and the ship takes you to your destination. While you’re on it, there’s unlimited food, entertainment for all ages, etc.
Planning for a road trip takes a lot more work! We already had one under our belt, and decided to take a leap for a longer one this past spring break.
When our very good friends moved to Lexington, Kentucky, we joked that we would never see them again. Lexington is an 11 hour drive (without stops). When it came time to plan our spring vacation we decided to go for it! To break up the trip we planned a visit with my Sister along the way in Ohio. We had already driven the 8.5 hours last year, and knew we could handle that in one day.
So here is how we broke it down:
- Sunday – 8.5 hours drive to Ohio,
- Tuesday-Friday – 3.5 hours – Lexington, KY
- Friday – 3.5 hours – head back to Ohio
- Saturday – 7 hours – drive from Ohio to Cherry Hill, NJ
- Sunday – 2 hours – Cherry Hill, NJ to home
Being silly in the car with J. L is peeking out from the 3rd row.
Here are some things I learned:
- Make sure you research your route – especially for rest stops with rest rooms! We learned on our first road trip that Pennsylvania exits are few and far between, and very few with rest areas. We were pleasantly surprised to find that new rest areas had been opened about every 35 miles along our route. Some of these rest rooms even had “Mommy and me” stalls with 2 toilets, one full size and one kid size which made bathroom stops a little less worrisome.
- Add on time for extra stops –5 hours with a 9 year old and 4 year old is really more like 10 hours, if not more. We planned ahead for meal breaks and bathroom breaks, but we ended up stopping a few extra times – kids are unpredictable.
- Pack snacks and drinks – Avoid breaking the bank by paying gas station/rest area prices for them or having to stop every time a child wants one. Make sure they aren’t too messy. My kids enjoy GoGo Squeez, Gogurt, Bananas, Goldfish. Here is a link to a great resource for road trip snacks and how to pack them – https://www.pinterest.com/pin/432697476681180609/
- Related to number 3…Always have wipes and napkins on hand.
- Bring plenty of entertainment for the kids – We only have one DVD player for the car, and only use it on long drives. My girls are 5 years apart and don’t love all the same movies. We took DVD’s out from the library in advance and compromised. They also did not sleep in the car at all, so when one didn’t want to watch the DVD, it was crucial to have alternate activities to keep them entertained – coloring, reading (for the 9 year old), ipad games, etc. Each of my girls packed a backpack with her favorites and kept it next to her in the car.
- Pack extra clothes – We were able to do laundry at my sister’s house, so I didn’t pack as much as I normally would have, but I still had extra just in case. I learned my lesson back when we travelled during potty training! Be sure to include sweatshirts, hats, umbrellas – you never know what the forecast will bring. It was a bit cooler on our last day in Kentucky, but very sunny, so we were glad we had the extras.
- ALWAYS bring sunscreen!
L rocking her Mets and Boulders gear at Kentucky Horse Park.
All in all, we had a great trip – some highlights were:
- Columbus Zoo and Aquarium – https://www.columbuszoo.org/
Reasonable admission, enough activities for the whole day and you can bring your own food and drinks
We loved being able to view the polar bears from below!
- COSI – Center of Science and Industry, Columbus – http://cosi.org/
This is our second time visiting, but it’s a must if you are in the Columbus area. Lots to see and do including a planetarium!
- Louisville Slugger Museum, Louisville, NY – http://www.sluggermuseum.com/
We had a great time here, although it meant even more time in the car (it’s about an hour from Lexington).
You get to see from start to finish how baseball bats are made for major league players, plus fun interactive baseball activities and a Ripley’s believe or not museum.
L and J with Captain America in front of Louisville Slugger.
- Buffalo Trace Distillery, Frankfort, KY – http://www.buffalotracedistillery.com/
FREE tours and tastings at the longest continually operating bourbon distillery – Kids are welcome, and got to taste Root beer instead of bourbon.
- Kentucky Horse Park, Lexington, KY – http://www.kyhorsepark.com/
Pony and horseback rides, shows, races, museums – this place is THE place to learn about and see horses! And it’s huge, so you can spend an entire day
J enjoying her pony ride, the one thing she wanted to do most.
If you or someone you know is planning a family trip to Kentucky- be sure to check out the unbelievably helpful family fun sites in the area. We HIGHLY recommend Louisvillefamilyfun.net and Kentukyfamilyfun.net!
I’m in no rush to spend that much time in the car anytime soon, but we had a great trip and I definitely learned a lot along the way so our next trip should go much more smoothly! The best part was that we got to spend our vacation together as a family and the girls had a blast visiting their friends and their Aunt.
