In the past few months, Ellie and I have logged a lot of miles together. In July, we drove from Sarasota, FL to Lake George, NY. Just shy of two months later, we drove from Lake George, NY to Sacramento, CA. In both cases, George did his thing focusing on finding truck stops and we went our own pace, living it up in hotel rooms each night.
This last, longest trip, we were very fortunate to meet up with friends (another line family also en route to California) which made it extra fun for Ellie and me. Throughout all the miles, I’ve learned some new hacks – especially when it comes to nutrition as well as traveling with a toddler.
Nutrition on the Road
Pack snacks – Ideally a mix of fresh fruit and shelf stable, minimally processed foods. Fruits packaged by nature such as bananas and mandarins are easy on the go. We also love to snack on nuts. We do enjoy a few processed items such as Larabars, Mary’s Gone Crackers, baked garbanzo beans and kale chips. In the past, I travelled with a cooler to keep veggies and homemade salads/meals. However, I found the cooler to be a bit much to keep with on top of everything else.
Pack 1-2 meals per day – Oatmeal for breakfast and a nut butter & banana sandwich accounted for 2 of our meals on most days. I mixed freeze-dried berries into the oatmeal in place of our usual frozen berries and topped our bowls with a dollop of nut butter. Additionally, I like to mix in flax or chia seeds. I made a point to drink a plant-based protein shake daily to ensure I was getting sufficient protein. Having food with us saved a lot of time from having to find a place to order food and wait for it to be prepared.
*Packing snacks and meals no doubt saved time and money. Also, the options we brought were likely more nutritious than what may have been available at many stops along the way.
Replenish on the go snack and meal options daily – I strived for our 1 daily meal “out” to come from a grocery store. This enabled me to maintain our food and water stashes while also grabbing a meal, thus eliminating the need for extra stops. It also made it possible to get some fresh veggies! In order to find a grocery store within reasonable distance from an exit or hotel, I typically looked ahead and planned the grocery store stop each night for the following day.
Pack essential tools – We were armed with disposable bowls, utensils and paper towels. While I’m not proud of adding to waste, I recognize any takeout would have also utilized disposable containers. I do make a point to look for recycled and/or compostable disposables. Toting along an electric kettle is a win for me. This guarantees oatmeal and tea are possible no matter what the hotel room offers. Also, with a toddler in toe it prevents me from having to carry hot liquid (and possibly her 🙂 ) back to the room if complimentary hot beverages/ breakfast are offered.
Traveling with a Toddler
Get wiggles out at each stop – I did my best to find a way to play in whatever outdoor space was available at our stops. It is amazing what even just 10 minutes of running around, spinning, etc can do for a toddler’s attitude…and an adult’s, too ;).
Pack food – I recognize I’m repeating the above messages, but it really was so helpful to have nutritious and familiar snacks on the ready.
Utilize luggage carts at hotels for luggage…and your kids – We pretend the luggage cart is the trolley on Daniel Tiger. This made it fun and also lightened the load. Ding ding!
Talk about the sights along the way – Wind mills and tunnels were among Ellie’s favorite sights to spot. We talked about other landmarks and geographical sights. This sort of discussion often cheered Ellie up when her patience was waning. She also took delight in shouting out “Target” whenever a Target truck passed by.
Take turns picking music – Ellie and I each got to select the music every day. This kept us both happy. I also treated myself to podcast episodes during most of Ellie’s car naps.
Arm yourself with books and toys – Each morning I made sure Ellie’s small bag was restocked with her books and toys that often got strewn throughout the car. I kept it on the passenger seat and passed back items as requested or needed. This worked great and is helping us to forgo a personal screen for as long as possible.
Chunk it and be realistic – 6-7 hours of driving (not including stops) seems to be our sweet spot at present. We did have some longer days in the mix on our way to California, but not back to back. We even were super lucky to be invited to spend a few days in Park City, Utah with our friends and companion line family. This broke the trip up nicely for our children and us. Within each driving day, my goal was to stop every 3ish hours. Since Ellie is in diapers and says she’s waiting to use the potty until November (lol), this generally worked out well for us.
Self-Care
Joyful movement – A yoga mat is a must for me. This enables me to do a little workout each morning either before Ellie wakes or while she’s finishing her breakfast. I really like Heather Robertson’s Low Impact, No Jumping // Apartment Friendly playlist. This is also my favorite at home as I can do the workouts in our limited space and not shake the whole house ;). I do often stash light weights in my suitcase, but it’s not necessary as there are plenty of good workouts utilizing just body weight.
Meditation – Whether at home or on the road, a few minutes for guided meditation seems to really help my patience. We enjoy the Headspace app; Ellie even requests to do the kid’s meditations that include Sesame Street characters.
Sleep – Aiming to get at least 7 hours each night (in addition to nutritious eating and playing at rest stops) made me feel confident that I would be awake and alert for the monotony of driving.
Those are the tips that come to mind, though I’m sure I’m forgetting some. What are your favorite road trip tips?