How We Planned a Mega Roadtrip

In July 2023, we took off across the country. Over the course of ten days, we saw six states and had a total blast. What made it go smoothly? Time and planning! We planned it so that we could drive only a few hours each day and never have a day where we turned into grumpy car zombies. To do this, we rented a car in Lincoln and dropped it off in New York, then flew back with one-way tickets. This saved money on flights and let us see much more than we would have had we flown into one spot.

Golf Cart Riding in Put-in-Bay, OH (an island in Ohio?!)

We looked at a map and started choosing cities and looking for activities that caught our interest. We made sure to look for a good mix of indoor, outdoor, geeky, nature-y, kid-centered, etc. activities. We will often have each family member choose one special activity that is a “must-do” for them and incorporate that into the trip planning.

We planned lodging out so that we stayed primarily in hotels, but made sure that twice over the trip we rented a place with a washer and dryer. This cut down on the amount of luggage we had to take and gave us a chance to spread out and have some extra space once in awhile.

I also took to the internet and found an idea for keeping the kids motivated to get on the road again every day - timed activities (see photo below). At various points in the trip, they got to open a package with a small activity (think dollar store) and a snack. This was a fun way to keep things exciting.

This trip was full of great memories and experiences and I put a lot of that down to the fact that we did ourselves a lot of favors in the planning stages. We left flexibility for spontaneity, but we never got into a rut where we were sitting in a hotel room saying, “What are we going to do today?” with no ideas at the ready. My take-away is: don’t be afraid to set off on a roadtrip! Go big! Discover more of the country and make some of your best memories!

How We Planned a Mega Roadtrip

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