Traveling With Kids – Tips for Survival

Our Vacation

So I have kind of been off the grid for the last two weeks…and that’s ok. Sometimes in life, we all need to unplug from time-to-time. We have been blessed enough to spend the last two weeks traveling, enjoying family and a much warmer climate. We live in Michigan and it is currently still very cold during this time of the year.
My in-laws rented a condo for the months of January and February in Gulf Shores, AL and purposely rented a 3 bedroom, so the family could come visit, and that is where our vacation began. We stayed with them for a full week and enjoyed all that the area had to offer; zoos, putt-putt golf, regular golf, swimming, playing on the beach, date nights with my hubby, yummy food and more.
After Gulf Shores, we drove to Key Largo, FL. Oh ya, I didn’t mention that this trip was accomplished by driving the entire way, not flying. It is about 17 hrs. (Turned into 24 due to being stuck in traffic for a car accident) from home to Gulf Shores, another 11-12 hrs. from Gulf Shores to Key Largo and then a huge 27 hr. trip from Key Largo to home. My Grandparents and Aunt and Uncle rent places in Key Largo and were gracious enough to let our wild kiddos and my husband and I invade them as well for 5 days.
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Keeping Kids Busy on the Long Drives

Snack bags – the first thing I do for each family member when packing for a trip is to pack a sack bag. Each person gets their own because of course each person has their own needs and wants. Snack bags do three things; helps keep the kids happy (and my husband for that matter), limits the stops for food breaks, and of course, saves us a lot of money.
Toy Bags – each kiddo gets their own toy bag to keep them entertained. This is very important for my sanity. My son who is 4 packs things like coloring books (mini-ones), action figures, his smartwatch, and of course his iPad for shows and games. He is the best traveler anyways, but these little things help when even he gets impatient. For my 15- month-old it is a bit trickier. I pack books, her learning leap pad, stuffed animals and so on.
Driving Thru the Night – so one decision my husband and I made for a lot of the vacation is to travel as much as possible thru the night and thru nap times. This is so much harder on my husband and I but so worth it because the kids then sleep the majority of the time. This especially works well for my 15-month-old who doesn’t like to sit still for more than 30 seconds at a time.
Music – both of my kids love music so it is good for us to have a playlist and/or cd’s we can play to help settle them down. My daughter especially likes one cd in particular by Jetty Rae (Climbing Clouds) that we are sure to bring whenever we are in the car.

Packing Tips

When we decided to do this trip and that we were going to be gone for two weeks, I thought, “how am I ever going to pack for this long of a trip?!”
Tip #1: Pack a bag for each person so you can keep each person’s items organized, this being especially helpful for my 15-month-old. Also because then I didn’t have to dig through everyone’s items each time I wanted something.
Tip #2: Use zip-lock baggies or separate pouches for smaller items like socks, underwear, hair ties, etc. I used zip-lock baggies to keep these items easily accessible and organized. So helpful. I learned this tip from Kailee Wright who I follow on Instagram (@Kailee_wright).
Tip #3: Pack heavier clothes, shoes, and items you may or may not need in a separate bag. This worked well for us because going to two different locations we were going to need different things. In Gulf Shores, we needed that bag and in Key Largo, we didn’t, therefore didn’t need to even take it out of the car.
Tip #4: Buy baby products when you arrive. This is something I learned after the fact and wished I had done. I wish I would have just packed a diaper bag with what I needed to get where we were going and then bought supplies when we arrived. The diapers and wipes for two weeks took up so much room in the car. I wish I would have just purchased them when we arrived.
Tip #5: Don’t pack so much. I way over packed for everyone in my family. Make a list and stick to it. I knew ahead of time that each location we were staying had laundry in the condo, so there was no need to pack as much as I did. It was silly really. I knew we would mostly be spending time by the pool and the beach so I didn’t need half of what I packed. I could have saved myself a lot of time if I listened to my husband, yep I can’t believe I just said that but it is true.
A Glimpse of Our Vacation
We did so many fun things on our vacation with plenty of relaxation in-between. In Gulf Shores, we went to the Zoo, went putt-putt golfing, ate at many amazing restaurants, visited an alligator farm, swam in the pool, played on the beach, ran on the beach, went on a ferry ride, played cards and so much more. In Florida, we swam in the pool, played bean bag, went shrimping, went for a couple boat rides, went snorkeling, attended a fish fry, played on the beach and did a lot of relaxation. It was so nice to see my kids experience new things and simply enjoying being outside and playing. We made so many memories as a family and even though this was a family-focused vacation, I feel like my husband and I really were able to get closer as a couple as well.
This was a  vacation I will always remember. It was one that we didn’t really plan a ton for, which is a first for me, and it was perfect. We are so blessed to have such an amazing family which made this vacation possible.  Enjoy the short video below of some of the highlights.