My Dad lives about 9 hours from us. We have made the trek multiple times to visit and have based our adventure on the successes or failures of the previous trips. Doing so has taught us... nothing. But maybe it can help any of you that are about to embark on summer vacation trips with a little one. Although note- Maggie used to riding in the car for 30 minutes multiple times a week to visit my Mom when she is in Aiken, so she is good for at least an hour. These tips are for trips we take for 2+ hours.
Under 6 months- we drove at night. She slept, we drove. Worked really well.
About 1 year- drove starting EARLY in the morning. Worked OK. Did realize that she must be WELL fed to stay happy.
19 months- the DVD player is AWESOME. We don't pull it out for the first 4-5 hours, trying to wait as long as we can before using it. We left early in the morning again. By the time the DVD's came out, she was ready for a nap so they lulled her to sleep. Would have helped if the snow hadn't caused the trip to take over 12 hours....
25 months- Left in the afternoon, right at nap time. Drove 4 1/2 hours (she slept most of it!), stopped and had a nice dinner. I let her run around for about 30 minutes after dinner and the last 4 1/2 hours went pretty well. She did get a little fussy when bedtime rolled around and she couldn't get comfortable.
We always pack a cooler with her milk and couple of snacks (bananas, apples, cheese, etc.). I try to make sure she eats high protein and carb meals so they last longer. Rest areas are our friends. They are great for getting out and running around. Good places to have a snack at a table. We also keep a bag of toys by her carseat. I put toys that she hasn't seen for about a week in it and they are like new toys when she reaches in the bag.
I am sure a bunch of mommies have WAY more tips (probably better too) but this is just what I have learned... Have a great summer vacation!
