Month long road trip. Help!

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  • February 21, 2016 at 9:35 pm
    mommamartha
    Participant

    My mother just invited my sister and I and our 4 kids to take a cross country trip, from Central New York to San Diego, CA for a month. What advice can I get of best museums, best books to read and tricks of long travel times? We’re staying with 10 families for 2 days each, helping my sister pack for 10 days, as she’s leaving for Germany for 4 years with her family, touring the Grand Canyon for maybe 3 days. Were staying south no further north than Kansas City, Missouri. What about the creation Museum and the San Diego Zoo? We plan to travel less than 500 miles per day.

    I also want to leave a momento with each family we stay with or something they can remember us by that’s not too expensive, nor sits on peoples shelves. All these families are relatives and friends we haven’t seen in a long time. Also, there are 8 of us total. We’re bringing our own bedding, does this sound like a major inconvenience? So far 3 visits are notified and excited, I just don’t know if most people panic. Plus I’m from a large family and I have 4 children, 1 grown and not much bothers me. Any advice? Martha

    February 22, 2016 at 9:18 am
    retrofam
    Participant

    The Creation museum gets good reviews.

    For hostess gifts, something that is famous where you live would be nice, or for a practical gift you could give gift cards for a restaurant or store or Amazon.

    My favorite houseguests are the ones who help with meal prep and dishes, and/or treat us to dinner out.  Some of my pet peeves are a houseguest who is constantly interrupting me and asking for special things and wanting us to drop everything for them.  I am an introvert, so the above tires me quickly.

    Praying for each family as you leave would be neat.

    Most of our house guests are family,  and I think that adds stress in our situation.

    If you are houseguests with the attitude that you are there to find ways to serve and bless the host family rather than having the attitude that you are on vacation and wanting to rest from daily work and want to be waited on, then you will be a blessing to the host families.

    For packing, some like Space Bags.  A Kindle with preloaded books would be a space saver too.

    It sounds like a lovely trip, and I pray that all goes well.

    February 22, 2016 at 2:39 pm
    pangit
    Participant

    That will be an exciting trip!  We are getting ready to take a 6ish week trip from Oregon to Maryland and back.

    Are any of your children 4th grade?  If so, they can get a free National Park Pass (if you don’t already have one).  Google 4th Grade National Park Pass and you should come up with something.

    We are planning to do the Creation Science Museum, too.  I am excited about that.  Have you looked at it online?  The tickets are good for 2 days because they say you can’t do it all in 1 day.

    We are planning to go to Mammoth Cave in KY.  It is about 2 or 3 hours from the Creation Science Museum.  I went with my family when I was a kid and really enjoyed it.  There are same great cave tours that aren’t too expensive.

    St. Louis, MO has the Arch.  We went there several times when I was a kid.  It is pretty cool. I wish it were on our route so I could take my kids there.

    Are you going to cut through OK and NM?  Albuquerque should have some neat places to see.   We are going to catch the Grand Canyon, but won’t have a lot of time there.

    If you can go through the SW corner of CO, Mesa Verde National Park is a must see.  It is the old Indian cliff dwellings.  There are several tours you can do of those.  Crystal Palace is a great one for anyone.  Balcony House is great, but not if you have problems with heights.  I am glad we did it, but I don’t care to do Balcony House again!

    Then there is the 4 corners of CO, NM, UT and AZ.  That would be cool to go there if you have time.

    If you are in UT all the National Parks there are great.  We just went through those this past fall.  Bryce and Zion were by far our favorites!

    I think San Diego has a Sea World.  I know my kids would love that!

    I am starting to make binders for my kids to have in the car.  I have a US map printed and they can color the states that we go to.  I have a page with the name of each state listed and they can check it off when they see a license plate for that state.  I am going to make some lists that they can do of “spot-its” that they can mark off when they see it (blue car, horse, fire truck, etc.), here is a link for a printable activity book that I’m putting in our binders http://printables.familyeducation.com/puzzles-and-games/travel-games/52125.html.  I’m still trying to come up other ideas for our binders.

    My girls each have a journal book that we started last fall.  When we go to a National Park (or other place of interest) we get the NP passport stamp on a page, buy a sticker and/or postcard to glue in and they write a little about what we did or they liked/didn’t like about the place.  They can also draw in it or add photos that we take.

    Audio books and dramatized stories are great!  Librivox is a great place to download audio books.

    For gifts, I’d think something from your area.  Maybe something that you made.  Small jars of jam, apple butter, applesauce, etc.  Or maybe get some NY magnets give them.

    February 29, 2016 at 8:24 pm
    mommamartha
    Participant

    Thanks to the two moms for the advice. An answer to a question, my sister lives in Clovis, NM, so we’ll stay south of there and then go north into the Grand Canyon, My NM sister says to stay in a grand canyon cabin, it’s cheaper than the hotel. martha

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