12 days 3400 miles coast to coast with kids

[RedJeep]

This summer I have 12 days to get from Portland Oregon to NYC. 3400 miles. Wife, nine year old twins, two dogs and a cat. Major stops along the way include Mount Rushmore, Niagara Falls, and Boston. Once we get to NYC then we get to slow down and relax for the next 4k miles.

I'm not sure if many folks do these long haul trips with kids. I decided to post in Class A because travelling in a motorhome is a different thing from TT and FW.

I figure we can average 500-600 miles per day to give us six to seven days of road time and five to six days of site seeing. Of course, I wish we had more time to get to NYC, but schedules are fixed.

Even though my kids are young they are well experienced travelers.

Anyway, I thought it would be good to share some thoughts and ask you to do the same.

What we found that works on long driving days:
* Keep kids occupied with reading, school lessons, games, electronic media and lots of stops.
* Pets are great to keep the kids occupied.
* Rule is... "let me (the driver) know if you need to get up (bathroom, drink, etc.)."
* We try to avoid making reservations that lock us into a time commitment. We like figuring it out as we drive.
* If we drive really late we will look for rest stops to camp at (actually sleep for a bit and then get up and go after a few hours).
* If no rest stops then we'll look for truck stops or walmarts.
* We tend to avoid RV Parks on the long haul days unless we need to dump the tanks. Or, if we just need a break then we look for RV parks.
* If just looking for an overnight stay we may call ahead by a few hours or just show up late at night and see what we can find. We can almost always stay at a park even showing up super late. Only a handful of times have we found that we could not get into an RV park.
* We always travel with a full fresh water tank.
* I try to fill up the fuel tank at about 1/2 full. RV is gas. Tank is 75 gallons. So we stop often. I figure you never know when you'll need some extra gas.
* I drive pretty slow (about 57 mph).

[2gypsies1]

Mikeborny wrote:
Your kids will never forget that trip! Yes it makes for a lot of long days driving, but with kids, we don't have the luxury of taking 6 months for travel. I am making the cross country trip this summer also. Cleveland-denver-grand canyon-sedona-phoenix-indio california-ventura-sequoia nat.-yosemite-san francisco-portland-seattle-yellowstone-cleveland. We are taking 4 weeks. Traveling with 3 kids, two 100 lb bernese mountain dogs! Kids have been begging for cross country trip. Luckily I am meeting clients along the way, so able to work. From Cleveland everything is a 12+ hour drive, so used to that.

Wow! We need to see your trip report, too!! 🙂

[Mikeborny]

Your kids will never forget that trip! Yes it makes for a lot of long days driving, but with kids, we don't have the luxury of taking 6 months for travel. I am making the cross country trip this summer also. Cleveland-denver-grand canyon-sedona-phoenix-indio california-ventura-sequoia nat.-yosemite-san francisco-portland-seattle-yellowstone-cleveland. We are taking 4 weeks. Traveling with 3 kids, two 100 lb bernese mountain dogs! Kids have been begging for cross country trip. Luckily I am meeting clients along the way, so able to work. From Cleveland everything is a 12+ hour drive, so used to that.

[RedJeep]

I just might have to do a trip report.

[tomman58]

Sounds like way to much of an enduro. After a few days the gang will become irritable and after a few more days you may have a mutiny.

I drive across the US a lot and we normally take breaks after long drives,being retired has its virtues.

[2oldman]

I can't imagine me doing this alone, let alone with your baggage. It may be 'only' the first 3k, but it's going to be the longest 3k you'll ever drive.

I wish you well, but man, it's going to be hard work.

[two-niner]

Hey! While you are headed south from D.C. try Nashville and Memphis (Graceland).

BigRed1Cav: Is that the quarter horse? (1/4)

[bigred1cav]

If you have chidlren of school age and they ahve any interest in flying or military stop in Dayton for a day visit to teh AF Museum. It is worth the time. AF One on display and several other planes of note Bochs car I think is there.

Keep my address when you get to Columbus send me a note, We can meet for coffee. Stay at Deleware or Alum Creek State Parks. The local parks suck. The state parks are clean and very well kept. Swimming for kids, fishing and very close to restaurants for the wife.

A must for a drive by or even a short stop is Woody's Cathedral, OSU Stadium it is BIIIIIG. Sets on 315 and has easy access of course 100,000 people in and out on Saturdays.

If your wife has any interest in Dolls there is a Doll Museum and if you happen to be a Barber there is a Barber museum. Both shocked me as to how interesting they are. Avoid Columbus morning and evening traffic you'll spend and hour on a 20 minute drive. DON"T DRIVE in Boston. You remember the song about the guy stuck on the MTA if you drive in Boston you'll never return a giant traffic jam always. As bad as London England, take the train. Be sure to see the Patriot trail and the Constitution. It is odd you walk by this cemetery look over and there lies Paul Revere with penny's on his grave stone.

Salem is also a very nice relaxing day. Be sure and eat the local Clam Chowder it is so good it'll make you slap your Momma.

nparker76 wrote:
We are doing something similar in a couple of months.

• From Little Rock, AR to Boston, MA and back
• Me, the wife and 5 kids (ages 10, 9, 3 yr old twins, 6 month infant)
• In a travel trailer pulled by a Yukon XL
• 16 days

We are making many stops to break it up so we aren't just driving the whole time. Some places we are staying multiple days.

• Nashville
• Washington, DC
• Lancaster, PA
• NY
• Boston
• Niagra Falls
• Columbus

We are looking forward to it, but I know it's going to get exhausting. We are staying at campgrounds each time to give the kiddos some outside time.

Wish me luck!

[RedJeep]

luvlabs wrote:
IMHOit is not possible to do what you want to do. You have not allowed any contingency time for weather, mechanical problems, sick kids, or anything else that might come up. You will find that the a 500 mile day is just about going to wipe you out not to mention take 12-16 real hours to complete.

Do SD, WY, and spots in between and go home. Unless you want to take 2-3 months, do it right, and come home in one piece without calling the divorce attorney.

We are doing 2-3 months. Just the first 3k miles will be tough. Contingency is that we hold off on Boston until after NYC. So, somewhere around Niagara Falls we'll decide to head on towards Boston or head direct to NYC (New Jersey actually). However, it is entirely possible that the RV breaks down (or whatever else might happen) and then that is where we vacation. 🙂

We have done long hauls in the past with a pickup/trailer. That was hard. The motorhome is a lot easier to go longer distances.

I'm surprised that no one has replied "Lots of TV."

Perhaps I should have titled the post, "How to avoid family mutiny on the high way." 😉

[Pop-Pop_C]

Let me be blunt, " are you nuts"?
Doesn't sound like a vacation to me!

[luvlabs]

IMHO it is not possible to do what you want to do. You have not allowed any contingency time for weather, mechanical problems, sick kids, or anything else that might come up. You will find that the a 500 mile day is just about going to wipe you out not to mention take 12-16 real hours to complete.

Do SD, WY, and spots in between and go home. Unless you want to take 2-3 months, do it right, and come home in one piece without calling the divorce attorney.

[DSDP_Don]

I think your plan contradicts itself. You say you'll drive 600 miles a day with a lot of stops. That's a MINIMUM of 12 hours with just one fuel stop and lunch. Basically driving from 7:00am - 7:00pm. If you add just three additional quick stops, you add another 1.5 hours. Now you're driving until 8:30pm. With small kids, they'll be wound up like clocks without the ability to get out and burn some energy.

This subject was brought up last week by someone who was going to do the same thing with just two adults. It would be brutal with two adults, but I think impossible with kids. At some point you'll either be driving tired or distracted due to lack of sleep and kids complaining.

I don't know if I would make a sport of this trip when kids are involved!!!!

[Old-Biscuit]

As a kid growing up DAD was self employed and didn't get vacation time........no work/no pay check

We lived in WY....kin folks in MS/TN

1500 miles one way........2 days to get there and 2 days to get back with 2 adults/3 kids in 50s Hudson/60s Olds

You and your family have much better travel mode etc.
We survived just fine.

GO and enjoy the necessary trip then slow down and enjoy the other trips

[RedJeep]

midnightsadie wrote:
remember plan B ,cause if some happens you,ll a plan B.good luck and drive safe. this is a long haul.

Plan B is to have my friends at RV.net send me cash, lots and lots of cash.

[midnightsadie]

remember plan B ,cause if some happens you,ll a plan B.good luck and drive safe. this is a long haul.