THE GEAR:
- Suitcase filled with mom's and kids' clothes. Probably enough for a week, plus extra stuff for unpredictable weather.
- Duffel bag filled with dad's clothes.
- Cosleeper, converted to mini-playpen, for the baby to sleep in.
- Potty seat, and potty, in case my daughter decided she wanted to start potty training on the trip. One can only dream.
- Two booster seats, in case family and friends don't have high chairs.
- Stroller
- Backpack carrier, that wasn't used. I used my sling because it was just easier and less cumbersome.
- Box of food for kids, and snack for parents.
- Cooler bag for milk, or water
- Bag of toys to keep kids entertained.
- Bag of books, colouring books, stickers and etch-a-sketch things.
- Lots of DVDs.
- Portable DVD player.
- Children's music. "Adult" music.
- Portable computer with wireless modem.
- Cell phone (depending on your provider, it might not work everywhere).
- Two bags of disposable diapers (might seem like a no brainer, but we use cloth at home).
- Maps.
- Passports (just in case)
- Plus, a bunch of stuff to give to my brother, who is going to be a father to twin boys very soon.
In my mind, I thought we would be going bonkers by spending extended periods of time in the van, and we would need to take a long break in between driving stints to re-energize. I envisioned us going to museums, or taking nature walks, or finding a beach to swim in for half an hour. I don't know what I was thinking. If the trip is the vacation, then by all means, take your time. If the road trip is just to get to your destination, drive, eat, drive, sleep.
THE TRIP:
Day 1: Sudbury to Wawa, 550km. Departure 10:10am. Lunch in Sault Ste. Marie, 2pm, at Joey Calzone's. We walked along the canal, and in Station Mall in The Soo, after lunch. Arrival in Wawa, 7:30pm. Spent the night at Northern Lights Motel. It is nice and clean, kind of quirky with notes everywhere. The kids liked the rubber ducks. We liked the extra large bathroom to put the cosleeper, and close the door.
Kids: They did okay. My daughter was entertained by her DVDs. My son was the limiting factor since a fussy baby needs to be soothed, and we had to stop before getting to Wawa. He had two goopy (possibly infected) eyes by the end of the first day.
Advice: Stop sooner, in Blind River or Ironbridge, especially if you leave after 10am. Don't spend too much time after lunch sight-seeing. Get back into your vehicle and drive to your destination. Have your chill time when you get to the motel.
Also, take your kids to the doctor before you leave on vacation, or bring along any prescriptions you might have used on them. When we went to France two years ago, my daughter had her sixth bout of conjunctivitis and it started as soon as we got on the plane. I had left her drops at home. We had to visit a doctor in France. Our insurance reimbursed us.
Day 2: Wawa to Thunder Bay, 470km. Departure 10:20am (after visiting one of Wawa's many geese). Lunch in Terrace Bay, 1:30pm, at Drifters. Arrival in Thunder Bay at 5:30pm. Spent the night at the Days Inn North (no pool, but newly built in 2007). Supper at Marsala Grille, yummy Indian food.
Advice: Maybe visit the geese on the way back. Northern Lights Motel is west of Wawa along the highway, and we backtracked to see the main goose just off the highway. Do stop and check out the play structure and Winnie the Pooh in White River, but make sure your kids know it is a short break. Unfortunately, the plaque was stolen last month. Make sure you take in the views while travelling from Wawa to Thunder Bay, the drive is spectacular.
Day 3: Thunder Bay to Winnipeg, 700km. Departure 8:45am (we failed to find a walk in clinic that opened before noon). Lunch in Dryden, 1pm, at McD's, after a one hour visit to the hospital for my son who developed a rash to go along with the goopy eyes. Keep in mind, we passed into the Central Time Zone shortly after leaving Thunder Bay. Arrival in Winnipeg at 5:30pm.
Kids: My daughter didn't watch her DVD player at all this day. She was occupied with reading, and colouring and napping. Despite having sad eyes and a rash, my son was in great spirits.
Advice: The Dryden hospital is not too busy, and the emergency room is in the newer section, only 10 years old. Note: if both eyes are goopy, it is probably not an eye infection and is more likely due to sinus problems. Travelling west is always nice because you gain time.
THE RETURN TRIP:
The return trip was quite similar, expect we tweaked a few things. We tried to leave earlier on our longer days, and we didn't drive as long before having lunch. The DVD player was very helpful, but not always necessary. As with the trip out, my daughter was entertained by her books on the last day of the return trip, and we didn't even take out the DVD player.
Be careful about stopping to play, especially if you have a temperamental two or three year-old on your hands. We often had issues leaving a place because my daughter was having fun sliding or playing with toys. Be sure to give your child lots of warning before you leave, or specify it will be a short playtime, or figure out how to "bribe" her back into the van without incident.
By far the worst part of the road trip was sleeping in the same room as the kids. We were able to put the baby in the bathroom, or "down" the hall. However, our daughter was sleeping in the bed next to us, and refused to go to sleep. We would have to sleep in her bed and get her to fall asleep. You could splurge and get a two room suite (more expensive) or try to find bed and breakfast places that would allow small children (unlikely).
If your infant is bottle fed, you might be able to soothe him without stopping the vehicle, as long as he can hold his own bottle. We would have to stop, so I could nurse my son, but the break was usually welcomed by all.
If anyone else has some practical road trip advice, feel free to leave a comment.
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