Family Road Trip Hacks + Desert Snaps

Family road trip hacks . . .

We recently made the trek from Salt Lake City to my home town in Mississippi. With our girls in tow, we knew it’d be a long haul. We prepped, planned and practiced as much as possible before the 32+ hour drive. I’m happy to report that toddler tears were minimal, and we had SO much fun. Here are a few tips + tricks that made our cross-country family road trip extra memorable.

Give Yourself Time

If you’re traveling with kids (especially little ones!), I highly recommend adding an extra day to your timeline. Everything, I’m talking EVERYTHING, takes longer than you think it should. And the potty breaks really are endless. We spread our 32+ road hours into 5 travel days–more on that below. I realize this may not be a realistic option for everyone, but the current opportunity to work remotely made the timing ideal.

Schedule in Hours for Fun

Hands down, the best thing we did was plan our route around fun pit stops. The reward was two fold: new-to-us adventures and a long drive that ended up feeling like a vacation. Our sweet spot seemed to be 7-8 hours of solid drive time with 3-4 hours blocked out for intentional fun. The pit stops ranged from National Park hikes to rural playground picnics, a stop to see the Silos in Waco and a lot of scenic photo ops in between. You can find a few sneak peeks on Instagram (Waco, New Orleans + Orange Beach). We also managed to check off a few big bucket list items. Grand Canyon, anyone?

A Few Things to Pack

First Aid Kit
Travel Blankets + Pillows
Adventure Gear like Swimsuits, Sunscreen, Hiking Boots, Bug Spray, etc.
Portable Potty, Extra Diapers/Undies, Wipes + Plastic Bags (for waste)
Picnic Blanket + Camp Chairs (come in all shapes and sizes)
Universal Car Charger (for all the tech)
Healthy Snacks + Travel Cooler for Drinks
Books, Mess-Free Coloring Supplies + Entertainment
A New Car Friend (a soft stuffy like these!)

Keep a Grab Bag Ready

Make the transition from drive to hotel bed an easy one by keeping a grab bag ready. Fill it with clean pjs, toiletries and a fresh change of clothes for everyone. This is the only thing you’ll need to unpack at the end of each day! We used a large duffle bag that I simply unloaded and re-stocked each morning. We also kept the girls bedtime blankets + stuffed friends in separate bag–this meant I always knew where they were for car naps + night time routines.

Practice Makes (Almost) Perfect

In the weeks leading up to our family road trip, we took a few extra long drives to practice being in the car. This was helpful because it gave us the chance to test and try without the multi-day itinerary. For example, we figured out a good bathroom break system. This portable potty works really well for our girls. Pro-tip: I store our bathroom essentials in a plastic laundry basket (similar to this one) with extra wipes, paper towels, cleaning spray and plastic shopping bags. When we pull the car over, I grab the laundry basket, and everything we need is ready to go.

Here’s to creating new memories, no matter the course, itinerary or direction. I hope your next family road trip is one of the very best yet.