12 Hour Road Trip with Active 10 Month Old and Dog

We drove from Seattle to Ashland when our son was 9 months - an 8-hour drive that took 13 hours (*sigh*). Try stopping at a big chain hotel instead of highway rest areas - your child can crawl around the lobby; we also found that the big hotels have microwaves available in the breakfast nook - great for heating up his food. I was a little worried that the hotel staff might chase us out, but they didn't seem to mind a bit. Perhaps they thought we were guests that had checked in before the last shift change. :) On the way down, we started at bedtime and drove 4 hours before checking into a hotel. I wish we'd spent the money doing the same on the way home instead of driving the whole distance in one day. It really made a difference for all of us. Good luck, and safe travels!

That's really hard to do. I'd wait till he was older myself or I would fly if I were you! Anyway, you will need to make frequent stops. Try to make sure you have a DVD player and plenty of toys on hand. If you can, sit with him and read to him and keep him entertained.

The other mom was right. Drive at night if possible, when it's his sleepy time with plenty of blankets, his teddy etc.

Any chance you can drive at night? Sounds miserable for you and your partner, but it may help to keep everyone sane.

This is what we have done with my daughter up until now (she's 21 months old).

We drove from Seattle to Chicago when my son was 9 & a half & 10 months (There, stay for a bit, and back). We also drive up and down i5 between Seattle & Southern California. Here are all the tricks we've learned along the way:

1) Drive while asleep
- In icy weather (like now) you probably don't want to be driving at night...but if you've got two responsible adults (or more) that's the single easiest, fastest way.
- Leave at naptime. Drive until the baby wakes up. Pull over, diaper change, eat, wiggles, walk the dog. Try and use up as much energy as possible. If they don't fall asleep again...Drive until fussy. Pull over. Diaper-dog-wiggles-etc. By the time you get back in the car it's usually naptime again. Repeat.

2) Bring their blankie. Or Bear. Or Wombat. Whatever it is that they love and snuggle with.

3) All rules are out the window.
- It doesn't teach kids bad habits. It teaches them that traveling is fun. It's like Halloween. We don't usually dress up and knock on other peoples doors demanding food. Kids get that. Don't worry about it.

3a) Try to eat meals at odd times.
- While McDonalds & BurgerKing are your best friends on the road in the US (they have universally clean bathrooms, and mirrors you can see yourself in, and a sink to wash your face for the fifth time that day), stop, but DON'T EAT THERE. Buy a drink or some small fries. A snack to pay for bathroom use, & then jet. Don't succumb to grease and hard plastic chairs. Unless they have a play place & your little one is big enough to play in it.
- Eat at an Applebee's or equivilent. Someplace with bouncy booths. Besides, it'll be way more comfortable for YOU, too. Ask the host for an out of the way booth, because you've been traveling and your baby needs to bounce. If it's an odd hour, it should be no problem. If you're in a section that doesn't have a server be prepared to flag them down...they forget you're there. And if the host DOES put you next to someone that's their fault. LET YOUR LITTLE ONE BOUNCE AND VERBALIZE TO THEIR HEART'S CONTENT. If anyone complains have them ask for the manager to move you, since they didn't listen to you when you asked. Get the complainer on your side...and the restaurant is helpless. The manager wants happy people, the servers want tips. Two tables wanting the same thing is instant victory(Only had to do this ONCE by the way...the host was new...everyone else was super friendly and understanding...and usually came by to coo at the baby to make them giggle)
- Continuing on that line of thought...never ever ever accept a highchair. Trade back and forth with who gets to eat and who gets to bounce the baby on the chair...or go for stumbles around the restaurant. Think about it...you will NEVER see any of these people ever again, AND you're preserving your sanity, AND meeting the very real needs of your child. Trust me. It goes against the grain, I know, but on the road is NOT the time to be referring to Emily Post. Besides most people smile. Especially when you say you've been in a car for six hours. But really...do you care what utter strangers think?

4) Keep a cooler in the car with drinks for you and a couple of premade bottles for your little one.

5) Bring a baby medical kit.
- You do NOT want to be 146mi to the next exit when a fever spikes, or a tooth starts cutting, or diahreahha hits, or a cough appears without infant tyelnol, numgums, infant immodium, etc.

6) Anything that keeps them happy is less annoying then them being unhappy.
- Including, but certainly not limited to; Crystal Method playing for 8 hours straight; stupid toys you hate that beep, whirr, & talk; "something" (usully either sqelchy or clicky) knocking 10 million times on the window; or a back massage, courtesy of feet bouncing on the back of your seat.

7) Emergency hotel money, and the willingness to call it a day.
- Sometimes a day just doesn't go well. Usually in the beginning they're surprisingly great (later on you just EXPECT them to be great)...but sometimes everything just goes wrong. If it does, don't be afraid to call it a day. Try driving again after they go to sleep for the night...or if it's icy...leave the next morning. If things have, for whatever reason, gone horribly wrong...even for a short trip like 10 hours...it's OKAY to break it into two more manageable segments.

Have fun, and a wonderful adventure!

maybe borrow or buy a portable dvd player.. stop alot.. also maybe start your travel after dinner and travel through the night so he sleeps for a good chunk of time.. as long as you are not driving in icy or bad winter conditions I prefer traveling at night so my kids sleep part of the way.. also it is great time for you and your husband to catch up and talk.
lenc