Ahhhh the last post about being in the car with toddlers. We got off to a much earlier start on this leg of the trip and got on the road just before what would be the boys nap time. This greatly simplified things as the boys slept the first 2.5 hrs of driving. I was able to buy us more time before having to stop with snacks and toys. One of the best things I did was snacks and toys were in totes within reach behind the drivers seat so I could reach them and Erick didnt have to stop. When we did stop we looked for places to roam. A few fast food places still have play areas (sometimes you have to ask staff if you can use it because of signs saying no diapers on equipment). If you tell the staff that you have a LONG dive they take pity and let you play. This greatly helps with energy and restlessness. After meals we put on a movie. The boys love Cars, Nemo and Elmo. These 3 movies saved us. Toward the end of the drive things got hairy. Kids get sick of the car and want to get out but it is late and you are so close. We chose to drive and listen to the boys whine a little. Once we got to our destination we let the boys play and explore the new house (and even our house once we were home). Doing this allowed Erick the time to unpack the car, me the time to set up beds and then the boys didnt freak out in the morning in a new place. After the car was unloaded we did the normal bath and bed order of op. Other then the amount of stuff and the time change traveling with toddlers was fun.
Some things I could not have done without:
Their PnPs
Their bedding (blankets and pillows)
an ice chest
juice boxes (capri sun 100% juice)
uncrustables
goldfish crackers
books
DVD player
sounds like you had a great time in this vacation and probably one of the many experiences on the road trips you will have with toddlers. I'm sure Owen and Ethan took it all in.
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