A couple weeks ago, we took LR on his first family roadtrip. (Post and photos coming soon!) Roadtripping is something that Matt and I have always loved, and we were so excited to share it with LR.

Here are some tips we learned along the way:

1. Don’t overplan.
When it was just the two of us, we could do long stretches of driving in between stops, but with LR we can really only be on the road two or three hours before he has had enough. We only chose three stops for our nine day trip: Ricketts Glen State Park in PA, Assateague Island National Seashore in MD and Ohiopyle State Park in PA.

2. Less planned stops doesn’t mean you wont get to see as much.
While we only planned three stops for the week, we ended up seeing so many more things. When LR was getting fussy in the car, we searched for something nearby to check out or, if it was later in the day, somewhere to camp. We saw the beautifully intact Catoctin Furnace, Harpers Ferry, WV and many State Parks.

3. Have a stash of quarters.
I packed a ton of clothes for Little Roamer, but if you think your kid gets dirty at home during regular play, imagine what clothes are going to look like after a few days of basically living outside. We stopped once about halfway through the trip do do a load of laundry and had to scrounge up enough quarters for the laundromat. While your at it, bring some detergent with you too.

4. Keep a few toys, some snacks and a drink handy in the front seat.
No matter how well you plan your driving time to coincide with naptime, sometimes you’ll have a grumpy baby who’s tired of being strapped down. If you have a stash handy in the front seat, you’ll save yourself the strain of trying to reach behind the seat or dig through luggage mid trip when the meltdown occurs or when the toy that squelched the previous meltdown falls out of reach.

5. Enjoy yourself!
You’ve probably spent days or weeks getting ready for this trip. Planning routes and stops, packing everything you could possibly need in any situation and researching traveling with your baby. (Maybe the last one is just me.) Take the time to enjoy the trip! Steep in the moments and watch how your little one’s world opens up with every new experience.