Tips for Road Tripping with Kids (#3)

Sometimes you've got to take what they give you. In fact, all the time, you've got to take what they give you.

The third in our ongoing series of road trip tips. Most parents came to terms with the fact that they no longer have a life about three days into their first child. But many don't realize that this law transfers into roadtripping too. The drum roll please...

3. Don’t sweat the schedule
Schedule, schmedule. It's great to have goals, but the key to setting goals is to make sure they're realistic and achievable. Don't book a bunch of hotel rooms in advance only to cancel and pay the penalty. Book the room at supper time the night you want to stay there. We like to stay at Residence Inns by Marriott because they're very kid friendly, they allow dogs, and they're ubiquitous. Keep the 800 number handy and call ahead to see what's available and where.

Our kids are pretty road tested, so we can often get up to 500 miles in a day, but we feel lucky to pull off 350. Stop a lot, toss a ball or a Frisbee at the rest areas, walk the dog, and take what they give you. The point of a family vacation is to have fun, not to make time. If you really need to make up time, do it after supper when the kids fall asleep and you can drive without boring them silly.