Traveling with kids

Having recently returned from a 4 day vacation in Lake George NY, I thought it would be appropriate to share with you some of the things I've learned. We traveled many times before with Florence, having been to Orlando, Paris, Cancun. But we'd only made one long trip by car before. Never driven to anywhere that was 4 hours away. This was completely new to all of us!

Now, don't get all worked up here, we did have a great time and enjoyed ourselves. We knew we what we were getting ourselves into. I mean this basically came down to a 4 day week-end with our daughter, who is of all things, a force of nature. Our little bundle of love has enough energy to move mountains and more! Suffice to say this wasn't a completely restful vacation.

If possible, have a second bedroom for the kids. We kind of learned this the hard way. Sleeping in the same room as your child(ren) is asking for trouble. Florence had been coughing a bit for a day or two when we got to Lake George. Nothing major, but enough to wake-up mom and dad a few times during the night. Next time, she'll have her own bedroom, and we'll get some sleep!

Make sure there's a swimming pool. As you may know if you've been reading this blog, our daughter loves water, literally. She'll throw herself in trying to wiggle out of your grasp as if she was Ariel, the little mermaid! Come to think of it, she might be one. Anyways, the point is, most kids love swimming and if you can have a room close enough to the pool, even better. Swimming is a great activity, lets your kids waste away a ton of energy (as if it's going to make a difference), and in some cases, can allow one of the parents to take a break.

Always have baby wipes with you at all times. I can't remember the number of times this has saved us from a little mess, or not so little mess. That advice actually goes for every day life with kids. We've got them spread out all over the house, in the car, in her baby carry-on. They're useful for cleaning up little mess and even yours too!

Eating at a restaurant? Make sure you've got some crayons. And some paper too. Most kids love to draw, and being able to do so while you all wait for your food to be served, will save you from having your little bundles of love be too much trouble. Well, it'll help out anyways!

If driving, make sure to stop every 90 minutes or so. Or else your ears will suffer from high pitch noise syndrome and your nerves will be tested. We planned our route knowing we would have to stop 2 to three times. Usually there are enough rest area along major highways for you to do this. It'll give everyone a chance to stretch their legs, and your kids to run around (and you after them!).

There are probably many more tips and advice that one could give. This list could go on and on. I wanted to give you run down of the most obvious one. This way you'll take the necessary precautions to have a fun vacation where everyone get to enjoy themselves.

Actually, if you've got great tips, please let me know in the comments. I'll appreciate any advice you can give!