Road Trip Ruminations

We aren’t taking our big family summer vacation until September, yet in my mind, I’m already calculating and preparing, doing my road trip calisthenics like a marathon runner trying to get some serious miles in before the big race.

You see, we don’t have an SUV or minivan or even a Wagon Queen Family Truckster to haul our family of four and all of our sundries to the Outer Banks. We have a 2004 Toyota Prius. Our fuel-efficient hatchback was an excellent choice for many reasons when we bought it as a childless couple, but now that we have doubled in size to a foursome, it’s not so practical.

Even just driving around town to run errands with all of us in the car, an adult is definitely going to get his or her seatback kicked in a rhythmic fashion, depending on which parent is driving. One-year-old Isaac’s seat isn’t yet turned around to forward-facing, so the passenger-side parent is spared, while 3-year-old Lucy sits behind the driver with her hammering toes. Imagine our joy when we hit the road for nine hours, because you know with added potty and diaper-changing stops, it will take us at least that long to make a trip that takes everyone else just six hours.

My husband claims that an annual family vacation across several state lines is not a valid reason for buying a bigger vehicle, and yes, I agree that there is no point in trading in one of our paid-for cars (I drive a Chrysler PT Cruiser, and I know you are all jealous) when they are running well and hopefully still have many miles left in them before being traded in. Yet the upcoming vacation looms large in my mind as an uncomfortable ride in a tiny metal box on wheels, however gas-friendly the box may be.

And so here in July, I’m mentally planning ahead. There is a washing machine and dryer at the beach house, so nobody needs to bring more than three sets of clothes; that will cut down on luggage right there. Each kid will get just one bag—no whining!—for toys, books and games. Ditto that for parents, who will never in a million lifetimes actually get to read more than one or two books maximum in the five days we will be stationary at the beach. Bah-humbug. Ok, everybody, don’t forget to have fun!

I know I will relax those rules, as if I could enforce them in the first place. Does anyone out there have some advice for us? What is your must-have road trip accessory when traveling with small children? Are those little portable DVD players necessary to amuse the kids? How often do you stop and for those of you who will be traveling the same route to the Outer Banks, do you have any suggestions for good stopping points along the way?