So... we're considering driving from Boston to San Francisco...

[SKL]

I would have done that if I had the free time for it.

It would take many days, since I would want to have something interesting and physical for the kids to do much of the day.  Anywhere from 1 to 4 stops per day, depending on how far apart the interesting stops are.

You won't really be avoiding people though - you'll be interacting with lots of them.

[Mom_to3]

OK, so I wouldn't think of doing this kind of trip right now. Lots of covid exposure (I wouldn't be surprised if Omicron turns out to submit quite well even outdoors!); potential for car accidents or DVTs; all with questionable access to hospitals considering that much of the country is already in very bad shape before Omicron (exacerbated by staff infections). I wouldn't fly either right now. But it could be argued that most of us will get Omicron sooner or later, so I guess it just depends on where you want to be when it hits your family. I am pretty pessimistic about access to urgent medical care right now for the next couple of months...and limiting long distance driving is one way to reduce the chance for things to go wrong.

We've done something like 3 or 4 day trips, with 3 kids, and it's been fine. And certainly memorable. We also did some sight-seeing along the way. Have also driven cross country twice with an infant. There are lots of boring stretches along they way, btw, but I am sure you could find some fun things to do. Could you go this spring or summer? 

[Toocrazy!!]

We do road trips all the time, and DS was a great traveler. I’d wrap dollar store games /activities of some sort to open a couple times a day. And audiobooks were a huge hit. We also packed lunches and snacks. 
 

That said, a direct 6 hour flight is not bad. Granted things could change in a few weeks, but we just flew with zero problems. No delays, no mischief on the plane, friendly passengers. If your kids could mask that long, it’s probably a lot less exposure than a long road trip. 

[Starr]

I found out that you have to drive home too. 

[Not_a_Number]

8 hours ago, Mom_to3 said:

Lots of covid exposure (I wouldn't be surprised if Omicron turns out to submit quite well even outdoors!);

Seems unlikely if socially distanced in a mask outdoors, lol. And definitely not while we're IN the car... 

[Not_a_Number]

7 hours ago, Toocrazy!! said:

If your kids could mask that long, it’s probably a lot less exposure than a long road trip. 

I really don't see that. Where is the exposure on a long road trip coming from?? 

[Ellie]

On 12/16/2021 at 8:13 PM, Not_a_Number said:

For those of you who think this is a reasonable idea, how would you entertain a 9-year-old and a 5.5-year-old on the trip? We were thinking of letting them watch some movies... 

They can bring books, or other small toys, and entertain themselves. Former Navy brat here, having made multiple cross-country trips, not to mention the long road trips I have made with my own. 🙂

[Porridge]

On 12/16/2021 at 6:31 PM, Not_a_Number said:

What was your solution there? Just... random places? Trees? What? 

I present to you…. The potty tent…

https://smile.amazon.com/GigaTent-Pop-Pod-Changing-Room/dp/B00CP8SJVW/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?crid=2Q4KH22H8G67H&keywords=potty+tent&qid=1639809358&sprefix=potty+tent%2Caps%2C132&sr=8-3

it’s  ridiculous but awesome. 
pair it with this —

https://smile.amazon.com/AOSION-Portable-Camping-Portable-Replacement-Emergency/dp/B09931RZD1/ref=mp_s_a_1_12?crid=2L9XAN9SIFEJ4&keywords=camping+toilets+portable&qid=1639809444&sprefix=camping+toi%2Caps%2C193&sr=8-12

 

I haven’t read the other replies in this thread so apologies if this is redundant

 

 

[alpacawalker]

I second the tent and toilet seat combo. I have them and have used them when a safe facility was not available.  They do not take up much space  and provide peace of mind when traveling. 

[Ausmumof3]

We have done a few road trips. Longest was about 45 hours of driving all up each way but we broke it up.

youngest was 2 at the time. We did a lot of screen time, movies etc.  I had packs that I loaded up each day with paper, pencils, snacks and tissues.  But to be honest the screens were the main thing.  We also did a lot of driving at night too.  Feed the kids dinner and get them in PJs and they sleep while you get a few hours of peaceful driving in.

[73349]

7 hours ago, Not_a_Number said:

I really don't see that. Where is the exposure on a long road trip coming from?? 

Bathrooms, convenience stores/grocery stores (or restaurants if you go into them). You'll be masked, but if you're on the southern route, other people often will not. If you're on major roads, you'll have few choices without deviating significantly from your route. Still might not be much total difference from flying, so if the issue is that your kids are only good with masks for a little while at a time, this could still be preferable.

Covid is not why my family wouldn't do this; it's that we hate long car rides. We can tolerate 4-5 hours in a day, but none of us would want to do it several days in a row.

[Pam in CT]

We all puffy heart adore road trips, and I did them with and without husband throughout the kids childhoods.

 

On-road entertainment = Main event = audiobooks, particularly LOTR with Rob Inglis. The whole triology is, like, 180 hours or something, and gives you a shared family experience.  Punctuate with something materially different, like in-chair dance breaks with Prince or something.  If the natives get restless, that's the time for headphones and personal screens.

YMMV: Our family rule between planned stops has always been: if no one needs a bathroom break, we keep driving.  We don't stop because it's been 2 hours or because it's noon lunch hour or anything. No. If no one needs to stop WE DON'T STOP, which allows us to get to spend more time at *planned* stops and to arrive at the evening destination earlier.  Pulling this off requires ample supplies of the right food.  For us, the "right" food is not-too-messy reasonably-healthy stuff that keeps reasonably well (clementines, carrots & celery & snap peas, hard boiled eggs, pre-sliced hard cheese) to balance out the less-great stuff available at road stops. 

When they were little -- this is the weirdest most random thing ever -- I would get a box of sugar cubes, which I never otherwise use for anything, before each drive and doled out one (1) cube to each kid every 30 minutes "for good behavior." (They were always good.) Basically this was a tool to help them register the passage of time: "OK troops our drive today should be about 5 hours, that'll be 10 CUBES!!!  Yaaaaaayyyyy!"  and whenever someboday asked "when are we going to get there?" I would answer "three more cubes."  My now 23-yo recently reminded me of this ritual and I thought he was about to give me grief for it, but no, his feedback was solid parenting strategy I am *definitely* doing that with my kids.

Junior Ranger badges are THE BEST.  Pretty much everything I know about science I learned from Junior Ranger badges, Ms Frizzle and Bill Nye.

State parks right off the highway with 2 mile hikes: perfect stop.

And America is just chock-full of the absolutely most fabulous random roadside attractions.  The Sign Museum.  The Glass Museum.  Quilt museums scattering the landscape. Dinosaur footprints pressed into prehistoric mudflats. The largest teapot east of the Mississippi.  There's probably another one west of the Mississippi.  There is no end to the awesome gifts the country offers us up.

 

But.

On 12/16/2021 at 10:53 PM, Joker2 said:

To be fair, I think it’s awesome but we’ve always done road trips. Dh and his dad even did a six week, around the country, road trip when Dh was an older teen. We much prefer driving to flying and are comfortable with long days of driving. It’s one of the things we found out about each other early on and something we’ve enjoyed since our dating days.

If one of us was really uncomfortable with the idea, I would want to start with a smaller trip probably (unless you feel fine doing most of the driving). It was an extremely fun trip but there were times it was still frustrating and stressful so if one of you is going to start out stressed it might not be too much fun for the rest of you.

I REALLY agree with this.  You build UP to a cross-country trip.  You develop habits and tricks and strategies.  I don't think I'd start with a cross country.

[Not_a_Number]

2 hours ago, Carolina Wren said:

Bathrooms, convenience stores/grocery stores (or restaurants if you go into them). 

Yes, but 10 minutes or so a day is very different from 10 hours in a single day. It doesn't even add up to the same amount, never mind the fact that I bet there's a lower limit for how much exposure actually results in infection. 

We were never planning to go into ANY restaurants and I was toying with figuring out an outdoor bathroom situation. So I really can't see how it's anything like the same level of exposure. 

 

1 hour ago, Pam in CT said:

I REALLY agree with this.  You build UP to a cross-country trip.  You develop habits and tricks and strategies.  I don't think I'd start with a cross country.

DH actually has done a cross-country trip. And we've been driving Boston to NYC quite a lot, a few times in consecutive days (although those were sometimes without the kids.) 

That being said, I don't know if we're doing this or not right now, because stuff's crazy 😞 . Will keep you all updated. 

[catz]

We've had to drive back and forth driving 4-5 hours one way for college kid and have used rest stops, the occasional gas station.  Always take out food.  We typically pack food and just pay at the pump for gas.  I personally feel with us vaxed and boostered and KN95ed, and keeping our distance those quick pop into businesses are low risk.  Everyone has a different risk threshold and I was nervous when we first were doing this but meh it's been ok.  We also pack a bedroom air purifier the few times we've stayed in hotel rooms.  We request to be near an exit door in hotels and that is great because it's often possible to get out without crossing anyone's path.  

[Not_a_Number]

9 minutes ago, FuzzyCatz said:

We've had to drive back and forth driving 4-5 hours one way for college kid and have used rest stops, the occasional gas station.  Always take out food.  We typically pack food and just pay at the pump for gas.  I personally feel with us vaxed and boostered and KN95ed, and keeping our distance those quick pop into businesses are low risk.  Everyone has a different risk threshold and I was nervous when we first were doing this but meh it's been ok.  We also pack a bedroom air purifier the few times we've stayed in hotel rooms.  We request to be near an exit door in hotels and that is great because it's often possible to get out without crossing anyone's path.  

We were going to do contact-free Airbnbs, if we go (which I dunno if we will at the moment.) And I'm pretty sure grocery delivery works in lots of parts of the country, at least in the urban areas... so then we don't have to go into stores. 

So then it's just rest stops, if that. 

Edited December 18, 2021 by Not_a_Number

[Not_a_Number]

4 minutes ago, Not_a_Number said:

We were going to do contact-free Airbnbs, if we go (which I dunno if we will at the moment.) And I'm pretty sure grocery delivery works in lots of parts of the country, at least in the urban areas... so then we don't have to go into stores. 

So then it's just rest stops, if that. 

And that's before we get to the fact that case counts in the Northeast are like quadruple the ones on our route.... and the fact that airlines don't require a test or vaccines for domestic flights... 

Edited December 18, 2021 by Not_a_Number

[catz]

2 minutes ago, Not_a_Number said:

We were going to do contact-free Airbnbs, if we go (which I dunno if we will at the moment.) And I'm pretty sure grocery delivery works in lots of parts of the country, at least in the urban areas... so then we don't have to go into stores. 

So then it's just rest stops, if that. 

We've done grocery curbside/delivery all over, which works great!  I have not been concerned about rest stop after doing this a bunch of times.  Rural rest stops are rarely packed.  It's rare to even be within 10 feet of someone more than in passing on our shorter adventures. 

I have all the apps installed for various food places (Subway, Panera, chipotle, Starbucks, etc etc etc).  We can often get those curbside or one of us just runs in masked up.  Take out apps are the best thing to come out of the pandemic IMO!  🙂  

[Not_a_Number]

2 minutes ago, FuzzyCatz said:

We've done grocery curbside/delivery all over, which works great!  I have not been concerned about rest stop after doing this a bunch of times.  Rural rest stops are rarely packed.  It's rare to even be within 10 feet of someone more than in passing on our shorter adventures. 

I have all the apps installed for various food places (Subway, Panera, chipotle, Starbucks, etc etc etc).  We can often get those curbside or one of us just runs in masked up.  Take out apps are the best thing to come out of the pandemic IMO!  🙂  

That's great. That's what we were hoping to do. We really figured we could have minimal exposure driving. I was also going to rotate our masks so we didn't wear the same ones in a row and let the virus die off a bit if we did pick some up, lol. 

I did think it out and was pretty sure this was MUCH safer than flying from a packed Boston Logan on the busiest day of the year with cases spiking 😳

Edited December 18, 2021 by Not_a_Number

[Not_a_Number]

I also trust my KF94 a lot more for 10 minutes than for 10 hours, lol. I'm just not used to having it on that long and neither are the kids. We did buy some tape for the plane, but I just don't know how well we'd keep it on the whole time. 

[importswim]

We've driven across the country twice (military moves) and it was really fun because we only scheduled driving at the most 6 hours a day so that we weren't exhausted. I think it could be a great thing for your girls.

[importswim]

On 12/16/2021 at 8:13 PM, Not_a_Number said:

For those of you who think this is a reasonable idea, how would you entertain a 9-year-old and a 5.5-year-old on the trip? We were thinking of letting them watch some movies... 

Lots of people have suggested audiobooks and I would say this is my top choice as well. We only let our kiddos play screens or watch movies when we're on long stretches of interstate that are boring, lol! My preference is audiobooks or podcasts that you're all interested in as then you have a shared experience with something to talk about after.

Grocery Store lunches and snackle boxes are something that we've done each time we take a road trip (not necessarily just cross country). Fill the snackle boxes with surprise snacks each night and they love it. Google for some images for inspiration! I always try to add a regional thing from the grocery store wherever we are to our snacks.

If you have room to take scooters then I'd add those in to the back. My kids have scootered around many a rest area and it gets a bit of energy out. They're usually easy to flip in and out of the car. I loved sitting with a coffee at a picnic table and resting in the sun whilst the kiddos got some energy out.

20 hours ago, Starr said:

I found out that you have to drive home too. 

Ugh. I forgot about this. LOL! Maybe take a different route? 

[Not_a_Number]

4 minutes ago, importswim said:

Ugh. I forgot about this. LOL! Maybe take a different route? 

It's also possible to ship the car back and fly. If we did this and the numbers were reasonable again, we might do that. (Plus, numbers are way lower in California, and it wouldn't be high flying time.) 

[Starr]

If I were going I would be okay with fast bathroom stops. We did have an ikea potty seat for several years as needed. Folks are pretty much in and out. Air bnb s with good reviews are reasonable. You can open doors and windows for a while when you first arrive. Picnic and takeout are great. We never drove for as many days but we took long car trips. They listened to great children's audio books, some school related audio songs, SWB History of the World, music. Only one of mine could read or draw in the car. The other was easily car sick. Dramamine was our friend. Lots of running around when we stopped was really helpful. How long can you stand to play I Spy? lol You will have a great time if you go. Just think of all the math games you can create!

[Not_a_Number]

26 minutes ago, Starr said:

If I were going I would be okay with fast bathroom stops. We did have an ikea potty seat for several years as needed. Folks are pretty much in and out. Air bnb s with good reviews are reasonable. You can open doors and windows for a while when you first arrive. Picnic and takeout are great. We never drove for as many days but we took long car trips. They listened to great children's audio books, some school related audio songs, SWB History of the World, music. Only one of mine could read or draw in the car. The other was easily car sick. Dramamine was our friend. Lots of running around when we stopped was really helpful. How long can you stand to play I Spy? lol You will have a great time if you go. Just think of all the math games you can create!

DD5 does keep asking for double-digit multiplication in the car, lol. I think she did 24*26 our last car ride... 

[SKL]

15 hours ago, Not_a_Number said:

I really don't see that. Where is the exposure on a long road trip coming from?? 

Personally this would be a once-in-a-lifetime trip for us, and I wouldn't do it unless I was planning to actually do what there is to do along the way.  Some of that is outdoors, but a lot of it is going to be indoors with other people around.

If unwilling to do anything indoors, my kids would find this to be a pretty boring trip.  I myself really like the outdoors, hiking etc., but my kids don't share that love with me, so they would be annoyed and annoying.

[lewelma]

As a child, my parents drove all of us 5 times a year to my grandparents, from Connecticut to North Carolina. It took 12 full hours of driving time, and longer if there was a backup in the Baltimore tunnel. Even with FOUR girls under the age of 9, we were allowed only ONE stop at the half way point for fuel. Now back then, we didn't have to wear seat belts, but my mom's solution for the toileting issue was to have a porta potty IN THE CAR.  It sat in the foot well, and had a little lid, but it still sloshed around a lot!  And did smell a bit. 🙂

Edited December 18, 2021 by lewelma

[SKL]

I did an 8ish hour drive with my girls when they were 2yo.  We brought little potties in case we needed them, but we never did need them.  I actually kept a little potty in the trunk for years just in case, LOL.

I had expected problems on the drive, but there were none.  It helped that I sat in the back seat with them.  TBH I don't remember what we did to pass the time.  Probably sang songs.  They didn't have electronics at that age.

The DS was our friend when my kids were 5+ years old.

[Not_a_Number]

9 minutes ago, lewelma said:

As a child, my parents drove all of us 5 times a year to my grandparents, from Connecticut to North Carolina. It took 12 full hours of driving time, and longer if there was a backup in the Baltimore tunnel. Even with FOUR girls under the age of 9, we were allowed only ONE stop at the half way point for fuel. Now back then, we didn't have to wear seat belts, but my mom's solution for the toileting issue was to have a porta potty IN THE CAR.  It sat in the foot well, and had a little lid, but it still sloshed around a lot!  And did smell a bit. 🙂

OK, that's gross, lol. 

[rebcoola]

Yeah very little indoor time is needed just potty if you don't bring one.  We used apps to do food pick up and delivery both restaurant and grocery.  Even fast food stops we would order and do curbside and people would run into potty if they needed and we did diaper changes in the truck bed. 

We flew one way this summer and definitely felt the layover at the Seattle Airport was our biggest covid danger.  Everyone was masked unless eating andnwe didnt eat but it was so crowded and a chaotic and that was no where near the busiest time of the year.

[Not_a_Number]

3 minutes ago, rebcoola said:

Yeah very little indoor time is needed just potty if you don't bring one.  We used apps to do food pick up and delivery both restaurant and grocery.  Even fast food stops we would order and do curbside and people would run into potty if they needed and we did diaper changes in the truck bed. 

We flew one way this summer and definitely felt the layover at the Seattle Airport was our biggest covid danger.  Everyone was masked unless eating andnwe didnt eat but it was so crowded and a chaotic and that was no where near the busiest time of the year.

I know. It's the airport crowding that scares me. And omicron is SO contagious. If I felt certain it was milder, I'd feel a lot better, but I'm currently seeing such conflicting data. 

ETA: And it's literally the busiest travel day of the season!! 

Edited December 18, 2021 by Not_a_Number

[MEmama]

I will say that as a DYI bathroom solution, little boys+trying to pee in a bottle does not work. 😬

We once got stuck in heavy traffic in the customs line on the Niagara bridge between Ontario and NY. DS must have been 4 or so— we regularly drove from Ohio to Toronto and Ottawa for many years. Of course at the worst possible place he suddenly became desperate, and because we couldn’t get out of line DH insisted that DS try to use an empty water bottle. Right.in.front of the customs officer. 🤣 I don’t recommend it. 
 

[Not_a_Number]

2 minutes ago, MEmama said:

I will say that as a DYI bathroom solution, little boys+trying to pee in a bottle does not work. 😬

We once got stuck in heavy traffic in the customs line on the Niagara bridge between Ontario and NY. DS must have been 4 or so— we regularly drove from Ohio to Toronto and Ottawa for many years. Of course at the worst possible place he suddenly became desperate, and because we couldn’t get out of line DH insisted that DS try to use an empty water bottle. Right.in.front of the customs officer. 🤣 I don’t recommend it. 
 

Eeek! That sounds like an unpleasant experience... was there pee everywhere? 

[MEmama]

Just now, Not_a_Number said:

Eeek! That sounds like an unpleasant experience... was there pee everywhere? 

Do I have to answer that? 🤣

[lewelma]

Since we are telling stories...My grandmother was born in 1909 and told us the story of a friend of hers who took one of the early 2 seater flights. She really really had to pee, so managed to use a cup. But then didn't know what to do with it.  She made the very unfortunate decision to roll down the window and throw it outside.  Only to find that it blew back in all over her, her fur coat, and the pilot!

Edited December 18, 2021 by lewelma

[Toocrazy!!]

18 hours ago, Not_a_Number said:

I really don't see that. Where is the exposure on a long road trip coming from?? 

I guess I was just considering all the stops along the way for such a long trip-  bathrooms, gas stations, the Grand Canyon😀- the attractions of the road trip. But it sounds like you have it under control as far as food pickup and Airbnb’s. 

[Pam in CT]

[I may think better of this and shortly delete, LOL]

OK while we're swapping crazy roadtrip pee stories...

JUST THIS LAST SEPTEMBER I picked my youngest up at LaGuardia -- supposed to be ~1+ hour each way, but turns out that particular night there was BOTH the US Open semifinals AND a Mets game; I literally spent 2 hours on the last 4 miles. As is always the case I couldn't park to go inside and pee without a spending 30 minutes and $30, and poor kid had been waiting 2 hours already, so I turned around and headed home, but, there STILL was both the US Open and a Mets game, and it took another hour to get out. So by the time we get nearly-home I've been in the car 5+ hours.

ONE MILE FROM OUR EXIT I get rear ended and smashed across the highway onto the median.  (Everyone was fine.  My car was totaled.) And we wait. And the cops come but then we need to wait for the tow truck. And we wait. and wait and wait and the tow truck comes but there is paperwork and we and wait and I AM GOING TO DIE I NEED SO BADLY TO PEE and there is no prospect WHATSOEVER that this ordeal is ever going to be over and we are RIGHT IN THE MEDIAN OF THE MERRITT PARKWAY and I *definitely* can't cross the highway and what's a girl going to do?

Well.

Fortunately for me I had three (3) umbrellas in the now-totaled car. And it was dark.

Ish.

[rebcoola]

Umm yeah we had a full size van when I was a kid and the potty was a big gulp cup.    Now my mom buys those urinal bag things.

[KSera]

1 minute ago, rebcoola said:

Now my mom buys those urinal bag things.

Those are one of my great pandemic discoveries. 

[Not_a_Number]

And we did wind up going after all! 😄 This is night 2. We drove a good long while the first day, while we were still fresh -- only stopped in DC 🙂 . Today, we just drove through, but it was rainy and a short drive. The kids seem to be enjoying themselves. We just did audio books and music today, for our under 5 hour drive, but yesterday did require some movies. 

I'm hoping this winds up memorable for the kids. I feel so bad that the pandemic is messing things up for them as soon as they got vaccinated 😞  .