It's been almost three years since we visited Eric's family in Massachusetts so this year it was a definite plan for us to take some time off to go see everyone. Eric spent most of his life in MA and it wasn't until he was 18 that he moved down to Georgia. And the last time any of his northern family had seen both Benson and Amelia, they were both tiny babes!
We knew we had no choice but to drive the 16-18 hr trip. Plan tickets are expensive no matter when you buy them (times that by 3 and we're talking broke city). I had so much anxiety traveling with Amelia. We went to Destin, FL last year but that 5 hrs was looking like a cat nap compared to this trip we were trying to conquer. Amelia can be hard to please and is very dramatic when it comes to getting her way. But I'm happy to share that both kids did amazing on both trips there and back. Eric drove straight through the night and made it in record time!
We didn't have much planned and really focused on spending time with his family. We don't get an opportunity to see his family often so it was important to make our time count.
The weather wasn't ideal to say the least (cold and rainy in late May. I'm talking highs in the low 60s!) so we stuck with inside hangouts. We did get a chance to hit up Southwick Zoo in Mendon, MA on a nice day and I was impressed. It was Amelia's first time and Benson hadn't been to one in many years so both they both had a blast - Especially at the deer feeding forest! Eric and I are big germ conscious people so it took all we had in us to let the kids feed and pet the deer but I'm glad we did because it was definitely an experience they'll remember.
Overall, our trip was super fun filled with lots of laughs and memories to remember. I can't wait for our other vacations we have lined up this summer!
Tips for traveling with children:
1. Traveling at night was ideal for our family, especially for how long this trip was. As soon as we got off work, we ate dinner, packed the car and hit the road. Both kids were out within the next hour or two and slept almost the whole way. We stopped twice for stretches and bathroom breaks while they were awake.
2. Snacks, juices and entertainment. We loaded up our iPad with some of their favorite movies and shows and some interactive apps that kept them busy. We packed puzzles and books and lots of stuffed animals.
3. We made it a really interactive trip. Playing games like "what do you prefer" or "what's your favorite..". We got to see beautiful scenery, cool signs and passed through nearly 8 states that we were able to have conversations about with Benson and took advantage of all our "teaching moments" which made it fun for all of us!
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