Last Saturday my kids and I packed up and started a 3000 mile road trip, from California to Georgia.
It’s not an everyday occurrence that you drive through 8 states in 6 days, so I made sure to take lots of pictures along the way!
There’s also something about being in a confined space with two elementary aged kids that will stretch you in ways you didn’t think were possible. In some ways, this is good. In others, not so much.
This post covers the first half of our road trip, from California to Texas. I’ll share the second half next week (so be sure to come back!).
Before we jump into the pictures, allow me to share a few things that made this trip awesome…
And a few things that didn’t.
5 Things I’m Glad We Did
(1) Created a designated space for shoes.
Having a spot just for shoes means not digging through blankets and pillows and backpacks and bags trying to find a lost shoe. It means faster stops, a more comfortable ride (for the kids) and a less frustrated mom. Our spot is behind the backseat headrests.
(2) Packed a coffee thermos in the car.
I could stop for coffee mid-morning and it would still be hot in the afternoon. Awesomesauce.
(3) Packed a water bottle for each person and a gallon of water.
Instead of buying water every day, I bought a gallon of water on day 1 and have been refilling everyone’s individual canteen at the start of the day and at lunch.
(4) Packed a pillow AND a blanket for each kid.
Comfort is key and not arguing over pillows and blankets is bliss. Plus some mornings were REALLY cold!
(5) Bought audio books.
The local radio stations are great. The CD’s in the car are great. But by day 3, all of us were done with both. I used a credit from Audible (a division of Amazon) and bought the narrative version of the Chronicles of Narnia – all 7 books. Total.Game.Changer. Highly recommended if you’re making any road trips this holiday season!
5 Things I Wish I Had Done Differently
(1) Taken into account time zones.
The goal was to drive during daylight hours only. And then I lost an hour in Arizona. And again in Texas. This set off a chain of events, including not being off the road as planned.
(2) Planned for less driving per day.
The goal was only 8 hours, which in theory is fine. It meant 5 days of driving (with one off in the middle) and getting across the country in less than a week.
But that didn’t account for everyone-goes-potty-when-we-get-gas breaks, extra minutes of playing at the fast food playground, slow-moving mornings and wanting to swim at the hotel pool before bed. Note to self.
(3) Packed more comfy pants.
I packed 2 pairs of jeans and a pair of cargo pants. Oh how I wish I had packed a pair of yoga pants and flip flops!
(4) Started audio books sooner.
We didn’t pull these books out until later in the trip. Knowing now how awesome they are and how much all of us enjoyed listening to audio books, I wish I had played them from the get go.
(5) Made my own coffee.
I don’t normally consider myself a coffee snob, but I assure you that not all hotels and gas stations have good coffee. Or decent coffee. Making my own at the hotel in the morning and filling up my coffee thermos before we left would have provided a bit more consistency – and enjoyable coffee – for each day.
Now… on to the pictures!
Day 1 – California to Arizona
Day 2 – Arizona to New Mexico
Day 3 – New Mexico to Texas
Those faces are how we feel when the answer to “Are we there yet?” is no. 😉
The Crumbs family began a new chapter in November 2015, and I’m sharing the story as it unfolds every Friday here on the blog.
Here are the rest of the posts in this chapter:
- A New Chapter in Crumbs
- The Art of Selling Everything You Own
- Viewing Your Life in Terms of Boxes
- How to Live Minimally for Two Weeks
- Cross Country Road Trip – Part One
- Cross Country Road Trip – Part Two
PS – Many of you knew we were making big decisions and you’ve emailed to express your thoughts and prayers – can I just say thank you?! I am seriously BLOWN AWAY by your outpouring of love and kindness. You have absolutely NO idea how much it means to us – thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!! Despite not being able to reply to them all, I read every single one of them, cherish the kind words and encouragement you are sharing, and I am sincerely thankful for every single one of you!
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Looks so beautiful!
i drive do wn south from buffalo, ny a time or two a yr. been doing it since i was an infant, ok my dad drove the first 25x lol ive driven to FL twice with three kids too. ive only had a daddy going with me a very few of those many many times.
what ive learned…start ridiculously early. with my older 3 i wouldnt leave home till 10am…not a morning person and sleeping in a car is my fave place to sleep. the dark makes me sleepy too.
with my younger two i leave by 4:15am. 15yr gap btwn the two sets and now i have insomnia so nothing makes me sleepy. we can get 4hrs under our belt BAM before breakfast. i dont give them any drinks either so NO stopping, period. theyre *supposed to* sleep also so no talking so its a stressfree time for mom to start the journey with. (all 5 of my kids talked/talk incessantly in the car)
then we eat in a pkg lot even, but outside, from the car. ive taken them in a mall even to run/walk with old ppl so the wiggles get out. i plan 60-90min for this stop.
from here on out we stop every 3 hrs, absolute max, but rly prob every 2. i try rly hard to keep them in car that 2nd leg for 3 hrs, till lunch. but ive made great progress by this time, 7 1/2 hrs, so if its just 7 hrs, i’ll take that. 7hrs by lunch?? hooooo yeeeah!
then after at least an hr break, we go on the road, stopping for hr breaks when we stop. im exhausted by late afternoon so one stop may be a nap in the car while theyre allowed the tablet for an hr (they rarely get the tablet) and then they can run around after.
could i keep this up day after day? no. ive driven 3 days straight (remember im doing all the driving and still am the only childcare once we arrive each day) and by the 3rd day, i know i cant do anymore. one days break would not be enough. i’d have to drive much less per day, costing us an arm n a leg in motels n food.
we eat brkfast n lunch from car the first day n then brkfst again or at the motel, the 2nd day. 2nd lunch is a restaurant n then dinner is at a relative’s or snacks since we had a good meal at lunch. if it was a 3 day drive, it jumps exponentially as the next day is all eating out, hopefully brkfst at motel. ive done the go in a grocery for lunch items and its not worth it compared to getting a pizza…quick, simple.
kudos on your crosscountry drive. at my age now, with young kids still/again, well i couldnt do it day after day after day!
You make New Mexico look so…flat!
We’ve done audiobooks for car trips for years, though usually by buying the CDs (well, cassette tapes, back in the day!) at used book stores or checking them out from the library (which wouldn’t work for a move, obviously). They make the drive so much better, especially for the driver!
LOL – it felt flat!!
Yes, we’re finally back together! The sunrises were AMAZING – definitely a highlight and one reason to be on the road early – you get a front row seat!
Audio books are definitely the way to go on long road trips. A family favorite is The Brinkman Family Adventure’s. These are definitely from a Christian perspective but very well done, exciting missionary stories. Now that you are settling in, check if your library has Adventures in Odyssey. And YWAM has some really good audio books of missionaries and notable people of history here in the US. Enjoy your stay in GA. My husband and I moved there shortly after we married (25 years ago) from WI. Dangerous for a Yank to move there but the people were wonderful. We have moved many times over the years, but we remember south GA with great fondness. Miss the pecan trees we had in our back yard. Oh the good recipes I made with those pecans. Thank you for including us in your trip. Blessings on your new adventures in GA.
Thank you for the recommendations Rhoda! We’re always looking for suggestions 🙂 And now I think I might need a pecan tree myself! 😉
sounds like you made a plan and tried to stick to it. I can only imagine the cost of a cross country trip and trying to do it frugally. Looks like you might have been able to succeed from the photos and the post. I bet you can’t wait to get to your new home and get started living as a whole unit again! Thank you for sharing the photos our country is quite amazingly beautiful and I think we sometimes forget this. Your photos brought that back into perspective for me! I hope you have continued safe trip and not to much bad coffee!
You’re most welcome Rebecca – thank you for the well wishes and good coffee!!
In addition to audio books (I love Audible) loading up on Podcasts is a great way to have amazing audio content for drives. There are tons of educational as well as story telling podcasts appropriate for kids.
I’ve crossed the country 4 times. One thing you learn is that almost all the radio stations in the US are owned by Clear Channel Communications and they play the same songs. It gets horribly repetitive.
Thank you for the tip on Podcasts Rob! We found Brain On! after arriving in Georgia (thanks to your tip) and the kids love it. It does get repetitive. I was very thankful to have done this at Christmas – it made for a nice change of pace and good competition as to which kid could guess the name of the song first!
Tiffany, God bless you on this journey, and keep you safe. I think I’ll ask for good coffee for you, too. ? Although I don’t envy you the trip, I DO enjoy seeing the photos of this beautiful country of ours. Thank you for taking the time to take, then post the pictures. Have a lovely day and a pleasant journey.
So glad you’re enjoying the pictures M – that was my goal. 🙂 Thank you for the prayers and blessings!
Our family totally survived on audio books on many a road trip! When the kids were younger, it was Magic Tree House and Junie B. Jones (because, omg, hilarious). Then a little later it was Harry Potter. After getting home to Arkansas from a trip to California, we actually sat in the driveway for 15 more minutes to finish one of the Harry Potter books lol. I think you can “rent” audio books at Cracker Barrel restaurants and then return them to another restaurant. Check it out if that fits in with your plans. Safe travels!
My kids LOVE both Magic Tree House and Junie B Jones! Thanks for the tip for Cracker Barrel – I had no idea!