How to Road Trip with a Toddler

One of the reasons Ryan and I were meant for each other is our mutual love for travel. Between us we’ve seen a lot of places: New York, San Diego, Nashville, Orlando, Los Angeles, Las Vegas twice, and a huge road trip up the Pacific Northwest Coast from Crater Lake, OR to Seattle, WA, just to name a few. After all of that travel, its safe to say we're no longer novice luggage packers, we have advanced to expert level. But... adding a little girl to our family changed the way we travel, in a big way. Last October, we went to Myrtle Beach, SC and learned a lot about how to over-pack with a baby in tow. This year, as we embark on a road trip through New England, we intend to pack a little lighter and a whole lot smarter. Here’s what we’re bringing, and what we’re leaving at home on our ten-day road trip. 

What we’re bringing:

1.     Adult suitcase – We packed one large suitcase for the adults to share. For ten days, we each packed 5 pairs of shorts, 2 pairs of pants, 7 short sleeve shirts, 12 pairs of underwear, a sweatshirt, a jacket, a hat, 10 pairs of socks, and a swimsuit. I also packed 3 dresses, 2 pairs of pajamas, a hairdryer, a straightening iron, a hairbrush, toiletries bag, and my makeup essentials. We squeezed in 4 pairs of sandals and 2 pairs of tennis shoes between us. All of this fit in our large suitcase.

2.     Kid suitcase – All of CB’s belongings were packed in a small carry-on size suitcase. For ten days, we packed 12 warm weather outfits, 3 cool weather outfits, 10 pairs of socks, 3 pairs of shoes, 7 pajamas, 3 swimsuits, 2 hats, sunglasses, a fleece jacket, 1 package of wipes, and 1 package of diapers. We also squeezed in her toiletry kit and baby monitor. I packed each outfit in a Ziploc bag for a few reasons: I could squeeze the air out and create more room in the suitcase, each outfit is pre-matched so it’s easy to grab and go, and after an outfit is used, I can use the bags for dirty clothes to bring home or dirty diapers to throw away.

3.     Overnight bag – We decided to begin our trip at night to take advantage of a sleeping toddler and get as far as we could on night one. This meant that we would be stopping at a hotel on the road and would need an overnight bag so we didn’t have to drag everything in for just one night. Our over night bag had a fresh pair of clothes for everyone, the adult toiletry bag, pajamas for the adults, a sleep blanket and crib sheet for CB.

4.     Electronics bag – It seems as I get older, the list of electronics to bring just keeps getting longer, but we tried to keep it to a minimum. We brought, 2 laptops with chargers to do work after CB goes to bed, 2 phones and chargers, our good camera with lenses and charger, binoculars (not really an electronic but I packed them in the same bag, and 2 sets of headphones with a splitter (so we could watch a movie after CB is asleep).

5.     Snack bag – Since we would be in the car for 9 hours before arriving at our first destination, I knew we needed some healthy snacks. I packed, Teddy Grahams, apple juice, trail mix, apples, raisins, cheddar crackers, Cheerios, puffs and granola bars. This was a good mixture that both kids and adults could enjoy. In a separate cooler filled with ice, I packed whole milk, bottles of water and cheese sticks. I also packed 2 bottles for milk, a sippy cup, and a spill-proof snack cup for cheerios and puffs.

6.     Car entertainment bag – This bag was packed to occupy CB on the very long car ride. It contained 2 large activity books, a coloring book and crayons, stickers, pipe cleaners to make fun shapes, playing cards, an empty plastic container to just put stuff in. I also added some traveling essentials to this bag like sunscreen, bug spray, and Clorox wipes.  

7.     Miscellaneous – As you can imagine, this is a large category when traveling with a toddler. We opted to bring only the essentials for this trip to keep our modest car as comfortable as possible. For CB we brought a portable crib, an umbrella stroller for city walking, a backpack baby carrier for trail hiking, a changing pad, 5 books, toy blocks, and a shape sorter. Other items include a large umbrella, more baby wipes for the car, a flashlight, hand sanitizer, and about $20 in ones and change for tolls.

What we are leaving at home

There are so many other conveniences that we could have brought with us, but we decided to leave at home for the sake of simplicity. We did not bring a white noise machine. Instead, we downloaded a white noise CD to an old iPod. CB recently outgrew needing warm milk, but if she hadn’t, we were going to leave the bottle warmer at home and just run it under hot water to warm the milk. Instead of bringing our heavy-duty walking stroller, we borrowed an umbrella stroller from our parents. We did not bring a highchair or feeding chair of any kind. Most restaurants have high chairs and CB is old enough to sit in a regular chair on her own if we watch her closely. We did not bring any beach toys or floats. We figured plastic cups from the hotel room would work just fine. 

I find packing lightly and efficiently helps to keep me organized throughout a long road trip. There are fewer things to keep track of, especially when you are loading and unloading the car several times. The car itself felt more spacious and there was more room to move around. And of course, more room for souvenirs! What tips do you have for traveling with families? Did I forget something on the list?

Quack quack

And so begins our very long trip home. If all goes according to plan, we should be home by 7:00 tonight. But first, lets recap our big day in Seattle.

Yesterday morning, Ryan and I spoiled ourselves with room service and breakfast in bed. I've never ordered room service before so it certainly was a treat. Scrambled eggs, toast, pancakes, potatoes, and orange juice, with tiny ketchup and jam bottles. I almost took one to bring home and looking back, I should have.

After breakfast we headed down toward Pike Place Market for our behind the scenes food tour. We met our group at market theater which had gum all pver the wall outside from people to had to get rid of it before going into the theatre. Our tour guide, Brad, took us to about 7 or 8 of the best shops in the market and allowed us to cut the line to sample their goods. We tasted tea from Market Spice, smoked Salmon from the Fish Market, chowder from Pike Place Chowder, and a crab cake from Etta's, to name a few. We got to see the men at the fish market throw a 15 lb salmon across the display cases. During the tour, we also stopped in front of the first Starbucks which had a line about 100 people long. Not sure why people think that coffee from that location will be any different than any of the other 170 Starbucks in Seattle, and yes there are 170 Starbucks in Seattle.

Next we walked over to the Space Needle and I "manned up" and rode the elevator to the top. I did it with my eyes closed but did it nonetheless. Once at the top, the view was amazing. You could see both the Cascade and Olympic mountain ranges, and all across the city. Included with our space needle ticket was the Chihuly blown glass exhibit. I was dying to go to this because I have seen Chihuly's work before. He made the beautiful glass ceilings in the Bellagio in Las Vegas and has a few pieces in the Borgata in Atlantic City. Chihuly's artwork really is amazing. His use of color and space is incredible. I know I sound like an art snob but his art brings it out in me.

We then quickly headed across the street to Ride the Ducks. This 2 hour tour in an amphibious vehicle drives you all around the city giving history and pointing out landmarks then drives straight in to the water and boats around for a great lake view of the city. While in the water, we saw the floating house used in Sleepless in Seattle, which of course thrilled me to no end.

Finally, we hopped in a cab and visited the Seattle Public Library. I was excited for this part of our journey because I had heard so many things about the architecture and modern design. The escalators were lit up bright yellow and floors 7 through 10 were spiraled rows of books you could continuously walk through.

By this point my legs were about to fall off from all the walking but we had a 1 mile walk back to the hotel. Luckily, to take my mind off my feet, we had a beautiful sunset over the Olympic mountains to watch on the walk back.

This trip has been one Ill never forget. I am so thankful for the opportunity to travel and thankful for someone to share it with.

Ferry boats!

Sunday was our longest travel day yet. We were on the road from about 10:00 to 5:00 with a few pit stops. We left Sol Duc Hot springs after breakfast and headed to Hurricane Ridge, a spot in the Cascade Mountains where you can see Seattle on one side all the way to the ocean on the other, as well as some of the snow capped mountains to the south. The drive up to the parking lot was terrifying. 17 miles of winding narrow roads, much of which didn't have guardrails. But after a long, slow ride, we finally made it to the first lookout. We hiked the rest of the way to the top of the mountain to get some of the coolest views yet.

Next, we hopped back into the car to head for the ferry to Seattle. After another 2 hour drive, we arrived in Kingston to discover the ferry to just north of Seattle was delayed 2 hours. We sat in line for about ten minutes until we decided to drive 2 hours around Puget Sound toward Seattle. We figured if it was going to take 2 hours, we might as well be moving. So we turned around and started heading south. Luckily, we ran into another ferry departure site that ran directly to Seattle, and with no wait! So we headed straight for it and were the last car loaded on the ferry, another stroke of luck!

The ferry ride was so much more fun than I thought it would be. There was a flock of seagulls following the boat and eating pretzels from the hands of some people over the side. When we got close to shore, the views of the skyline were breathtaking. We quickly unloaded from the ferry and went straight to our hotel.

For our last hotel, and our 2nd anniversary, we chose something a little more special. We are staying at the Edgewater Hotel on Pier 67. Yep, our room hangs out over the water. The room is all decked out in a woodsy theme with stone all over the bathroom and a fireplace. We have a small balcony the overlooks Elliot Bay.

Last night we had dinner at SixSeven, the restaurant in our hotel. The food was amazing. We each started with a salad and bread. I had the apricot glazed pork shoulder with a side of lobster mac and cheese. Ryan had cedar plank salmon with potato purée. We shared an apple tart for dessert. This delicious food was enjoyed at a table next to the windows overlooking the sunset. Although it was still a bit cloudy, we did get to see the sun sun set over some clouds and I finally got that picture I've been wanting.

We only have one more day to enjoy Seattle until we must return home. But we intend on packing our one day to the fullest!

Ruby ruby ruby ruby

As I write this, we have no cell service so it won't be posted until we get to Seattle on Sunday but we have done so much, I have to write it down before I forget. Friday, we had our first driving hiccup as we left the Shelburne Inn. Usually, Ryan drives and I navigate, and only get behind the wheel on a long stretch of road. Well, Friday morning I decided to drive since we were following highway 101 all the way to our next destination. So Ryan tells me to turn left and just follow that road. Twenty minutes later, we get to the end of the peninsula and realize we weren't on highway 101 but were on highway 103 and had to turn around and drive twenty minutes back to the Shelburne. Apparently, 101 had a junction and turned right about a mile before the Inn. So after a forty minute mishap, we were back on track and learned that Ryan should drive and I should continue to navigate.

Our journey took us to Quinault National forest where we finally got to stretch our legs and do a bit of hiking. We hiked a rainforest nature trail where we saw some of the biggest trees in the area. Some were over 100 years old and 200 feet tall. Then, we continued on our way to Kalaloch Lodge where we stayed for the night. I was really hoping to get a view of the sunset since it was our last night on the coast, but alas, the fog was so thick you couldn't even see the water from out ocean view room. We decided we were there so we weren't going to let a little fog stop us. We took a nice walk on the beach bundled in our sweatshirts and jackets. After our delicious dinner in the lodge dining room, we played Yahtzee in our room until bedtime.

This morning we departed Kalaloch lodge for Sol duc hot springs. Our first stop of the day was Ruby Beach in Olympic National Park. This turned out to be one of the highlights of the trip for me so far. Although again, it was so foggy that you couldn't even see the water from shore, we were determined to walk the beach because all of the books said this was one of the best sites to see ocean life. And it did not disappoint! Fortunately, it was low tide so as we walked along the shore and peered into the many tide pools, we saw hundreds of sea anemone, starfish, urchins, and hundreds of thousands of mussels. I was shrieking in excitement like a little kid. I guess I always thought those sea animals were tropical and not so abundant in cold water but I was certainly wrong.

After dragging myself away from Ruby beach, we drove through Forks, WA. We didn't stop here but I thought beared mentioning because it was the setting for the Twilight books and was definitely trying to capitalize on its new "fame." Everywhere you look in Forks there is a sign for Twilight tours or Bella's Cafe. It just struck me as funny.

Finally, we made it to Sol Duc hot springs and almost immediately threw on our swimsuits and went to the springs. It's not really what you might think of when you think of Hot Springs but there were 2 large pools filled with genuine hot spring water that were more like hot tubs without jets. But the water in them smelled of sulphur and felt soapy to the touch. I may not be painting the prettiest picture here because it really was nice and the water really did take away all aches and pains just as they advertise, it was just a little different than I expected. They also have a large regular swimming pool that we swam in for a couple of hours, so we really wore ourselves out. After swimming, we hiked to the Sol Duc falls and back and enjoyed a nice light dinner of salad at the resort restaurant.

I have to apologize for the lack of photos taken on this leg of the trip. I took a ton with the real camera but only a couple with my iphone, so I'll have to upload them when we get home. Tomorrow we head for Seattle, our last stop on our epic journey, on our 2nd wedding anniversary. I am really sad for our trip to end but I'm excited to be celebrating 2 years together in such a fun city!

Roses are red, and pink, and orange...

Yesterday we journeyed on from Portland to Seaview, WA. On our way out of the city, we stopped at the International Rose Test Garden. At the garden were hundreds of varieties of roses, and even spotted a couple that we grow at home. The garden was beautiful and made for some great photos. I can't wait to print some out for home. After leaving the garden, we drove to Astoria, OR for lunch and some sightseeing. We enjoyed seafood at a little restaurant on the Coquille river and then drove up to the Astoria column. The column is a landmark built atop a hill that overlooks the town. They have a tradition of selling balsa wood gliders that you take to the top of the 150 foot column and release them into the wind. Of course this idea appealed to Ryan so he shakily climbed the hundreds of steps to the top and released his glider, which subsequently flew only to the edge of the parking lot. This did mean that we could hunt it down and bring it home. While Ryan was brave and went up top, I kept my feet firmly planted on the ground.

Our next adventure took us to Shallon Winery where we met the one man operation, Mr. Paul van der Veldt. At nearly 90 years old, he ferments about six varieties of wine. We toured his 600 square foot facility and tasted each kind of wine, and purchased a couple to bring home. He was a sweet old man who really took pride in his work and was genuinely interested in his visitors. He also told us to call him "anytime within a 50 mile radius" if we needed a dining recommendation and gave us his card.

Next we made a quick pit stop at the coast guard/ maritime museum in Astoria and then headed North to Seaview. We Checked in to the Shelburne Inn around 4:30, just in time to visit the beach for a bit before our 6:00 dinner reservation. We drove to the beach access which allowed us to drive right on to the beach. We parked and walk through the COLD ocean water with our pants rolled up and took lots of pictures. We saw several crab carcasses washed ashore and I even picked up half of a sand dollar. As many times as I've been to the beach, that was my first sand dollar, even if it was broken. After about a half hour, we drove back and had a delicious dinner at the Inn followed by a glass of wine and some free entertainment at the bar.

We went up to bed early last night because we have been listening to Gone Girl on audiobook while we're driving and yesterday we got to a part where we both just couldn't wait to see what happened. So last night we plugged in the iPod and listened for probably an hour before falling to sleep. Now we are about 3/4 through and hope that we'll be able to finish before we get home.

Also, our next destination is Olympic National Park where the cell service is quite poor, so forgive us if our posts are less frequent.

Voodoo magic

Today was such a crazy day. This morning we woke up and went to the diner next to our hotel for a quick breakfast. After all of this eating out we've had to do, I was happy just to have some yogurt and an apple to give my tummy a break. Then, we went right out and began walking the city. Unfortunately, we were a bit early because we quickly discovered that most shops didn't open until 10 am. So we killed a half hour at Powells Books again before the other shops opened. We went to West Elm which I had always wanted to go to since I peruse their website all the time. Then we went to a couple of local home decor stores and a paper store. My favorite was a place called Crafty Wonderland. It was the definition of Portland quirkiness and I loved it! We also stopped at a spice shop with all kinds of spices, teas, salts, and seasonings. While walking we saw probably 50 or more food trucks of all different ethnicities. Although we didn't try any, they all looked good and became very busy at lunch time.

For lunch we made a quick pizza stop which turned out to be awesome. Sizzle Pie had delicious thin crust pizza organized into vegan, vegetarian, and meat eaters. My vegetarian spinach, feta, hazelnut and cranberry pizza was to die for and Ryan's "porky's revenge" was pretty good too. After lunch, we intended to head to a salvage store called "Hippo Hardware" but got sidetracked by VooDoo Donuts, the Portland staple that was on our Bucket list. So since we were right there, we hopped in line and waited just 20 minutes to order our VooDoo doll donut and maple bacon bar. Both were soo good and certainly worth the wait. Then we trekked 20 long blocks over to Hippo Hardware in search of some pretty glass doorknobs for our house. Well we found some but they weren't nearly as cheap as we'd hoped they would be so we left empty handed and trekked 20 blocks back to the hotel.

After a quick rest and a wardrobe change, we walked a couple blocks over to the Living Room Theatre where we watched a pretty good movie from comfy couches. I'd highly recommend "Now you see me" if it plays at a theatre near you. Next, we walked east about 10 blocks for dinner at Mother's Bistro. We found this restaurant on Tripadvisor.com and it did not disappoint. Good home cooking cooked by a mother of the month and complimentary cookies with the check. And as we were dining and people watching out the window, we noticed Cameron's book store across the street so we had to snap a picture. Cam, you didn't even know you owned a bookstore, did you?!

At the end of this exhausting day of walking and eating, we decided to head back to our hotel a little early. But the eating wasn't done just yet, we spoiled ourselves by ordering room service of a pint of ice cream from Salt & Straw, another Portland staple. The Sea salt ice cream with caramel ribbons sealed the best food day yet.

Tomorrow we hope to stop at a few places on the way out of town and then head to Astoria and Seaview, WA.

Gettin weird

Yesterday before we pulled out of Newport, OR and headed north on highway 101 again, we made one more stop at the Oregon Coast Aquarium. Even after going to handfuls of aquariums and zoos in my life, it never gets old. This one was pretty great with its interactive exhibits and feeding shows. We got to touch sea stars and walk around with puffins. A pretty great deal for $18.

After the zoo we drive up to Yaquina head lighthouse which was much bigger that Haceta Head lighthouse and even more windy. We didn't stay there for long and instead, headed up to Tillamook for a cheese factory tour. The Tillamook Cheese Factory was a stop we added at the last minute and I'm so glad we did. We got lunch in their cafeteria and then walk through the self guided factory tour. It was like any other factory tour but the free cheese samples and ice cream at the end were delicious.

After our rest in Tillamook, we got back in the car and headed for Portland. It was a pretty easy city to drive into and had no problems pulling right up to the hotel to get valeted. We settled in to our room and made a reservation for dinner at the hotel restaurant called "Imperial." Ryan had salmon a la plancha which was seared on both sides and was white instead of pink, and I had roasted chicken with greens After dinner we walked around town a bit and found ourselves doing some shopping. We stopped in Powells Books which was 4 floors of new and used books. I think we spent about an hour just browsing through the stacks. Then, we walked to Deschutes Brewery and shared a sampler of their brewers collection. By this time we were totally wiped out for the day and headed back to our hotel.

I guess something we noticed right away about Portland is that it is just as we thought it would be. The people are funky and hipster, there are bikes everywhere, they are very environmentally friendly, and a bit pretentious. At dinner the waitress was telling us how the cows were grass fed from Tails and Trotters farm. It was just like a scene from Portlandia. And Portlandians pride themselves in being weird. You see it on tshirts and billboards- which is kind of weird in itself. All in all though, it's a nice town and the people are very friendly.

I'll write another post for today since this one is getting long winded. Today was even more jam packed than yesterday.