Return From The Wild West

For the past two days we have been making our way home, and we finally arrived this evening, speeding ticket in hand to prove our journey was made with much haste. We can't be certain exactly what time zone we're in, and we are not much looking forward to being reinstated into the real world, but we are immensely happy to be out of the car and overwhelmingly thankful for the opportunity we had to go on such an incredible trip. We saw and did more on this trip than I can even grasp, and it was just a blast. For those of you thinking about taking your own family roadtrip, I have a few words of advice:

• The Build-A-Route feature of Mapquest is really nice. It allows you to input up to 10 different stops along the way and gives you a breakdown of the time it takes between stops and the mileage.
• KOA Kamping Kabins are awesome. They are super-fun and super-cheap, and everyone is super-friendly. Many of them also have special features like free breakfast, playgrounds, or even miniture golf. The KOA website also has a trip planner that will show you KOAs along your route and descriptions of what kinds of things are nearby to see and do.
• Organize and label luggage for each stop. That way you don't have to take in everything at every stop and you have what you need close at hand. You will have a few more bags but it will be much easier to navigate and you won't end up with a huge bag that you can't carry and can't find anything in anyway. Be sure to pack a bag of things that you will need at every stop to avoid having to re-pack those things at every stop.
• Stock the vehicle with plenty of toys, books, videos, games, snacks and bottles of water. Have these in a place that is easy for the children to access.
• Stop at McDonald's (or other simialr place) to play on the playground when necessary. A few minutes of climbing and playing can make a big difference in how much longer kids can sit in the car.
• Las Vegas has a well-earned reputation for being a morality-deprived adult playground...but it is also a fabulous family vacation spot. There are so many things to see and do there, many of which are free or fairly inexpensive. It's like seeing all the popular bits of some really famous vacation spots all in one city. Each Hotel/Casino offers something unique and even beyond those venues there is plenty to do and see in the surrounding area.
• Pack lunches, if possible. Take your lunch on your daily outings to minimize frustration when everyone is hungry NOW, and to minimize your expenses. This will also maximize your fun since you won't have to stop to figure out where to eat and what everyone wants. You can always find a food court or picnic area with tables for spreading your feast.
• Try to work in a few "normal" things--playing on a playground, going to a library, watching a video or reading books. Adults love to see and do new and different things when they travel, but kids really crave consistency. Getting to do things they do all the time helps kids feel more stable when they are away from home, and allows them to enjoy the new stuff more too.
• Have a plan, but be flexible.
• Take lots of pictures and encourage your kids to take their own pictures, too.
• Allot kids a certain amount of souvenier money and help them make good choices to make the most of their money.
• Most of all, have fun!

Thanks for keeping up with us on our adventure. If you're looking for me this week, I'll be the one under the enormous pile of laundry.