Ever since viewing the solar eclipse totality in 2017, our family hoped to see it again the April 2024. Since we have relatives near Austin, Texas (in the path of totality), it sounded simple enough to take a trip to visit them. but, in reality, traveling halfway across the country with two adults and five kids is never an easy process! Airfare for 7 is quite expensive, especially in proximity to a big event. Driving, however, would take at least 21 hours each way.
We hated to drive all that way and only have a few days with family, especially considering the weather could always prevent us from viewing the eclipse. So, I came up with the idea to make our drive part of the experience by stopping at fun and educational places along the way—museums, tourist attractions, and the like. In other words, we would turn the whole journey into one giant field trip!
To make this happen, I spent hours poring over routes, maps, and tourist sites. Ultimately, we decided on a route that would take us through 9 states—North Carolina, Tennessee, Arkansas, and Texas on the way there, and Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina on the way back. Coincidentally, we would also travel through (or just around) the capital cities of all but one of these states! Between the stops on the road, the eclipse, and a little tour of Austin that family members gave us, we had a new field trip almost every day!
One post is not sufficient to cover the amazing things we experienced and learned on our trip. So, my next couple posts will dive into those details! For now, here is a quick overview of. . .
Things I learned on our cross-country “field trip”:
- Buy or rent a big van. Partly with this trip in mind, we decided to trade in our increasingly-cramped minivan for a “real” 12-passenger van. The gas mileage is rather sad, but the extra room for luggage and spreading out is amazing.
- When staying in a different location most nights, creative packing simplifies things. Rather than dragging out 7 suitcases every night, the kids and I pre-picked our outfits and packed them into one suitcase for each day rather than each person. It definitely helped!
- Speaking of hotels, I booked ours through a popular travel site, heavily relying on their star-rating system for reviews. As it turns out, I probably should have checked the actual reviews in more detail and maybe checked reviews from a different source. Most of the hotels were fine, but one turned out to be a bit sketchy. I will be more careful about my selections next time!
- While it was helpful to reserve hotels in advance, I did not reserve tickets to most of our stops until the day of our visit. This allowed us the flexibility to trade one stop for an alternative at the last minute, especially if our travel plans got waylaid. On the other hand, we would never have gotten into one particular museum if I had not made an earlier reservation, so it is important to check for any likelihood of selling out. Also make sure the location is open at your desired date/time—I almost made that mistake a couple times!
- Don't forget that you may be crossing time zones. My daily itinerary kept us on schedule better than expected, but I forgot to account for the time change, which threw us off a bit one day.
- Parking with a big van in a big city can be challenging, but modern technology makes things simpler. Besides looking on a location's website for parking suggestions, you can check your map app for nearby lots. I found Google Maps street view to be especially helpful in determining where we could park. Some places will also allow you to reserve your parking spot in advance online.
- Invest in a good cooler. To save money and account for food sensitivities, we packed a ton of food. We refreshed the ice as needed and used refrigerators / freezers where possible, but in general the food and ice stayed remarkably well-preserved. We supplemented with food at convenience stops, but we did not eat at any true restaurants!
- Listening to Adventures in Odyssey (or other audio dramas or audiobooks) is a great way to pass the time. I purchased multiple albums during a Black Friday sale and played them off my phone. (The only downside was that I couldn't do anything else on my phone. Oh well.)
- Speaking of phones, if your teen/preteen has a phone and a pair of headphones, you may not hear much from them. At least this means less bickering, but it doesn't exactly make for family bonding time. (I had bought a family discussion game but unfortunately left it behind!)
- Bring a few dollars' worth of quarters in case the preschooler has an accident and you have to use the coin-operated hotel laundry.
- We had heard rave reviews of a place called Buc-ee's, a Texas-based convenience store making its way east in various locations. It is certainly a great travel stop: tons of open gas pumps, immaculate bathrooms, and several tasty food items you can't get elsewhere. Just be aware that the place might be a madhouse on Saturdays around spring break.
- The adults will probably get more out of a trip like this than the kids. I remember taking similar family trips as a teenager, and while I definitely enjoyed them, I was more tagging along than being an active tourist. You look at things a bit differently as an adult, especially when you are the one planning the stops!
- It's fascinating how different the climate, landscape, and wildlife can be in other parts of the United States! Also, driving through a state gives you a whole new perspective on what it offers. The hills and desert vegetation of Austin reminded me of central California, whereas north-eastern Texas was relatively flat and barren. In southern Louisiana (my first time in that state), I found it fascinating to pass by the bayous on miles of highway up on stilts. I also saw my first armadillo in the wild (even if it was roadkill)! I've heard it said that overseas travel isn't necessary when there's so much to see in our own country. While I don't fully agree, I am beginning to see the point!
No matter your destination, there are interesting stops everywhere! That said, you can visit new places across the country, and the 4-year-old will still be most excited about getting an Icee at the gas station. Has your family ever taken a trip like this one?