It all began with a drive west just over seven years ago. I fell in love (cue the sappy awww here), and decided to pack up my life and move to Alberta with the man who would become my husband.
So picture this, beautiful January day in Ontario. I packed my little Hyundai Accent (which had been through a couple of States and all over Ontario in the four years I had it) with all of my worldly belongings. My dear husband-to-be (Mr T to you) also had his VW Jetta packed with some of my stuff and a bag of clothing to wear as we made our way across the country.
From there we set off from a snowless, sunny farm and started making our way northwest. By the time we hit Sault St. Marie, it was snowing. Little did we know, we were driving west as a huge blizzard (that would eventually make its way across the entire country) was making its way east.
In any case, it took us seven days to make it to Alberta - and that was just the first of our epic road trips.
Once firmly rooted in our new home, we took to driving around the province (some people call three hours one way a day trip - we call it going shopping in Edmonton).
On whims we would jump in the car and drive seven hours to go to Jasper. Not to ski. But to get a sandwich at our favourite joint - the Patricia Street Deli.
Over the next five years, our friends came to know that we weren't sitting idly at home on weekends. No. We were off exploring. Monday mornings inevitably started with the question, "so where did you guys go this weekend?"
Trips to Jasper, the Loop (Edmonton to Jasper to Banff to Calgary back to Edmonton and finally that three-hour leg home), Vancouver, Osoyoos, Kamloops and Golden were all favourites.
And then. And then came Mr. P.
People told us the trips would stop. We wouldn't be doing road trips anymore. It's too hard to travel with a baby.
Nah. That wasn't the plan. The plan was to make our little dood into a road tripper just like us.
And so it happened. He was born in Edmonton. It took almost six hours for Mr T, the new dad to make the drive home. That was officially his first road trip.
Two months later, leaving Mr T at home, Mr P and I got on a plane and went back to Ontario to give his grandparents something to smile about. Not a road trip no. But a reason to get Mr P a passport. And to keep the travel bug going.
As new parents we stuck pretty close to home the first few months - a day trip to the border city of Lloydminster (about an hour and a half away), Edmonton a few times. It was winter. We didn't want to risk anything.
By April, we were chomping at the bit to go. So in the car we got. Loaded with bottles and diapers and all of the stuff new parents think they need to get through the day, we set our sites on doing the Loop.
And it was perfect. Mr P was, at seven months old, still sleeping most of his day away. We would stop every four hours or so to eat, change diapers and see something new.
And it was perfect. Mr P was, at seven months old, still sleeping most of his day away. We would stop every four hours or so to eat, change diapers and see something new.
Jump ahead to August. Mr P has been doing day trips to Edmonton and thinking nothing of it. He's 11 months old now and starting to get a little independent. Mr T, who had taken four months of parental leave, was getting ready to go back to work. Mr P was going to start day care, and we thought, hey, let's take a road trip. And let's tent instead of getting a hotel. And while we're at it, let's go not just to Jasper, but maybe to Vancouver. And hey, while we're down there, let's go to the States too. We had just seen a show on Voodoo Donuts and started watching Portlandia on IFC, and decided we should head to Portland.
Wow. What a difference a few months makes.
The start of the trip was what it always is. Easy. Sleeping baby. Happy baby. Happy parents.
There were moments when he wasn't happy. Hungry. Dirty diaper. Sick of being in the car. We understood that. He slept in the tent like a champ. Which was a blessing.
And it was all good... until we started making our way back into Canada from Seattle. Then the ear-piercing, headache inducing screaming started.
We had no idea what was going on. We had no plans for lodging for the night and it was getting dark fast. Desperate, we took to a hotel. The screaming continued with short bouts of sleep. Getting back to northeastern Alberta was going to be rough.
We drove at length, trying to get back home in as little time as possible. Probably not the best idea.
It was at the point the Rules began being formed. (By the way - we tracked down the source of the crying - poor Mr P had developed bronchitis and was just not feeling well. Trust me, I had tons of new mom guilt on this one).
You see, this wasn't just a road trip, this was a learning experience. So here they are - here is what we've learned, and hopefully can help someone else later.
Rules For Traveling with Small Children (0-2)
1 - Be willing to bring toys. We don't have DVD players in our cars. Hopefully we never will. It's not just about the destination - it's about the journey. On the latest trip (August 2013), we allowed Mr P to bring four Matchbox cars, three books, Scout and Elmo. We also bought him stuff along the way. See the next post for what :)
2 - Always have snacks and water on hand. I don't know about your kid, but mine eats like a linebacker. Having food on hand is essential. Water is also essential - it can get hot in a car, even with air conditioning. You have to keep your kid and yourself hydrated.
3 - Know where you're staying by 3 p.m. You don't necessarily have to be there by that time, but have reservations and know where you're going. This is especially important if travelling on weekends, long weekends or during peak tourism times. Our first long road trip (August 2012) had us calling multiple hotels and stopping at campgrounds for almost two hours until we found something. When you have a screaming baby, that's just not an option.
4 - Stop frequently. We've called it at every two hours. Two hours is a good marker. Get a snack. Get some snuggles. Everyone gets out, walks around and gets a stretch. Our minimum stop is 15 minutes, but usually last closer to 30 minutes.
5 - Every four hours stop for a meal. As adults, sitting in a car doesn't burn many calories. But our little doods are growing, and they need food. Stop for something of substance. This works in with the stop every two hours rule nicely. For more of what we did on our latest trip (August 2013) keep reading the blog.
6 - Do something just for the kid(s) every day. We're very aware these trips are mostly about us right now. So we try to make sure we do something every day that's just for Mr P. Stop at the aquarium, the zoo, a toy store, etc. Let them go a little nuts. It's a much needed break from the car for all of you, and it lets your kid(s) know you're aware they need time to have fun too.
After hearing this story, most people said they would just give up and stop road tripping. That wasn't an option. As selfish as it all may seem, we just want Mr P to explore and experience the world. We want him to be curious and be willing to try new things. We believe doing these road trips will do just that.
Well that was a book. If you're not completely bored, keep reading for notes (and photos!) from our latest trip.
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