Chasing Davies: Family Vacation: by Road Trip!

June 22, 2015

Family Vacation: by Road Trip!



How to take a road trip with toddlers for your family vacation

Oy! I will probably need a vacation to recover from this vacation, as traveling with two littles is something we are not pros at yet (can you ever be?).  And to make waters a bit more uncharted, we took to this family vacation by road (our first time!).  We are spending some time in Colorado, and the first phase of our trip is coming to a close - and we've had a great time (though a rocky start upon our arrival after too little of sleep with some tantrums at the baseball game...)!  Thanks to some friends and family along the way that are taking us in, helping to guide us around and a lot of planning, we just might get through this entire trip feeling refreshed!

We started thinking about what to pack, things we needed to buy and doing the loads of laundry a couple of weeks before our trip, and then packing the week before. That really helped keep the day before the trip a bit more sane (though, still full of what-are-we-forgetting-moments).  We packed separate backpacks of overnight clothing, PJs and essentials for the road trip pitstop (heck no we weren't planning to make the drive in one day).  And then we filled up the back seat and inside of the car with snacks, books, toys, the kids' favorite blankets and Kindle Fires' attached to headrests loaded with movies.

After some complaining, screaming and crying - AND two stops - within the first two hours of the leg, we stopped (for the third time) for dinner at Freddy's (the In & Out of the midwest, I say) and reset. With belly's full, some extra treats they don't typically get and then changed into PJs - we hit the road again. We made it to  our hotel for the night and all crashed by midnight (Liam not sleeping ONE FREAKING WINK the whole day). 


The next morning, we ate some hotel breakfast and hit the road to finish our trip to Denver, CO. With both kids pretty grumpy from the little sleep the day/night before, we were hopeful they'd fall asleep this leg and be refreshed for the start of our vacation. Didn't happen, and that's one thing you have to be ok with going into traveling with little ones: Nothing ever goes as planned.

But once we got to Colorado, and a night of sleep to regain some sanity, it was all worth it!  We got to see some loved ones, experience the Highlands farmers market on 32nd street - which was adorable, and these cherries along were totally worth the trip to CO!  Plus, I got a new hat and we had a delicious brunch with my sister, followed by a fun day hiking!

Best brunch in Highlands Colorado area

We went on our first hike at Dinosaur Ridge, near the Red Rocks Amphitheater in Colorado (near Denver).  This was such a fun one to do with little kids - not just for the Dinosaur fossils, bones and other info along the way, but there were hiking options. You could stay on a nice, wide paved road to hike around the mountain or cut into it by taking the rocky path on up. Liam was up for it and Nora nestled in the backpack, so we did it!

Liam did such a great job - climbing all the way up, leading the way by himself (us closely behind) and then even climbing back down. He only slipped once, but shook it off and kept going. He just kept talking about how high up he was (and kept asking when we were going to get to the snow mountain - the one we experience last summer).  He talked about his mountain climbing the rest of the day!

Where to hike with kids toddlers in Colorado
Hiking in Denver area with toddlers

Stay tuned (and you can also follow along our journey and travels via Instagram and on Snapchat at @ChasingDavies) for more Colorado travel adventures (and recommendations)!

Now, are you inspired to travel this summer?  With or without kids, by plane or car, near or far - Discover can make it easy for you!  We've been using my husbands card along this trip (and others) to earn extra miles for our next trip(s) - the ones where we'll fly, haha!  

Discover It Miles has no annual fee and you can fly any airline at any time - just use your Miles and Discover credits your statement! Plus, cardmembers can redeem miles at any amount for cash, or as a statement credit toward their travel purchases, including commercial airline tickets, hotel rooms, car rentals, commuter transportation and taxicabs.  As an introductory offer, Discover it Miles cardmembers will now receive double the amount of miles they’ve earned at the end of their first year – with no spending cap. That gives travelers using the Discover it Miles Card the opportunity to determine for themselves the amount of bonus miles they receive in that first year.  

Check out the rewards you can get with this card here!
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I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.