By the summer of 2021, our family was itching to get out and travel! COVID rates had fallen, and we had family and friends across the country we hadn’t seen since before the pandemic. Babies had been born whom I hadn’t even met yet. MULTIPLE BABIES! With so many destinations in mind, our Kids Come With family decided to hit the road!

Packing and planning for a trip of four to travel over 6,000 miles in just over two weeks was a process! We drove in our family’s SUV, and space was at a premium. Luckily, this wasn’t our first road trip with our kiddos (although it was our longest), so we had already identified several must-have essentials and a great packing list! (Find our favorite road trip essentials here!) You can also receive a *free* copy of our awesome master packing list by subscribing to our blog!

My packing strategy starts well before we leave, and involves lots of laundry, sorting, and narrowing down of options. Here’s a glimpse to get an idea, and some quick tips for your next trip!

Bonus Kids Come With Tip! If your kiddos are readers like mine and can read in the car without getting carsick, make a stop at your local library before you leave, and check out a series of books for your trip related to your destinations! This was our oldest’s selection. She loved reading to us in the car about the national parks we were visiting, and the animals that could be found in every region of our travels. (Guys… there are a lot of snakes out there.) For audiobooks, check out apps like Libby (free local audiobooks from your local library) and Autio (a storytelling app with stories related to the places you’ll be visiting)!

My kids are great in the car, and I’m sure a good amount of that is luck! I like to imagine that a little bit of that is also planning, however. Helping our kids to be comfortable and occupied on the road goes a long way! I’m not afraid to let my kids have a good amount of screen time when we travel (since we really limit it at home). Individual tablets and headphones allow each of our kids to be occupied with their own videos while my partner and I listen to music, podcasts, and chat. We also use collapsable lap desks, which are amazing. Neck pillows help them to be comfortable for those essential in-car naps. (Find links to all of these fantastic products here!)

Itinerary Time!

OK, it’s time for some Real Talk.

There are lots of different types of road warriors! Some are destination focused, driving as long as possible with as few stops as possible. Some take lots of time to meander and explore along the way. Some like to drive only a few hours per day. Some will rotate with other drivers in the car until the destination is reached. When planning out a long road trip, it is imperative that you have some serious real-talk with your copilot(s). Since we’re both professionals with in-person jobs, our time for this trip was still limited. We allowed for just over two weeks for our cross-country road trip. This included lots of days with 10+ hours on the road, as well as some days when we didn’t drive at all, because we were visiting with family. These family visits were our priority for this road trip, and so everything else came secondary. After all, I had babies (MULTIPLE BABIES) to meet.

While our itinerary worked for us, in retrospect we wish we would have taken even a few more days than we did to decrease the amount of driving on those long days. I would recommend making that shift, if you’re using our itinerary as a guideline. Additionally, keep in mind time changes (it’s a severe kick in the butt when you’re traveling East and a gift when you’re traveling West)! There might also be traffic, construction, potty stops, disruptive weather, coffee stops, fuel stops, water refills, and all the other unknowns that might occur while traveling. Through this blog, I’ll let you know when we wish we would have done something differently, or when something worked great! Additionally, there are SO MANY AMAZING THINGS TO SEE IN THESE UNITED STATES. We found a ton of our stops either through personal recommendations, via Facebook Groups, or on the Roadtrippers App!

Our Itinerary

Day 1: Drive from Eastern Pennsylvania to Chelsea, Michigan.
Hours in car: 10. Miles driven: 572.
Stops: Dr. Doolittle’s roadside cafe (Pennsylvania) and Brandywine
Falls (Ohio)
Sleep: My best friend’s house. Sorry, he doesn’t take boarders, so I
can’t recommend it.

Day 2: Drive from Chelsea, Michigan to Chicago, Illinois.
Hours in car: 4. Miles driven: 232.
Stops: None until Chicago! Then, Field Science Museum and walking
through Chicago parks until we got to Roots Pizza.
Sleep: Renaissance Chicago Glenview Suites Hotel

Day 3: Drive from Chicago, Illinois to Appleton, Wisconsin.
Hours in car: 3. Miles driven: 200.
Stops: Café Niles, Chicago Botanic Garden.
Sleep: My brother’s house. His guest space is killer, but he’s moving.
Sorry guys, no recommendations here, either!

Day 4: Hanging with my brother and his family! House. Pool.
Playground.

Day 5: Drive from Appleton, Wisconsin to Lincoln, Nebraska.
Hours in car: 10. Miles driven: 620.
Stops: Galena, Illinois; Park, Carousel, and Sculpture Garden in Des
Moines, Iowa; A cool roadside art piece (Beetle Spider); Air &
space museum (Just the outside, though, it was closed).
Sleep: Comfort Suites East, Lincoln Nebraska

Day 6: Drive from Lincoln, Nebraska to Golden, Colorado
Hours in car: 8. Miles driven: 510
Stops: Coffee at The Mill (Haymarkey), Donuts at Hurts Donut, Fort
Kearny & the Archway Monument. A bite to eat in Old Town
Kearney, dinner in Boulder, Colorado
Sleep: An AirBnB with a view I will dream about forever.

Day 7: Drive through the Rocky Mountains to Moab, Utah
Hours in car: 7 (+Colorado National Monument). Miles Driven: 400.
Stops: Dillon Marina Park; Vail; Colorado National Monument (and
the scariest but most amazing drive of my life)
Sleep: Red Cliffs Lodge. I would stay there again and again.

Day 8: Drive from Moab, Utah to Las Vegas, Nevada.
Hours in car: 8.5. Miles driven: 475.
Stops: Arches National Park
Sleep: My parents’ house!

Day 9: Hang for the day with all the family <3

Day 10: Hang for the day, explore Las Vegas (Shelby Heritage Center;
Count’s Kustoms; Las Vegas Strip)

Day 11: Drive from Las Vegas, Nevada to The Grand Canyon
Hours in car: 4.5. Miles driven: 280
Stops: Lake Mead; Hoover Dam; Willow Beach; Historic Chloride;
Dinner on Route 66
Sleep: Clear Sky Resort, Grand Canyon (awesome)

Day 12: Drive from Grand Canyon to Albuquerque, New Mexico
Hours in car: 7. Miles driven: 415
Stops: Grand Canyon (South Rim); Meteor Crater
Sleep: The amazing Sarabande B&B

Day 13: Drive from Albuquerque, NM to Arkansas City, Kansas
Hours in car: 11 hours. Miles driven: 640
Stops: Petroglyphs at Boca Nega Canyon; Cadillac Ranch
Sleep: Best Western Plus Patterson Park Inn, Arkansas City, KS

Day 14: Chill with amazing sister-in-law and Nephew!! Visit the
Exploration Space (kids museum) in Wichita.

Day 15: Continue family time! Visit The Arcade and some cute shops in
Wichita.

Day 16: Drive from Arkansas City, Kansas to Evansville, Indiana.
Hours in car: 10. Miles driven: 600
Stops: Uranus, Missouri; Laumeier Sculpture Park in St. Louis; An AirBnB failure.
Sleep: Hilton in Evansville

Day 17: Drive from Evansville, Indiana to Pittsburgh, PA
Hours in car: 8.5 hours
Stops: None, really. Losing energy!!
Sleep: Hilton Homewood Suites in Pittsburgh/Southpointe

Day 18: Drive from Pittsburgh, PA to Allentown, PA
Hours in car: 5. Miles driven: 290.
Stops: None.
Sleep: HOME!!!!

I will add that obviously, there were a million amazing things we missed. Also, some we had already seen, so we wanted to experience something new! Never fret though, I’ll drop some suggestions and links to other great adventures in the blog below!

Day 1: Drive from Eastern Pennsylvania to Chelsea, Michigan.

Hours in car: 10. Miles driven: 572.
Stops: Dr. Doolittle’s roadside cafe (Pennsylvania) and Brandywine
Falls (Ohio)

Our trip started off smooth. The kids were pumped to be watching their videos. Our music was bumping. The excitement of adventures before us was palpable. Then, an 18-wheeler Amazon Prime truck almost ran us off the road. TWICE! It almost ran a whole bunch of other people off the road as well. I called Amazon and gave the truck’s information to customer service so they could get in touch with the driver. I figured the driver must be exhausted (or something), and they assured me the situation would be handled.

A little rattled, we were relieved that the first stop of our road trip was quickly approaching: Dr. Doolittle’s Roadside Café and Creamery!

Dr. Doolittle’s Roadside Café and Creamery

DuBois, PA
http://www.drdoolittlesroadsidecafe.com

Dr. Doolittle’s Roadside Café and Creamery was a great opportunity for stretching our legs, getting a quick bite to eat, and taking a few quirky photos. The food was incredibly inexpensive, and akin to what you’d get at you run-of-the-mill snack bar. I don’t know that it’s worth driving miles and miles out of your way for, but if it’s a quick detour and you need a pit stop, it’s a great option.

Kids Come With 6 year old review: Her favorite part was the hatching dinosaur egg.

Brandywine Falls, Cuyahoga National Park

Outside Cleveland and Akron, Ohio, Off I-80
https://www.nps.gov/cuva/learn/historyculture/brandywine-falls.htm

Cuyahoga National Park is so easy to access from I-80, just a few minutes off the highway! Even better, access to Brandywine Falls is just as easy! They have great parking and an ADA accessible trail (which also happens to work great for strollers!)

Simply put “Brandywine Falls” into your GPS and follow your navigation. (Google Maps worked great for us). There’s an obvious turn into the parking lot that leads to the falls, marked by a sign. Once you park, you’ll see clearly marked paths leading you to the falls. It’s about a five minute walk, and the view is truly spectacular.

The railings are sturdy and will keep your kiddos safe, but may also obstruct the view for them a little bit if they’re still small.

There’s another view of the falls further up the boardwalk, but that view will require some steps, both up and down. It’s not dramatically different than the first, however, so if you’re kids aren’t amazing with steps or you have mobility concerns, don’t worry that you’re missing too much.

Kids Come With 6 year old review: “It was really pretty. I loved all of it.”

*If you’re reading this in 2022, be sure to check the National Park’s website for updates. The trailhead and parking lot are likely to be closed from January 2022 through the fall of 2022, since the restrooms are getting a huge upgrade! (If you saw what they looked like before, you’ll know how exciting this is).

Sleeping in Chelsea, Michigan

We wrapped our first day of driving at the home of one of my best friends. There is nothing like seeing a friend you haven’t seen for years!! He and his lovely wife had a girl who became SO big since I had seen her last, and an absolutely adorable boy, who was not only born since I had seen their family – but was now a toddler! We enjoyed a lovely dinner, put our kids down, spent a few hours having wine and conversation, and in the morning let the children play while we caught up, all in our pajamas.

Day 2: Drive from Chelsea, Michigan to Chicago

Hours in car: 4. Miles driven: 232.
Stops: None until Chicago! Then, Field Science Museum and walking through Chicago parks until we got to Roots Pizza.

This wasn’t our first time traveling from Chelsea, Michigan to Chicago, Illinois. We wanted to get in a little bit of the city during the day, and since we had already lounged around all morning, we decided to head straight there! That said, there are some truly great gems along this route that we would highly recommend! Particularly Silver Beach County Park in St. Joseph Michigan, which is right on Lake Michigan. We didn’t stop on this particular trip, but it’s worth mentioning! It boasts spectacular views of the lake, a playground on the beach, and a cute little museum with a carousel! (Bonus – the restrooms are AMAZING.)

An Afternoon/Evening in Chicago with Kids

We had been to Chicago twice already with our kiddos. The first time (2017), we were there for a wedding and hit up The Willis Tower (formerly known as the Sears Tower), which gifts visitors with phenomenal views of the city. (This is also were my daughter threw up on me. Twice. Read all about that here.) We spent the rest of our stay in our hotel. The second time we visited Chicago (2019) was for a brief stop on our way to a wedding in Kansas. We parked right by Millennium Park, which is where Cloud Gate (AKA The Bean) can be found. We intended to stop for a quick visit to Cloud Gate and dinner… but when we returned to our car, we realized that Chicago was having their Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony that night! It meant that our parking garage was going to be shut down for the next couple of hours, so we surrendered to the fate of it and hung out for the tree lighting. It such was a happy accident!

During this trip to Chicago in 2021, we headed right to Chicago’s Field Museum, at the recommendation of our friends. We parked nearby (thanks to SpotHero for helping us find great parking!), just a few blocks from the museum.

Chicago’s Field Museum

Kids Come With pro tip! A membership to The Field Museum basically pays for itself in a couple of visits, and is part of the ASTC (Association of Science and Technology Centers) passport program. This means that as members of any of the many museums that belong to the program, your family will receive free or discounted admission to museums ALL OVER THE COUNTRY. As members of our local museum (The Franklin Institute in Philadelphia), we have taken advantage of this perk at science museums in Baltimore, Chicago, Boston, and more! Even if you aren’t planning a full day at a science museum in a different city, it’s a great perk to have.

We only had a couple of hours at The Field Museum before they closed, and it’s worth a longer stay than that. It’s a gorgeous building and the exhibits are great! It’s also located very close to several other kids’ museums, which is convenient if you want to spend the day!

Our kids had clear preferences for the exhibits we visited: Dinosaurs and Egypt. There were so many more exhibits that we didn’t get a chance to explore, and we made a mental note to devote much more time to The Field Museum during our next trip to Chicago.

Kids Come With 6 year old review: “I loooooved Egypt.” Her “very favorite part” of the museum was the beautiful atrium. (Can’t say I blame her!)

A Picturesque Walk Through Chicago

Once the museum closed, we walked to the closest Roots Pizza location (again, at the advice of local friends). This was a beautiful 20 minute walk, largely using pedestrian walkways weaving through Museum Campus and Grant Park. There were plenty of other families and runners also using these walkways, and we felt safe navigating them with Google Maps.

Did I mention that this particular walk comes with gorgeous views of the city?…

…And picturesque trees and fountains??

Kids Come With 6 year old review: “My favorite part was walking on the water fountain.”

Roots Pizza

https://www.rootspizza.com
A bonus of this 20 minute walk is that you will feel a little bit less guilty about devouring those amazing mozzarella sticks at Roots Pizza.

I have to give huge props to the staff of Roots Pizza. They were incredibly accommodating, friendly, and attentive. The pizza was fantastic as promised, and those mozzarella sticks were truly legendary. (They were so good, I barely remembered to snap a pic of these legendary mozzarella sticks, only remembering when there was 1/2 of 1 stick left. See below). Our particular location also happened to be situated along Printer’s Row, with some beautiful buildings serving as a backdrop for our tasty meal. Crayons and paper were provided. Although I always have a few of those stashed in my bag when we’re out and about, my kids love the novelty of the ones provided to them by restaurants.

Day 2 Sleep: Renaissance Chicago Glenview Suites Hotel

https://www.marriott.com/renaissance/glenview

We weren’t big fans of the Renaissance Chicago Glenview Suites Hotel. Since we wouldn’t recommend this hotel, I’ll give you just a brief review of our stay here.

Overall, the hotel was pretty dirty. There was trash and dirt in almost every corner, including elevators, our room, the hallways, etc. (Hopefully this was a situational issue from staff shortages related to the pandemic, but since this was our first and only stay, I can’t be sure). That said, the lobby was cool and modern looking, and the atrium in the middle of the hotel looked pretty neat. If our kids were much older we might have gone down and had some drinks, but we were content hanging out in our room and watching some TV. We quickly scoped out the pool, but it looked a little cloudy, so we didn’t take advantage of that amenity. I had used credit card points that I wanted to get rid of to pay for the room. If I had actually paid for it, I would have been really upset. The room was divided into two sections, which allowed some separation between us and the kids.

Kids Come With Review (6 years old at the time): My daughter thought the bed was cozy, and she liked sharing a room with her brother. She thought that the couch had a weird smell to it, which she said was more obvious when she actually sat down on the couch.

Day 3: Drive from Chicago, Illinois to Appleton, Wisconsin

Hours in car: 3. Miles driven: 200.
Stops: Café Niles, Chicago Botanic Garden.

Breakfast at Brunch Café-Niles

www.brunchcafe.com

We had originally considered breakfast at our hotel, but quickly reconsidered after seeing how dirty the hotel was. It seemed to be the right call for multiple reasons, as breakfast at our hotel was expensive. Instead, we headed to the highly rated and family owned Brunch Café-Niles.

Breakfast was incredible, and our server, Yaritzi, was super sweet. Our four entrees weren’t inexpensive, but they were well worth it, and we gave our server a healthy tip. All included, our grand total was $60.06. Not a great choice if you’re on a strict budget, but otherwise we would highly recommend!

Day 4: Time with family in Appleton, Wisconsin

If you’ve never been to Appleton Wisconsin, I highly recommend it. It’s a cute town south of Green Bay, and was once home to Harry Houdini! (Drinks are named after him at many a bar in Appleton). Since it’s been the home base of my brother and his family for years now, we’ve been several times. I recommend visiting in the spring, summer, and fall over the winter, though. The winters in Wisconsin are cold AF.

Time with my family was incredible as always, and I couldn’t believe how big the kiddos had become during COVID. My youngest nephew had been born since I had seen them last, and he was already in his toddler stage!! We spent the two nights and full day of our visit mostly lounging around, visiting a local playground, playing outside, and catching up. I instantly missed them as soon as we left, and my daughter was writing everyone’s names inside of hearts that she drew in her travel journal within minutes of our teary departure.

Day 5: Drive from Appleton, Wisconsin to Lincoln, Nebraska.

Hours in car: 10. Miles driven: 620.
Stops: Galena, Illinois; Park, Carousel, and Sculpture Garden in Des Moines, Iowa; A cool roadside art piece (Beetle Spider); Air & Space Museum (Just the outside, though, it was closed).

We were quite thankful for having spent the previous day with family on this very long day in the car. That said, we had several stops on our way to Lincoln, Nebraska, which did help break up the trip!

Lunch in Galena, Illinois

In the far Northwest corner of Illinois is an adorable little town called Galena. The timing of our stop (about 3.5 hours after leaving Appleton) was perfect, because we were hungry and there was clearly a storm heading our way.

We stopped for lunch at Big Bill’s Sandwich Shop and Coffee Bar, which was right in town. We parked moments before the sky opened up and rain began to POUR. It just so happened that by the time we finished our lunch, the rain was over, and we were able to explore the town a bit before we were on our way.

Our lunch there was good! It also cost $75, and I don’t know that I would say it was quite $75 good. $75 covered 4 sandwiches, 2 milks, a tea, and two coffees. The bathrooms were fine, and the servers were nice. The chicken was slightly over cooked. My husband noted it was a little more dry than he would have liked for a sandwich that goes with bacon and Brie. Their flavors were great, though, and the ingredients are high quality! Although we were in the middle of a lunch rush, it was a nice and slow pace. (Don’t eat here if you’re in a hurry, and if you’re coming from the East Coast, know that it will be slower than you’ll expect for a sandwich shop. Accept and learn to appreciate the midwest pace!) We thought it was a cool experience to kill some time during a rain storm. The inside is cute with the hardwood floors and exposed brick.

Galena is a super cute little town. We were informed that it’s very quiet on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, but that’s also because many of their shops are closed on those days. We visited a few chocolate shops and walked around to get some exercise and enjoy some of the town’s vibe before the next leg of our journey.

Galena is unique for a midwestern town, as it feels a bit more European with all the outdoor dining areas and cute shops. (We also saw lots of rainbow flags! Woot woot for some celebration of diversity).

This is not going to be a place that your kids are pumped about visiting, but young kids should be able to hang for a short visit. Your kiddos are guaranteed to love the candy shops and ice cream shops, so if you want to give them all the sugar, you’ll find some good options. (There were a group of pre-teens hanging out, and clearly one of the candy shops was the place to be). We noticed an abundance of ghost tours, places to stay overnight, and a very spicy lingerie shop! There was also a marijuana shop you could smell from a block away, as well as a cigar shop. Galena seems to have a little something for everyone, and candy to bribe your kids along the way. If it’s not too far off your route, it’s a good place to eat and get a few steps in!

A quick road-trip stop in Des Moines, Iowa

Let me start by stating that Iowa is a beautiful state to drive through. Farm after farm, with small hills, green fields, and blue skies. It’s also extremely spread out, and was the first leg our cross-country road trip that felt truly less populated, that we had entered “Middle America.” We were also beginning to feel the need to stretch a bit by the time we arrived in Des Moines, and we were excited for our first time visiting Iowa’s biggest city.

It’s worth noting that we stopped in Des Moines, Iowa in July 2021, which was the second summer of COVID. That said, Our visit to Des Moines was odd. We saw so few people walking and/or cars on the road that we wondered if a zombie apocalypse had happened, and no one had told us. There were amazing murals on building walls, and really cool architecture… and no one was around to see any of it.

Union Park & Carousel in Des Moines, Iowa

If you need a quick stop for the kids (and a motivator for good behavior!), the Heritage Carousel at Union Park in Des Moines is a perfect option. It’s only 50 cents per ride (!!!)

Even though we LOVED the carousel, we weren’t big fans of the rest of Union Park. The restrooms were horrific (I wouldn’t use them unless it was an absolute emergency), and profanity and hate symbols were carved and written all over the playground. A lot of the playground equipment was broken. That said, it’s easily possible that that this was related to limited resources due to COVID.

John and Mary Pappajohn Sculpture Park

The John and Mary Pappajohn Sculpture Park in Des Moines was a great stop with our kids! It’s free to explore, and a nice way to get some steps in. Were some of the sculptures the things of nightmares? Yes, they certainly were. Still, the Alphabet Man was super cool, and our kids really enjoyed themselves. Additionally, we saw more people at the Sculpture Park than everywhere else in Des Moines combined.

All in all, if you’re looking for a quick stop in Des Moines, we’d highly recommend the carousel and sculpture garden, but we’d pass on the rest of Union Park.

Kids Come With 6 year old review of Des Moines: She did not like that there was no soap in the bathroom at the park. She liked the sculpture garden. She thought that one of the sculptures I pictured above looked like Dobby the House Elf (from Harry Potter), and some of the other sculptures reminded her of Nightmare Before Christmas. (I can totally see it!)

Kids Come With 3 year old son review of Des Moines: He liked riding a zebra on the carousel.

Volkswagon Beetle Spider (Roadside Art Piece)

This piece of roadside art was listed on the Roadtrippers App, and we decided it would be a fun little detour. Nestled in a neighborhood in the middle-of-nowhere Iowa, this was totally worth the couple of minutes of a drive off I-80. It was neat! We didn’t have to get out of the car, and it broke up the trip. (Sometimes it’s helpful to have a stop breaking up the countdown timer until your destination is reached on Google Maps).

We thought this stop was fun, but we also worried that we might obviously cause some negative feelings if we pulled into the driveway of this private property, so we only stopped temporarily, and only on the public street. The metal dragon and dinosaur sculptures next to the beetle-spider were also entertaining.

Outside the Strategic Air & Space Museum, Ashland Nebraska

The Air & Space museum in Ashland Nebraska had been closed for hours by the time we got there. That said, we figured it would still be worth a stop to scope out the outside of the museum for future trips. We were so glad we stopped! It was a quick detour, and worth seeing these cool rockets up close! Next time we’re heading through Nebraska, we’ll be sure to make it a much longer stop (and during their open hours).

Day 5 Sleep: Comfort Suites East in Lincoln, Nebraska

While the Comfort Suites East in Lincoln, Nebraska was shockingly cleaner than the Renaissance/Marriott property we had stayed at in Chicago, it was still pretty dirty. The sloppy paint job attempted to conceal a water leak in the ceiling from the room above ours, and a giant red stain on the carpet could be found right inside the door.

The bed placement was terrible. My husband slammed his foot on the side of the bed, and I stubbed my toe to the point of bleeding (I’ll spare you the picture). The direction of the air conditioning vents cold not be adjusted. A vent pushed the air right out into the room. If you don’t like to have air blown onto you, this is not great.

The couch bed had a sheet set and a pillow in the closet, but no blanket. The front desk clerk said she had absolutely no access to the towels or blankets or sheets, so we used a towel for the pack n play, and divided the pillows amongst ourselves. I really like to give people credit, but I can’t understand how that’s possible. If you are the ONLY STAFF member overnight at a hotel, you don’t have access to the sheets or blankets? What if someone vomits in the room and needs a fresh set? (We are experts at dealing with kids’ vomiting on vacation).

We did have access to a luggage rack both checking in and out, which was handy. Check in was fast. The WiFi was basic. The television was small. The remote control didn’t have a battery cover, and it looked like it might have been tuned to over-the-air channels and not actual cable. We did not even consider the pool. We kind of had the feeling that it wasn’t going to be good, and when we walked by on our way to the room, it was so cloudy, we immediately ruled it out as an option.

The bathroom fan did not work. As an aside… what is it with the hotels not having working fans in the bathroom? It was the same deal in Chicago. ALSO – the coffee maker was in the bathroom. Gross. Gross. Gross. It was clear our coffee maker hadn’t been cleaned. There was no way that coffee maker didn’t have fecal matter on it. A coffee maker three feet from the toilet? No thank you. Kids Come With Pro Tip: Are you a coffee snob? Bring coffee from home, something to use to heat up water in the microwave, and a French Press.

Breakfast at the hotel was just ok. The sausage seemed leftover from the day before, but heated up again. The eggs were fine. It was a pretty standard free hotel breakfast, nothing special.

The bed (although placed terribly) was reasonably comfortable, and the pillows (divided up amongst our family) were good. It did not feel like sleeping on a slab of cement, which was a plus. Given that we were legitimately driving across the country, it was nice to be able to rest, especially for my husband who has been doing all the driving.

Day 6: Drive from Lincoln, Nebraska to Golden, Colorado

Hours in car: 8. Miles driven: 510
Stops: Coffee at The Mill (Haymarket location); Donuts at Hurts Donut; Fort Kearny & the Archway Monument; A bite to eat in Old Town Kearney; Dinner in Boulder

Coffee at The Mill, Nebraska Innovation Campus

The Mill Coffee & Bistro, Nebraska Innovation Campus

After feeling ‘meh’ about the hotel we had slept in the night before, to say we were pumped for coffee with a heaping side of vibe was an understatement!! A friend who lived locally recommended The Mill for coffee. This place Was. So. Good. My husband and I each had a cold brew, which the barista explained gets diluted a little for taste, but with either milk or water at the customer’s preference. The place was tastefully decorated, so much so that we asked for the manager’s contact information so we could find out where they found one of their large tables for our office back home. Speaking of seating, there was ample seating, and the barista was just lovely!

Donuts at Hurts Donut, Lincoln Nebraska

Click here for the Hurts Donut Facebook Page

The same friend who recommended the amazing coffee place above also recommended Hurts Donut, which we found right near the University of Nebraska Lincoln campus. The entrance was a bit hard to find, but there are directions on their Facebook Page. It looks like a government building, and the Hurts Donut entrance is on the right side of the block if you’re facing the building. There is a banner near the entrance.

There was plenty of traffic in and out of this quirky little donut shop. The place was cute inside, with a couple of tables and a cooler of drinks. The donuts were unique and creatively designed, with names like “ET,” “Bart Simpson,” “Slim Shady,” and “Cocoa Pebbles.” 5 stars for this fun little donut shop!!

Fort Kearney, Nebraska

http://outdoornebraska.gov/fortkearny/

Did you ever play the game Oregon Trail when you were a kid? If so, you’ll remember the milestone of reaching Fort Kearney, Nebraska. A main stop on the (also real-life) Oregon Trail, Fort Kearney holds an amazing amount of significance in US history. Today, visitors can explore what remains of this historic fort, visit the Fort Kearney Museum, and more. It’s worth a stop if your family likes historical landmarks (and/or if your kids need to get out and run for a while).

Archway to the West

www.archway.org

We knew we had quite a drive ahead of us, and we wanted to make it to the Rocky Mountains before dinner. So instead of exploring the Archway, we simply drove past/through the Archway and snapped a few pictures, making a mental note to stop here next time. There are plenty of exhibits to see and things to explore at this tourist destination, and all the information can be found on The Archway’s website!

Lunch in Old Town Kearney

We stopped in Old Town Kearney for lunch, and ate at Tru Café. Sadly, this restaurant has since closed its doors permanently, as the owners have decided to focus on “the next chapter” of their lives. Lunch was around $45 with tip. We ordered four sandwiches and hummus, all of which were very tasty and generally healthy. We were able to get take out in about 10 minutes, and my husband and I ate in our car in the parking lot. Our kids continued to eat for approximately 38 more minutes in the car as we continued on our way. (Yay for lap desks!)

From the plains to the Rocky Mountains

For the next several hours, this was our view. (Did I mention Nebraska is flat? Gorgeous, but flat).

And then, suddenly, the faint line of the Rocky Mountains appeared in the distance…

…and then they got bigger…

…and bigger…

…and BIGGER!!!

…Until you’re right on top of them.

Day 6 sleep: An overnight in Boulder, Colorado

After our long drive, we found parking and grabbed some food to eat at a (pricey!! and 7-on-the-yummy-scale-but-10-for-vibe-restaurant-I-can’t-remember-the-name-of) restaurant in Boulder.

After dinner, we grabbed some groceries so we could make breakfast at our AirBnB in the morning, and began our (oh-so-gorgeous) drive up the mountain to our AirBnB. With each turn and ascent, the landscape continued to change.

Eventually we arrived at our destination: Stone Cliff Cottage, an AirBnB with a view I will remember for the rest of my life.

In addition to the amazing views, our AirBnB was great on the inside as well! Everything we needed was there. It was an efficiently planned out and remodeled cabin with a beautiful deck. We sat under a blanket to watch the sunset and the sunrise. (I will say, if they could cut down/trim just two of the trees the view would be even more amazing. You find yourself trying to look around them, hoping your brain will put it together). Once it was too dark to enjoy the view (we held out as long as possible), we streamed some programs and then slept comfortably. The cabin is tucked away, and there’s a spot to park your car right next to the cabin. The host was great and the cabin was clean. It wasn’t intimidating to get to, although I was nervous it would be! (I wouldn’t want to do it in the snow, though!)

The link for this incredible AirBnB can be found here: Stone Cliff Cottage

Day 7: Spending the day driving through the Rocky Mountains before heading to Moab, Utah

Hours in car: 7 (+Colorado National Monument). Miles Driven: 400.
Stops: Dillon Marina Park; Vail; Colorado National Monument (and the scariest but most amazing drive ever!)

We plan on coming back to the Rockies. This was really a trip through the mountains with a “sampling” of stops, if you will. We had a plan to keep moving, and we were going to stick to it! That day, we woke up in the mountains outside Boulder, Colorado, and went to sleep in Moab, Utah!

After we woke up to watch the sunrise and drink our coffee, under our blanket on the porch of our cozy Airbnb in the mountains, we made breakfast with provisions from town, and ate on our deck (obviously) with the kids. The kids initially started on the opposite side of the picnic table, but eventually we all sat on the same side, enjoying the view together.

After breakfast, we got ready with a quickness and drove down the mountain, heading deeper into the mountain range. We decided to drive through the Rockies from East to West, making stops and exploring as we headed in the direction of Moab Utah, our destination for that evening.

Dillon Marina Park

https://www.townofdillon.com/home

Our first stop was the Dillon Marina Park, which we had planned on visiting primarily for the view. I had read that the view was spectacular, and Dillon did not disappoint! I mean…

Although the view was truly spectacular as advertised, we were pleasantly surprised by a PLAYGROUND sharing these most epic views… with the reservoir and the Rockies in the background.

There appeared to be someone warming up to play in an amphitheater, and there was someone using what looked like a Back to the Future hoverboard in the water. The playground experience was nice, and good for the kids. My husband especially liked the “spinny thing,” which the kids also enjoyed, almost the point of throwing up. It was tough to find a parking spot that day.

Sidebar, can we talk about the parking and the way that people communicated with us in the Rockies?

Kids Come With Tip: In every town we visited, parking took some time. it was always a challenge to find a spot, so if you’re visiting, be sure to leave extra time!

Next, the way that people communicated… No one in this area seemed to communicate with one another, and definitely not with us. At Target, it was quieter than it would be at a library. No niceties/small talk, and no friendly smiles. Even store employees whose jobs it was to greet and bid farewell to customers didn’t even make eye contact, let alone actually bid the farewell or hello. When trying to find parking, no one communicated with anyone else. No one gestured to anyone else to go ahead or waved a thank you, no one waved anyone else on, no one seemed to look out anything but their windshield.

At the Marina Park, on the above pictured beautiful path along the water, a woman’s dog suddenly lurched at our son, barking and jumping. While the woman pulled her dog towards her and redirected her dog, she didn’t even acknowledge us. Then, I tried to make a mom-to-mom comment to someone on the playground – you know, smiling, making a little joke – and she just walked right by, as if I wasn’t even there. Can someone help me with this? Is there some sort of code we aren’t aware of? Is there a bubble that we broke somehow? Is it aloofness? My husband read that people who live in that area are in some of the best mental and physical health of anyone in our country. While people were certainly physically fit, I didn’t get the happy vibe from them much. And this is coming from people who live in the northeast, where we are stereotyped to be cold to one another. I would really love some insight into this issue from someone who lives in this area. Was this a total fluke? Influenced by COVID? Is it typical?

Anyhow, back to the gorgeous marina:

Vail Village, Colorado

wwww.discovervail.com/the-village

After letting our kids burn off some energy at the reservoir, we hopped back in the car and headed to Vail Village. Now, we had never been to Vail before, so we had little idea of what to expect. We both knew that Vail was known to be a ski resort town, but that’s about it.

After we parked in the garage (that seemed like it took us all the way to the core of the earth, it was so massive), we walked out into the pedestrian only Vail Village.

It was if some witchery or magic had occurred between the parking garage and stepping into the village itself, where the hotels looked like something out of an ultra luxury castle you’d see in Game of Thrones (in the North obviously), with high end shops and restaurants. Suddenly, English was only one of the languages heard spoken around us, and it was clear that this was a popular destination for international tourists.

We were hungry, so we snagged a table at the Red Lion. Unfortunately the table was inside, so we couldn’t enjoy the beautiful town, but it turned out fine because it rained for a bit while we were eating. The menu was kid friendly, and our kids were happy with their dino-nuggets and grapes. My husband had some of the best chicken quesadillas ever, and my chef salad was just ok. (I really needed the veggies).

After lunch we quickly identified a stop for ice cream at Sundae, a little ice cream shop in Vail. Everyone ate their ice cream right up, except for my daughter whose ice cream cone was bigger than her head. It took her a little bit longer. (See below). The salted cookies n cream was delish!!! The staff were ok, a little apathetic… just like the people in Boulder and the town where the marina was.

At this point, it was clearly nap time, as our son was beginning to channel demons and our daughter was giggling that mischievous, higher pitched giggle that any parents well recognize… so we headed for the parking garage.

Colorado National Monument

https://www.nps.gov/colm/index.htm

We decided to drive for a while to let our kids rest. Simply driving through the Rocky Mountains is a destination. Around every turn is a gorgeous view.

Our next stop would be the Colorado National Monument. We read that there was a way to drive through the park, while also continuing to make our way West. (Yay for multitasking!) We had no idea that this would be one of the most memorable experiences of our vacation!

There are fees to get into the Colorado National Monument (get the latest details here), but these are covered if you have a National Parks Pass!!

Kids Come With tip!: A National Parks Pass provides admission to over 2,000 sites in the United States. This can be well worth it, and might even pay for itself in just two visits to National Parks! We had purchased one in advance of our 2021 road trip, and it was shipped directly to us. This was super convenient, and helps with more speedy admission to the parks! You can visit the USGS website for more information here.

Even the drive up to Rim Rock drive (the scary drive) is amazing. This part of the drive isn’t scary, it’s just beautiful.

Rim Rock Drive is the truly gorgeous drive through the Colorado National Monument that will take. your. breath. away.

…AmIRight?

Now, if you start this drive on the West side of the park, your car will not spend 50% of the drive mere feet away from what seems like a several thousand feet drop. But, you may miss out a little on the views. We started on the East side of the park, which meant driving along the cliff for the majority of the journey through the park. This provided spectacular views, and the fear I have of heights (which I would consider to be mild to moderate) only took about 3 months off of my life, which I consider to be worth it. If you have a paralyzing fear of heights, this drive is not for you. If you are not a good driver, this drive is also not for you. But if you can tolerate your fear of heights and trust the driver in your family, then absolutely take this drive. It is so worth it. Time it right, and you can even view the park at sunset.

My husband said that as the driver, what you can see is absolutely beautiful, and there are plenty of viewpoints to get out and take pictures. Around the turns and when there are a lack of viewpoints, however, the driver has to pay attention to the road or you and your car full of family members will die. That’s not dramatic, that’s totally how it is. Inches off the white line on the edge of the road is a 5,000ish foot drop, including sections with no shoulder and no guardrail. The white line is basically where the road ends.

All that said, we would still absolutely recommend a trip down Rimrock Drive! There are plenty of viewpoints where you can bring your kiddos out of the car to explore, take in the views, and snap a few pics.

Just make sure you give yourself two hours, plus whatever you need to get to your destination before nightfall, because there are absolutely no lights. We certainly made it out before sunset (and in fact approaching sunset led to some of our best photos), but our drive to Moab was then largely in the dark. We saw one mountain goat in the other lane eating plants on the side of the mountain. It had no interest in moving for any cars, just looked and kept eating. This makes sense, we were clearly on the goat’s turf.

If we could have done anything differently, we would have stayed nearby and continued our journey to Moab in the morning.

The road to Moab (which was a lot less main of a road than we thought it would be) is supposed to be quite a nice drive along the Colorado river. We couldn’t see anything though, because it was so dark, and we passed no public buildings and almost no sign of civilization anywhere for an hour.

Kids Come With Tip: When on a road trip, refuel FREQUENTLY. Especially once you get away from the East Coast. Any time you get down to half a tank, stop at the next gas station. You don’t want to run out of gas with no sign of gas stations around, and no cell service whatsoever.

Kids Come With Bonus tip!: Every time you stop to refuel your gas tank, use the restroom (even if you don’t have to), and ask the cashier if you can refill your water bottles with ice and water. (We had a HUGE Yeti we refilled, as well as our personal water bottles). Everyone always said yes. One person charged us 50 cents.

The bumpy roads we took through Utah to get to Moab went on seemingly forever. You could see shadows of the cliffs around us. We could really only see the river on the map (even though it was supposedly right next to us), because it was so dark. We passed seven cars in a total of 50ish miles approaching Moab. Once at our destination, you could see starts actually twinkle like we have never seen before. The stars were so bright, my phone even captured them.

Day 7 Sleep: An Overnight in Moab: Red Cliffs Lodge

www.redcliffslodge.com

Approaching Red Cliffs Lodge at night was kind of magical, with lights lining the path to the main entrance. (However, I do still recommend arriving during the day if possible). Check-in was simple and convenient, and there were parking spaces available just outside our room. I forgot to snap some pics of the room, but I’ll describe it as best I can!

This is one of the most unique stays we’ve ever had. The room had a unique layout, with the sink and bathroom immediately to the right, and in front of you a small hallway leads to a bedroom with a king-sized bed. As you keep walking forward, you step down to the living/eating area with a pull-out couch. While the tiles have seen better days, they seemed appropriate for the decor. The motif was very dude ranch/western, with wood on the vaulted ceilings, and cowboy themed artwork everywhere.

We all passed out quickly, but if my husband and I wanted to hang out after our kids went to sleep, it would have been hard to do so inside, because it’s all really one big room. That said, we would have just hung out outside and stared at the AMAZING STARS. I even saw a shooting star! Not just any shooting star. It was huge, and yellow, and whipped across its bit of the sky with a trail behind it. (I later recounted this sighting to my rocket-scientist dad, who thinks I saw something else, not a shooting star. I maintain my stance. Magical shooting star).

The room was well appointed with tons of towels and bathrobes, and the couch bed was already made up, which was a blessing for this tired momma after a big day driving through Colorado. They have pack ‘n plays available, but we just brought our own. The TV was not huge, but did swivel so it could be seen from both the bedroom and living room.

Let’s talk location and views. Actually, forget talking about it… I’m just going to show you the view we woke up to right outside our room on our private balcony.

This was just the view from the back of our room. The view from the front of our room wasn’t bad either…

It goes without saying, the location was beautiful. We watched the sunrise from our private patio while we drank our coffee. (This blinded us a bit… be sure to bring your sunglasses inside for the morning). Btw, the coffee maker is like a large-batch keurig, and it’s only ok. Trying to make your own fantastic coffee from home in this coffee maker won’t work well, and so we recommend grabbing (the decent) coffee from the main building for breakfast and taking it back in a to-go cup. (Alternatively, you can bring your own coffee and a French-press along! That’s another Kids Come With tip!)

The breakfast buffet was plentiful, with a good range of options. There was plenty of fruit, bacon, pancakes, biscuits, beverages, pastries, etc., and a view TO DIE FOR! Eat by the windows or outside!!

The staff was lovely. They always asked how we were doing, and if we needed anything. They treated our children as guests who are valued as much as adults are, speaking to them directly, and in an age-appropriate manner. I noticed at that exact moment that this was the first time this has happened so far with staff at any hotel or restaurant on our trip. (I remember that this is something we experienced ALL THE TIME IN IRELAND.) Everyone there was so kind to our kids.

BTW – Did I mention the views from the restaurant?

There was a pool that looked clean, but we didn’t get a chance to use it ourselves. There were also horses, a winery, and all the things we will hopefully spend a few days experiencing the next time we visit Moab. Rest assured, we’ll be back!

After breakfast, our kids spotted lizards outside our room (which kept them plenty entertained while we packed up the car).

Once packed and equipped with alllll the SPF (as well as a magnet given to us at checkout which still lives on our fridge), we headed to Arches National Park.

Day 8: Drive from Moab, Utah to Las Vegas, Nevada.

Hours in car: 8.5. Miles driven: 475.
Stops: Arches National Park

Driving from Red Cliffs Lodge to Arches

Even the drive from Red Cliffs Lodge to Arches National Park was gorgeous. Keep your phone/camera handy. The red cliffs we missed driving in at night surrounded our drive to the national park.

Arches National Park, Utah

https://www.nps.gov/arch/index.htm

Arches National Park is truly an incredible destination. As such, it receives a whole bunch of visitors. Fortunately, the line of cars to get into Arches moves quickly! There is a fee, which you can read more about on their website. Just like the Colorado National Monument, however, admission to Arches National Park is included with the National Parks Pass!!

There are lots of incredible rock formations and views as you drive the main road up to some of the main arches, and lots of opportunities to pull your car over for a better look. (Don’t worry, you won’t miss them. Just follow the main road. The options to pull over, the viewpoints, and the trails are all clearly marked). You’re not going to get lost.

We did not plan to spend the whole day in Arches, since we had the final leg of our journey to my parents’ home in Nevada ahead of us. Therefore, we prioritized a couple of kid-friendly hikes, and plenty of time to stop at the view points.

Kids Come With Tip: I know I’ve already mentioned that I follow some awesome Facebook Groups about travel with kids, but there are a few specific websites that are great resources specifically for visiting Arches with kids! I looked at each of these while planning our trip, and they’re all worth a shout-out: Run Wild My Child, Discover Moab, Full Suitcase, and Utah’s Adventure Family.

Arches is gorgeous. Everywhere you look is magical. You’re just in awe of the beauty around you. A map is helpful for your confidence in navigating the park (save it to your phone ahead of time!), and a bit of research in advance of your visit will help you determine which hikes are for you. If all else fails, however, the best gauge is really figuring out how each trail looks to you when you get to it. There are plenty of kid friendly trails!! Some of them don’t even seem like trails, because they’re so accessible!

Balanced Rock:

Eventually, you’ll drive to a circle (like a huge roundabout, almost, with tons of parking). This one circle will have access to turret arch, double arch, and windows arch, all of which are within walking distance of one another. There, you can quickly decide which arches you’d like to hike to. The trails to windows and double arch were very family friendly. You can comfortably hold your child’s hand and walk up, and older kids can walk themselves.

The above trail to Window Arch is a little steeper than it looks! Also, there’s a DROP on the other side, so don’t let your littles run ahead of you too far.

Kids Come With Tip: The path to Double Arch is easier than the first Window Arch… so if these are the only two you’re going to tackle, consider the Window Arch first, then Double Arch. As the day gets hotter, you’ll appreciate the fact that you did the steeper elevation first!

We recommend going to Arches early if you can, because it was HOT by the time we left. Even the hike to windows was more comfortable than the walk back to the car. Bring water, SPF, and appropriate clothing for the trip.

Kids Come With Tip!: dress your kids, and maybe even yourselves, in light colored clothing appropriate for the level of hiking you’ll be doing. Bonus Tip! The light colored clothing will look great in your pictures against the beautiful red rock background!

Double Arch is particularly photogenic, and there is a clear circle of rocks designating a viewing area almost exactly for this purpose. See examples of this opportunity for cuteness below:

Kids Come With 6 year old review: A year later, our daughter still remembers, “It was SUPER HOT!!!” She maintains that visiting Arches was her favorite part of the entire trip, though, especially Double Arch.”

Driving to Vegas

After visiting Arches National Park, we booked it to Las Vegas. That’s right. Straight there. “But Allison!,” you’re thinking. “You drove right by Zion! You could have visited so many other amazing sights!” Yes. Yes, you are correct. We drove RIGHT past Zion. My soul died a little inside as Zion came – and went – on our GPS. That said, my family was in Vegas, and I had not seen some of them in 18 months. Additionally, because they live in Las Vegas, I can come back out and have a home base to visit some of these phenomenal national parks any time I want! Bam!

BTW, this is what my kids looked like about 5 minutes after we got in the car following our visit to Arches:

The drive from Arches National Park to Las Vegas is pretty stunning. I snapped a few of these pics on our way. (I bumped up the saturation in photo editing, as I often do, just to try to reflect the beauty I perceived IRL).

And OMG, driving through the Virgin River Gorge?!?!?

Also, Littlefield?!?! Where have you been all my life?

Finally we arrived at my parents’ home outside Las Vegas. We spent the next several days in family reunion bliss.

Day 9: Nothing to see here.

On day 9, we did nothing but hang with my family at my parents’ house. We had a mini baby shower for my brother and cuñada (sister-in-law), I squeezed my nieces and nephews about 3,000 times, and I stayed up having cocktails, laughing, and crying with two of my siblings. It had been entirely too long, and it nourished my soul to an extent that I cannot describe.

Day 10: Hanging with family and a tiny bit of sight seeing in Las Vegas

On day 10, we ventured out of the house just a bit to see some cool cars, and to show the kiddos a tiny taste of the Las Vegas strip.

Shelby Experience/Heritage Center

This is a great stop for car lovers! We did the self guided tour, particularly because we had kids with us, and it just wouldn’t be a good thing to take the toddlers we had with us on the official tour. That said, our boys flipped when they saw the cars, and literally danced and jumped their way to the check-out counter with their souvenirs after our visit.

If you’ve ever seen the move Ford v Ferrari, you became a fan of racing and of Carol Shelby. The Shelby Experience had a huge window with viewing access to watch the staff working on the cars in their shop, which was awesome to watch. There were Shelby Cobras, GTs, pace cars (some for sale!), and gorgeous cars, all on display. If you’re a Ford or Mustang person, you could easily buy out half of the shop with the right amount of cash. The staff were all extremely nice, even to our boys.

Count’s Kustom’s

The Count’s Kustom’s building is a small showroom featuring several of the projects from these reality TV stars! It’s a very fast walk through, even if you take your time to look at the cars, but it wasn’t far away from the Shelby experience, and so it was a nice addition to our car-enthusiast afternoon. Bonus: it is also free!

Unfortunately, our littles had a tough time following the rules, so we had to take one of them out of the shop in the middle of a temper tantrum. I sat in the car with my son while my husband looked at the rest of the cars, and then we switched.

A quick visit to the strip

We learned a lot from our quick trip to the strip that afternoon, and we definitely won’t do it again in the way that we did. (I’ll explain more below).

We parked for free at the garage attached to Planet Hollywood, and walked through the Miracle Mile shops to see the fountain show at the Bellagio.

The Miracle Mile shops are generally air conditioned, although during this particular visit they also smelled a little bad. (No idea why). It’s a good place, though, to get a few souvenirs and a quick bite to eat! (We should have gotten a bite to eat at this point).

Side note: I thoroughly enjoyed watching my little brother, just a few weeks away from having his first baby of his own, wrangle and attempt to entertain my toddler. It was equally satisfying and entertaining. (Is this just a big sister thing? Sadistic/karmic revenge?)

(Oh my gosh, editing this post, I JUST noticed the smirk on my face. 😂😂😂)

Once we back outside, that July mid-day desert heat hit us like a ton of bricks. Even though we only had to wait 10 minutes for the fountain show at the Bellagio, everyone was a little grumpy by the time the show started. Luckily, the kids forgot all about their grumpiness during the fountain show!

… and unfortunately, their grumpiness quickly returned on our way into the Bellagio. My kids in particular had a hard time shaking their over-tired and hangry crankiness, even when surrounded by the stunning beauty of the Bellagio conservatory.

Our timing was bad. We should have gone to the strip four hours earlier, right after lunch and a little bit of a nap. That way we wouldn’t all have been hangry and thirsty by the time we got to the strip. We should have brought more water and snacks (it. was. hot!!!). We would have enjoyed it a lot more. Also, by the time the sun was setting, the army of showgirls was arriving in larger and larger numbers, and the crowd shifted from a daytime crowd to a night time crowd. So, I’m glad we saw the fountain and the amazing conservatory in the Bellagio, but we handled our next visit to the strip in 2022 differently, with much more success!

Day 11: Drive from Las Vegas, Nevada to The Grand Canyon (South Rim) in Arizona

Hours in car: 4.5. Miles driven: 280
Stops: Lake Mead; Hoover Dam; Willow Beach; Historic Chloride; Dinner on Route 66

This isn’t a terrible road trip. It’s easily accomplished in one day, and it’s a relaxing one at that.

After a tearful goodbye to family on the morning of our 11th day, we were back on the road! Our first stop on our way to the Grand Canyon would be Lake Mead, but we’d pass some of beautiful Nevada on the way.

Lake Mead

We started with eating lunch at a quick stop before heading to Lake Mead. On our way, we noticed the amazing view of Lake mead from the highway, and really wanted to get a closer look. We have the “America the Beautiful” pass, which allows entry into all national parks for a year, and this also worked to have free admission into the Lake mead Recreational area. We drove down right to the marina, but decided the view was actually better at the viewpoint from the admission gate (and the one from the highway is probably even better, but we missed it. Kids Come With Tip: If you don’t want to actually visit Lake Mead, keep an eye out for the lookout on the highway!)

Lake Mead appears like an oasis in the desert, practically out of nowhere. It’s on our list now to spend more of a day in Lake Mead and rent a boat someday, but on this particular trip we really just wanted to scope it out for the future.

My husband and I each got out of our car and snapped a few pictures. I cleverly mentioned to my husband that if he went down to the path a short walk (maybe 10 yards) from the parking lot, he could get even better photographs without the power lines being in the picture.

What a rookie mistake!!! After only a few seconds standing and taking his pictures, he heard not one, not two, but three rattlesnakes surrounding him. (I’ll give you a moment to shake that off… hah… get it? “shake” off the “rattle” snakes? LOL).

Fun fact: did you know that you can find the most venomous of the rattlesnakes in Lake Mead? My husband hightailed it out if there with a quickness.

Kids Come With Tip/Word of Warning!: STAY. ON. THE. TRAILS. Unless you’re an expert and know what you’re doing (we’re not), this is always your best bet.

Lake Mead is super beautiful though, and the water looks crystal clear. That said, unless we were actually able to stay a while, we wish we would have stopped at the viewpoint on the highway instead.

Hoover Dam

https://www.usbr.gov/lc/hooverdam/
Next, we stopped at the Hoover Dam. When you’re coming from Las Vegas, you’ll see a sign for a scenic viewpoint. If you have the time and want to see the Hoover Dam from a few different perspectives, it’s a worthwhile stop! You can climb the steps (so many steps) and/or take accessible ramps all the way up to the bridge that overlooks the Hoover dam.

That said, the view from the other side is even better, and you don’t even have to climb up super far! Honestly, given that it was SO HOT and we figured we’ll go back to the Hoover Dam someday, we wished we had just gone straight to this view instead!

Check it out!:

Kids Come With Tip: To get to the above view, follow the signs for the Dam itself (you’ll have to drive through a quick security checkpoint). We did not stop at the main visitor center and walk around, so if you have all the time in the world, and you do that, I’d love to hear your suggestions and experience! (We’ll do it next time!)

Anyhow, drive PAST all of that, over the actual Hoover dam, onto the other side and up the hill. There is only one option of where to go, so just keep following the road, all the way up. At the very top, you’ll be pleasantly surprised by this amazing view of the entire dam, the bridge behind it, and everything else. Extra bonus – there is a small visitor’s center at the top, where you can score some snacks, souvenirs, ice cream, and even play the old school Zoltar machine made famous by the movie “Big.” Totally worth it!!

Extra bonus: The views on the way back down are fantastic. You’ll drive back down and back across the bridge a second time as you follow your GPS directions to your next destination.

Willow Beach

https://willowbeachharbor.com/
Our next stop was not planned at all.

Soon after we crossed into Arizona, I noticed this amazing view out my car window (see pic below) of what we later learned was Willow Beach, at the base of the Black Canyon region of the Colorado river. There is a lookout point for this beach, which I highly recommend if you don’t want to take the time to drive down to the beach.

If you have some extra time, however, Willow Beach is a truly magical destination. It’s one of the nastiest restrooms you’ll find, and the to-go snacks and drinks are overpriced, but this generally locals-only destination is a great opportunity for you to dip your toes in the icy Colorado River on a really hot day. (When we were there it was 109F!)

Historic Chloride

The landscape in Arizona is beautiful. My sister and her family recently moved here, and I can’t wait to visit more!

We stopped for a quick detour in Historic Chloride as our next roadside adventure.

I had found this stop on the Roadtrippers app, and thought we’d give it a try. When driving into Chloride, and as you reach the historical society’s replica of an old Western town, you wonder to yourself if this is how Lighting McQueen felt when he first rolled into Radiator Springs… Or you wonder if maybe if you’ve found yourself in the town that inspired The Hills have Eyes…

Real Talk, guys… If you’re skittish, I don’t recommend stopping in Chloride. This is absolutely in the category of offbeat adventures. However, if you LIKE the offbeat and you can breathe through the Hills Have Eyes vibes, the cheesy historic replica is kind of a treat!

As I approached the well in the center of their make-shift town, I felt as if I had walked onto the set of Westworld. It went from feeling cheesy and creepy to just cool. I was excited to be there and wanted to take a million pictures.

The guy from the historical society came out and talked to me about their history, pointing out the buildings that were actually original to the town.

Dinner in Seligman

Our next stop was in the town of Seligman, an town on old Route 66.

The Route 66 pride is STRONG with this town, as evidenced by their wall murals of the Route 66 sign, Lightning McQueen, and Mater. This completely enthused our kids.

We chose Lilo’s West Side Cafe over the Roadkill Cafe. Although the Roadkill Cafe’s parking lot was full, we just couldn’t bring ourselves to do it.

We were pleased with our choice of Lilo’s! The bathrooms were fine, there was a skeleton clad in Harley Davison gear sitting at the bar, and a whole lot of taxidermy animal heads hanging on the wall. A college basketball game was on TV, and there was a table of gentleman in 10-gallon cowboy hats enjoying the game while they had their dinner. We were all satisfied with our meals. Even though they got my husband’s order wildly wrong, the chicken was grilled to perfection and the fries were super crispy. Everything was better than anticipated. I didn’t quite get the Route 66/German combined vibe at the time (I found out later that Lilo was born in Germany) – but it was worth the stop, and there’s a gas station right down the street.

Day 11 Sleep: Clear Sky Resort, Grand Canyon

https://grandcanyon.clearskyresorts.com
We arrived late to our reservation for the Clear Sky Resort at the Grand Canyon. (What else is new? We were always running late, caught up in our adventures along the way.) However, it turns out that our timing was perfect, as the normally desert-like climate experienced a severe thunderstorm that day, and the resort had lost power for a full seven hours, cutting all electricity and water pressure. They had just regained electricity prior to our arrival. In the irony of all ironies, we had a mostly cloudy sky during our overnight at the “Clear Sky Resort.”

You can’t see this glamping resort from the road that you take to get there, but once you approach the turn into the resort itself, the lights guide you in to a truly unique experience.

We met a staff member who had come out after seeing our car approach. We were the last guests to check in for the evening, and they had been anticipating our arrival. (They clarified that they generally try to reach out over text in advance of checking in, but they somehow did not have our number). The concierge/check-in desk, btw, is open from 7am to 11pm.

The reception area was cool, in its own dome, and with tables equipped with board games, complimentary drinks, and what I can only describe as swinging/hanging pods. Obviously, our kids went right for those.

Once we checked in, we were given the location of our dome and relative parking, which was a very short walk from our dome. (So short, in fact, that we didn’t require the conceierge service they offer, assisting with bringing your bags from your car to your dome).

When we walked into the dome, it was pitch black. Once we turned on the lights, we were treated to the visual spectacle that was our Pac-Man/80’s video game themed room.

A large, round, Pac-Man bed was the focus in the center of the room, with two egg-shaped chairs (which our kids called “pods”) in the back of the room, a swinging clear chair, and an arcade table equipped with all the 80’s classics.

There was a (steep) ladder leading up to the loft with two beds (one larger and one smaller), laying on top of a kind-of-oddly-worn carpet square floor. It was fine, but a weird contrast to the rest of the awesome room.

The entire room was a bit moist feeling throughout our stay, likely due to the unusual and immense rainfall they had earlier in the day. I can’t imagine this would be typical. The main wall of the dome was floor-to-ceiling heavy-duty plastic/vinyl covering a metal frame, with an amazing open feel to the outside world. The same material was used for the skylight area of the dome, which had a sunshade below it, controlled by a remote provided with directions. A wall of curtains was able to be left closed or open, and a telescope provided for guests. This was a cloudy night, and the moon was fairly bright, but the truth is we really couldn’t see anything through our skylight, with the exception of two small stars. We thought that perhaps with a new moon, on a clear night, we might have had a better shot. The loft was also situated to the side of the skylight, so the frame for the sunshade also partially blocked our view.

That said, the view of the stars from just OUTSIDE the dome is awesome, and chairs and a hammock are provided. (Ours were too wet to use).

The bathroom was way better than you’d except, even for glamping. The shower itself is cool, with a rain shower head and plenty of hot water with good pressure. There was a mirror light, but we wish there was a night light in the bathroom as well.
Kids Come With Tip: Most hotels and resorts are lacking both a night light and a stool, and I so wish they were provided! (For this reason, we usually bring our own night lights).

Towels were soft and plentiful, and shampoo and body wash were also provided in the shower, mounted to the wall. I wish there were some other shelves in what otherwise felt like a pretty high-end shower. (Bending down to the floor to pick up all your products does kind of take away from the experience).

When we woke up, we walked to the food truck for breakfast. This was the only meal we had at the food truck, but each of us was thrilled with our meal, including the kids. The food seemed a bit pricey, but the quality was great, and so the price was well worth it. We placed our order and were given a pager that would let us know when our food was ready (15 minutes), so we went to go play games with the kids and get some free coffee from reception.

Speaking of games and activities for the kids, there is really a nice array of options for the whole family. They had giant Connect 4, giant Chess, movies projected at night on a big screen, tables with swing seats, a very cool fire pit with s’mores kits available at night, a bike track, a playground, and a massive bouncy platform.

Checkout was smooth. We were sent a text in the morning with checkout instructions, and we checked out simply by replying to the text!

We left around 10:30 to head to the Grand Canyon from the resort, which was great in terms of taking our time in the morning, but since we were stuck in traffic to get into the park, (the trip took an hour when it should take about 30 minutes), I would suggest leaving earlier to skip the lines.

We would go back to Clear Sky Resorts, but during a new moon, hopefully not after a thunderstorm (which obviously you can’t predict), and ideally without the kids, or once our kids are older. The dome experience would have felt a little more awesome with glass panels instead of the slightly distorting vinyl, and I could have done without the ants when walking around the property (what are you going to do though, the ants were there first), but overall this resort is in pretty great shape for being fairly new, and I’m really looking forward to trying it out again at a later time! Next time, we’d also stay two nights – both before, and after, a day trip to the Grand Canyon.

Day 12: Grand Canyon, then drive to Albuquerque, New Mexico

Hours in car: 7. Miles driven: 415
Stops: Grand Canyon (South Rim); Meteor Crater

The Grand Canyon (South Rim)

https://www.nps.gov/grca/index.htm
We knew when planning our stop at the Grand Canyon that we couldn’t stay long, but we didn’t have a specific agenda, timeline, or plan.

We arrived to the park around 11am, after driving/sitting in traffic for an hour to get in from our stay at Clear Sky Resort. The drive was pretty though, and we saw a cow elk and other animals on our way in. (Our six year old daughter read to us about the park’s wildlife from her library book while making the drive).

We were admitted for free with our “America the beautiful” national park annual pass, or else the admission would have been $35 for our vehicle and family of four. 

We parked near the visitor’s center, and it was just a short walk to the beautiful views of the canyon. 

A couple of safety notes to parents:
First, don’t be lulled into a false sense of security just because you see a fence or guardrail. We saw a whole bunch of kids climbing around on the cliff’s edge away from those fences (my heart almost stopped about twenty times), and there are plenty of areas that aren’t as well-protected as one might think. (Some areas don’t even have guard rails, particularly at other View Points) Case in point:

Second, the squirrels of the Grand Canyon are notoriously aggressive. Not like an “I’m going to scratch your face off” kind of way, but an “I’m going to snatch that cookie out of your hand” kind of way.

These squirrels at the viewpoints were very present, and ranged from adding a bit of whimsy to being downright distracting and aggressive. Some of the squirrels were cute (and boy, everyone there seems to think so), but it was clear that they had become conditioned to expect food from guests. There seemed to be two groups of squirrels – those that had become conditioned to receive food from guests by being aggressive, and those who became conditioned to receive food by being downright adorable. And I’ll tell you what, some of those squirrels are fat. There are signs directing guests to not feed the squirrels (obviously), and I was a bit surprised at how many of the guests were still feeding the squirrels despite all of this.

Kids Come With Tip! Don’t feed the squirrels. Also, eat your snacks in your car while you’re waiting in traffic to get through the main entrance, or on a trail once you’re at the Grand Canyon. Not where the visitors congregate.

We wanted to check out a few different viewpoints, which was a great call! The other viewpoints were far less crowded and provided new perspectives of the amazing landmark. Additionally, riding the bus was our son’s favorite part of visiting the Grand Canyon. Go figure.

We chose to take the Orange loop bus, which took us to a few great viewpoints, as well as a small geology museum!

Unfortunately, we had to hike back to the visitor’s center from the last stop (Pipe Creek Vista) because the bus was full. Honestly, it was a great walk, with the exception of my toddler having a tantrum about wanting to be on the bus instead (since it was his favorite part of the Grand Canyon, and he was hours past nap time). The views were incredible though, and I was super thankful for the spots of shade! Never mind my nervousness about the thunderstorm that would be rolling in…

We made it back to the Grand Canyon’s visitor’s center area JUST as an INTENSE thunderstorm hit. We were soaked, but luckily we were able to seek some shelter in the gift shop, followed a sandwich shop (terrible sandwiches, awesome iced mocha).

Eventually, we saw that the storm wasn’t going to stop any time soon, and we were overdue for hitting the road to make it to Albuquerque that night. I clutched my son and we ran for it. My daughter sprinted behind us. My husband, also carrying all of our lunches from the sandwich shop, raced behind us.

Tragedy struck as the sandwich bag being carried by my husband ripped open. Our daughter yelled “see ya!” to my husband, and sprinted up behind me. Totally unaware of all the sandwiches (still wrapped, thank goodness) and water bottles on the ground, or my husband struggling to salvage our lunch, I buckled up the kids in the dry safety of our car as my husband, soaked from the rain, scooped up our lunch and darted to the car.

As we drove away, we were soaked, a little cranky, and a lot entertained at the unique end of our brief visit to the Grand Canyon – one that we will never forget.

Meteor Crater

www.meteorcrater.com
The Meteor Crater national landmark was a fun stop on our way to Albuquerque, with restrooms, and an opportunity to stretch our legs.

The signs lining the road on the drive up to the Meteor Crater are half the fun of visiting:

Once at Meteor Crater, there were some great photo ops for our nerdy, science-loving family:

While it was super cool, we would not say it was $57 cool, especially given our time constraints. Had we allocated a couple of hours to this stop, we may have felt differently, as there were a lot of experiences and exhibits we didn’t have the time to explore. I wish we could have just paid to see the crater. They were selling NASA memorabilia in the gift shop, as well as non meteor-related things, like a full Native American headdress (which struck us as a bit out of place an insensitive).

The stormy drive to Albuquerque

We drove through some incredible landscape on our way to Albuquerque. The storms we encountered made our drive even more surreal!

As an East Coast native, I’m used to lightning storms lighting up the sky, but not seeing as much of the cloud-to-ground contact as you can see out West, since there’s nothing to obstruct your view. This gave me an opportunity to try out some strategies to capture some of this on my iPhone camera!

Kids Come With Tip!: The best strategy I found was to use my tripod/selfie stick to rest the phone on the dash (while I could sit back) and record a minute or so of video, hoping to capture some lightning. When I did, I was then able to look back at the video frame-by-frame and take some awesome-looking screen shots.

After this storm, the rest of our drive to Albuquerque was fairly uneventful.

Day 12 Sleep: Sarabande Bed & Breakfast

Albuquerque, New Mexico
https://www.sarabandebnb.com

Our stay at the Sarabande Bed & Breakfast was so incredible that I devoted an entire blog post just to our experience there. You can read it here!

Here is a short version:

Communication with Amy, the Sarabande innkeeper, was fantastic. From the morning of our arrival, she was in touch with us. She even sent us the menu for breakfast the next morning, which we selected using the markup feature on my phone.

After easily checking ourselves in, we opened the door to the kids’ room, made up and ready for sleep. My sigh of true gratitude and relief was audible. Our kids were cranky and it was LATE – but their beds were ready. to. go. (It was at exactly this moment I knew that Sarabande would easily receive a positive review from the Kids Come With family). Our room was more prepared for us (and for our children to sleep) than any other hotel we had visited since the beginning our two week road trip. It was just what we needed.

Once our kids were down (with a quickness), we were free to explore the rest of our suite, and found even more surprises waiting for us! We relished in every special touch. Overall, our suite was comfortable, cozy, modern, and well-appointed. The Southwestern design did not feel “overdone,” but instead combined beautifully with midcentury modern choices. There were French doors, a gas fireplace, and a private patio we could not wait to explore in the morning!

Breakfast at the Sarabande (provided either delivery to your suite or taken inside the dining room, at the guest’s preference) was incredible. They accommodate all dietary restrictions, and everything is expertly prepared. We enjoyed our breakfast in our own private courtyard.

Day 13: Drive from Albuquerque to Kansas

Hours in car: 11 hours. Miles driven: 640
Stops: Petroglyphs at Boca Nega Canyon; Cadillac Ranch

After feeling incredibly rested (thanks to Sarabande Bed & Breakfast) we were prepared to hit the road for a VERY long day of driving.

Petroglyphs at Boca Negra Canyon

https://www.nps.gov/petr/planyourvisit/bn.htm
Our first stop was to see the petroglyphs as Boca Negra Canyon, right in Albuquerque. Our daughter had really been wanting to see some of these historic rock carvings, and had been reading about them in one of her library books.

For our family, this was definitely good for a quick stop and some trail head pictures of petroglyphs, but our kids would have definitely had to be older to do the other hikes. It was also very hot on that July morning.

Unfortunately, this site has not been free from vandalism, and smiley face emojis have also made their way into the rocks. The authentic carvings were pretty cool!, though!

Cadillac Ranch

If you’re driving right through Amarillo Texas, then you’ve really got no excuse to not stop at Cadillac Ranch. It’s right off the highway and a very quick, fun stop!

The first thing you’ll notice is the spray-painted road, leading to the art installation. No worries, there is a truck with spray paint for sale, and/or there will be cans of spray paint lying around for you to use.

Next, you’ll walk through the spray-painted pedestrian gate: (Are you sensing the theme here?)

Finally, you’ll arrive at Cadillac Ranch in all it’s quirky, spray-painted glory. Grab a can and spray! Maybe grab a magnet on your way out. Stretch your legs and enjoy.

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/cadillac-ranch

Driving

For the rest of our drive on Day 13, we drove. And drove. And drove. And drove. Sometimes we stopped for gas. We ate something, somewhere in there. And then we drove some more. Through the rest of the Texas panhandle, and into the never-ending farmland that is Oklahoma. (Side note… we’ve spent some extended time in Oklahoma before. There are some awesome things to see, we just didn’t stop on this particular trip). We were on a mission to get to our next stop, Arkansas City, Kansas, where my sister-in-law’s family lives.

Day 13-15 Sleep: Best Western Plus Patterson Park Inn, Arkansas City, Kansas.

For three nights, we stayed at the Best Western Plus Patterson Park Inn, located in Arkansas City, Kansas. For a grand total of $448.47, our family of four shared a MASSIVE room (basically a suite, it just didn’t have an official separate bedroom with a door that shut). That said, you’ve gotta love those Kansas prices and hospitality! We can’t stay with my sister-in-law’s family when we visit because she has cats (we’re pretty allergic), but this hotel is just a few minutes from her house and is a great option to crash at the end of the day. They also have a decent continental breakfast!

Kids Come With Tip! We’ve learned that our kids can not share a bed together. Someone is likely to end up kicked in the head, screams and whiny complaints will wake our entire family (and floor of any hotel), and it just sets up a bad situation for everyone. We love this easy-peasy tiny blow-up mattress, which suits our kiddos just fine. It takes up minimal space in the back of our car, we only take it out when needed on road trips, and it can be set up and broken down in minutes. It’s also a novel experience for our kids, so they get excited to sleep on it.

Unless we can find another great, affordable, reliable place to crash in Kansas, this will continue to be our home base! (Somehow I completely missed the boat on snapping pictures of this hotel during our visit, but if you visit their website, they have a decent gallery!

Day 14: Family Time & Wichita, Kansas

The morning of our 14th day was spent with my sister-in-law and nephew. We had coffee, chatted, had more coffee, and crafted. My son played with cars that had been put aside for him (like Christmas for this kid), wheeling each and every mini race car (because they’re ALL race cars, obvi) all over the house.

Once appropriately rested and caffeinated, we headed to the Exploration Place in Wichita, Kansas. WHAT A COOL KIDS MUSEUM!!!!! Our kids were entertained here for HOURS. (OK, let’s be honest. Our kids AND all adults were entertained here for hours.)

I couldn’t believe how many exhibits there were. We spent almost four hours at the Exploration place and we could have spent more!! There are traveling exhibits, as well as permanent exhibits. One of the traveling exhibits while we were there was Paw Patrol. It was a hit!

There are a bunch of permanent exhibits. One of our favorites was the aviation room!

The pièce de résistance was a Medieval castle room!…

…WITH A CATAPULT!

I will say it was a little tough to keep track of our kiddos as they raced through this several-story high castle.

We didn’t make it to the planetarium, as the museum was closing. That said, there was still plenty for us to do! There is also a huge room dedicated just to kids under five!

Kids Come With Tip: The Exploration Place has snacks more than lunch food, so pack a lunch if you’ll be there all day. We bought their last two hot dogs, and most things were sold out as of a couple of hours before they closed.

Kids Come With 6 year old review: My daughter loved the Exploration Place, especially the aviation room. She does not love that we have a picture of her in Medieval Timeout.

Day 15: Family Time in Wichita, Kansas

Once in (oh-so-cute!) Old Town Wichita, parking isn’t always super easy to find. We found a great spot though in this lot, on the corner of N Mosley St. and E Douglas Ave.

Guys, even the parking lots are cute. I can’t remember the last time I said that about any place I’ve parked in Philadelphia.

The Arcade

It was hot in Wichita on that day in July 2020, so we decided to spend some time in the air conditioning! Luckily, this fantastic local spot was available! The aptly named “Arcade” charged $10 per person to play all. day. long. (Except for pinball, which is 50 cents per game. Bring cash for the pinball, and there’s a change machine on site). Kids are $8!. This place was so fun.

At the Arcade, we were able to play some classic games we haven’t played since we were kids! (Donkey Kong! Galaga! Pac Man!) At each of the pinball machines, there were camcorders pointed at the machine, with the video playing on a screen above each machine, so you could watch someone’s gameplay without being on top of them!

This is really an amazing deal. We were there for hours! It was seriously so fun introducing these games from our own childhoods to our kids. There weren’t a bunch of pre-teens like you might expect in an arcade (as no one under 16 admitted without an adult), and there are lots of stools available. There are two bathrooms. It was a little warm inside, it’s dark, and there are no windows once you get into the main arcade. They host parties, and have these awesome tables that look like giant Nintendo Controllers.

I love the nostalgia of it all. Check out the poster below! It was hanging in the bathroom. You’ve got to know this movie, right? (If not, stop reading and go watch it!…Then come back, obviously.)

We went to The Kitchen (also aptly named) for a lunch break. Before leaving, our hands were stamped (with a ghost from Pac Man, of course) so we could return after lunch. It’s walking distance from the Arcade, has a yummy and diverse menu, great cocktails, wonderful service, and was well air conditioned. Would recommend!

Day 16: Drive from Arkansas City, Kansas to Evansville, Indiana.

Hours in car: 10. Miles driven: 600
Stops: Uranus, Missouri; Laumeier Sculpture Park in St. Louis; An AirBnB failure.

I’m not going to lie, the first five hours of this ten-hour driving day were rough. Middle America is beautiful, but sometimes the scenery doesn’t change drastically from town to town. It can feel a little disorienting. You get a whole lot of cows, small towns with one main road cutting through them, lots and lots of old cars, and very few hills or turns. It’s tough to remember to keep looking for the unique, because it’s there! Sometimes it’s just a little further under the surface.

Uranus, Missouri

www.uranusmissouri.com

“A dad joke on steroids that survived a nuclear meltdown.” This is how my husband describes Uranus, Missouri. You truly can’t appreciate the sense of humor of this place until you are immersed in its silliness. (I apologize in advance for every forthcoming pun in this section. Also, you’re welcome).

Although the highlight of Uranus is the Fudge Factory (and general store), there are things to laugh at just about everywhere you look. Kids will get a kick out of this place, and you will too as an adult (although you might roll your eyes a few times as well). Notice: If you are put off by the things you read in this section don’t stop in Uranus. It’s not for you.

In addition to alllllllllllll the puns, Uranus is home to the World’s Largest Belt Buckle, as well as some opportunities to eat, shop, and get some ice cream.

Also, surprise!!! An amazing playground for kids!! I had no idea this was here!! Honestly, this is worth the stop alone. I was thrilled (…no, relieved) seeing this playground when we pulled into the parking lot.

Laumeier Sculpture Park in St. Louis, Missouri

www.laumeiersculpturepark.org

We had been to St. Louis before (let me know if you want tips on the most amazing, not-crowded view of the arch you will ever find!!!), so we decided to make a quick stop of St. Louis this time on our way to Evansville. The free Laumeier Sculpture Park in St. Louis, Missouri seemed like a great option, and we were so glad we stopped!!

This was a great place to get in a walk and let the kids run, all while taking in some fun and truly incredible art. All for free! While the art is truly fantastic, some of the larger-than-life sculptures might be mistaken for an offbeat roadside attraction when posted on Instagram. (I mean, what would you think if you just saw a picture of my kids running around this massive eyeball?)

Day 16 Sleep: Hilton in Evansville

Initially we were supposed to stay that night at an AirBnB in Evansville. The VERY cute place we had stayed before was unavailable, so we chose a new AirBnB. Unfortunately, this new place was a total fail. The front door didn’t lock (somehow we run into this a lot), and there were some obvious repairs that needed to be made in order to make this a safe place for our kids, without me worried we’d end up in the ER because one of them sliced their foot or finger on a broken tile.

Kids Come With Tip: If you check into an AirBnB or other rental space that doesn’t sit right with you, take action immediately. This is the only way to keep your family safe and also have the greatest chances of a refund. I have so many tips for handling these situations based on our own experiences, and so I’ll be making a post about this soon.

We only paid $100 more for our room at the Hilton in Evansville, and it was worth ever penny. Our door locked, and it was clean, quiet, and safe. We were given water and cookies upon check-in. Breakfast at the Hilton was a la carte (or the buffet for $15). We were so (sooooooo) tired that I didn’t snap one picture. That said, I slept like a baby.

Day 17: Evansville, Indiana to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Hours in car: 8.5 hours
Stops: None, really. Losing energy!!

Real Talk, guys. By day 17, we were pretty beat. My friend came to our hotel that morning with her ADORABLE baby, and after that, we were ready to hit the road. Our home state of Pennsylvania (and our last night of vacation!) was only eight hours away, and we were ready to get there. No doubt this was a consequence of many long days of driving more hours than we should have. We drove through Indiana and parts of Kentucky and West Virginia before we finally saw the sign for our home state of Pennsylvania!!

We stopped as little as possible, focusing on trying to have a nice night at the hotel before passing out.

Day 17 sleep: Homewood Suites by Hilton-Pittsburgh/Southpointe

Our efforts were rewarded, and we spent some time with the kiddos by the fire pit in the courtyard before heading back to our room.

Day 18: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to HOME in Eastern Pennsylvania!

Hours in car: 5. Miles driven: 290.
Stops: None.

Can you tell that we were losing steam? On our final stretch, we didn’t stop once. We headed straight home. I didn’t snap a picture, we didn’t stop for coffee, we didn’t even stop to use a restroom. We somehow were able to drive five hours straight. It was as if our entire trip had been preparing us for this one drive. (Kidding). On our way home, I placed an Instacart order for delivery, since we knew that our fridge at home was bare. I also placed an order for dinner to be delivered as well. We just wanted to get home and be home.

Then we arrived. And it was glorious.

Once the kids were asleep, we spent the rest of the night captivated by the photographs of our trip. Although we were snuggled in our (oh-so-comfortable) bed, we were already longing for our next adventure.

🙋‍♀️Hi! I hope reading about our adventure was helpful to you! Please feel free to leave your questions, comments, and suggestions!! Remember to subscribe to the blog and receive a free copy of our comprehensive packing list!!