Homeschool mom shares how to turn a road trip into an epic field trip
Plan a field trip like a pro with advice from a homeschool mom — Photo courtesy of kieferpix / iStock Via Getty Images Plus
As a homeschool mom, one thing I enjoy about homeschooling my kids is the flexibility to travel at almost any time of the year. This past spring, our family took advantage of this by traveling to Austin, Texas, to view the most recent total solar eclipse.
Rather than pay airfare for seven family members, we chose to drive to Texas from our home near Raleigh, North Carolina. Facing 20-plus hours in the car, I decided to make our drive part of the experience, transforming our family road trip into one giant field trip!
We stopped at fun and educational places — museums, tourist attractions, and the like. I learned many lessons along the way. If you’re planning a family road trip, here’s how to turn it into a memorable field trip.
Choose a road trip route that offers variety
Once you identify your ultimate destination (we spent three days in Austin), you’ll need to decide on your route to get there. For us, there were three recommended routes with a few hours’ difference among them. We decided not to take the most direct route. Instead, we went slightly north to North Carolina and then through Tennessee and Arkansas before arriving in Texas. On the way back, we passed through Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina. This way, we were able to stop at more attractions and experience a greater variety of environments — in climate, landscape, wildlife, and culture.
Tie planned stops to family and educational interests
Visiting a replica of the Greek Parthenon in Nashville, Tennessee — Photo courtesy of Jessica Cole
Once I had the general route mapped out, I began searching for things to do and see in each state. First, I considered which attractions hit on areas of interest for members of our family or tied in with something the kids were learning in school. Next, I looked at how far out of the way we would have to drive to reach those points of interest. As a final measure, I considered how long a typical visit would take and made sure the attraction would be open at our desired date and time.
Read several reviews before booking hotels
I booked our hotels through a popular travel site, heavily relying on their star-rating system. As it turns out, I probably should have checked the reviews in more detail and maybe checked reviews from a few different sources. Most of the hotels were a hit, but one turned out to be a real miss.
Consider waiting to make reservations at attractions
While it was helpful to reserve hotels in advance, I didn’t reserve tickets to most of the museums and other attractions until the day of our visit. This allowed us some flexibility to trade one stop for an alternative at the last minute.
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On the other hand, we would’ve never gotten into one particular museum if I hadn’t made an earlier reservation, so it’s important to check each destination for any likelihood of selling out.
Figure out parking ahead of time
Shaking hands on the longest public pedestrian bridge over the Mississippi River — Photo courtesy of Jessica Cole
Parking in big cities can be challenging, but modern technology makes things easier. Besides looking on a location’s website for parking suggestions, you can check your map app for nearby lots. I found Google Maps street view to be especially helpful in determining which lots would work best for us. Some attractions and even cities (street parking) will allow you to reserve parking spots in advance online.
Consider renting a van for your road trip
With five growing kids, my husband and I had been toying with the idea of trading in our minivan for a 12-passenger. Partly with this trip in mind, we took the plunge. The gas mileage isn’t great, but the extra room for packing and spreading out is amazing!
Of course, buying a van isn’t necessary for most, but it might be worth your money to rent one for a longer road trip.
Pack a suitcase for each day, not each person
When stopping at multiple hotels, packing hacks can simplify the process. Rather than dragging out seven individual suitcases every night, the kids and I pre-picked and packed our outfits into one suitcase for each day, rather than for each person. We then packed bathroom supplies and an extra outfit or two in the kids’ backpacks. It made loading and unloading so much easier.
Also, it wouldn’t hurt to bring a few dollars’ worth of quarters for coin-operated laundry, as I learned when my preschooler accidentally dirtied his favorite blanket!
Factor in time zone changes when planning your road trip
Ready to experience a total solar eclipse in Austin, Texas — Photo courtesy of Jessica Cole
If crossing several states on a fairly tight itinerary, don’t forget that you may cross time zones. Overlooking this fact worked in our favor on our way westward, but it led to one late arrival time on a planned activity as we headed back east.
Pack food and save money on dining out
We have several food sensitivities in our family and we rarely eat out, so we packed a ton of food. We bought a good quality cooler and brought a second, more basic one for backup. We refreshed the ice regularly and made sure to stay at hotels with refrigerators/freezers. Although we supplemented with food at a few convenience stops, we managed to avoid dining out at restaurants and saved quite a bit of money.
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In the end, we visited some amazing destinations, including the Titanic Museum in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee; the Space Center in Houston, and the National WWII Museum in New Orleans. The only thing I regret is that we didn’t have more time to explore some of these places. But, of course, there’s always next year!
