Planning For Vacation

Sometimes I plan too much. I can admit that. But the planning keeps me sane.  

We are planning on taking a  vacation in August which will include a  nine hour road trip-and that's just one way, straight driving. 

A few months ago, hubby and I went through Google maps and found points of interest along the way,  put towns into a trip planner.  Depending on kids, how we're feeling and what not, we might stop and eat lunch.. Well, we'll eat lunch, the kids can play at a park or rest stop, or we'll eat in the car.  While we have a rough itinerary written down, we're not sticking to too much of it.  

I'm keeping track of everything in a notebook.  It's all in one place and if I find something else we might want to explore, it goes in the notebook.  Honestly, it really does a hinge on how high gas gets and the hotel price as to what else we can do.  But we do have quite a list of free things to do to make it fun for everybody.  

This morning, I sat down with my notebook and wrote down how I want to pack the van.  

In the back seat with Andrew and Eva, they'll have their toys, notebooks with school worksheets (my kids are geeks, what can I say?), coloring pages and crayong and pencils.  Blankets to cover with (they are weird), extra blankets for sunshades if the need arises. And under the seat will be towels for spills or accidents, simply because we will have a van of littles and you never know.  

In the middle seats will be Grace, snacks and drinks in a small cooler for easy access, the atlas, toys blankets, snack cups, drink cups, and the diaper bag with a change of clothes for the kids so I don't have to dig through the suitcase if the need arises.  

The front seat will get what hubby and I will need, MP3 player and charger, phone charger, Tom Tom and charger, camera.  

The back is going to be challenging. Suitcases-one for me and Dennis, one for the kids.  Big cooler, extra snacks that don't need the cooler, stroller, play pen. I know that doesn't sound like a lot, but it's all big stuff.  

I'm still working on the meal plan, but we are planning on taking most of our food to help with costs.  


-Tabitha