Road trip across the US for the first time with kids - any tips?

Question

Myself, husband and 2 children ages 3 and 2 will be driving from Seattle to St Louis in January. We've never driven across country before and I was wondering if anyone had any advice or suggestions about the drive.
We've got dvd players for the kids and emergency car kit and firt aid kit, we're with AAA.
Is there anything else that we should be thinking about? how do we find out the best route? we don't want to get stuck anywhere with mountains being closed due to snow.
we have 6 days to get there.
thanks in advance

Answer 1

I was a truck driver, I recommend staying off interstate 70. its out of way but recommend driving down throught CA. I 40 can also be bad due to snow. Use truck stops there safer, also pick up a interstate exit guide which you can get at any truck stop. carry travelers check and small amounts of cash for foodstops. CB radio would also be good thing to carry incase of low cell phone signals. Blankets would also be a good thing to have

Answer 2

First consideration is safety---safety in numbers--- so I would strongly suggest that you go with another one or two cars. While you may lack a few of many essential items, and unknowingly missed out, at least the other two groups can help. In the event of an emergency, you know you can depend on help near at hand. As there are likely to be other kids in company, there will be no lack of games or ideas for activities to occupy themselves.
Several bottles of water, panadol tablets, several pieces of blankets, a strong pail/bucket,half a metre of medium-sized wires, two LED torches, 2 gas lighters, 2 cell-phones with spare batteries, enough packets of noodles,a set of tyre chains,20metres length of good heavy duty rope, 4 big towels,etc are a must.
It is always a wise consideration to bring along friends or relatives who have done an appreciable amount of trekking, camping in the wild---again just in case, as there are far, far too many incidents of first timers getting lost for days in the wild. Oh, one last thing:: make sure the cars are relatively new and reliable, not 10 or 15yrs old, as unexpected technical problems can arise on such a long trip. Change all tyres if the threads have worn considerably, pressure-check the radiator and renew the spark plugs and fan belt, as necessary. Hope these tips help.Happy adventures!!!

Answer 3

Bring an MP3 player with tons of songs and tons of batteries -- you get bored on the road. A portable DVD player (or laptop) also helps. Books, and books on tape, are good. For $30 you can get an adapter that plugs into the cigarette lighter and puts out 120V power (same as a house). The laptop can plug in there.

Bring a gallon of water in case your coolant boils off.

Check your brake fluid before you leave (it's not fun when your brakes give out -- happened to us once).

Check your oil before you leave.

Bring a spare tire AND the jack/socket wrench to change it. Don't trust those wimpy tire irons -- get a good two foot long socket wrench or torque wrench. Make sure the jack actually works.

Bring some water or gatorade in the car, and some non-crumbly snacks.

Bring something to throw up in (just in case...). Even a freezer baggie works.

Bring a towel for each person. If you sleep with your head against the window it kinda hurts -- the towel can act as a pillow. It can also help clean up spills.

Answer 4

I have driven across country several times and used I-80, I-70 and I-40. You have picked a bad time of the year to go because you will have to cross the mountains in California or Washington.

First of all you need to get tire chains and know how to put them on. You will need a warm coat and gloves for emergency should you have to stop to put on chains. You should have road safety flares and blankets in case you get caught in a bad snow storm.

I suggest that you drive south and take I-80 East. That will be your quickest route over the mountains. Once you cross Donner Pass and get to Reno, Nv you will have pretty much level ground the rest of the way. Even when there is snow on Donner pass they clear it pretty quickly and they will let you through if you have chains. I suggest that you take I-80 to Cheyenne, Wyoming and then Take I-25 South to Denver and then I-70 East all the way to St Louis. The drive from Cheyenne to Denver you will have flat, straight interstate and you will be past the Colorado Rockies. From there on across the plains (Kansas and Missouri) the road if mostly flat with just a few hills but no mountains. But that area does get bad snow storm occasionally so just watch the weather.

The one thing that you have to watch carefully is stops for gasoline. Gas stations may be few and far between and if you are using a certain gas card, like BP or Shell, you may not find those gas stations easily. But the main thing is plan to fill up when your tank gets to half full.

I suggest that you drive down I-5 to Sacramento and if the weather is good on the pass drive on to Reno (book a room at the Circus Circus hotel). If the weather is bad stay the night in Sacto and go the next morning. The drive from Sacramento to Reno in good weather is about 3 hrs. Then the drive from Reno to St Lake City is about 12 hours. The drive from St Lake City to Denver is about 8 to 10 hrs. If you really burn up the road and have good weather you can drive from Denver to St Louis in about 15 hrs. Otherwise break that up and you need to plan where you will stop because the options are limited.

I have not driven across country in winter; mainly done it springs and summer. But I always carry a cooler with fruit and sandwich fixings (napkins, paper towels, plastic ware, and condiments) and stop and make my own lunch (find a grocery store to get more fruit, lunch meats, etc).

Many motels now offer free breakfasts so take advantage of those when you reserve rooms. The chains, like Best Western, Holiday Inn, Hampton, and Quality Inn are good for free breakfasts.