Road Trip Review - pt. 1 of 5

This last summer I set out on a massive road trip with a few kids and a spotty plan. In all, we covered 7000 miles through 17 states! (18 if you'd like to count the week in California for James's birthday)

The plan all started around a weeklong family vacation we had scheduled in Santa Rosa Beach, FL with my extended family. We originally looked into simply buying airline tickets for the 7 of us but eventually opted on me driving with the younger kids in order to spend quality time with the kids and make lasting summer memories. Let's face it, this is my 19th summer as a mom, and I know myself....I start with a strong plan of activities and very quickly turn to screens any chance I get. Plus I love a road trip! I left the house with my four youngest children set out with a basic plan that went something like this.... Take 7 days to drive to Santa Rosa Beach. Stop at White Sands. Visit the Houston Space Center. Spend a week at the beach with my fam. Visit my Dad in Spring Hill. Go to St. Louis for the 4th of July parade. Visit my mother in law.

That's honestly all I had! :)

It quickly turned into one of the most memorable experiences. Such a fun time exploring and adventuring in new and familiar places. Let's review where we stopped and some highlights of each area.

Stop 1 and 2. Las Cruces, NM and White Sands National Park

Highlight - White Sands National Park. We purchased our first ever Passport to Your National Parks booklet and placed our very first stamp. (Mind you, the kids have already been to several NPs and now we have an excuse to go back...Yellowstone, Arches, Teton, Zion, Grand Canyon, etc.) I wouldn't say this is necessarily a multi-day stop but if you're ever traveling through the area, it's worth a visit. The kids loved sledding down the mounds! Don't forget you water, hats and sunscreen! It is very windy and we found sunglasses to be helpful not only for the bright reflective sand, but also blowing sand particles. I would also recommend braiding long hair....it's that windy.

The entire trip made in our Kia Carnival!

Several wipeouts in the sand!

James hated the wind and the sunglasses saved him here! Swim goggles would also work here.

Just like in the snow, sledding was exhausting!

Check out our highlight reel of wipeouts from IG @amy_selter

We also celebrated Frankie's 8th birthday on our last morning in Las Cruces, NM.

Stop 3. San Antonio, TX

We stayed along the riverwalk and enjoyed walking the area through its many shops and restaurants. We also visited the Alamo but with young children in tow, decided to skip the tours. There was plenty to see and read just walking the area. We also visited the San Antonio Missions, National Historic Park as we discovered there were stamps available for our Passport booklet. Side note, this was in mid June and it was not only hot, but very humid for my desert babes. Highlight for little kids - the hotel pool. :)

Stop 4. Houston Space Center, TX

Although we weren't planning on staying in Houston, I knew I wanted to stop at the Space Center for a visit. After waking in San Antonio, we checked out of our hotel and drove straight to the Space Center in Houston only stopping for lunch. We were able to spend a solid 4 hours here before closing time and enjoyed every minute. Upon entering, we were gifted tickets to the Mission Control Center tour, which is typically an additional charge. Such a pleasant surprise and so incredibly cool! This was by far my favorite part. Throughout the center there were plenty of learning opportunities and activities for kids of all ages. Although I could have stayed longer, the half day visit was plenty for my traveled children. That evening we stayed just outside of Beaumont, TX.

Stop 5. New Orleans, LA

We made a brief stop in the French Quarter for lunch and to stretch our legs. We ate at Cafe Pontalba which was able to accommodate us immediately with an open window seat facing the St. Louis Cathedral and a live jazz band playing on Charters St. Highlight - the cajun pasta. Everyone who did not order it, wished they did. We walked the streets for a bit. James (5) was jamming to all the live music and asked many questions about the "dead people" (homeless) lying on the sidewalks. Frankie couldn't figure out why it smelled so bad. We headed to Cafe Du Monde for beignets where I quickly remembered they are cash only. Scratch that plan....on to the next stop.

Stop 6. Bay St. Louis, MS

We had already put in many miles this week so we wanted to stay put for a couple nights, resting up for our week at the beach with the fam. We ended up in Bay St. Louis, MS and it gave us just what we needed...a place to chill! We had great views from our house and country roads for Caleb to run on. Other highlights here were the Bay St. Louis-Hancock County Library and the random splash pad at Elwood Memorial Park.

Click here for part 2 to read about our week in Santa Rosa Beach, FL.