40 Essential Items for a Three Week Road Trip

The 40 Essential Items to 24 Days on the Road with Your Kids

ie:  The Packing List

9 days from right now, I'll be taking off with four kids (ages 19, 10, 7, and 3, and picking up an 18 year old along the way) on a grand adventure of a road trip.  We'll be visiting 15 states in 21 days and camping in our tent AND in our van!  See the pics below for our setup.  So, here's the conundrum: I have to be able to fit everything from the trunk in the front two seats for sleeping when we aren't tenting it.  Here, I'll show you....

This is the layout of the van.  See the trunk space?  See the front seat space?  Well, the whole list of stuff, minus the air mattress, sleeping bags and pillows need to go from the back.......................

to in between the front seat and the dash.  This includes Annika's car seat.  So I'm posting my list to make sure I didn't forget anything, or maybe even skinny it down!  We've done it for two years running.  Next year, we'll be flying to Alaska and Hawaii, so I'll have a whole NEW set of problems....HAHA!  #camperproblems Please comment and FOLLOW!

1.  Air Mattress
2. Sleeping Bags x4
3. Pillows
4. Cooler with Ice
5. Fresh Food
6. Dehydrated Food
7. WATER
8. 2 pair long pants each
9. 3 pair shorts each
10. 5 pair underwear each
11. 5 t-shirts each
12. 1 sweatshirt/jacket each
13. 1 pair tennis shoes each
14. 1 pair Sandals each
15. 5 pair socks each
16. 1 swim suit each
17. 1 towel each
18. 2 pair jammies each
19. deodorant
20. shampoo
21. conditioner
22. body wash
23. toothbrushes
24. toothpaste
25. face wash
26. moisturizer
27. Sunscreen
28. Bug spray
29. Benadryl/Motrin/tylenol/valium
30. money
31. MOVIES
32. BOOKS
33. Emergency Kit
34. Atlas
35. Computer/Charger
36. Cell phones/charger
37. Tent
38. Tarp
39. Stove
40. Baby Back Pack

Car Camping:

 

Tent Camping:

Where did I leave off?

I think this is probably the 08213972389th time I've started this specific post.  I've thought a hundred times why I procrastinate my blogging of trips for SOOOOOOooooooOOOOoooo long, and I've come to the conclusion that if I don't blog it, it doesn't have to be over.  I look so forward to a new adventure, I don't want to have space in between.

Well, I've now been on another adventure, and can safely finish off the road trip story. Where did I leave off?  We'd just left Niagara Falls, right?
Ok.

From Niagara Falls, we headed West.  We drove all the way through New York the top left corner of Pennsylvania, into Bowling Green, Ohio.  Our favorite sign? "Moose Crossing".  Every time I hear the word "Moose", I think of the comedian Brian Regan.  You have to listen to this guy.  Hillarious.  Boxen of Moosen.....HAHAHAHAH!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ok, sorry, back to the story....Now, I have a lot of cousins.  A LOT of cousins.  Like, cousins out the wazoo.  My absolutely favorite cousin blessed our family by joining when I was about 9.  Debbie married my cousin on my moms side, Thad.  When she got married, she had a row of roses over her bustle.  She called it her "Rose-Butt Dress".  I know.  Amazing.  She's the most gracious Christian (but not one of the loony right winged Christians), loving mother, and kind friend.  She offered us her home on our way to my parents, and we were glad to have a home cooked meal, a shower inside a house, and air conditioning!  Debbie is the kind of person who holds her morals and standards, but in such a way that it is neither offensive or exclusive.  She is a fantastic listener, a speaker of kind words, and just the kind of person you want to be around.  Imagine Mary Poppins, American style.  We got to talk to daddy at home (the picture below), catch up with family, and slept REALLY.....Really.....really well...zzzzzzzzzz.

We woke up in the morning, said our goodbyes, and drove off for Detroit.  Detriot wasn't one of the places I was super excited about visiting.  I'd had a few things in mind like, the Henry Ford museum, not getting shot, etc....but we decided to improvise instead.  Not getting shot remained at the top of my list. 

Cannolis are NEVER a bad choice.  Ok, I take that back.  Cannolis CAN be a bad choice, but when they're good, they're GOoooooOOOooood.  Supino Pizziaria was a recommendation from my BFF, indirectly, through Diners, Drive-In's and Dives.  IF there is a DDD place, she wants to try it, and I can't think of a time her food choice has sucked.  We downed our supper amazing pizza, and went in for the sugar and cheese filled fried dough.  You know the kind of cannoli that's crunchy on the outside and still super gooey on the inside with big 'ole chunks of chocolate that make your insides smile?  They were THAT kind of cannoli.  My pants were already tight driving into Detroit, and driving out, I unbuttoned.  

You know what I love about living in Texas?  The wide open spaces and beautiful skies where you can see for miles and miles.  I think I love that because it reminds me of home.  Home is a tiny town in Illinois where politicians and poets have walked, but few have heard of.  Galesburg, Illinois.  

Where I got really wet

Kayleigh took most of the burden of driving the night of the Lobster.  I couldn't button my pants or keep my eyes open.  Feeling like a complete glutton, I did what any other American would have done.  I handed the keys to the 17 year old, pointed west, and fell asleep.  She drove past the "Moose Crossing - Next 4 Miles" sign in Vermont.  She drove to a beautiful turnpike pull off in New Hampshire.  The next morning, we got Dunkin' Doughnuts because my girlish figure hadn't suffered enough damage the night before, and continued towards Niagara Falls.

We paid a ridiculous amount to park.  We paid a ridiculous amount to eat.  It was the most expensive, and by far, the WORST burrito I've ever eaten in my LIFE.  Oh well, it's New York, right?  My bad for not ordering lox and a bagel.  We finally made our way to the ticket booth for the observation deck and the Maid of the Mist.  I'd been to the Canadian side as a kid, but we'd not got to take the boat tour.  I was probably more excited than my kids!

The sound of the falls is overwhelming.  Millions of gallons of water pouring into the canal, mist soaking the parts of us exposed from the trash bag ponchos.  Everyone was smiles and happiness until Gannon realized he was steps from a foreign country, but couldn't cross over to Maple Leaf Land.  We compromised, and he stood on the left side of the boat.  I'm almost positive he was in international waters.  Whatever.  He was happy. 

Click here to see the video on the Maid of the Mist

We finished up and started our long trek out of New England.  Next Stop.....Bowling Green, OH

Brotherly Love

The rest of Philadelphia was uh-mazing!

We stopped at the final resting place of Benjamin Franklin,

And talked about his many accomplishments:

Then we headed to Independence Hall.  Our tour good guide was fantastic!  Incredibly knowledgeable with a hilarious presentation.  He was an older gentleman with a balding top and longer sides. I asked him if he ever personified a Continental character.  He responded that yes, in fact he played John Adams in the History Chanel movie "Founding Brothers"!  Now I'm going to have to impose myself on our cable subscribing friends.  Shelly, that cool with you? 

Seeing the room where the Declaration was signed so shortly after seeing the Signed Declaration itself stirred a strong sense of patriotism and concern about all that's happened in the past 239 years.

We were able to see a Benjamin Franklin printing press, and Gannon purchased his much desired and anticipated copy of the Declaration.

The final stop was the Liberty Bell, providing a beautiful for ground for the tower where it hung.  Philadelphia, you impressed me!  

Traffic put a damper in our day, but we made it to our next stop before midnight.  

The adventure continues!

Italia!

Our next camping trip is in FIVE DAYS!!!!!!!!!  FIVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I figured before we set out on that adventure, I should catch up posting my excursions.  In March, the Jolly Camper took a break from camping, ditched the kids with Grandma, and flew to Italy.  My husband and I celebrated our 10 year anniversary in Rome, Venice, and Pompeii.  It was amazing, surreal, beautiful, awesome, amazing.  Here are some of our pictures:

March 7th-8th Flying from San Antonio to Munich to Rome

Beer for breakfast in Munich

Flying over the Alps

View of the Mediterranean Sea

Spanish Steps

The Pantheon

Pantheon 

Pantheon Dome

Tomb of Rafael

Gelato at Giolitti, Roma!

VITTORIO EMANUELE II MONUMENT

March 9th: The Vattican, Vittorio Emanuele Monument, and the Trevini Fountain

Entrance to the Vatican

On of the amazing tapestries.  Jesus keeps looking at you no matter where you stand!

Frescoes

"School of Athens" in real life!

Original model of "The Thinker"

Hall of the Cardinals - This is where they sleep while choosing a new Pope

The Pope's Balcony

St Peters Basilica

the "Pieta" by Michelangelo

Pope John XXIII who was said to have not decayed.  He mummified.

The Dome

St. Peters Baldachin

From the front to the back of the Basilica

Swiss Guards.  Never did figure out their camouflage....

The Vatican

Trevini Fountain.  It was under restoration when we went.

More Trevini Fountain

Vittorio Emanuele Monument

View of Rome from the top of the Monument

One of the bronzes on top of the Monument

March 10th: Venice!

The view of the main city from the train

A side Canal

St. Marks Basilica

Beautiful Architecture

Gondola Ride!

Gordon looks scared!  Representing Arias in Italy!

Birthplace of Marco Polo

Home of Vivaldi!

The Grand Canal!

March 11th: Colosseum, Palatine Hill, and The Forum

Do I really need to caption this?

Massive!  Colossal!

Gladiator Gate

The under section was covered by a wooden stage and had a system of lifts to bring out animals and prisoners.

The far section is what the whole thing would have looked like

The Arch of Constantine

The canopy commemorate where Julius Caesar was cremated

Forum

Temple of the Vestal Virgins

Palatine Hill

Circus Maximums!

The Old Roman Road

Dinner picture of Pumpkin Prosciutto Brochette.  Um, Yum.

March 12th: Pompeii

Il Principal Restaurant for lunch.  They've catered at the White House!

Pompeii Colosseum

Vineyard in Pompeii with Mt. Vesuvius in the background

City Necropolis Statues outside the city of Pompeii

Some of the victims of Mt. Vesuvius

Pompeii Bath House

Bed in a brothel.  I didn't include the menu which was preserved on frescoes on the wall...

Temple of Venus

Sunset over Ancient Pompeii

March 13th: Day in Rome

Cobblestone Streets everywhere

Obelisk in Rome.  There are many around the city,

Presidential Palace.  I couldn't get a good picture, but a guard in full Roman garb (with the broom hat, cape, spear, etc) guards the entrance!

Statue on a street corner

Gordon enjoying antipasti of caviar and brochette with wine.  I think he had fun!

What are some of your favorite placed to travel?  I'd love to hear!  Subscribe and comment!