This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and Included required disclosure: The Coca-Cola Company. All opinions are mine alone. #MyHonestTea #CollectiveBias

Traveling with children can seem like the worst nightmare to the majority of parents, while others happily embrace family travel. Once there is some careful preparation put in place, traveling with children is really rewarding and enables you to create very precious memories with them. Our family goes on road trips very frequently and I have learned quite a bit over the years when it comes to keeping everyone happy. Here is a step by step guide on how to avoid the hassle and make a family road trip memorable!

Research Your Destination: When choosing a place to go, make sure you always do your research. Our family enjoys doing day trips, so we always make sure to know how long it takes to get there, parking accommodations and nearby lodging in case we decide to just stay the night.  I highly recommend finding out how long the average person spends when visiting that destination. That way you can decide on how early you will need to leave in the morning because you want to give yourselves enough time to enjoy your destination. Having a plan put in place will equal a smoother traveling journey and give you enough time to enjoy everything. If you find that you are going to need a ride once you reach your destination, you can always check out Limo Find. 

Plan out the Route: After you have all agreed in a destination, the next step is to plot out the route you want to take. It is also important to include when and where you will make stopovers. We always make a list of places that we can visit along the way that are not time consuming. This is a great opportunity to score some amazing family photos with beautiful backdrops… or just some really cute pictures of your kids, like the one I captured down below!

Pack Smart: Pack only the essentials and take some time to check the weather, that way you can pack accordingly. Doing this can prevent overpacking, and can allow you to prepare the activities you want to do with your kids. Always pack a change of clothes and shoes for everyone. Remember to pack your children’s favorite toys, pillows and blankets to ensure that they can sleep better in the car if needed.

Pack an activity basket for the kids:  The longest we have ever driven as a family was a few years ago when we moved from Maine to Georgia… yes, we drove the entire way. The night before the move I went to the store, grabbed each child a plastic basket, and filled it with snacks and craft supplies. I presented these baskets to them once we were in the car and ready to go… they were ecstatic! This kept them busy and entertained for so long, they even used them when we stayed in the hotel. Here are some examples of what I packed for them in the baskets:

Capture photos along the way: Many of us remember to get the camera out once we have arrived at our destination, but completely forget to capture the journey we took getting there. If you have a DSLR camera, then put it on “action mode” and take pictures while you are driving (if you are the passenger of course). I get so many amazing photos by simply aiming the camera out my window and snapping some shots along the way. Check out this beautiful photo down below, that was taken out the window while we were driving through the Smokey Mountains.

Pack Healthy: One of the smartest things I started doing when it came to our family road trips was packing our own food. Not only does this save you money and time, but you can also ensure that everyone is eating healthy. I can’t begin to tell you how awful everyone in my family feels after eating on the road during a trip. Fast food and gas station snacks always leave us feeling sluggish. 

That’s why we always fill the cooler up with ice and pack foods and drinks that will leave us feeling good! We even pack camp chairs so we are prepared to pull over and eat anywhere we would like! This way you are not waiting in lines at fast food places or filling up on junk.

We always plan to make a shopping trip to Kroger a day or two before our trip In order to get all of the food and drinks we will need for the road. During my most recent trip to Kroger, I noticed that my favorite brand of tea had an amazing offer from 9/5/18-10/24/18: (you can get 4 for $5).

So OF COURSE I grabbed one of each for our next road trip.

I have always been a tea drinker and love how Honest Tea has such a great variety of flavors to choose from. While peach tea is by far my favorite flavor of all, I have yet to find a flavor that I do not enjoy!

Many people tend to go for sodas and coffee while on the road, which in my opinion are not the ideal choice! Our family loves Honest Tea because they are brewed with real tea leaves, which gives it that authentic taste… it’s like you made them right at home!

Travelling with three kids in 1 vehicle often results in a disastrous mess that takes hours to clean.  Take it from me… pack drinks with covers! This is another reason that Honest Tea is always on my road trip shopping list.  Plus they are organic and fair trade. For those of you that are not familiar with fair trade, this means that the workers that picked the tea leaves for this tea are paid fair wages for their work. So many reasons to love this tea!

Have fun!: Your final step in preparing for a family road trip is to have fun! Preparing for the trip, plotting out the locations and time of arrival is daunting, but remember to keep in mind that the trip will be something everyone is going to remember. So, have fun with your kids; laugh, crack jokes, and communicate to ensure that everyone has a great time and will look forward to your next trip as a family. Make these road trips more memorable and less stressful for you and your children by anticipating all the possible setbacks, and preparing for them.