It’s been an absolutely crazy July. As those who know us are aware, we love to travel. I had the normal lull in Weddings this month, and Jonathan was able to get a good chunk of work off, so we planned a big, 3-week trip to National Park hop.

As a family of 5 with 3 small children, it was only natural for us to decide to drive from Pennsylvania to Calfornnia, then up to Montana and back home… while tent camping. Obviously*.

*If you’re not feeling the eye rolling, then let me tell you - it’s coming on strong.

Day 1

Day 1 saw us drive from Central PA to just outside of St. Louis (about 12 hours), camping at a State Park called Horseshoe Lake State Park in Illinois.

There are many tips and tricks I’ve found during the years we have driven long distances with the kids. You know, bringing lots of crayons/paper, word searches, travel pillows. Playing games that promote the kids to look out the window and gain points by spotting different things (animals, tumble weeds, windmills, etc.)… Aaaaaaand, inevitably about 5 hours in, you will reach the point where (even when you invest in Loop earplugs), you will resort to an iPad or tablet.

This year, I decided to download several nostalgic 90’s-00’s movies that I could tolerate listening to on repeat, along with some staple Disney movies. I’m not a monster.

The start of this trip saw us watching The Parent Trap… and the first day we were able to watch it: 3 times.

Parent Trap Counter: 3

Once we got to the park, it was a great time - making dinner at the campsite, playing card games in the tent and just exploring the park.

Day 2

Day 2 we decided that it would be in everyone’s best interest if we made it to Denver (13 hours). However, the heat index for that evening was well into the 100’s and there ain’t no way I’m sleeping outside in that. So a cheap hotel it was!!

13 hour drives are no joke, especially with 3 kids crammed in the back seat. So we made sure to keep things cheery by indulging in ice cream at multiple stops and keeping the kids game-motivated by changing the steaks - they would receive 1 cent per point that they could put towards buying souvenirs on the trip.

In the end, it was a great decision, as it let us get a spot in Boulder, CO right around the corner from an old favorite brewery, Avery Brewing Company! And it provided us with a park for the kids to play in.

Total Parent Trap Counter: 6

Day 3

On Day 3, we ventured through the Rocky Mountains and into Utah. eventually making it to the first big stop on our trip, Moab Utah; an absolute favorite of ours. When I was growing up I never thought I would love the desert, but oh em gee, it’s absolutely breathtaking.

Total Parent Trap Counter: 8

While it was a shorter day of driving, it was also the third straight day. People may scoff at how many movies we allowed our kids to watch. But 1) believe me, they were also reading, drawing etc. 2) you do what you have to to keep the peace in such a confined space with limited energy outlets. If putting Lindsey Lohan to work for an 8th time means that the kids stop poking each other and keep their hands to themselves or that they stop yelling at each other, I’m taking that on Day 3.

We were able to enjoy Utah for a few days once we got there, so sometimes you have to be flexible and reasonable, and allow the kids to throw the rules out the window for a few hours. If they feel a little more in control of the smaller stuff, then they’re more likely to be more calm and cooperative.

Days 4-6

Moab was spectacular as always. Arches National Park and Canyonlands National Park are very much worth the visit and I can always find a reason to go there.

Pro tip: Arches has a ticketing system that only allows a certain amount of cars in from 7am-4pm…. However, if you get in before the park opens, you can get in without a ticket and just fly on through the ticket booth!… and when the forecast is calling for 109 degrees, you want to get in as early as humanly possible to get your hikes in before the heat is enough to cook your breakfast on the hood of your car. So we ended up getting up at ungodly hours and getting into the park before the sun rose…. which incidentally made it possible for us to get AWESOME sunrise photos!