If you’ve been around here this summer, you know my family took a HUGE road trip from our state of Pennsylvania all the way down to the Gulf Coast of Texas!

With no exaggeration or trying to help this sound ‘blog pretty’…the entire trip, every single day, was such a blessing and went incredibly smoothly.

I had doubts about travel, siblings getting along, my husband and I tiring out (or territorial about just how much each one would drive…ahem), and so many other concerns.

Imagine…

85+ hours in the car.

Almost 4000 miles total.

2.5 weeks of time away from home.

None of my concerns came to pass.  We had one itty-bitty bout of carsickness, the kids traveled VERY well and we all enjoyed our time together.  Tremendously.

Just a (few) snapshots from our road trip:

PREP WORK & PACKING

:: road trip snacks bought in bulk and prepackaged ahead of time

:: I found it easier to use bins and crates than luggage.

TRAVEL

:: the BEST investment?  Memory foam neck pillows for each kiddo. I found ours at 5 Below, similar ones here.

:: the second best investment was a vinyl tablecloth for eating at rest stops!!

TENNESSEE & ALABAMA

:: the Dixie Stampede, Pigeon Forge, TN

:: before we left, I packed up supplies for decking the family out for Cow Appreciation Day and a FREE meal!

:: THEN, 1963

:: NOW, 2015 – Civil Rights History Lesson in Birmingham, AL

LOUISIANA

:: we visited the hardest hit area of Hurricane Katrina, the Lower Ninth Ward in New Orleans.  On the left, the wall you see is the levee where torrential water poured over into the neighborhood below.  Many houses are still boarded up, and the whole area is still struggling 10 years later.  It was a sobering drive-though.

:: Driving through New Orleans meant a (very) quick stop in the French Quarter — a place full of activity!

After all this, we finally reached our destination of TEXAS!

But that is for another post. 🙂

By the way, if you’re planning travel soon or even in the future, visit my Road Trip Pinterest board for plenty of helps.