We planned for months. We prepared a lot of food weeks in advance. We bought a bigger van three weeks before we left. We made lists and checked everything off at least five or six times. We made the necessary phone calls. It was a total of 17 days, I was pregnant with my seventh child, and 7 states later, we purposed to make this one of the most fun, educational, and memorable trips for our family to date.
I won’t bore you with all the food prep that went into saving on cost, but we managed eating out only 3 times the entire trip, with the exception of stopping in at a few quaint ice cream shops. Looking back, I can’t even believe we pulled off eating out so few times, one in Virginia, Gettysburg, and Maryland. Before we left our driveway, we purposed to spend our money on things that were memorable other than just food, although the favorite BBQ place and local recommendations were great! I have zero regrets with this trip and that in itself is a huge blessing. I can not recommend enough to pack up your family and head to our nation’s capital to visit all the historical sights. I couldn’t possibly post every little place or path we took along the way, but I will just post some highlights. From Biltmore, to the subway in D.C., to Arlington, to Washington’s home, to Jefferson’s home, museum after museum, monument after monument, Lincoln’s memorial, to Gettysburg, to historical battle sights, to the Holocaust museum, and much more, this trip was freedom focused and one for the books.
Some tips:
Plan, plan, plan, but leave room for flexibility.
Leave in plenty of time to accomplish the goal for the day.
Recognize your children’s limitations, like naps, little feet that can not keep up (strollers!) and hungry bellies (pack plenty of protein filled snacks).
Set up a buddy system so no one gets lost.
Have little expectations of each day. There is lots of joy in keeping it simple. It’s about the journey, not how much you can cram in.
I like backpacks and for anyone over the age of 5 or 6 that wants to carry one, I pack snacks and plenty of water for everyone.
During the van ride there and back, I made sure I was stocked with pencils, paper, notepads, and fun things to do while driving for any length of time.
Do a lot of walking instead of being stuck in the car. We stayed in one area for many, many days before going to a different destination. For instance, our hotel was a 10 minute drive to the train station. This way, it got us into D.C. fairly quick and could easily navigate different historical sights. It felt like we had a good flow, were not rushed, and could see a ton of things all in a day’s worth of time.
We booked a hotel that had a kitchenette so we could save on food cost. I prepared food ahead of time (like shredded chicken, homemade granola, dried fruit, and homemade snack bars) so we could pack wraps and snacks in our backpacks for the day. It made for easy days of walking without the hassle of finding a quick place to eat for 8 people.
Expressing gratitude as you’re all exploring the countryside goes a long way with anyone who feels cranky or sleepy. Sing songs, find a state park along the drive to have a picnic, or sit and talk about where you are at and why you are there. It’s all about the quality of time you spend with each other.
At the end of this trip, we headed back a different route to make it more interesting. We were in Tennessee and decided to stop for 2 more days. It was almost like a vacation from our vacation! We stayed in a comfortable little place with a pool. That sweet, little southern town had some cute ice-cream shops and paths to take short hikes on with our family. Taking a time-out at the end of our trip was the best decision we made after two weeks of walking, exploring, and learning about our country’s history.
I hope you find this helpful as you take time to get away. We are so privileged to live in a nation where there are so many freedoms. God has blessed our people and we need to teach our children how to keep these freedoms for future generations. Starting with the Word of God and then teaching them men and women of the faith will help them see why we are to be grateful to live in the United States. Be blessed in your teachings, adventures, and memories you make with your family along the way.
Natalie