Road Trip to Virginia and North Carolina with Little Ones

I just got back from a solo road trip with my 4 and 6 year old boys. While I was super nervous to go on an alone road trip with my boys, I am happy to report it was AMAZING and we made some lasting memories! Here, I will share some of the tips I learned from solo traveling along with some of our adventures to Virginia and North Carolina.

Tips for Road Trips with Young Kids:

1. “Incentive Travel Bags” If you follow me on Instagram, then you know my researched hack about preparing bags for kids. I simply placed a small toy, a healthy snack and a treat in a brown paper bag and gave one to my boys when we hit milestones (like getting to each state) or after they napped. It was a great way to keep the boys excited and on their best behavior.

2. Rest Stops: I highly recommend stopping at each Welcome Center you pass during a long road trip. Welcome centers tend to be the nicest rest stops and allow for kids to run and get energy out. Rather than just stopping for gas and letting the boys run around, stopping at rest areas provide more space and a safer/nicer environment to get the wiggles out. One of the Welcome Centers even had a playground!

3. Do not put time pressure on yourself. Most trips, we are trying to get to our destinations as quickly as possible. Traveling by myself with my boys meant that I needed it to be as peaceful as possible which meant lowering my expectations on getting to my destination at a specified time. Y’all it was such a game changer and allowed for a much more enjoyable trip all away around.

4. Allow for a movie or screen time AFTER nap. If you use screens/technology, I highly recommend holding off as long as possible. My boys were allowed to watch Cars on the 9 hour road trip after they woke up from their nap–it convinced them to actually take a nap and was something for them to enjoy when they woke up.

5. Enjoy the journey! Traveling with little ones is so much fun as their conversations and questions along the way keep you entertained. I was so much more relaxed when I realized I was creating lasting memories with my boys 🙂

Our 10 day road trip:

We left Atlanta around 7 am on Friday morning and headed to Richmond, Virginia to stay with my best friend, Paige and her family. As mentioned above, we took our time and really enjoyed the ride–we stopped at every welcome center (SC, NC and VA) along with a gas break outside of Greensboro, NC. I had the boys get energy out at the rest stops by doing jumping jacks, dance parties and lunges. The boys were gifted 3 separate bags filled with treats from the dollar section at Target (I regrettably got them slime which was a tad too messy for my 4 year old!), which kept them excited and happy along the way. We arrived to Paige’s house around 3 and were greeted by her 3 cheerful children! We had the best time letting the kids play and catching up!

On Saturday morning, the kids all played and had fun together. At noon, the boys and I went to my sister-in-law’s bridal shower and had a great time catching up with family and celebrating my SIL and future BIL. It was great seeing family and meeting her husband’s family. Following the shower, we headed back to Paige’s where the kids played some more before heading to bed for the evening. I highly recommend (ask a doctor first!) these OLLY kid’s sleep gummies–Paige halved them and it allowed the boys to fall asleep after being super hyper!

On Sunday, I went for a quick run around the neighborhood before heading to meet up with my sister in law. Meredith and Matt played with the boys while I went to Costco to get dinner and gas up for the trip ahead. It was fun to shop at a different Costco–if you go to VA Costco, buy their Virginia peanuts, they are amazing and a great deal! After picking the boys up from my SIL, we headed back to Paige’s for dinner and the kids had a slumber party together. It was so much fun seeing how close our kids got to each other in such a short period of time–they are so sweet together!

Monday morning, we woke up early (kids slumber party woke us up before 6!) and packed up to head to my Dad’s house. Following goodbyes and a donut stop, we ventured to Nellysford (near Afton, VA) to visit with my dad and Mimi. We headed to the pool in the afternoon to get the boys wiggles out and ended the day with a stroll around their neighborhood (and “fishing” for golfballs). Walker fell asleep in the stroller at 6:30 and we all were not too far behind him 🙂

Tuesday morning, Mimi’s grandsons came over to play with the boys before my sister and nieces and nephew arrived. My boys were thrilled to see their cousins and I was so excited to see how much they had grown in just a few months! There is something special about cousins and I love their little bonds. It was great catching up with my sister and spending time together. After the storms passed, we headed to Bold Rock Brewery for some ciders and snacks and to have the kids get their energy out running around in the open field and exploring the creek. We headed back to the house for a pizza dinner before settling in for the night.

Wednesday morning, I went for a solo run around my dad’s neighborhood which brought back so many memories. He lives in the same neighborhood as my grandparents did 25 years ago! I ran by their old house and passed the field and fence where I would walk with my Nana to feed the horses. I love being able to make memories with my kids in the same place I made with my own grandparents years ago. Following my run, we went to Afton to go through the Blue Ridge Tunnel–it is .5 miles which used to be underground railroad tracks. The kids had a blast using flashlights to see and we all had a great time exploring the tunnel. Super cool if you ever get a chance to check it out! Following the tunnel, we said our goodbyes to Lee and her kids and headed back to the house. Walker fell asleep on the ride home which allowed me to get some packing done while he slept. After he woke up, I took the boys to the local creamery for ice cream before dinner (the perks of being the parent!).

The weather cleared on Thursday which allowed us to go to the pool before heading back on the road to North Carolina. It was so good to get their energy out in the pool before heading into the car for another 7 hour car ride. The boys napped the first 2 hours of the trip and woke up excited to see their daddy and grandparents in North Carolina. The views on highway 81 from VA to NC are beautiful and made for a fun ride. I gave the boys another incentive bag and we took 2 stops along the way to fuel up and get our wiggles out.

When we arrived to North Carolina, the boys and I were thrilled to see everyone! Friday morning, Drew and my father in law went golfing while my mother in law and I took the boys across town to go strawberry picking. Berry picking is closed for the season in Georgia, so it was a nice treat to go berry picking with the boys. Following berry picking, we headed into Waynesville to do a little shopping (they have the cutest toy shop!) before heading back to their house.

Saturday morning, we all loaded up and went to nearby Canton, North Carolina to go float the river. It was such a blast and I highly recommend it to anyone! The boys and I were able to go in a big raft together and we all tied up to float the river (cooler float included!). We had perfect weather and it was awesome to spend quality time with each other in nature. Following our floating trip, we went to Bear Waters for lunch and a beer before heading back home. The breweries in Western North Carolina all have awesome spaces and it was so nice to look at the river while enjoying a delicious meal.

We finished up our day by having drinks on my in-law’s back porch, playing cards with the boys and enjoying each other’s company. It truly was a fantastic trip and a great way to end our extended vacation! I am so thankful for everyone’s hospitality and so grateful for all the special people in my life that we got to visit. Our trip was certainly filled with lots of love and laughter and was a trip I will never forget! I highly recommend going on road trips with your kids, even if they are little, as the memories you make and time together is all worth it 🙂