Moving Cross Country:

How to rock out 2,500+ miles on the road with an infant in tow

It’s 8:45pm on a Wednesday and we’re sitting around at my best friend’s house, soaking in a few more minutes of each other’s company before we head out.  But we’re not headed home. Instead, we’re about to hit the road for a 2,500+ mile road trip across the country from Kentucky to our newest travel contract in California… oh yeah, and we’re taking our six month old with us!

With two cars parked outside packed full of our dogs and all our necessary possessions – the result of a full day of packing, cleaning, and purging (or “Marie Kondo-ing“)- we just needed a minute to breathe before we were to embark.  The regular tasks we would normally wrap up within the last week of a travel therapy contract had mushed into one ultra-marathon day of packing as we had just returned from a killer vacation to Mexico.

For some, this may sound like a nightmare, but for us this sounds like the beginning of a great adventure!

Packing up and moving cross country can be a daunting task, but it’s definitely one that get’s easier with practice. 

After driving back and forth to Colorado at least a dozen times in the last decade, and between Colorado and California almost as many, this route feels as familiar as the back of my hand. But there is always an adventure to be had, and this time, the addition of trying to keep an infant happy along the way definitely spiced things up a bit!

Here are some tips for moving cross country to keep in mind as you embrace the life of as a travel therapist:

1. Sketch your intended route

I say “sketch” for good reason – it’s always helpful to at least have a rough draft of where you’re headed! Take some time to plot your intended route and make a rough itinerary. Be sure it includes any national parks, cities, or friends and family you want to visit along the way! And get an idea of how far you will need to go each day to reach your destination on time.

Using Google Maps (on a computer vs smart phone) makes this task easier than ever by allowing you to set multiple stops along the way, and automatically calculating the miles and estimated time between stops.  I always tend to over-estimate the amount of time necessary for each leg of the drive, given my love of taking side-trails and the unpredictability of a small child this time around!

For this trip, considering how far we had to make it with the babe, we chose a pretty direct route and planned to veer off course only to make a pit-stop in our home-town of Durango, CO.  We budgeted to spend a few days there to get a break from the road.   Also, knowing that part of the route would be scenic, we planned for additional extra time to explore a few hikes and restaurants on the way.

2. Create an awesome playlist

This is key to minimizing the mind-numbing boredom of watching mile markers tick by for days on end. Between music, books on tape, podcasts, and even CEUs on Medbridge, there is no reason you can’t stay mentally engaged throughout the entire trip. Even Kansas flowed smoothly on by while my mind was otherwise entertained!

Typically, I would also recommend catching up on phone calls with family or friends, but since Kinley’s nap time was so precious I didn’t want to disturb her for more than the necessary.  Having left is such a rush I did have to make some calls to set up utilities, and create a renters insurance policy for the new place.  ***Quick Tip: be sure to never cancel your current renters policy until after your trip is complete, as it covers all your belongings while on the move between locations.

 

3. Set reasonable expectations

It’s important to set a pace that jives with you and is sustainable for the duration of the trip. It doesn’t matter whether you like to mosey along – stopping at every historical marker and sit-down dining for each meal, or if you bee-line to your destination – eating from the cooler next to your seat and driving through the night with one red-eye open.  Both are ok, as long as you get there safely!

It’s helpful to have a goal of where you’d like to end up for the night, with some flexibility to stop short or press on depending on how you’re feeling. Luckily, with internet access at the tips of your fingers finding a campsite or hotel last minute is rarely a problem.

For this trip, we used a hybrid approach of a few shorter days and a few longer days.  Our driving days were as follows: 5 hours, 15 hours (yes you read that right), 6 hours, 6 hours, 10 hours, and 3 hours.  When moving cross country in warmer months we like to find a campsite or pull over to the side of the road to sleep in the back of our trusted Tundra, Lupe’. But with Kinley and winter weather, we splurged for hotels or crashed with friends along the way. The Expedia App (or other such app) worked great for finding La Quinta Inns in our destination towns, which we love since they allow both our dogs to stay for free.

4. Make time for some fun along the way

You gotta make time to enjoy the adventure! Driving cross country is an experience very few people get to have. Some of our patients have never even left their own neighborhoods!

Relish the chance for adventure, and take the time to explore along the way. Sure, you’d get there faster if you didn’t stop, but you may never get this chance again! So pick a few restaurants, museums, parks and hikes and get out there and experience them! Visit your friends and say hi to family. Some of our best road trip memories have been impromptu dinners with family and friends along the way!

We spent four nights along the way with some of our amazing friends – it was completely refreshing for body and soul to have a good nights rest and enjoy some quality time with them. Despite driving nearly every day, we found time for some great food, 3 spectacular hikes at Pikes Peak, Durango, and Moab, trail running with friends, a trip to the ski at Purgatory Resort, Kinley’s first sledding experience, as well as multiple quick side hikes along the way.

5. Stop when you need to

When you’re driving cross country, there’s no need to “hold it” till your gas tank is empty, or drive on an empty stomach. Chances are you’ll just get irritable and uncomfortable and it will ruin the rest of the trip.

Sure, make every effort to minimize stops by fueling yourself at the same time you stop for gas, but if you really need a break there is literally no reason why not to!  A 10 minute stop is not going to derail your multi-day road trip plans.

Kinley called the shots on this last trip.  We stopped whenever she screamed “enough”. Yup, that meant sometimes we were filling up with gas after only ¼ of the tank was empty, or eating lunch at 3pm when she woke up from a late nap, or stopping at multiple rest stops in Kansas just so she could stretch her legs. It even meant sit-down dinners every night (unusual for us) so she didn’t have to eat in her car-seat! But hey, if she was happy, then we were happy!

That takes us back to our first night of this trip where yes, at nearly 9pm we took off for a five hour jaunt to St Louis, MO, with Kinley happily sleeping in the back seat. Having a 6 month old has taught us that flexibility is key to a smooth trip, and that even means driving late while she slept peacefully many nights.

Moving cross country may sound like an overwhelming endeavor, but it’s all what you make of it.  If you break it down and remember to enjoy the journey it may end up being the one of the best parts of your traveling adventure!

Written by: Ellen Stockhausen