Scared First Time Road Tripper!

I am playing with the idea of traveling from just south of Atlanta out west to Phoenix or even Los Angeles. The crew would include my 2 sons age 17 & 13, daughter 9, myself, my husband and my parents. IMPORTANT..my kids argue nonstop and my daughter doesn't quit talking until she passes out, but I am from Phoenix and I really want to take our kids out West. I am checking into renting an RV so we have some elbow room. But I am wondering how long it would take. I don't think we can handle more than a week to 10 days so I was thinking about driving out and flying back..
We've never done camping so we would not be sleeping in the RV...can't try everything new at once.

My husband was in a car accident last July 4 and is recovering from a brain injury. He is doing well, but I have taken over everything, and I mean everything...so I am a little overwhelmed as it is, but I have been wanting to do this for years and now that he is unable to work I thought we could try it.

Any advice?

Hello and welcome to the RTA forums !

Using a large vehicle that will be slow going and expensive to rent and run and then not sleep in it, really doesn't make it feasible. They may be BIG, but everyone will still be in close quarters when travelling as you all have to be buckled up in the seated area. As well as the higher rental costs and most likely higher one way fees, you will only see a gas return of 10mpg ! RV's can be great fun for the family if you are prepared to go the whole way and camp with it but otherwise a large car or Mini van would make more sense.

To make things bearable and make stops along the way, I would allow 4 days for the one way journey. You will face a 'one way drop fee' on the rental by doing this.

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..my kids argue nonstop and my daughter doesn't quit talking until she passes out,

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That made me chuckle !! Perhaps a set of ear plugs are in order ? Get them involved in the planning and let them make suggestions so they have a vested interest in the trip and it will help to make sure that all concerned have a good time.

I hope your hubbies recovery goes well and if you have any specific questions then please ask.

Would have to agree with Dave, an RV simply does not make sense in your situation. Would you be able to rent a Suburban or Yukon. These vehicles would give as much elbow room, as an RV would, when in travelling mode. And a lot easier to park.

As for the suggestion of ear plugs... whereas that is a good idea, I would recommend that you as a driver not resort to them. They could put you in danger of not hearing essential sounds when on the road.

And as suggested, involve the children in planning the trip. From experience I can assure you that when they are more involved in the planning, they will be more tolerant during the journey. You might like to get this atlas for your daughter. I know my grandchildren get a lot of mileage out of it.

Lifey

Audio books? I have two daughters ages 10 and 7 so I know what you mean about the talking non-stop. Audio books are the only things that have saved my sanity at times. I prefer them over the idea of the DVD player in the car, plus audio books are longer! You might be a little hard-pressed to find a title or two that would work for everyone, but maybe something like Harry Potter?

I agree that an RV doesn't make sense unless you're going to sleep in it. They're much spendier than a rental car.

I think you can do it, though. Just plan a few fun stops on the way, but not so many that you make the time in the car interminable. I'm sure they would enjoy it when all is said and done.

Wow! This forum stuff is great! Thanks so much for the feedback. How about you guys make it easy on me and just plan the whole road trip for me and email the itinerary...just kidding..
But really, how long do you think it would take to go from Atlanta to Phoenix and Grand Canyon round trip? We own a Dodge Caravan so if we took our car it would have to be round trip..

I have three also- 12, 15 & 18. They are pretty seasoned trippers, but they still act like typical teens. One thing I do is make print outs- the homeschool websites are a great source- for trivia quizzes, facts, maps, geologicals, etc....of every important place, city, state we are traveling through. They used to beg for another worksheet on trips, but they aren't as fond of them now. SO I use them like this: If you whine, you get a sheet, if there is an argument, they all get a sheet, if you annoy me, you get a sheet, etc...They do them (grudgingly, coloring and all) but it seems to take the sting out of the more irritating times. And sometimes, it's good to just break the monotony. Until they start hitting each other with the clipboards....sigh.
I also rob the Trivial Pursuit game of the card boxes. We've been through 3 versions of cards several times. Have them make a goofy "in the car" movie, we have several embarrassing ones that I'm saving for blackmail times when they are older : )
For your "talkative" child (I have one too!), let her narrate segments of the trip on video or with her phone. It's fun to see & hear what was going on during travel time later, not just the places you visited and things you did on the trip. I hope you have a good one!

Having raised a family and road tripped for years. I suggest you take them all to a movie instead. Road tripping magnifies any family problems you might already have. No offense but you are asking for the worst vacation of a lifetime.

Welcome to the RTA forum, Dick.

I'm not exactly sure why you'd come to a Roadtrip Forum to tell people not to roadtrip, but your advice is pretty short-sighted.

It is true that if you just put a bunch of people in a tight space and drive for hours on end, forcing them to do only what the driver wants to do, it is a recipe for a disasterous trip.

However, if you follow the great ideas offered in this thread, as well as elsewhere on this site, and make sure the entire family is involved in the trip, it can one of the most memorable and best experiences your family will ever have.

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Originally Posted by dawnv

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But really, how long do you think it would take to go from Atlanta to Phoenix and Grand Canyon round trip? We own a Dodge Caravan so if we took our car it would have to be round trip..

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You would need the 10 days minimum in my opinion for a reasonably paced journey and 2 or 3 days at 'the other end'. With a couple of weeks you could start thinking of other places like Monument valley and heading to Arches/canyonlands NP in Utah while taking I40 out and I70 back through Colorado to see different things. You could use the 14 days for a relaxed trip out and back with a nice amount of time to enjoy in Phoenix and Grand canyon.

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I suggest you take them all to a movie instead. Road tripping magnifies any family problems you might already have.

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Welcome Dick, I am quite sure that what the OP is describing is pretty much a typical family with teenagers/Kids, but even so I don't think the answer would be to keep them in a room with a Movie or computer games. If that was always the answer we would still think the world is flat Lol ! By getting them out and about, it is not only healthy and educational they will also discover that it can be fun.

Well, you know your kids better than any of us, but as for how long it would take to get from Atlanta to Phoenix, to me it's really a minimum of 3 pretty long days. I'm not sure I would recommend that, but it could be done. It looks to be about 1800 miles. I'm sure there's somebody out there somewhere who could drive it non-stop with no sleep and stopping only for food and fuel and the bathroom, but that sure doesn't sound like much fun to me.

I imagine you have some idea of how your kids do on shorter trips to the beach or mountains. Not sure how far your usual car destinations take you, but try to make an educated guess from that. I know my kids are pretty good with 4-5 hrs and they have done 7 hrs when we got stuck in traffic, but that was seriously getting old for all of us, not in the least part because of the traffic jam. So, in planning my trip out west I'm bearing that in mind. Right now I'm trying to decide if two 5 hr days in a row are better or maybe one 7 hr day and one 3 hr day. I think 10 hrs would be a bit much, but that's still in the mix, too.

You could do day 1: Atlanta to Memphis (overnight), day 2: to Oklahoma City (overnight), day 3: to Santa Fe (overnight), day 4: to Phoenix, but those are mostly 8/10 hr days with only food/fuel breaks. If you're really wanting to minimize the amount of time in the car you might look into that one way version. Most rental car companies charge a significant fee for a one way rental, though.

Maybe flying into Phoenix and doing SW loop from there would be a better option. I think I'd seriously consider this unless you're particularly interested in showing them Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, etc. You could do a really nice loop from Phoenix that wouldn't involve 10 hr days in the car.

OMG! Thanks again! Dick had me convinced to forget about it for a minute, but the truth is I would regret it. I have been wanting to do this for so long and the advice has been fantastic. Especially panchodog..Some people might think is ridiculous that I can't figure this out, but my brain is fried from all the stuff we have been through. I greatly appreciate you breaking it down for me. I wasn't kidding when I said someone could plan it for me. I don't need the details but what you gave me was soooo helpful.

I hadn't planned on doing Tennessee or Arkansas but we have family in Oklahoma we need to check in with. Also, instead of an RV I thought about maybe renting a conversion van. Since my husband is unable to work this is the first time we have the freedom to not be on a time table. We can actually leave and come back when we want...no hurry...can you imagine!

I apologize for being so negative. I reread Dawnv's post. It just seems that Dawn et al is overwhelmed on a good day at home. Roadtripping is a wonderful experience but can be very trying. I wonder if a few shorter less aggressive trips to "learn the ropes" might be a good idea. Three kids, two of whom argue all the time and four adults one of whom is disabled begs a trial trip to work out some of the issues. All that being said, I appoligize for being negative.

Again, I appreciate everything you guys have shared...even you Dick. I don't think you are being negative, but realistic and I am thankful for that as well..I will keep reading and make a decision soon.

This forum has been so helpful. I recently did a post about being scared planning my first family road trip with my kids, 17, 13 & 9, my parents & my husband who is recovering from a brain injury. FYI He is not physically impaired but I he's not able to help me plan, budget or remember things. Anyway, I have decided we are going to fly out west, rent a motor home and then fly back. My dad is retired from the airlines so that will help.

Right now here is the route I am thinking about.

Fly to Phoenix. Spend the night and spend the next day driving around and showing my kids where I grew up and went to school and all that stuff.

Leave the following day towards Grand Canyon going through Jerome and Sedona. Don't know if we need to spend the night before we get to Grand Canyon since I want to show the kids other places up there like Page Springs where I spent many summers with my grandparents.

Get to Grand Canyon and a day or so....not sure how much time we need there.

From there I had planned on heading to Las Vegas then to Los Angeles, BUT I kept noticing a place called Zion on this forum and when I looked it up I feel in love. I would really love to include that in my trip.

We have 2 weeks thinking about starting on June 2 right after Memorial Day. What do you guys think? Any suggestions or feedback are more than welcome.

There is no reason why you could not include Zion, but you would want to do it after the Grand Canyon, and on your way to Vegas. Leave the Grand Canyon via the eastern entrance.

Are you flying out of LA, or does the time include the trip back to Phoenix?

Hi Dawn,

What a wonderful experience, to share some of your childhood with your Kids ! I also think that flying out and then renting is going to make for a nicer trip.

Are you now planning on sleeping in the RV ? The NP campgrounds have limited RV sites and do book up quickly and may have done so already, so that is something to consider. You should be able to find campgrounds outside of the NP without to much trouble. Zion is truly wonderful and not too far away is Bryce canyon, another gem !

You could certainly get to GC the same day but if you want to spend a little time in the Sedona area an overnight stop could be worthwhile, of course much Will depend on how much you want to squeeze in along the way.

LA ? Unless you plan to fly out from here it is quite a long way out of the way and won't be a pleasant place to navigate the RV around, it could be made more stressful given your unfortunate circumstance. I admit I am not City lover, but I think a nice loop up through Page to Zion to Vegas and back down to Phoenix could work better, or finish in Vegas. [But don't forget the 'One way drop fees' if you end in a different City.

I know this may sound a dumb question but in planning my southwest trip does it make a difference if we start in Phoenix, to Grand Canyon, to Las Vegas, to Los Angeles and fly back home from there or should we go the other direction? We are going to fly out west and rent a motorhome one way and then fly from our destination back home to Atlanta. What do you guys think?


Mod note] As previously requested, please keep ALL questions regarding this trip in one thread, thanks.

I really don't see what difference it would make to be honest. I would check to see if there is a difference in RV rental rates and one way drop off fees and if there is, start out from the cheapest City.

[In case you haven't noticed we have merged your threads twice now. Please keep all questions regarding this trip in this thread, thankyou.]

sorry about that...still trying to get the hang of things...thanks for your feedback and patience!

Actually, you'll find that very few regulars think think that video games and dvds are the answer to having a good trip. In fact, panchdog actually didn't recommend bringing kids movies, he said he prefers bringing audio books to having a portable dvd player.

Such electronics aren't banned in our family car, but their use is extremely limited. Its hard for a kid to appreciate anything about a roadtrip, if they are just constantly "plugged in" and given the idea that the only thing interesting is what is on a screen.

Here's a great article about having fun family trips, that involve more than watching movies and playing video games.

OK...so here's my question..Going from Phx to GC to Las Vegas to LA back to Phx, how much time do you think I need in each place to really enjoy the trip. i am open to suggestions. We are flying to Phx on June 1 and going to spend 2 nights then leave the following morning for Northern AZ by way of Sedona. We have 2 weeks flying back out of Phx on June 15 or 16. As I said before we are renting an RV but don't plan on sleeping in it at this point, but that could change, so we need affordable sleeping also. What do you think?

You are going to need a pretty big RV to legally seat 7 while in motion - I think you would be much better off with a full size van or SUV if you aren't going to sleep in it.

Grand Canyon? One day, dawn to dusk, is enough. Closest affordable sleeping is in Williams or Flagstaff.

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Originally Posted by Midwest Michael

Such electronics aren't banned in our family car, but their use is extremely limited

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On long trips we were allowed to watch a movie/listen to the radio but if we got too quiet and were not talking (specifically when the radio was on), it got turned off. This forced us to talk. We hated it then but over the years learned to value and enjoy it. I do the samething with my siblings and will do so with my children if the day comes.

OK, I have made some revisions to my original plans and I am hoping to get some feedback. I don't have much time so I need to make some decisions and find places to stay. I can't tell you guys how excited I am about this trip! Unfortunately with my oldest son graduating this year, my middle son with middle child syndrome, my 9 year old daughter who is like the energizer bunny along with all of life's other demands I have trouble getting the time to research everything and when I do it's hard for my brain to absorb all the information needed to put this together...lol I know I sound like a basket case, but that's only on the inside. On the outside I look like I've got it all together..haha

So here's what I have so far and I would love suggestions and feedback. I need places to stay also. Anyplace interesting and affordable. I want this to memorable.

June 1 fly from Atlanta to LA arriving around 3pm. Rent a car and stay until 6/4 or 6/5. We have family there but would like some suggestions about what to see and do. I think the kids expect to see a movie star walking down the street. Also don't know where to stay. Even somewhere close by outside LA would be fine

June 4 or 5 I am renting an RV even though some people have suggested against it this is part of the trip we are really excited about. My parents are going with us and my dad is looking forward to driving us around. That's why we are flying into LA so we can drive around there first with a car and then rent the RV when we are heading out of town. Anyway we will be heading to Las Vegas.

Stay in Vegas for 3 or 4 nights. I don't gamble (well, maybe I will, I haven't been there as an adult) but I would like to see a show or two. Also any suggestions on an affordable place to stay would be great. It's possible some of us might sleep in the RV during this trip but for now I am not making that part of my plan. I can always change that later.

From there we will head toward the Grand Canyon, although many have suggested Bryce Canyon and Zion. I have also seen mentions of Death Valley and Tioga Pass. Would love to hear what route you guys suggest and how many nights at each. I'm sure all of these places are unique. Also what about Hoover Dam? Is that worth a stop? Well, let me tell you where else I definitely want to go.

Next leg will be to Sedona and any neat places in that area. As you can tell I am losing track of my time frame. Would like to spend the night there somewhere..any suggestions. Also, for the kids if there are any ghost towns or mining towns on the route that would be neat.

Then we head for Phoenix to spend 1 or 2 nights so I can show my kids where I grew up and I can see how much things have changed.

Then we will head back to LA so we can return the RV. If there is anything interesting between Phoenix and LA I would love to know about it.

All total we are planning a 2 week trip. How does this sound? Thanks for your help!

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Stay in Vegas for 3 or 4 nights. I don't gamble (well, maybe I will, I haven't been there as an adult) but I would like to see a show or two. Also any suggestions on an affordable place to stay would be great. It's possible some of us might sleep in the RV during this trip but for now I am not making that part of my plan. I can always change that later.

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As with most lodgings, you will only get limited recommendations here as there are only a limited number of regular contributors and so many options and personal preferences to consider. The good news is that with so many rooms in Vegas fighting for your dollar you shouldn't have any trouble finding a nice place to suit your budget. Tripadvisor and Expedia are just a couple I use to find reviews and suitable options before price checking. As you mentioned the RV as a possibility to sleep for some during the trip, check out the 'Oasis RV resort', it's quite a place !

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From there we will head toward the Grand Canyon, although many have suggested Bryce Canyon and Zion. I have also seen mentions of Death Valley and Tioga Pass. Would love to hear what route you guys suggest and how many nights at each. I'm sure all of these places are unique. Also what about Hoover Dam? Is that worth a stop?

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Tioga pass into Yosemite may not be open when you travel due to winter snow accumulation and it looks like it will be a late opening. The other thing is that it is in totally the opposite direction of the Grand canyon. Death valley is also West of Vegas and you will be heading the opposite direction. Death valley is pretty awesome and you could visit and stay a night on route to Vegas or simply make it a day trip from there. Some RV company's have issues with their vehicle entering DV during 'summer months', I would have thought you would be OK at the beginning of June but check it out before departing the office. Hoover dam is considered a worthwhile stop by many/most, it's whether it is to you is more the point. Zion and Bryce would still be top of my list to fit your route, but with the time you are planning at certain stops I'm not sure it's possible.

It looks as though you are planning to end in LA around the 15th and won't be leaving Vegas until at least the 8th or 9th. Most of the 10th will be on the road to GC and presumably you will spend the 11th in the area, perhaps ending the day in Sedona ? On to Phoenix for a couple of days and then you have a long days drive back to LA on the 14th. If you juggled your time you could stop around Joshua tree NP for a night and make a short journey back to LA.

With your limited time and the fact that it is a great experience, I would consider using the RV in the Grand canyon to sleep at the 'Mather campground', it may already booked up and too late though.

Thanks so much. I will stick to the Bryce & Zion parks and work on my timing. I am grateful for any suggestions. As far as accommodations you know sometimes people find these neat remote places to stay so I will keep looking and I will check on Mather campground.

Ok I also have a child that will not shut up. I think it is pay back for being the same way as a child. Anyway, this may sound really mean. I have had to tell him to be quite for x amount of minutes. I tell him I love him and love his stories and such but MY ears just need a break. Now your talker is a girl so she may not take that as well as my boy. As you have probably figured out girls can be a bit more emotional than the boys (at lease in my family). Had I said that to my girls they would have acted like I shot thir pet.

Book or books on tape are good some say he portable DVD players work. I am not a big fan of TV/movies in the car. We have used them but typically only on REALLY long drives that lack views.
When the kids start fighting we take a break and make them switch seats. The one that started it sits next to the talker. :) AND they have to be nice and engage in conversation until the next stop.
Now I know that sounds mean but again I WAS the motormouth. Believe it or not it does cut down on the fighting.

If you can manage to see Sequoia and Kings Canyon it is worth it. Also Arches was my kids and hubby's favorite.
I know you will have lots of friends.