Living on the road for 4 months and driving over 10,000 miles in our converted minivan has provided us with many helpful hints for spending extended time on the road with a 4 year old.
1. Create a basic plan for your trip, but understand that flexibility is key. We would lay out all the things we aimed to see or accomplish but we also had the understanding that we had to travel and spend time at each of those locations on a 4 year-old's time constraints. This would include how far we drove, the extra things we would stop and see, the number of stops we would make, the types of places where we would stop, and the length of time we would stay at each stop. 2. Visit friends and family along the route whenever possible. Will and I are cool but boy did she crave interactions with other people, especially small people. They have rooms, and cool new toys, new foods and often pets that Dylan would crave. We were fortunate to have family and friends in many of the states to which we would visit. 3. Take time to find opportunities for the kids to interact with other kids. Look for city parks or playgrounds for the kids to be kids and continue to interact with other kids....especially if you are travelling with kids that are in the age group just learning how to play with other kids so that they don't loose their child communication skills (sharing, taking turns, speaking kindly). This may sound silly, but we noticed Dylan would slip into selfishness quickly when she wasn't given the opportunity to interact with kids. 4. Alone time. When living in such a small space and being together 24/7 it is important for all those involved to have some time to themselves - even if it is only for a few minutes a day....a walk on the beach alone, sitting in the van while the other takes the child for a play at the playground, an early morning walk before the others awoke, staying up late to stargaze while the other two are in bed, even things like shopping alone, laundromat alone and even a 10 minute shower can rejuvenate you for the day. 5. Ensure everything has its own space and put it there each day. Living in such a tight space and having all the gear needed for your time on the road can make for a very messy van by the end of the day. We found that if we did one good tidy up each day that we weren't so overwhelmed. 6. Extra space. Going along with number 5, ensure that when you are preparing for your trip you leave a little bit of extra room for the the things you collect or accumulate along the way. 7. Ensure your child knows where their things are and make them accessible as possible. Rig up your child's travel space so that they can reach the things they use regularly, that way they can be a little more self-sufficient while you are actually travelling. We strapped a travel table to the seat in front of Dylan with all her art supplies and electronics - that way she could work on things without us having to help. She also had a bin at her feet, below her car seat, that housed all of her things...it had her hiking pack, her backpack of toys, and extras that pertain to her. That way she always knew where her things were and could help with the clean up each day. 8. Balance treats and healthy snacks. It is very easy to stop at a gas station to grab a treat when on potty breaks or gassing up but all those treats add up. We learned to avoid gas stations for potty breaks and go to rest stops or visitors centers so that she (or us for that matter) wasn't tempted. Make sure to have a supply of quick grab, healthy snacks available at all times for in the car and to throw in your backpack for hikes. Also, in order to allow Dylan to have some control, she had a wallet with her own money that she could spend as she saw fit. Often times it was on treats, but other times she would save for a toy or souvenir. Before leaving on our trip, we had a half-birthday party for her with her friends in Utah. Many of her friends gave her gift cards for places like 7-11 which worked very well. 9. Budget for a few of the extra experiences along the way. I feel as though we did a fantastic job of living quite minimally while living on the road BUT we did ensure that we saved a bit of money for a few of the iconic things to do in each of the areas...like whale-watching in the Puget sound, or eating really good BBQ in Texas, and our biggest expense, Disneyland. 10. Find your spot for the night while it is still light. We found that for peace of mind and peace in the van that finding our spot before dinner was the best plan for our family. Halfway through our travels, we heard about an app called iOverlander which provides excellent suggestions from campgrounds to free overnight parking areas. Definitely a resource we would recommend.
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The Utah-based Bollder Clan grew in December with the birth of Bridger Boyd Hill on the 10th! On December 7th, Carolyn flew out to Utah to be with Aubrey, Stephen and Carver and to help with logistics during the birth of baby Bridger: I arrived early afternoon on Friday and we were able to spend the weekend visiting with all the big kids; shopping, eating out, loads of playing with Carver and family dinners. Then, on Sunday morning, Aubrey's blood pressure was remaining high enough that her midwives made the call to have her come in that evening to be induced. They left the house at around 7:30 pm for the hospital and Carver and I spent our first night alone together. He was a little upset that mommy wasn't there to help him fall asleep, but after about 3-4 minutes of tears he feel asleep beside me and we had fantastic snuggles all night long (of course I kept him in bed with me - I don't get many Carver snuggles, so I had to take advantage when I got the chance). December 10th - Carver and I woke up early and gave Aub's and Steve a call at the hospital. They let us know that things were progressing but that she was still comfortable so she wanted to have Carver with her for a while. By 11 am we could tell things were going quickly so it was time to call Papa Mike (Stephen's dad) to grab Carver for the afternoon during the tough part of the delivery. Carver, who is now 2.5 and smart as a whip, has been very excited to meet his little brother but LOVES his Papa Mike, so they had a great time for the afternoon while I got to stay with Aubrey during the delivery. Being with Aubrey and Stephen during this time was one of the most powerful experiences I have ever gone though. To watch my daughter accomplish something so intimate and natural, all without any chemical aid was humbling. She made a goal to not get any pain meds, and she achieved it without wavering at all. I can't express the feeling of watching the strength and determination that she possesses. She has always been one of the strongest women I know, but being with her during this experience showed me the strength of her body, mind and soul. To see the pure love that she possessed for that small person, and the beautiful instincts that flowed during this time filled my soul. I was able to spend another 5 days with this new little family as they manoeuvred their way of learning how to be a family of 4...which honestly, they feel into seamlessly. The next 5 days were spent getting to know this new little member of our crazy gang, visiting with the older members of our family (the older boys) and generally just enjoying each other's company.
Welcome to the world, and our crazy family, Bridger - we are so very excited to watch you grow into the incredible human I see in you already. Love, Nana A lot has happened since our last blog post. We fell out of the blogging lifestyle for a little bit and therefore wanted to catch everyone up.
Due to Hurricane Michael hitting the Florida panhandle at the beginning of October, we took a mini-vacation to Alabama where we had the opportunity to visit Gwendylan's great-grandmother's resting place in Selma. Gwendylan is named for this amazing woman so it was nice to introduce her to her namesake. We spent the night in Montgomery amidst a torrential downpour and on our way back to Florida, enjoyed an autumn celebration at Holland Farms. Once back in Florida, we celebrated Carolyn's birthday, enjoyed fresh seafood from the Gulf, toured historic downtown Pensacola, enjoyed bird-watching, and astronomy on the beach, and celebrated the sale of our house! Our last morning provided a stunning sunrise over the beach as we packed the car and left Florida. A visit with family in Georgia as well as an incredible visit to the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta prepared us for the journey north. Breakfast with friends in New Hampshire and an overnight to visit Acadia NP in Maine made for the best, last days in the USA before crossing the border. This was the end of the beginning of our journey. We have been supremely blessed to enjoy over three months on the road and over 15,000 miles across the country. We feel prepared to tackle a new chapter in A Bollder Way. We had the great fortune to be in Pensacola during the Seafood festival. Hundreds of local artists and restaurants were present during this event. The day being as hot as it was, we needed a snow cone and rainbow was the best choice for flavor and color. We wanted Dylan to try some food that she had never had so we ordered Gators and Taters. It took a little while to convince her to try it but she did have a bite. She was not impressed. Dylan also learned about ghost crabs this week. She knows that they mostly come out at night and dig holes 4 feet deep into the sand. That night, we went on a ghost crab hunt and found several dozen scattering up and down across the surf. More time in the sand and sun has left us with a lot of shells collected and tan lines well-defined.
Pensacola has many amazing opportunities - Not least of which is the National Naval Aviation Museum. The museum is free for those interested in visiting with the opportunity to pay for extra events like the movies and simulations. This place is huge! There are so many planes to see, including biplanes, fighters, cargo planes, and of course, the Blue Angels. There are countless cockpits to "pilot" and even the lunar module replica. Dylan and I spent about 3 hours here while Carolyn got the opportunity to get work done and relax at the condo. The first picture is compiled of Dylan sitting in an ejection seat on this trip and Carolyn in the same seat 6 years ago when we were on our honeymoon. There was one simulator that Dylan was tall enough to ride, Fly With the Blue Angels. I would say that it wasn't the most thrilling simulator as an adult but she would not stop talking about it afterwards. She has been begging to do the simulator again nearly every day since and told Carolyn that she would have "freaked out". Not being someone who is obsessed with planes as her nephew is (so we skyped with him while in a Blue Angel), I didn't think Dylan would last as long as she did. That being said, we had an absolute blast while Carolyn had some much-deserved alone time.
As we settle in to our new routine here in Florida we have decided that weekly field trips will be added to Dylan's home school routine. Our first official field trip was to Fort Pickens, a historic fort on the the Gulf Islands National Seashore. Construction began on the fort in 1828 and it remained in operation until 1947 to protect the mouth of Pensacola. Fort Pickens was one of 4 forts built in the area at that time, all within a few miles of each other. Although the fort did not see much action it was heavily involved in the Civil War. The fort is open to public exploration through a self guided, online tour explaining life in this fort when it was active. We were fortunate enough to be there during one of the canon demonstrations. At one time this fort had over 200 active canons used for protection. The ranger let us know that 70% of the fort is untouched while about 30% has been restored.
One of the lovely things about this area is that not only is this a fantastic old fort with hours of exploration through old tunnels and passages, but it is also a National Seashore with miles of gorgeous sandy shores for play. Although we did not have time to play on the beaches while we were there, we did come back the next week to explore the beaches. With a campground that offers overnight accommodations this park offers family friendly activities for an entire weekend. Pensacola Beach holds a special place in our hearts. Will has been coming here for 30 years with his family and it is where we spent 5 weeks on our honeymoon. The last time we were here was 5 years ago when Will's grandmother passed away. We are so happy to be here again with Dylan at our side. The sands comprised of mostly quartz will blow you away with how white they are ("White as sugar," Grandma Gwen used to say). The Gulf of Mexico is constantly lapping against those sands with new shells every day. The water in the gulf is clear and warm (as high as 86 degrees). Some days, when the temperature and humidity are both high, the water isn't even refreshing. It is more like bath water. But before midday and later in the afternoon, the sun and surf invite us to play.
We have the benefit of staying in our Aunt's condo on the 12th floor of the same building where Grandma Gwen lived. From this floor, we get a bird's eye view of the beach. From time to time, the Blue Angels fly by and we are eye to eye with the pilots. Aunt Stacey sent Dylan a kite for flying on the beach. The storms that rage out in the open ocean provide great winds for kite flying. The bay at the back of the condo tends to be much calmer than the open gulf, so on windy days we spend time kayaking or stand up paddle boarding. We are also very lucky to have a pool in the back that is usually warm and inviting as well -- so much so that Dylan has made it her goal to learn to swim on her own before we leave Florida. A few evenings a week, different locations on the beach have live music, which has turned into one of Dylan's favorite activities as she can shake her booty all night long (which is quite amusing to the adults around her). There are many reasons why we love this place, not the least of which is the seafood. There are many great restaurants on the beach but our favorite thing to do is to buy fresh fish and shrimp from Joe Patti's to enjoy on the balcony. Pictures of the market to come later... Since we came to the South for our honeymoon 6 years ago, Carolyn has wanted to visit a plantation. We did not have the opportunity to do so back then but decided it was high time to do so as we traveled through Louisiana. Carolyn researched the plantations and found a website by Independent Travel Cats that had some amazing, comprehensive information regarding the plantations between Baton Rouge and New Orleans. There used to be hundreds of plantations along this road and currently there are just over a dozen open to the public for tours.
We chose the Houmas plantation because of the opulence of the house and gardens as well as the guided tour that was offered. We were not disappointed in the least. We chased lizards through the 38 acres of gardens and our tour guide, Karen, was extremely knowledgeable about the history of the area. There was no question we could ask to which she did not have an answer. The plantation originally comprised of 300,000 acres bought from the Houmas Native Americans for a paltry sum. Sugar cane was the primary crop grown on this land but they also grew cotton, corn, tobacco, and indigo. If you visit any plantations in this region, be sure to choose from the list given in the website above. This is one we would highly recommend. After our visit at the Alamo, we walked down to the Riverwalk. Upon arrival at the waters, we noticed a boat tour taking people along the water. Deciding to spend $30 for the 3 of us ($12 per adult, $6 for the kiddo) we climbed aboard and set sail. Actually, it didn't set sail as it was an electric motor. We learned the history of the town as we cruised the canal passing modular hotels, octagonal sky-scrapers, locks of love, beautiful bridges, and spectacular sculptures. We really enjoyed our short amount of time in Texas's oldest municipality and would love to return if the opportunity becomes available. San Antonio proved to be a fascinating town and I think it has made it to the top of my list of favorite cities. We would love to return someday to do a lot more exploring.
After a fabulous visit with family in Hondo, Texas, we made our way into San Antonio to see the famed Alamo. Originally built in the early 1700s as a Spanish Mission under the name Misión San Antonio de Valero, it was given its current name after Mexico gained independence from Spain. From a USA Today article, "In 1835, a band of 200 Texas volunteer soldiers drove the Mexican soldiers out, and several months later, Mexican General Santa Anna sent back an army of 6,000. Led by Jim Bowie and Davey Crockett, the defenders held on for 13 days before eventually being defeated. Six weeks later, an army led by Sam Houston defeated the Mexican soldiers at the Battle of San Jacinto and Texas' independence was won."
While visiting the Alamo, we opted to do a self-guided tour of the grounds for free but there are options for an audio tour, or guided tour as well. Neither of which were very expensive. We attended a period rifle demonstration and walked through the museum. The architectural beauty and history of this monument draws millions of visitors every year. It was easy to see why. |
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April 2019
AuthorCarolyn and Will Bollwerk share their adventures with their 5 year-old daughter, Dylan. |