In our family, like many moms, I’m in charge of the calendar. I take this title to heart as the Chief Memory Maker. I’m the one who makes sure that we go apple picking, carve pumpkins, hit the touch-a-truck circuit and the downtown trick-or-treat. When I look at a given month or season, I honestly have to take literal sticky notes to block out weekends to be at home, because if I don’t hold those, I’ll “accidentally” plan something high-energy every weekend.
We are going to the farmer’s market or the arts and crafts festival or the apple day or the town concert. What’s the point of living in a small rural town if not for these events? It takes effort to find these, but once you get plugged in to your local calendar it’s staggering all of the options you can have for a great weekend. That’s even more true if you open that up to a short roadtrip away—one of my secret travel talents is I always manage to stumble into local festivals. (The best one was a cheese festival in a tiny alpine town in Switzerland that I learned many years later is one of the best cheese festivals IN THE WORLD.)
I think the short roadtrip is one of the best kinds of trips with a toddler, which is why I was psyched to chat with writer Meredith Bethune from True North.
Meredith Bethune on Travel with Toddlers
I’m all for the kind of exciting travel writing that makes you want to drop everything and spend several weeks in a new destination. Or even week-long vacations where you can put down the domestic load for a hot minute and just relax. But honestly? Most of the “traveling” I do with my toddler are short drives away from our home, maybe an overnight, maybe not, because that’s just more realistic for us right now. And that’s Meredith’s sweet spot with her toddler, Sylvia, too. Our little ones are the exact same age so I always look out for her recommendations—she just gets it.
Here’s her take on the art of a toddler roadtrip:
What’s your travel “style” with a toddler?
“Before the pandemic, I traveled internationally about once a month—I’ve visited more than 50 countries! But the pandemic really made me change my approach in several ways.
First, I realized I’m a lot healthier and happier when I travel closer to where we live in Albany, NY. We go on tons of day trips, so we’re gone all day. My daughter is very high energy but pretty good in the car, so sometimes I find it easier to be out of the house with her all day long instead of dealing with her inside, bouncing off the walls. It also helps me feel less claustrophobic and trapped as the parent of a small child. It’s good for everyone!
Second, I used to pack as much as possible into an itinerary. Now, I’m more relaxed and go with the flow because you have to be when you’re at the whims of a toddler.”
You mentioned it’s more road tripping than flying—any road trip tips?
“We’ve only flown with my daughter twice, but we’re planning to try it out again in a few months, so wish us luck. Most of our road trips are only about 2-4 hours. She always takes one of her stuffed animals and her favorite blanket. Luckily, she usually sleeps in the car, so I don’t have to worry much about toys.”
What’s your biggest piece of travel advice for babies and toddlers?
“For both age groups, my biggest piece of advice is to drive or fly during nap times. Oh, and also always pack one or two changes of clothes! I’ve learned that the hard way. (Editor’s note: Same 🫠)
When things go wrong while traveling, it usually revolves around doing too much in one day and not stopping to eat or drink enough. Then dinner gets pushed off and delayed, and my daughter, understandably, has a meltdown. I have to remember to just go with the flow.”
How do you craft a toddler-friendly itinerary? Because even as a fellow travel writer, it’s just a different kind of research.
“Most of the places we go are within driving distance. We frequently choose destinations where we can visit with friends or family. Otherwise, we go places for one or two nights to get away for the weekend.
There are so many gorgeous spots within a 3-hour radius of Albany, including the Adirondacks, Catskills, Finger Lakes, and Vermont. I usually make a rough list of toddler-friendly things to do and places to eat and then go with the flow based on everyone’s energy levels. It’s so important to stay flexible when traveling with kids, I’ve learned!”
The top piece of gear Meredith doesn’t leave home without…
“A pack-and-play was my best piece of travel gear after I realized my daughter didn’t like sleeping in hotel cribs. But now that my daughter is older, I haven’t been traveling much with gear. I really don’t miss hauling all that gear around.”
The best place to travel with toddlers is…
“I recently spent a weekend visiting The Wild Center in Tupper Lake, NY in the Adirondacks with my daughter. My husband had to back out of the trip at the last minute. I’ve taken my daughter on plenty of trips by myself, but it suddenly felt so intimidating because she’s so mobile now. I almost considered backing out. However, I’m so glad I didn’t! We had a fantastic time.
The best way to describe the Wild Center is as a natural history museum, but it’s incredibly kid-friendly and educational. Most activities are based outdoors, so your kids will be exhausted from running around all day by the time you leave.”
And the best kid-friendly hotel is…
“We had a great time staying at the Wolfjaw Lodge in Wilmington, NY (the Adirondacks) years ago when my daughter was around 21 months old. It’s one of those old motor lodges that has been renovated and now operates as an independent inn. I loved that we could just drive up to the front door of our room and unload all the gear she had at the time like the pack and play.
This is sort of a boring tip, but I do find the best places to stay with little ones are suite hotels like Residence Inn, SpringHill Suites, etc. They tend to be pretty child-proof and have sturdy furniture (unlike most Airbnbs, which can have a tons of knickknacks or lamps out). And it’s nice to have two different sleeping areas and free breakfast for everyone.”
Tell me your favorite travel memory with your toddler.
“So many! I remember Hiking Mt. Abraham in Vermont with my husband and daughter when she was a baby. Going swimming in Lake George and at a swimming hole in Vermont are both great memories, too.” 🤿
Road trips work well for little ones
Thank you so much, Meredith! This is making me want to draw our road trip circle a little bigger and get to upstate New York a little more. I’ve written before about my road trip rule and there’s no reason why we couldn’t do a longer road trip…Maine is more the place we like to go, but I’ve always wanted to do a lobster roll crawl up Route 1. (I am nothing if not in search of great bites wherever I travel, and hopefully my toddler is learning that, too.)
Thanks for being here.
I mentioned we didn’t travel a lot this summer and honestly, it’s because fall is our major travel season. Every weekend we have something going on! I’ve got apples to pick, pumpkins to paint, leaves to crunch, trucks to touch. I feel like everybody freaks out about the “18 summers” thing because I’m much more concerned about getting the most out of fall magic, already a fleeting season, before it’s just another school year-extracurricular frenzy.
What I mean is: At a recent outing my toddler started limping—I immediately jumped into emergency mode, ready to call the pediatrician—until I realized it was because they had grabbed a TON of rocks after discovering that their pants had pockets. We kept just a few and started a “treasure jar” full of acorns and rocks and all manner of things we find on the trails. Slowing down and enjoying the bits and bobs of fall and watching the leaves change is such a gift.
If I could live in October year-round, I would,
Kayla
If you liked this post, please consider supporting my work. I’m just a mom in the thick of the toddler years trying to create core memories for our whole family while minimizing meltdowns—I sincerely hope this helps you do the same.
This post was originally published on Travel with Toddlers. Subscribe for more real-talk travel advice, toddler-friendly itineraries, and tried-and-true gear recommendations.
