
Teens, screens, time pressure and other challenges to navigate on a family road trip
I found both when I packed up the car with my husband and two kids — one of them a teenager — for the eight-hour drive from Boston to Niagara Falls. We had taken long road trips as a family in the past, but our kids, now 8 and 14, were older. My son, firmly in his 'closed-door, don't talk to me' phase, wasn't exactly thrilled about spending over 460 miles trapped in our smallish Nissan Rogue. We also live in a part of the country where we don't spend much time in cars in our everyday life.
How would we all manage the close quarters?
Here's some of what I learned — along with advice from the experts — about not only surviving a family road trip but having a good time:
First, why do it?
Many road-trip veterans cite the chance to bond and create family memories. Eighteen-year-old Samara Worsham, for example, spent 30 days crossing 25 states with her family in 2022. Now preparing to leave for college, she says she cherishes that time on the road.
'There were long stretches with no cellular data, leaving us nothing to do but talk,' she said.
Along with visiting U.S. landmarks, Worsham's fondest memories include hotel pool swims with her siblings, and her father's mission to sample every fast-food chain across the country.
There are practical advantages to the family car trip too.
'It's more economical than flying, especially with a big family,' says Jamie Davis Smith, a lawyer and writer from Washington, D.C., who takes a road trip every year with her husband and children. 'Plus, you don't have to rent a car at the destination.'
Get family input on the itinerary
Alain Robert, founder of The Travelologist, a Canadian travel agency, recommends including the whole family in planning.
'Ask what they'd like to see or do. Build around everyone's interests,' he advised. 'Once you have a backbone itinerary, share it and manage expectations.'
My family, in particular the kids, wanted to get there as soon as possible. They had their eyes on the destination, not the journey.
Include some cheesy stops — if you can take the time
Davis Smith said her family loves to discover quirky roadside attractions; on one trip, they had fun stopping at the Unclaimed Baggage Center in Scottsboro, Alabama — a store that sells lost airline luggage.
Inspired, I downloaded the Roadtrippers app and mapped out a few detour-worthy stops. Our shortlist included the Jell-O Museum in LeRoy, New York, as well as the Schuyler Mansion (of 'Hamilton' fame) in Albany, New York.
But best-laid plans... We quickly realized that an eight-hour haul didn't leave much wiggle room for exploration. Lesson learned: Keep daily driving to six hours or less if you want time to explore. We didn't have time for either of those two stops.
Whether you bring your pet or not, prepare for extra costs
We briefly considered bringing Rosie, our 2-year-old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, but the hotel we'd booked at Niagara wasn't dog-friendly. No friends were available to watch her, so at the last minute, we boarded her at our vet — a first for Rosie.
We hadn't expected she would need two new vaccines, and we had to squeeze in a vet appointment two days before departure. This meant a steep bill the morning we left, and boarding costs awaiting us when we returned.
Travel journalist Kelly Burch, who road-tripped around the U.S. for seven months with her husband, two kids and senior dog, warned that pet policies on the road can be unpredictable. One budget hotel near Yellowstone National Park wouldn't even allow their dog to stay in their RV on the property.
'Triple check pet policies,' she advised.
Teens...
Knowing my teenager would need space, I splurged on a junior suite. He got his own bed, slept late and had the space to recharge. The suite came with a small kitchen and a breathtaking view of Horseshoe Falls — well worth the extra cost for three nights.
If we'd stayed longer, I would have reconsidered the splurge. But since we saved money by not flying, the room felt like a worthwhile tradeoff.
... and screens
If your kids are on the younger side, divert them with family car games.
'If you start the screen early, it can be difficult to convince them to do anything else,' says freelance journalist Stratton Lawrence, 43, who has written for Travel & Leisure about his family road trips — without devices. He's driven with his young kids and wife from South Carolina to the Pacific Coast twice, including one three-month stretch on the road.
Even older kids, he says, will appreciate something like a deck of cards or a paper atlas to see the geography.
'If you're going to be in a car for 100-plus hours, the kids aren't going to be entertained watching TV that whole time, so you have to have other things,' he said.
Overall, I think my teenager thought the trip was OK. His friend happened to be visiting Niagara Falls with her family and staying in the same hotel where we stayed. That was a welcome surprise. He also seemed to like our daytime outings, especially the boat ride into the Horseshoe Falls, where we got drenched with water.
I figure, if a trip is mostly OK for a teenager, it's a success.
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Daily Mail
3 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Ultimate Washington road trip: How a holiday to the capital region helped LEE BOYCE truly grasp US history and culture
In a day and half of my stay in Washington DC I saw so many historic and cultural artifacts in museums that it's hard to compute the shear vastness of it. The US does most things big and brash, and in the capital, museums are no different - but are delightfully free and navigable by foot, housed in architecturally impressive buildings. And on foot, you'll see the likes of the Capitol Building, White House and Washington Monument all baked in, so your sightseeing bucket list can receive a tick every 10 minutes. It was recently claimed UK travellers to the US was on the wane - but new reports now suggest it is strong as ever. Part of that is likely to be down to a strengthened pound against the dollar, making it a good - and crucially, cheaper - time to visit. But I wouldn't necessarily have Washington down as a must see US spot for Britons, like London is for Americans. I think we're more likely to head to New York, Florida, Boston, Las Vegas or Los Angeles, than America's capital. So on this trip, I soaked in as much as I could in DC in a couple of days with a trip to neighbouring Maryland and Virginia bolted on, the so-called Capital Region which turned out to be the perfect peaceful yang to the hectic Washington ying. From visiting George Washington's tomb, to seeing the very hazmat suit that Walter White wore in hit TV show Breaking Bad; being face-to-face with $24million of freshly printed dollars to being overwhelmed by a giant statue of a pensive Abraham Lincoln, it was a whistle stop tour of US history and popular culture that will live long in the memory… Washington DC: Adult Disneyland of free museums As soon as I checked into the Willard InterContinental hotel in Washington, I bolted out the door like a whippet for a five-minute walk to the The White House, channeling my inner Francis Underwood. Perhaps the building I have seen most in my life without visiting, I managed to time it just as the US President was landing in his green Air Force One chopper (well, that's what a local told me anyway - it was nice to be personally welcomed). The hotel is the perfect spot for a whistle-stop Washington tour – central and steeped in history, with plenty of past Presidents having visited. If you're going to visit DC, you may as well do it properly. I crammed in so much in Washington it's hard to crunch down into one travel review – although, most of it can be done on foot, where I quite enjoyed Cybertruck spotting (the novelty hasn't worn off yet, four in total). I love London, but Washington gives it a run for its money in the free museum stakes - and is far quieter and easier to navigate. If you love your history and impressive museums, I cannot recommend it enough. I was simply blown away. This leg of the trip was broken down in two parts – firstly, to get a lay of the land, a bus tour to soak in all of the sights and sounds. I did this at dusk with USA Guided Tours, and the guide had the perfect blend of humour with facts that will live long in the brain. The trip took us to the Lincoln, Jefferson, MLK, Vietnam and World War II Memorials, as well as a better look at the White House and Capitol Building. Highly recommended. The second part was just how many museums you can cram in by foot. In 36 hours I managed to visit six – and there were still plenty of more I could have done. It is truly the Disneyland of Museums – but unlike Disney, no huge prices to get in or lengthy queues. This included the National Museum of the American Indian; National Museum of African American History and Culture; National Museum of American History; the National Archives; National Portrait Museum and I even managed a sneaky trip to the Bureau of Engraving and Printing. A brief note on each. The American Indian museum was a history lesson of how the US came about and filled a huge knowledge gap for me on how a huge land grab transpired. Hat tip here for the excellent Pocahontas exhibition. The African American museum had an excellent Emmett Till Memorial and again helped fill some of my knowledge gap around this part of history. Also, as a huge sports buff, I loved seeing Mohammed Ali's boxing gloves and Shaquille O'Neal's gigantic Reebok 'Shaq Attack' trainers. I could have easily spent two whole days perusing the American History museum, home to the Star-Spangled Banner - the original flag that inspired the national anthem. In a darkened room with no photography allowed, it has an unmatched aura. The design of this museum is brilliant. It takes you from the bottom floor on the origins of US history from the industrial revolution to the car, then up to American democracy and then to my favourite part: Entertainment Nation. Here was a smorgasbord of the impact the US has had on the world of film, music, TV and sports. Literally, America's history, from bottom to top. The Walter White hazmat suit from TV show Breaking Bad was there in the flesh, as was the original Dana Scully FBI pass (I'm currently rewatching X-Files from the start) and Prince's yellow cloud guitar from 1983. Honestly, all goosebump inducing - I'd fail to see how anyone couldn't find at least one exhibit of interest here. The National Archives is a must to see the original Declaration of Independence, Constitution and Bill of Rights - and next year could be a good one to visit. That's because 2026 marks 250 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776. Meanwhile the National Portrait Museum was marvellous to get a run down of every single US President in running order, and the portrait they had commissioned. Lastly, no visit could be complete by me without visiting the Bureau of Engraving and Printing – here's where it prints half of the US bank notes for the entire country, near the centre of Washington. While there, I saw the notes being printed and from the viewing gallery, a bale of $100 bills with a note on top saying '$24million'. Listen, I love a bank notes and coins and was in my element – I even bought a fresh sheet of $2 bills to take home, and $150 worth of shredded notes. There are also some excellent spots to eat - Succotash Prime and the Old Ebbitt Grill were exquisite, the latter being steeped in history. A great spot for a first night meal to feel grandiose and dine like a President (you can pick which one you want to be). Washington was one of those spots where I didn't have any huge expectations, but I came away wanting to go back with my children… there is just so much to do. I even saved the National Air and Space Museum on purpose, because I know I'll be back with the kids… and that will be our first port of call. Washington is steeped in history – Abraham Lincoln was assassinated at a theatre a few blocks away from the hotel – and being surrounded by monuments, events, artifacts that have shaped the modern world, while not ancient as say seeing the Colosseum in Rome or Pantheon in Athens, is still awe-inspiring, nonetheless. If you're a history buff, I'd highly recommend at least four days in DC to soak it all in - and come away completely awash with every single piece of American history you'll ever need to glean. Maryland's crabbing coastal charm Question: What is the perfect nearby getaway after miles and miles of Washington pavement pounded by foot, with helicopters buzzing around and cars beeping their horns, and exercising your brain reading hundreds of placards in museums…? Answer: Maryland. An hour drive east and I was transported into a peaceful, tranquil world where I could properly process all the amazing sights I had mopped-up in the capital. Kent Island Resort is where I spent three days of blissful relaxation. The island itself is accessible by one of the longest bridges in the world, stretching over Chesapeake Bay. There has been an English settlement on Kent Island since 1631 and was named by settler William Claiborne after his native county. The rural charm of this area could mean you were in the English countryside, and the small hamlets of Stevensville and Queenstown are worth a visit for their quaint charm - and I found from experience, local shopkeepers and cafe owners like hearing the English accent. It hasn't lost its charm in this neck of the woods. Jack Broderick, President of the Kent Island Heritage Society, was our guide and whenever you visit these places, it's always good to get the decades of tales straight from the horse's mouth. A boat trip through the Kent Narrows is also recommended for birdwatching and to get to grips with Chesapeake Bay - where Captain John Smith explored in 1608 and 1609 to map the region, commissioned by The Virginia Company of London. Maryland is famous for crab and oysters - and in my best Forrest Gump voice, we visited The Jetty in Kent Narrows where we devoured crab pizza, crab cakes, crab soup, cream of crab soup and soft crab BLTs. Crab until your heart is content. Also, Libbeys overlooking the bridge is another great seafood spot - indeed, I enjoyed it so much that I came home with a t-shirt from the restaurant, a surefire sign I've fallen in love. While DC was great for seeing the history locked away in exhibitions, Maryland was great for seeing it in the flesh - including Queen Anne's County Court House, erected on a plantation known as 'Chesterfield,' the ancestral home of Judge Joseph Hopper Nicholson. He was the man who suggested the music for the Star-Spangled Banner - Francis Scott Key was his brother-in-law. Washington's crib: Mount Vernon houses George Washington's tomb - and is perfect for another afternoon of fun peppered in with history Virginia's scenic historic beauty At first glance in Virginia, I felt like I'd be transported to Beverly Hills. Every few seconds there were gasps from the tour bus, as we admired multi-million dollar homes from afar, surrounded by lush greenery. On our way to Mount Vernon, we stopped at Great Falls Park. The perfect spot for Instagram-worthy photographs, it is part of the Potomac River that flows through to Washington. George Washington surveyed the area in the 1750s and recognised the potential of the Potomac River as a transportation route - and later he helped fund canals to help bypass these falls. And onto Washington. Mount Vernon is America's most visited historic home which belonged to the first President of the US, located on the banks of the Potomac. I'll be totally honest here... I genuinely hadn't heard of Mount Vernon. You can immerse yourself here in the restored gardens, working 1700s farm, outbuildings, and stunning mansion. At the tomb, you can visit the final resting place of George and Martha Washington. Another true piece of American history. Onwards south and a stop at Church in Richmond, Virginia. This is one of America's most important historic sites, where - swayed by Patrick Henry's powerful argument - the delegates made a decision that changed the course of history, lighting the spark of the War for Independence. Also in Richmond is the Museum of History and Culture, which currently has a 'Give Me Liberty' exhibition - the first-of-its-kind exhibit in honor of America's upcoming 250th anniversary. Last stop was Williamsburg and Jamestown - the latter a living history museum in Virginia that commemorates the original 1607 Jamestown settlement, the first permanent English colony in North America. A private walking tour of Williamsburg is a must. It's like being transported back in time, with horse and cart, and you'll see the Continental Union Flag flying outside many buildings. Also known as the Grand Union Flag, it was the first official flag used by the US, and it prominently featured the Union Jack in its top-left corner. You could easily roam here for the day, soaking in the history, the beautiful old-style buildings and also do some old-fashioned shopping. Christiana Campbell's Tavern is a must-visit here. George Washington is said to have frequented it for its exceptional seafood. I ordered what was said to be a Washington favourite - a cocktail called the Cherry Bounce, with brandy, all spice dram and lime - and soaked in the history once more. This trip opened my eyes fully to US history - something I may have sneered at a little in the past - and I'd highly recommend retracing the footsteps of English settlers, in Maryland and Virginia for the liveable history, and soak in the wonderful museums in Washington to cement it in. I genuinely arrived home to give my brain a rest from all of the information I had gathered in the week I was in the US - who knew a trip could be such a brain workout... Washington, Maryland and Virginia - tips and tricks How to do it: Flights can be easily snaffled for around £450 return from London Heathrow, with United usually coming out cheapest. In terms of hotels, I'd highly recommend the InterContinental Willard in Washington, just for the salubrious nature of it, the history and its central location - prices typically start from around £225 per night. Elsewhere, the beauty of the US is there are plenty of hotels suiting all budgets - and that's true of Maryland and Virginia. I'd recommend booking tickets for museums in advance (free, but saves any queue hassle), booking a Washington site seeing your (not one of those open top bus things, but an actual knowledgble guide). For trips like Mount Vernon, it's best to check in advance how busy it is likely to be on any given day (there are plenty of school trips as you'd imagine) and booking a private walking tour in Williamsburg is a must.


The Independent
5 hours ago
- The Independent
Parts of the Appalachian Trail are still damaged after Helene. Volunteers are fixing it by hand
In a rugged patch of the Appalachian Trail in eastern Tennessee, volunteers size up a massive, gnarled tree lying on its side. Its tangled web of roots and dark brown soil, known as a root ball, is roughly the size of a large kiddie pool. The collection of volunteers and staff from the Appalachian Trail Conservancy and local organizations, doesn't plan to move the tree. Instead, their job is filling the gaping holes left by it and many other downed trees along iconic East Coast trail. Almost a year since Hurricane Helene tore through the mountains of the Southeast, restoration is still ongoing. In places like the Appalachian Trail it's powered primarily by volunteers, at a time when federal resources are strained and uncertain. That labor, made up of people spanning several generations and continents, aims to not only return the trail to its former glory but make it more resilient against future inclement weather. 'Volunteers are the lifeblood of the Appalachian Trail,' said Jake Stowe, a program support specialist with the Appalachian Trail Conservancy. Stretching more than 2,000 miles (3,200 kilometers) miles from Georgia to Maine, the trail attracts more than 3 million people every year, according to the conservancy. Some committed hikers traverse its entire length to cross it off their bucket list. Others visit sporadically just to indulge in its scenic views. Last September, Helene killed more than 200 people and wrecked entire towns. Many rural businesses have struggled due to the drop in tourism, Stowe said, such as in places seeing fewer trail hikers. Directly after the storm, more than 430 miles (690 kilometers) of the trail were closed, the conservancy said. That's down to 5 miles (8 kilometers) today. Hikers still have to take detours around two damaged sections of the trail, both in Tennessee, according to the conservancy. One spot where a bridge collapsed requires a 3.6-mile (5.8-kilometer) walking detour. The other location is near the destroyed Cherry Gap Shelter, where an Associated Press journalist accompanied volunteers this week making the area passable again for visitors who currently have to take a 6-mile (10 kilometer) detour. Fixing trails is hard work Local groups typically take on day-to-day trail maintenance, such as hacking back plant overgrowth, Stowe said. Larger organizations like the Appalachian Trail Conservancy step in to assist with severe damage, although in Helene's case, safety concerns delayed restoration. 'At the time, we weren't really in the position to put people in the woods,' Stowe said. 'It was such bad damage that it was just- you couldn't safely do that.' The area near Cherry Gap has already been 'sawed out,' meaning downed trees that blocked the trail have been cut and moved out of the way. But root balls are still a major problem because of how labor-intensive it is to deal with them. When a tree tips over, the root ball lifts a big chunk of earth with it. Filling that hole can sometimes take a week, said Matt Perrenod, a crew leader with the conservancy. The trail runs along the spine of the Appalachian Mountains, and that rough terrain means crews must rely on hand tools like shovels, rakes and pruners to do the job, rather than heavy equipment. The conservancy also has to consider more sustainable improvements to the trail, such as building steps or features like water bars, which are essentially little ditches that divert rainfall off the side of the trail. It's a slow process, Perrenod said, but a worthwhile venture to improve the experience of hikers. 'You don't actually want to think about the thing you're walking on very much. You just want to walk on it," said Perrenod, who hiked the Appalachian Trail's entirety about a decade ago. 'Well, if we don't do the work, you won't be able to do that. You'll spend all your time climbing over this tree and walking around that hole." Volunteers travel the world to help out Partnering with the U.S. Forest Service and the National Park Service has long been a critical component of preserving the Appalachian Trail. Through contracts, Perrenod said the agencies fund equipment, gas and the wages of some Appalachian Trail Conservancy staff members like himself. The Forest Service also helps the group lug their gear up to the trail, he said. That's why Perrenod says it's imperative the federal government does not slash those agencies' budgets and workforces. Disrupting support for volunteers could be detrimental for the trail's restoration, as volunteers provide 'a lot of muscle' to complete the vast majority of its maintenance, he said. In Helene's aftermath, volunteerism across the region was 'super high' because everyone wanted to help, Stowe said. This year, interest in volunteering has dipped, Stowe said, but he's heard from people all over the country — and the world — who cited Helene as a major reason they wanted to come out and help. Among the volunteers on the July maintenance trip were three visitors from Japan who work on long-distance trails back home. They were enthusiastic to learn about best practices for improving trail longevity and take those ideas back to Japan. The trio was also motivated by their own experience with natural devastation. After Japan's massive 2011 earthquake and tsunami, volunteer Kumi Aizawa said people from across the globe came to rebuild. By restoring part of the Appalachian Trail, she's returning the favor. ___ Seminera reported from Raleigh, North Carolina.


Times
9 hours ago
- Times
Hotel or villa? There's only one winner on a grown-up Greek trip
Choosing this year's holiday destination was simple. We all love Greece and we'd never been to Rhodes — job done. Picking accommodation that ticked all the boxes? Not quite so easy. This would be our first time away as a family since our boys became men — and the checklist somewhat differs from back in the day. For the first time I find myself checking if the pool area is Insta-worthy and how far it is to the nearest club. As three couples — my sons' girlfriends are joining us — we agree that we want somewhere we can spend family time together, but where we can also have our own space. Another key factor is location. None of us want to drive, so despite being beautiful, rural properties are off the table.