We are heading to the seaside area next month and driving with little kids. Considering breaking the trip up and staying in a hotel somewhere along the way. Does anyone have experience with where to stay? Looking for both city recommendations and hotels please. .. thanks.
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Driving from DFW to Destin. . ..where to stop and stay on the way?
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Last: 5 yr ago by adamhdonnell
We stay in Pearl, Ms. Marriott has Courtyard and Fairfield Inn & Suites. Going through Pearl to Hattiesburg to Mobile is about 26 miles shorter than the interstate Shreveport thru Baton Rouge. Just as fast, Nicer drive.
Multiple restaurants within a couple blocks of the hotels. Also Missisissippi Braves Baseball park is less than 1/2 mile.
Motels $90-120. Stayed this week and it was $97 total for 2Queen beds.
That's about 400 miles to Pearl, less than 300 on to Destin.
Multiple restaurants within a couple blocks of the hotels. Also Missisissippi Braves Baseball park is less than 1/2 mile.
Motels $90-120. Stayed this week and it was $97 total for 2Queen beds.
That's about 400 miles to Pearl, less than 300 on to Destin.
Not sure how little your kids are, but I'd check out the USS Alabama if possible-
http://www.ussalabama.com/
http://www.ussalabama.com/
...apologies for not really answering your question but just tossing out how we are going to be handling it...
We are doing Destin for the first time this year. Driving as well. From...you guessed it...Plano.
We plan to do it all in one day with 4 (almost 5 at that point) and 2 (almost 3 at that point) year olds. Last year we drove to Nashville in one day two different times to see the in-laws. Its not for everyone but we just wake up at 2:15AM, the wife and I do final packing / get ready, and then we grab the kids out of bed, toss them in the car and head out by 3:00AM. In theory we want them to then sleep for about 4 hours or so but reality is they tend to get excited after getting in the car and look out the windows for an hour or so before falling back asleep. We then stop one time for breakfast around 8AM and are in Nashville by 1PM. Wife drives first shift (pre-breakfast), I drive second shift (after breakfast). Pre-breakfast they sleep most of the time and once both are awake we can usually just talk to them and they are fine for an hour or so. After breakfast we give them a toy or two to play with for an hour or two and then when they start getting restless...that is when the movies / ipads come out and that can entertain them for the remainder of the trip.
Destin is about 1.5 hours more than Nashville (11.5 hrs vs 10 hrs). I would admit that is pushing our limits but that 1.5 extra hours isn't worth wasting a day / night in a hotel. We will probably add one more stop between breakfast and arrival in Destin but who knows we may not. We are pretty stubborn and our kids know it
We are doing Destin for the first time this year. Driving as well. From...you guessed it...Plano.
We plan to do it all in one day with 4 (almost 5 at that point) and 2 (almost 3 at that point) year olds. Last year we drove to Nashville in one day two different times to see the in-laws. Its not for everyone but we just wake up at 2:15AM, the wife and I do final packing / get ready, and then we grab the kids out of bed, toss them in the car and head out by 3:00AM. In theory we want them to then sleep for about 4 hours or so but reality is they tend to get excited after getting in the car and look out the windows for an hour or so before falling back asleep. We then stop one time for breakfast around 8AM and are in Nashville by 1PM. Wife drives first shift (pre-breakfast), I drive second shift (after breakfast). Pre-breakfast they sleep most of the time and once both are awake we can usually just talk to them and they are fine for an hour or so. After breakfast we give them a toy or two to play with for an hour or two and then when they start getting restless...that is when the movies / ipads come out and that can entertain them for the remainder of the trip.
Destin is about 1.5 hours more than Nashville (11.5 hrs vs 10 hrs). I would admit that is pushing our limits but that 1.5 extra hours isn't worth wasting a day / night in a hotel. We will probably add one more stop between breakfast and arrival in Destin but who knows we may not. We are pretty stubborn and our kids know it
It's right at 750 miles from DFW to Destin and 11.5 hours just might be driving time, no stops, no food, no fuel. Don't think so.
Well worth a night on the road to arrive a little refreshed, not dead tired.
Especially with kids.
Well worth a night on the road to arrive a little refreshed, not dead tired.
Especially with kids.
John C Stennis Space Center
On Pearl River LA / MS Border
Worth a visit if you stay in the area
On Pearl River LA / MS Border
Worth a visit if you stay in the area
A couple years ago we made the drive from Mckinney with our then 5 and 2 yr old. On the way up we stopped in Baton Rouge after leaving as soon as I could finish work. On the way home we left at 3am and the last 3 hours of the drive were brutal. The kids were mentally exhausted and done with being in the car. I would definitely recommend breaking it up if you feel like you are pushing the limits with the kids.
Trip plans are not set in stone and we may end up doing similar to what you said and do 6 hours straight from work and 6 hours the next. When we do Nashville the kids are fine when we get there...usually it's more mom and dad just ready to stretch our legs. Basically is that extra 2 hours worth splitting? Honestly less concerned about the kids and more about the drivers but one extra stop and one extra driver switch it doesn't seem too awful. I will propose a 2 day trip to the wife. Will let y'all know what we decide and report back in a few months how it went and if we regret our decision one way or the other.
If the kids are fine then yea , tough it out!! Lol. Last year we left Eagle Vail at 3am and made that drive straight all the way home. I am ok with splitting up drives on the way there but on the way home I just want to get back which is what we usually do.
We drove from Austin to Destin last month with a 3yo and a 4yo. Left Austin at 3am and they slept until we stopped at Buccees in Baytown at 6am. Stopped again in Slidell for lunch about 11-1130am and the kids passed out again until Pensacola. We were in Destin by 3pm and at the beach by 4. Really wasn't as bad as I had been dreading.
What is the mileage / total drive time when you map it from your house to destin? Just curious. Your approach is extremely consistent with what we are initially planning. The one good thing too is when we pull up to destin...if the kids are exhausted it's just a few hours till bedtime and if we are exhausted...the in laws are flying in so they will be rested and can take over for us so we could rest.
I don't remember the exact mileage but I think it was around 880 or so. Google estimated 11hrs and 50min drive time. We made really good time from Austin to Houston due to being about the only car on the road that early in the morning. I think we passed through downtown Houston 2:15 after leaving home in Spicewood just west of Austin.
Thanks! It is about 750 mike from Plano to Destin so not a major difference. Going to Nashville leaving at 3am always times well for missing rush hour in major cities so may have to check for that and adjust a little if needed.
We make this trip every other year and last year was the first time we drove with kids (2 yr old at the time). We drove to Vicksburg and stayed at a Holiday Inn Express. Right off of 20 and super convenient. Vicksburg is about a 5.5 hr drive and more than half of the trip (by mileage). My sister drove with a 2, 3 and 4 year old and made the trip in one day.
We left on a Friday afternoon, stopped and ate dinner in West Monroe, then drove on to Vicksburg and stayed the night there.
Got up the next morning, ate breakfast, left a little after 9. Stopped in Hattiesburg for lunch at Chick Fil A. We were at Chick Fil A for at least an hour and a half just letting our son burn some energy in hopes that he'd fall asleep in the car. Then he napped until around Mobile.
I'd much rather stop and get rest (especially with littles) and not feel rushed by a screaming toddler that's done being in the car. We don't usually do beach the day we get there. We grocery shop and maybe go to the pool that afternoon/evening.
I should add the frequent extended stops we're also because my wife was pregnant.
We left on a Friday afternoon, stopped and ate dinner in West Monroe, then drove on to Vicksburg and stayed the night there.
Got up the next morning, ate breakfast, left a little after 9. Stopped in Hattiesburg for lunch at Chick Fil A. We were at Chick Fil A for at least an hour and a half just letting our son burn some energy in hopes that he'd fall asleep in the car. Then he napped until around Mobile.
I'd much rather stop and get rest (especially with littles) and not feel rushed by a screaming toddler that's done being in the car. We don't usually do beach the day we get there. We grocery shop and maybe go to the pool that afternoon/evening.
I should add the frequent extended stops we're also because my wife was pregnant.
If we stop I think I would do Vicksburg as well and my wife would hate it because we would go to the battlefield. As a kid we drove on every vacation (DC, Orlando, Colorado, Canada etc...never on a plane til 16) and my dad made sure we never missed a battle site even if it meant going off path a little. I remember those often more than the ultimate destination.
We drive it direct almost every year. It's not that bad. Kids watch movies, with headphones. Parents listen to podcasts and sleep. We have been doing it since our kids were infants.
That being said, on occasion, we will VRBO a place in New Orleans. We get there in time to take the kids for a walk around Audubon Park, watch some sidewalk performers, and grab dinner somewhere fun. Then in the morning, we hit Cafe Dumond, ride the street car, and hit the road. Assuming your check-in time is 3pm or so, you have plenty of time.
New Orleans is a bit out of the way, but it's such a cool City, and the kids love it.
That being said, on occasion, we will VRBO a place in New Orleans. We get there in time to take the kids for a walk around Audubon Park, watch some sidewalk performers, and grab dinner somewhere fun. Then in the morning, we hit Cafe Dumond, ride the street car, and hit the road. Assuming your check-in time is 3pm or so, you have plenty of time.
New Orleans is a bit out of the way, but it's such a cool City, and the kids love it.
We usually drive it straight through but we have stopped before. If we stop we stop in Mobile, get a great meal at Felix's and then have nice easy drive in the next morning.
about to say the same thing. Get the crab soup. Best thing ever. Blackened grouper is amazing.MW13 said:
We usually drive it straight through but we have stopped before. If we stop we stop in Mobile, get a great meal at Felix's and then have nice easy drive in the next morning.
MW13 said:
We usually drive it straight through but we have stopped before. If we stop we stop in Mobile, get a great meal at Felix's and then have nice easy drive in the next morning.
Yep. We always get to Mobile on Day 1 and stay downtown. Easy drive the next day and can stop at the USS Alabama or the Naval Museum in Pensacola on the way over, assuming you have an afternoon check-in anyhow.
New Orleans.
What do you guys do the day after you get there if you drove through the night (2AM for me is like shortly after going to bed for me)... I am just worried that i would be too wiped out while the kids want to go play on the beach, etc?
For us, we go to bed around 830PM/9PM the night before. We always shoot for 6 hours of sleep the night before. While pretty wiped when we get to Nashville, usually after walking around some, getting a bite to eat and having a drink or two, we are pretty much back to normal. We will go to bed around 9:30/10 that first night in and are up the next day by 630AM and good to go...no real "jet lag"
edit: Just realized you were specific to how we handle situation upon arrival. The good news for us is that my in-laws will be there waiting and will take over for us for the first few hours. I imagine we may end up at the pool within an hour or two of arrival. I would think even if they were not there I still would be ok walking the kids to the pool to let them burn some energy for a few hours...the least we could do after forcing them in a car for over 11 hours...
edit: Just realized you were specific to how we handle situation upon arrival. The good news for us is that my in-laws will be there waiting and will take over for us for the first few hours. I imagine we may end up at the pool within an hour or two of arrival. I would think even if they were not there I still would be ok walking the kids to the pool to let them burn some energy for a few hours...the least we could do after forcing them in a car for over 11 hours...
Yeh it's tough for me personally to go to bed that early on any day, much less the night before trips (which usually i have trouble falling asleep because of excitement lol). So what likely would happen if I ever do something similar is to start driving at say 10pm... and drive through the night. And yeh that would be tough when we get there... so having some other adults watching our kids would be nice.planoaggie123 said:
For us, we go to bed around 830PM/9PM the night before. We always shoot for 6 hours of sleep the night before. While pretty wiped when we get to Nashville, usually after walking around some, getting a bite to eat and having a drink or two, we are pretty much back to normal. We will go to bed around 9:30/10 that first night in and are up the next day by 630AM and good to go...no real "jet lag"
edit: Just realized you were specific to how we handle situation upon arrival. The good news for us is that my in-laws will be there waiting and will take over for us for the first few hours. I imagine we may end up at the pool within an hour or two of arrival. I would think even if they were not there I still would be ok walking the kids to the pool to let them burn some energy for a few hours...the least we could do after forcing them in a car for over 11 hours...
Im the exact same way with regards to sleeping before trips. The struggle is real. Like a kid on Christmas Eve.
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