Hello and welcome to my first trip report! I am the mom of a Michigan based family who traveled to the Los Angeles area in August 2016. DS is 4 and DD is 2. We spent a week on the road, two weeks in the LA area including 3 days at Disneyland, followed by a week to travel back home. We stayed in hotels, with friends, with family...we looked up everyone we knew! Kidding, kidding.
At first we talked about making this a driving trip and I thought it was crazy idea. However, the more I researched the more I thought this was a great way to make memories and see some great places in the USA. This preschool age for DS & DD is full of ups and downs...but so much magic. Everything is a new discovery. Once DH and I saw we could see some iconic Route 66 locations and the REAL place that Ramone's from the movie Cars is based on...we were sold on making this a driving trip.
I came to the DIS to research our 2 days at Disneyland and wish I had looked around more. There is so much going on in this forum for trips to the West!! It was so helpful to search 'kids' or 'toddler' on travel forums and get some tips that were focused on family travel. As a AAA member I went to my local office and got all the maps and state guides I needed. Even with a GPS and various travel apps I felt hard copies were a must.
Here is our itinerary...
Day 1: Leave the Detroit area...stay in Terre Haute, IN
Day 2: Visit St. Louis, MO...stay in Springfield, MO
Day 3: Stay in Shamrock, TX
Day 4: Stay in Albuquerque, NM
Day 5: Stay in Sedona, AZ
Day 7: Stay in Las Vegas, NV
Day 8: Arrive in the LA area
Day 17: Disneyland
Day 18: Disneyland
Day 19: Disneyland
Day 23: Leave LA...stay in Las Vegas
Day 24: Stay in Flagstaff, AZ
Day 25: Stay in Alburquerque, NM
Day 26: Stay in Lubbock, TX
Day 27: Arrive in Waco, TX
Day 30: Stay in Little Rock, AK
Day 31: Stay in Terre Haute, IN
Day 32: Arrive Home
KA-CHOW!
At first we talked about making this a driving trip and I thought it was crazy idea. However, the more I researched the more I thought this was a great way to make memories and see some great places in the USA. This preschool age for DS & DD is full of ups and downs...but so much magic. Everything is a new discovery. Once DH and I saw we could see some iconic Route 66 locations and the REAL place that Ramone's from the movie Cars is based on...we were sold on making this a driving trip.
I came to the DIS to research our 2 days at Disneyland and wish I had looked around more. There is so much going on in this forum for trips to the West!! It was so helpful to search 'kids' or 'toddler' on travel forums and get some tips that were focused on family travel. As a AAA member I went to my local office and got all the maps and state guides I needed. Even with a GPS and various travel apps I felt hard copies were a must.
Here is our itinerary...
Day 1: Leave the Detroit area...stay in Terre Haute, IN
Day 2: Visit St. Louis, MO...stay in Springfield, MO
Day 3: Stay in Shamrock, TX
Day 4: Stay in Albuquerque, NM
Day 5: Stay in Sedona, AZ
Day 7: Stay in Las Vegas, NV
Day 8: Arrive in the LA area
Day 17: Disneyland
Day 18: Disneyland
Day 19: Disneyland
Day 23: Leave LA...stay in Las Vegas
Day 24: Stay in Flagstaff, AZ
Day 25: Stay in Alburquerque, NM
Day 26: Stay in Lubbock, TX
Day 27: Arrive in Waco, TX
Day 30: Stay in Little Rock, AK
Day 31: Stay in Terre Haute, IN
Day 32: Arrive Home
KA-CHOW!
