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why you refuse to fly is irrelevant. What is relevant is your child and your relationship with your child. And your childs well being and your child's security and your child's basic human needs. For example:
You can move around, adjust your seat, wiggle your butt, cross your legs, and generally "get comfortable". Your son cannot.
You can decide its break time and get out and walk and pee when you get tired, your child has to sit in a pee diaper until you figure out hes wet because this time he may be crying because his diaper is dirty or because his butt hurts or because his neck hurts or he doesn't like the snacks. Or there is no rest stop here. You don't really know so you keep driving another 80 miles while your son sits in pee.
You decide the dark empty parking lot looks safe because you've been driving for 10 hours and are exhausted and need to sleep. Your son has been dozing on and off for long periods of time because hes strapped in and cant really move and his legs have fallen asleep in his carseat and hes not tired. But you cant keep your eyes open anymore. And youre grumpy. And hes grumpy.
Look, Ive traveled multiple times up and down the east coast with toddlers. a 9 hour drive to visit family in reality takes 12. No matter how well you plan it will take 25% more time than you think . Easily. Because he refuses to get back in the car after 5 hours and you have to sit in a park and relax just to let him get tired out. We drive to florida with a 3 year old. it took 2 days and 20 hours and a lot of help entertaining him and he is a great car traveler. I can not fathom doing that for 10 days. If you think it will take 8 days, youre going to need 10 or 11. The first few days youll cover a lot of distance. The last half you are both going to be miserable and need more breaks. It will take 12 on the way back. a week of busy family visiting isn't enough time for your child to rest and be ready to get back in the car.
This isn't a good plan. By yourself it will be too stressful and you wont have anyway to avoid the return trip since your car will be with you and you will have to drive back after such a tough trip down.
Remember, at the end of the day you are choosing to drive continuously for 15 days out of 21. Your child is not choosing it.
^^^^^ This is a very strong point. I alluded to it earlier, and now I think it takes priority over anything I listed as pluses.
Cars are not fun places for kids anymore. They are prisons, and gone are they days when kids come running when they hear the jingle of car keys.
I doubt o/p will be back as she didn't get the positive posts she thought she would as most of us agree her idea is crazy and she is flirting with disaster.
I doubt o/p will be back as she didn't get the positive posts she thought she would as most of us agree her idea is crazy and she is flirting with disaster.
Or perhaps OP is taking the various opinions into consideration and weighing what she sees as her options
1. driving alone with the 2 year old
2. driving by herself and leaving the 2 year old home
3. finding a friend, with or without another child, to go with her, which makes it a little easier in many ways
4. driving a shorter distance and then taking a train the rest of the way (I'm skeptical how feasible that actually is, but it's still an option)
5. not going at all
Maybe others that I missed or don't recall at this moment
Just because she's ruled out flying (which she's allowed to do even if others disagree with her rationale) doesn't mean that she doesn't still have multiple options to think about.
I suppose there are still a few on the No-Fly list by accident or misidentification but for anyone else on the list that would probably be seen by the quite strict Canadian authorities as a reason to make their entry process more arduous than normal at best.
Or perhaps OP is taking the various opinions into consideration and weighing what she sees as her options
1. driving alone with the 2 year old
2. driving by herself and leaving the 2 year old home
3. finding a friend, with or without another child, to go with her, which makes it a little easier in many ways
4. driving a shorter distance and then taking a train the rest of the way (I'm skeptical how feasible that actually is, but it's still an option)
5. not going at all
Maybe others that I missed or don't recall at this moment
Just because she's ruled out flying (which she's allowed to do even if others disagree with her rationale) doesn't mean that she doesn't still have multiple options to think about.
You left off 6. Greyhound (or other commercial) bus. Not as good as the train, IMO, but better than 1, 3, or 5. I really don't understand why you don't think the train is feasible. Amtrak goes from Seattle to Philadelphia. https://www.google.com/search?q=amtr...vC-SRRzMmKDqM:
Quote:
Originally Posted by kokonutty
I suppose there are still a few on the No-Fly list by accident or misidentification but for anyone else on the list that would probably be seen by the quite strict Canadian authorities as a reason to make their entry process more arduous than normal at best.
I don't know if we share "dnf" lists with the Canadians, but it might be hard to get into the US from Canada if you're on it. Just musing, don't know.
Or perhaps OP is taking the various opinions into consideration and weighing what she sees as her options
1. driving alone with the 2 year old
2. driving by herself and leaving the 2 year old home
3. finding a friend, with or without another child, to go with her, which makes it a little easier in many ways
4. driving a shorter distance and then taking a train the rest of the way (I'm skeptical how feasible that actually is, but it's still an option)
5. not going at all
Maybe others that I missed or don't recall at this moment
Just because she's ruled out flying (which she's allowed to do even if others disagree with her rationale) doesn't mean that she doesn't still have multiple options to think about.
The train should be an option. I know a couple who did it cross country (I think across the US one way and then canada the other) because they would not fly. You can bring your car. They actually had a reasonably good time on their trip, and she would only have to drive to the pickup point for the train. The expense for the hotels and gas + wear and tear on the car is going to be outrageous. I can’t imagine that the train cost would be that different. Plus it would likely be shorter.
The train should be an option. I know a couple who did it cross country (I think across the US one way and then canada the other) because they would not fly. You can bring your car. They actually had a reasonably good time on their trip, and she would only have to drive to the pickup point for the train. The expense for the hotels and gas + wear and tear on the car is going to be outrageous. I can’t imagine that the train cost would be that different. Plus it would likely be shorter.
I'm pretty sure you're incorrect because There isn't a train that allows passengers to take their cars cross country OR in Canada. AFAIK the only auto-train is Amtrack, from Washington D.C. to Orlando.
The train might actually work. Seattle to Harrisburg ticket is under $1,000 for a room with beds. Total travel time 45 hours, switching trains in Chicago and Pittsburgh.
Of course there's the matter of getting from Alaska to Seattle in the first place.
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