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Help - I am driving this summer from Virginia Beach, VA to Everett, WA with three young children (7, 4 and 2). I don't intend on driving more than 6 hours a day, and the basic route that I will take is:
Va Beach - Roanoke - Louisville - Kansas City - Omaha - Sioux Falls - Rapid City - Billings - Missoula - Spokane - Everett
Does anyone have any great tips on places to stay, restaurants, attractions, getting off the main roads, etc. I don't necessarily have to stay in these cities (with the exception of Roanoke and Rapid City).
Any and all help is appreciated - did I mention that I am an Aussie with little experience outside of the East Coast!!
Help - I am driving this summer from Virginia Beach, VA to Everett, WA with three young children (7, 4 and 2). I don't intend on driving more than 6 hours a day, and the basic route that I will take is:
Va Beach - Roanoke - Louisville - Kansas City - Omaha - Sioux Falls - Rapid City - Billings - Missoula - Spokane - Everett
Does anyone have any great tips on places to stay, restaurants, attractions, getting off the main roads, etc. I don't necessarily have to stay in these cities (with the exception of Roanoke and Rapid City).
Any and all help is appreciated - did I mention that I am an Aussie with little experience outside of the East Coast!!
Sounds fun. Here are just a few places that I have wanted to go...
If you have boys - the Louisville Bat company (or some variation of the name, can't remember exactly) where they make baseball bats. If you have girls, I believe you are passing thru Little House on the Prairie country and somewhere...Sioux Falls maybe? is where their homestead is. Listening to the Little House books on tape along the way would be a fun way to learn about the land as you drive.
With little ones, the best plan is to keep it simple. Getting off the highway and finding the nearest park/playground is a great way to run off steam. Hotels with pools (specifically baby pools) will make your life easy. Try not to overload them with 'touristy' things (as they will tire of this) but also make sure you take time to see somethings that interest you too. Have the 7 year old keep a diary and buy them one of those instant cameras that is just theirs to take pictures of their fav things along the way. The 7 year old might be able to help the 4 year old do this too, by writing for them.
I will second the Louisville Slugger factory in Louisville - that's a "must see" on your route, I'd say.
Another must-do - when you pass through Kansas City, try their famous barbecue. There are several, and everyone will tell you a different one is "the best". The main ones are Gate's and Arthur Bryant's. Also there is one called "stack" (or "haystack"??) My favorite is Arthur Bryant's, I think their food is the best and the people are very nice there. Gate's was good also. Do yourself a favor and pick up a bottle of barbecue sauce from one of them to take with you.
Oh, and don't have any "KC Masterpiece" in Kansas City. Despite the name, it's a chain restaurant that is nothing at all like real Kansas City barbecue. Not that KC Masterpiece isn't good, but when you pass through St. Louis earlier on your trip you can try it because they have locations there. It's a very sweet and sticky barbecue sauce as opposed to real KC sauce which is more savory. I like both, but the real KC barbecue, like Arthur Bryant's, is just the best barbecue in the nation, to me.
Location: Big Island- Hawaii, AK, WA where the whales are!
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when you get to South Dakota - or Montana (Billings) the Kelly Inns are good - give a break to the kids if you can a little more in price but usually really nice and swimming pool and slides for the kids - they I believe are a part of Bestwestern chain.... and you really need to stop at the Corn Palace in Mitchell less than two hours out of Mitchell - to Rapid City is a short day depending on weather! there is nothing like it haha worlds biggest bird feeder!!! Don't envey your trip with kids - Good luck
Where in WA ? Missoula to Spokane is a good day and then too?? Spokane to where ever is good! Best Westerns or Holiday inns were pretty easy from Souix Falls from what I know - if you can take the time to tour Deadwood for kids it would be fun!
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