Winter road trip tips with family

[LitenFast]

Hey guys,

I will be heading west from Wisconsin to vernal Utah to visit my BIL and his family right after Christmas with my wife and 3 kids ages 5,3, and 1. We will be there 5-7 days.

Mapquest is saying 23 hours obviously depending on the weather heavily this time of the year.

We made this drive 3 years ago with just my oldest at the time being 2 and stopped one night each way. He did very well with a few small toys.

We are thinking this time to head out mid afternoon with me "trying" to take a nap before we leave and drive straight through to arrive mid afternoon to early evening in Utah. Our thoughts are that "if" the kids sleep that night in the truck while covering ground, it might be better on the idea of hurry up and get it over with type mentality vs two 12 hour days and a crappy hotel stay.

I have driven this same distance or longer on 8 trips for various hunting and backpacking trips over the past 10 years and have done most of them straight through. Most of them I also drove the vast majority. when we have stopped, I find myself not being able to sleep in the hotel and wishing I had just kept going.
As a farmer I am fairly used to pulling many long days driving every summer/fall.
I know one of the trade offs is being very tired on arrival but arriving in time to sleep that night and it being a family holiday trip where an additional nap or so over the next day or two is possible seems worth it.

I can obviously have my wife drive an hour or two here and there to spell me during easier daylight hour driving. I also am not too proud to pullover for 2-3 hours if necessary, especially during that tough 2am till dawn timeframe.

That brings me to my questions.

Any experience and helpful tips from you guys on good relatively safe spots to stop for a quick nap?

Any western Nebraska spots along i80 that are good stops for some kids to burn off some energy during December/January? That will be approximately where we'd be on hours 12-16ish.

Any other tips?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[realunlucky]

I drive a bunch for work all over the West. My in-laws also live in Missouri 24hr drive and have taken yearly family trips there every year. Kids are a game changer for sure. I've personally found leaving just before or at bedtime helps the little ones sleep all night. Everytime we stop and get out of the car it seems to be a battle to get everyone back in and ready to go again. Limiting stops with everyone pee breaks is tough. For us we now stop at 4 or 5 pm and get a room at a hotel with a pool. Eat some pizza let kids play and wind down in pool go to bed early and pack up and leave when it's still dark and kids tend to go back to sleep even the older ones.
Couple thoughts here lots of big semi trucks drive all night probably with minimal sleep too so you'll need you'll best reflexes driving then. I realize you live and drive in the winter conditions a ton but Wyoming winds up the hazards a bunch. When it's icy it can blow your car right off the road. They also can and do close 80 for extended periods of time for road conditions mostly drifting snow. I'd personally recommend trying to drive Cheyenne to Rawlins in the daytime if at all possible you'd be amazed at the number of deaths happen each year Laramie to Rawlins is truly crazy. Semi trucks driving to fast and piling up other traffic it has scared me a few times and I drive it a lot.
My kids love McDonald's Playland and Sydney Ne Cabela's is always a interesting stop. Good luck

Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk

 

[LitenFast]

Good points, weather will definitely play a big part and may change our route.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Ndbowhunter]

get Up at 5am.. do Priceline at 7pm 100 miles ahead.

Worse case Ontario you get west of Rawlings at 7pm and the conditions whiteout on you. It’s a long way to rock springs.

Can’t see 30 yards. Slow down and semi’s will run you off the road. Stop and a plow truck will getcha. Every 70mph gust will nearly put you in the ditch. Slick ice you can skate on for 200 miles and not a single forecaster predicted it.

Don’t miss it one bit. Put 80k a year out there driving that $hit.

 

[backcountry_hunter]

I'd maybe consider dropping down and taking 70 & 40 through CO vs 80 through WY. It might add a little to your drive but can't be much. At least have it as a back up if winds and roads in Wyoming aren't good. Considering time of day you shouldn't be hitting much for traffic in Denver either. I hate how that stretch in Wyoming can get in the winter. Snow is easy, wind is a killer.

 

[KJH]

Sidney, NE has the original Cabelas superstore right on I-80... like the ones that are built everywhere now. There are some restaurants around there. You could kill a few hours there chasing the kiddos.

backcountry_hunter- You're right. I drive that stretch in WY pulling a 30ft snowmobile trailer 8-10 times a winter and agree that the wind is a real killer. I hate that wind there. I'd hate it even if I wasn't pulling a trailer.

 

[alisa]

nie thread

 

[DenverCountryBoy]

If the kids have trouble with motion sickness, baby benadryl will help.

Or if for the love of all that is holy, you NEED them to nap.

 

[406]

I've been pulled over in Vernal every single time I have driven through. Twice one night, driving in and driving out. 15 minutes apart...

They're famous for it.

I will drive hundreds of miles out of my way to avoid Vernal when I can.

Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk

 

[TNsavageman]

Little bit different kind of advice but a friend of mine told me to try ear plugs before I took my little girl to Disney this past summer.. If somebody is having a melt down just pop em in... its an instant game changer.

 

[Dusty2426]

I've been pulled over in Vernal every single time I have driven through. Twice one night, driving in and driving out. 15 minutes apart...

They're famous for it.

I will drive hundreds of miles out of my way to avoid Vernal when I can.

Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk

In vernal right now for work and got pulled over last night. 2mph over limit