Are we there yet?

Maybe this road trip is not such a good idea. Back in March, when I decided to plan a family road trip, it seemed like it would be a great vacation. My husband and me and our two young children, ages 1 and 5, hitting the road, seeing the countryside, taking our sweet time along the way to a family wedding in the Midwest. "This will be fun!" I boldly shouted as I talked the idea over with Paul.We'll stop at fun places for kids, museums and theme parks. We'll eat at diners and sleep in motels. We'll picnic and play in places we would never go to otherwise. We'll talk and spend quality time together.

So I started planning. I google mapped cities along the route and searched for activities for young children. I asked people if they knew of any kid-friendly places to visit between Vermont and Missouri. I went to AAA to gather road maps and tour books. I used a highlighter pen to mark our route, with plans to drive no more than six hours a day for the 1100-mile journey. I scouted out hotel deals. I made reservations. Then I began to have my own reservations.

Will the kids enjoy this as much as I thought they would? Will we have time to enjoy the museums and theme parks along the route? If we take take secondary roads, how much longer will it take to get to our destination? But if we're on the highways, how boring will it be? Between the hotels, meals and entry fees, how much more will this cost than four plane tickets would have? Will my 5-year-old be bored? How long can a 1-year old sit in a car seat before melting down? Will their bones fuse? Can I sit in a car that long without becoming sore and cranky? What have I gotten myself into? I'm not sure! But I'll be sure to let you know as we go along.

We leave Vermont on Sunday, June 14, two days after my kindergartener finishes school for the year. We'll spend Saturday, after the season finale T-ball game, packing the car. Paul built a shelf system for the back of the Honda Element so we can get coolers and bags out easily without having to remove all the luggage every time we want something. It works great, maybe he can sell the template to recoup our travel costs!

First stop: Syracuse, New York. It's a six hour-drive from home, so we'll plan to picnic in the Adirondacks. In Syracuse we'll visit the Rubenstein Museum of Science and Technology. It has five floors of kid-friendly exhibits, including a walk-through discovery cave, an interactive human body and a Science Playhouse with a sound tube, climbing structures, a foam ball fountain and trajectory devices. Just right for stir-crazy little boys!

Actually, I'm looking forward to it. I just wonder how long it will be before I hear the first "Are we there yet?" from the back seat.