Thinking of driving to Pittsburgh with two year old twins this summer....is that crazy?
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Anonymous
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Hi everyone,
Do you think I could pull it off? i.e. to drive on my own from DC to Pittsburgh with my then 26 months old very active and alert twin boys? I am a bit scared at the thought of doing it, but it would be fun to visit my friends there. Do you think its a crazy venture to drive there on my own, without a second adult in the car? I am asking specifically about the drive itself, we will be fine once we are there. My friend suggested that I drive during their usual nap-time, i.e. Noon-3pm, the trip is about 4 hours.....Curious of your thoughts, experiences. I have a smaller car, not too much space, no DVD player to keep them quiet...we have never drive longer than Baltimore so far..... Thanks! |
Anonymous
| You can do it. Stop in Breezewood for a stretch break. |
Anonymous
| I drove a couple hours farther by myself with 12-month olds. It's doable. Take off during nap time, and plan on a long break from driving. I stopped for close to an hour to allow for feeding, changes, and a little stretching. The other thought is to drive the night before, close to bedtime when they are likely to just fall asleep anyways. Put them in PJs before you take off. Then, plan on enlisting your friends' help for the quick transfer to beds once you arrive - setting up PnPs, helping with a last sippy of milk or water, etc. |
Anonymous
| It's a pretty easy drive. Go for it. |
Anonymous
Just allow yourself time for breaks. I agree at stopping in Breezewood. Don't speed 
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Anonymous
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I've been driving (alone and w/ husband) to upstate NY w/ our twins since they were born. They're almost 3 now.
Best/easiest way for me to do it solo is to drive in the evening at bedtime. They get dinner, a little running/exercise time and then put in PJs. Into the car around 7 pm, arriving in NY around midnight and straight to bed. I have had to make roadside stops for carsickness on occasion but most times it's gone pretty smoothly. I try not to stop (now that they're mobile) if I don't have another adult or a planned, secluded non-trashy area to stop. (Rest areas make me nervous in terms of one kid running, another finding broken glass etc...) But Pittsburgh is totally doable as a nonstop drive - go for it. (And line up someone to be there when you arrive to help!) |
Anonymous
| I drive with my toddler all the time, but we usually go after her bedtime. She sleeps the entire way. Pittsburgh should be a breeze if you do that, since it's not a long trip! |
Anonymous
| No big deal. Do it. |
Anonymous
| Do it, they'll be fine. fYI, there is a drive through Starbucks in breezewood if you need coffee but don't want to get them out of the car. |
Anonymous
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Pittsburgh fan here - it's really not a bad drive (the worst is Breezewood to Pgh). You can easily break it up - spend the night in Hagarstown if you want, or stop at the outlets and walk around....Breezewood has lots of places to stop. There's lots of other stops along the way and 270/70 isn't a bad drive.
I personally prefer to do the PA Turnpike part in the day (so many trucks, I prefer being able to see a bit better). For entertainment, maybe you can borrow an ipad from a friend to play a movie? It's also a great family friendly city that you'll enjoy. I HATE driving and have done that drive alone. And we did it with a baby. |
Anonymous
| I would recommend leaving early in the day. My children are at their best in the morning. I tried leaving at nap time, but then got stuck in stop and go traffic on I270. That woke up my kids, so we had extremely cranky/crying kids in the car. Miserable. |
Anonymous
| You know your kids better than anyone else. My oldest slept in the car and I was able to take a lot of road trips. My youngest didn't do well in the car at all- cried, complained, wanted out. I wouldn't have wanted to deal with that alone. It really depends on the kids |
Anonymous
| Easy drive. But don't go the turnpike. That is a nightmare. |
Anonymous
ugh, isn't it? I HATE it. Regular Philly-to-PGH traveler growing up, parents still do it, and that trip terrifies me. When we come back to DC from pittsburgh, it's like a huge relief to hit 70! |
Anonymous
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Be sure to run them silly before getting into the car to ensure nap time while driving. Buy a few cheap toys for something and novel to play with (mini etch a sketch, flap books, coloring books, etc). Snacks too. Make an icecream stop along the way to break up the trip.
Are you going this week? Over the holiday? Budget time for traffic. |