Driving to Buffalo with young child

[Anonymous]

We've made this trip (and crossing the border) a few times already, but never with a child. Similar to the other recent thread on going to Maine, I'm wondering if any others on here could please share your tips on how you've broken up (if you did) the drive to Buffalo (or into Canada). It would usually take us about 6.5 hours or so to get to Buffalo, but that's with ultra quick pit stops. I'm unsure now with our child (just 14 months) about when to leave, where/when to stop. We've actually never stopped for anything scenic along the way. In this case, I don't know if we should just keep the driving and stopping every few hours (for longer than pit stops), or stay overnight partway to break it up. Thank you everyone, for your help/advice.

[Anonymous]

I posted on that other thread. I have family in NW PA so make that trip (ending in NW PA of course) at least once a year.

We don't go up 15 - we take the Turnpike to 79. You can take 79 up to Erie and get 90.

We usually leave around 8:30 in the morning and get to Grove City PA about 4 hours later. Grove City has outlets so we have lunch and walk around the outlets before resuming our journey. There's also a little playground in the outlets for your child to climb. Grove City should be about 2.5 hours from Buffalo.

[Anonymous]

If we're driving all in one day (which we usually do), we time it so we can stop for gas and food in Williamsport, PA. We've also stopped for food in Sellinsgrove. DH's family lives outside of Buffalo, so DS has been making the trip with us since he was about three months old.

We have split the trip into two days twice, both times because we couldn't leave until afternoon. Once, we stopped in Pittsburg. The other time, we stayed in Lewisburg, near Bucknell University.

[Anonymous]

Done it with twins (but we went all the way to niagara) Have car loaded the night before, change diaper and get kiddo into the car. Have breakfast in the car and read stories, sing songs, play with toys, etc., then maybe watch some tv shows for the last hour, have a snack right before getting out. Drive 3.5 hours to Knobel's amusement park in PA, get out and get tickets, ride rides, run around, wear kid out. Return to car, have another snack, turn on lullabyes, and everyone be really still until kid passes out. When they wake, stop somewhere for dinner (we usually go to cracker barrels because the kids like to get wiggles out in the rocking chairs and we buy them a coloring book at the redneck store). Finish the drive with movie time as needed.

[Anonymous]

OP here again. Thanks PPs! Getting ideas and thoughts are really appreciated. It almost feels like we've never driven that way before, since now being a parent there are many things to figure out compared to just popping in and driving basically at any hour (within reason). If other ideas/posts come in too, many thanks in advance ...

[Anonymous]

My in-laws are in Buffalo.

We always flew until the kid turned 2; the cost of two plane tickets vs. three made us start driving, so we didn't drive at that age. Is flying an option for you?

When we drive, we typically leave DC either before rush hour (so 4-ish) or we leave after 7. Try to make good headway into PA, and we stop overnight. We take 99 to 219, and stop (depending on what time we leave) in Altoona PA, Clearfield PA, or once we stopped at the casino in Salamanca NY (had been intending to go straight through, but ran into weather).

We leave in the evening so we can get a lot of mileage under our belt with a sleeping kid in the car. Typically have about 2-3 hours left to travel on day 2, and if your kid is small, maybe you can time that to hit with the morning nap?