Road Tripping with a 2 Year Old During Quarantine

Yes, we did it, we went on a road trip with our toddler during quarantine. I know, initially I was a bit hesitant too, but the last few months have not been easy. Quarantine fatigue is real and we all needed a break! I was concerned how it would be traveling with him on the road since toddlers bring about a challenge themselves and especially now, we would have to watch him like a hawk to make sure he wouldn’t touch any surfaces that may not be clean while we were out and exploring.

Prior to finalizing our trip to Mammoth Lakes, I looked at a bunch of different options such as camping, RV’ing, day trips to cities and places near us that we haven’t been to but we weighted out the risks and ultimately decided that Mammoth Lakes was where we wanted to go.

Some of the things that were factored into this decision that you should also think about too if you are planning on traveling with your little one’s are:

• The number of current cases at the location we are traveling to
  Since Mammoth Lakes is more of a tourist destination, the number of cases were relatively low apart from the surge they had after the visitors from 4th of July weekend and most of the cases were reported to have been transmitted through restaurants. Luckily we aren’t big foodies and weren’t keen on eating at restaurants there anyways.
• The hygiene and sanitization procedures at the hotel or resort
  I did some research on the safety precautions and preventive measures the hotel had in place. I felt comfortable because this particular resort left rooms vacant for 24 hours between stays. I also took my own cleaning supplies from home so I could wipe down the room before we settled in.

*Pro Tip: If traveling with a toddler try and look for rental condos or stay at an AirBnb’s because it gives you the luxury of having extra space for your kiddos to run around and play in.

After my research was done and our hotel was booked, it was time to start planning for the five hour long drive plus getting things that would keep our little one busy there as well.

*Pro Tip: Check the weather at you destination before you pack.

Some of the things I took for our toddler were:

• Lots of snacks. Shahzaib likes having yogurt and apple sauce pouches as well as veggie chips, Annie snack packs and cheese sticks so we took a few along
• Favorite stuffed animal and blanket, both of which he needs to fall asleep
• Toys or car friendly activities to do along the way. We gave Shahzaib a new toy truck that morning so that kept him busy for many hours
• Extra clothing. Just in case the weather changed and or his clothes get dirty. Shahzaib gets motion sickness on windy roads so we always want to have some on hand

*Pro Tip: Remember to take your first aid kit with you and also include some Tylenol and cold/cough medicine just in case. Also carry some medication for your toddler too. We learned this the hard way!

Other things to consider when traveling during qurantine:

1. Hygiene – this was our biggest concern throughout the entire trip so we tried to limit visiting public places where there were a lot of people. If we did have to go, only one parent would and once we got back to the car we would make sure to use wipes or hand sanitizer
2. Bring your own cleaning products, masks, wipes/hand sanitizer – Since we were out in nature I wanted to bring my own supplies so we could sanitize surfaces that we would be in contact with. I also carried extra fabric masks as well as disposables ones so were weren’t ever with it.
3. Enjoy the journey – It was nice stopping at random parks, lakes and meadows along the way. We are usually in a rush to get to our destination but this time we made stops and explored places that weren’t too crowded
4. The type of place your are staying at – As I mentioned earlier, it was convenient for us to stay at a condo since we were going to be there for a few days so it gave Shahzaib more room to play. The other advantage was that it had a kitchen so we were able to stock up on some food, milk, etc. that way we didn’t need to go out for every meal.

Lastly I want to leave you with this, if you are planning on traveling, please make sure to do your own research. Luckily the number of cases are continuing to go down since we made our trip back in early August but the virus is still out there and affecting many people daily. It is best you make your own decisions and do whatever you feel most comfortable with. We were however grateful that we had the opportunity to go and stayed safe the entire trip but understand that it’s not something everyone can do at the moment. The mini getaway did allowed us to get a mental break and break out of the rut we’ve been feeling the last couple of months. We came back lighter and more refreshed and able to take on a few more months in quarantine.

Safe travels for those of you who are still traveling or making road trips during this time. I’d also love to hear where you are going, please let me know in the comments below. Take care.

Sincerely,