This past Thanksgiving my friend and photographer Benedicte went on a road trip around Arizona with her family and another family. They managed the entire trip without screens! I asked her to share her 10 tips with us if you’re interested in planning a screen-free multi-family trip yourself…
Writing and Photography by Benedicte Lassalle
Last year for Thanksgiving my family went on a road trip around Arizona with another family. We have been doing a road trip around the Southwest for 4 years in a row at Thanksgiving. Why Thanksgiving? First because our kids have the whole week off (we live in Oakland, CA), the Southwest has among the most mind-blowing landscapes in the world, and also it’s the best time of year to travel in this part of the world: the weather is usually great, it’s not too hot and not too crowded. Ok, the days are shorter but you can’t have it all, right?
Here are my 10 tips for a week-long-screen-free-multi-family road trip (not squabbling-free sorry I’m not a magician)
2. Which itinerary?
Why the Southwest you will ask? Simply because as French people the Southwest represent the true deep America like we’ve seen in movies when we were kids. The breathtaking landscapes, the endless straight roads, the good looking old motels, all those things that only exist here in the American Southwest.
To help me build the itinerary I use Roadtrippers (not sponsored): that app helps me plan the trip, the timing and the distances between the different places, point of interests, etc. It gives you the distances and the time it takes you to drive from one point to the next as well as attractions along the way.
I always try to fit a fun day for everyone: one year we visited the fabulous Meow Wolf in Santa Fe, another year Arcosanti, AZ, an experimental architecture and ecology laboratory, and we also went to the relaxing hot springs of Ojo Caliente during our New Mexico trip.
As both our families live in the Bay Area, we decided to fly to Las Vegas to make the most of our trip and not lose any time. Las Vegas was not our favorite, but we have learned to use it as a pit stop for these trips and have enjoyed the pools and the restaurants with the kids.
Being flexible and able to change the itinerary is also important depending on the weather or the group’s mood. Last year we did not plan to go back to the Grand Canyon but we did! It just snowed and we wanted to see the Grand Canyon with a little sprinkle of snow. Everybody enjoyed hiking down for a bit and watching the sunset there.
4. Setting up the rules ahead of time
I remember when planning our first road trip together with our friends we decided to make it on the shorter side (5 nights) to test how our families would function together. Now that we know we all travel well as a group our trips last longer (7 to 8 nights).
When traveling with a group you need a few rules. And one of them for our group has been no screens for the kids. No phones, no video games, no tablets. It might sound daunting for some, it’s actually is easier than you think – especially if the rule is the same for everybody.
It does require more energy from the adults to make sure they have activities, toys and space. But after a few years of doing that trip now the kids are not even asking!
Another important rule when traveling with a big group is to discuss every night what the next day’s schedule is so that we are not constantly waiting for the others: wake up time, breakfast plan, activities program, etc.
6. Entertaining the kids
If the kids don’t have access to any screen on the road then you need to be able to distract them:
We load up the kids backpack with small card games like: Uno, Bandido, Dobble, Misticat, Sardines, for the little ones and Timeline, Mille bornes, … for the older kids. They play in the car and waiting for their food at the restaurant.
Our phones are loaded with a few audio books. The Little House on the Prairie series has been a big hit! We also bring a few books per kids, but mostly we bring a field guide of the Southwest. The kids are always interested in knowing which birds, plants they are seeing. But also paw prints and poops!
Because music always soothes everybody’s mind we load our phones with several playlists: we have one for naps, one for singing along and one for the rest of the time. And don’t forget to download them onto your phones as in the remote places of the Southwest you don’t always have signal when you most need it.
You will need a few car games up your sleeves like 20 questions, I spy with my little eyes… these can last for a while…
Last year I taught the kids a few photography skills. I brought an old film camera and the kids where practicing framing, lighting, etc. It was a great opportunity to teach them and probably next year we will have them continue with their own cameras.
When you have used all the audio books, games, music available and the kids are still getting on each other nerves (as well as your own), I have found that bringing in water, in all its varieties always works. Always. It can be a pool, a river, the ocean, a sprinkler, or even a glass of ice water. The kids will immediately forget their differences and play together.
8. Avoiding the crowds
One of our goal during these trips is to unplug, unwind and avoid the crowds. Traveling on Thanksgiving week is definitely quieter than during the summer. But on Thanksgiving weekend, depending on where you are, the crowds are usually back.
Hiking early in the morning (or late in the day) usually helps avoiding most of the crowds.
Waking up early enough to enjoy the sunrise is always worth it – especially as a photographer and at that time of year the sunrise is not as early as it is in the summer!
Talking to the locals to ask them their favorite spots or hikes is a great idea as well. And don’t hesitate to get out when the weather is bad. All you need is the right equipment!
10. After the trip
As a photographer I take a point at taking a lot of pictures during these trips. For us as a souvenirs, but also for my stock agency. After the trip I build a photo slideshow with music, and every year we make a point at getting together for a meal and looking at the past years slideshows as well as this year’s. When asking the kids what their favorite part of the trip is, that slideshow is always in the top 3!
Thanks Benedicte! What an inspiring trip (and aren’t her photos incredible!?). What questions do you have for her? We’ll be answering some on Say Yes IG feed Tuesday Feb 4th so check back then!
This is actually the kind of information I have been trying to find. Thank you for writing this information. https://roadtripplanner.io
GREAT TIPS! i could use a screen free trip https://www.shyyshianne.com/
Many of these places look amazing. Could you tag/link map the photos, so we know where they are?
Hi Wendy,
In the order they appear on the post:
– Bryce Canyon
– On the road to Petrified Forest Arizona
– Monument Valley
– Grand Canyon
– Superstition Mountain AZ
– A diner close to Arcosanti AZ
– Bryce Canyon
– Superstition Mountain AZ
– Sedona AZ
– Saguaro Lake Ranch AZ
– Bryce Canyon
– Saguaro Lake Ranch AZ
– Arcosanti AZ
– Arcosanti AZ
– Superstition Mountain AZ
Hope that helps!
This sounds wonderful! I’m curious about the ages of the kiddos when you started. What is the youngest you’ve traveled with?
Hi Lindsey,
In 2016 Lila was 7 and Paul was 3.
Our friend’s son was 10 months last year for our Arizona road trip.
During this last trip our kids ranged from 11 yo to 10 months old.
These are awesome tips, and things that we’ve been doing more of the last several trips we’ve taken!
Paige
http://thehappyflammily.com
Splendid , many good advices .
Congratulations