Toddler Travel Take Two

After our little trip to Georgia, I thought the three hour trip *Up North would be a cake walk. There I go thinking again...

*Up North is not a place. It is a general direction we Michiganders drive until we feel sufficiently away from home and then we spend the weekend there and then we come back to the real world. We eat pasties and fudge and go fishing and canoeing and it's just more fun than you can even stand.

So, my sister and I take Chloe Up North last weekend, and let me just tell you how very much the opposite of a cake walk it was. The Hubster was driving separately, as Sissy and I thought it a great idea to stay for five days. Again with the thinking...

Please join me on a bunny trail. I will leave crumbs so we find our way back.

Once upon a time in a land far far away, The Hubster and I used to go Up north for the weekend. We would leave right after work and almost exactly three hours later we would arrive at our destination. Our destination being a quaint little house in the very, very middle of nowhere, owned by The Hubster's parents. Who are awesome. And let us use their quaint little house in the very, very middle of nowhere anytime we want. For free. Awesome. So we leave our driveway, then three hours later - SHAZAM! We arrive at our destination.

Enter Chloe.

We've only gone Up North with her once a year since her arrival on the scene and I was reminded why this last weekend. Deep sigh. No, I really just did the deep sigh just thinking of it.

Vacation is supposed to be relaxing. Up North is supposed to be relaxing. Sleeping is supposed to be relaxing. Add Chloe to any of the above and suddenly, it's no longer relaxing.

We now return to our previously scheduled program. I left the house at 2:15 last Friday. Pretty awesome, considering I was shooting for 12. And hoping against hope that we were at least pointed north by 1:30 so Chloe would, please Jesus, take her nap in the car on the way. Ahhhhhhh HAHAHAHAHAHA. Deep Sigh numero dos.

So we get to Grandma and Grandpa's to pick up Sissy. Chloe feeds the fish, we go potty, I raid the snack cupboard. Sissy gets loaded up and we're off. Over the next couple of hours, we have to stop for a spanking. And go potty. Meanwhile, there is no napping going on. Only excessive whining and blood pressure skyrocketing. Eventually, we give in and stop at McDonald's. Five minutes before a bus load of hyperactive elementary schoolers. By this time, The Hubster, who left the house two hours after I did, has caught up with us. We pawned Chloe off with him and approximately one gloriously peaceful hour later, a mere SIX HOURS after leaving my house, we arrived Up North.

Dude. We could have been half way to Georgia by that point.