When we left Vancouver Island for the Maritimes, every inch of our SUV was packed solid. We had to stack clothes around the kids so high that we couldn?t open the back doors. At the first stop, we lifted our little ones out through the windows, amusing all the passengers of the tour bus beside us. To myself, I repeated the mantra: ?You will never see these people again.?
Even though a road trip across Canada had been on our bucket list for years, neither of us had imagined it with three kids (age four, two, and six-months-old). I questioned the wisdom of the idea and expected the baby to cry the whole 7000+ kilometres across the country. Here?s what we learned.
Plan travel according to naps and play stops
Each day while the kids had breakfast, we?d pack up and leave in time for baby?s first nap. We?d travel for two hours or until he fussed; then we?d stop at the closest park or beach for lunch and let the kids play and run off their energy. Two hours later, babe would be ready for his second nap and another couple hours of travel before setting up camp for the night. If we needed to go for a few more hours, kids would get in their PJs and back in their carseats.  Napping across Canada looks different every day. Photo: Courtesy of Annie B. Smith
We capped travel days at four to six hours and travelled during baby?s nap times. I made a list of available campsites that were approximately that distance away, being sure to note backups. We booked weekend sites ahead of time to ...