How to Have the Perfect Quick Getaway (with Kids)

Thanks to Holiday Inn for sponsoring this post.

With 6 kids, you can imagine we don’t get out much. Actually, that’s not entirely true. It’s really the twins that have done us in. When we were still a family of 6, we used to travel and camp all the time. Now that the twins are walking around and we are starting to get our own feet back under us we’re venturing out more.

Of course, by venturing out, I mean sticking to places that are drivable because hopping on a plane with 6 kids (3 of them 3 and under) does not sound like something I want to do, not to mention the fact that the cost of plane tickets for 8 would eat up our entire vacation budget. I love short little localish trips thought because it gives us a chance to explore places that are nearby and we don’t have to deal with a lot of travel time.

When Holiday Inn invited us to check out how kid-friendly their hotels are we decided it was the perfect chance to head north and visit L.A. for a few days with the entire gang. We stayed at the Holiday Inn Los Angeles – Torrence and it was so much fun just to get away and relax.

The twins LOVED checking out the view. They spent hours staring out the window and watching everything that was going on. As they get a bit older it’s so much fun to see things from their point of view. The small things are so exciting to them.

I think my kids would have been happy just checking out the hotel. A change of scenery is half the fun. They were thrilled to explore and I loved getting away from all the half-finished projects at my house and focusing on my family.

It’s always hard choosing a hotel with kids (especially when you have 6 of them) but our room at the Holiday Inn was perfect. We had adjoining rooms and a little sitting room with a pull-out couch so everyone had lots of room to get comfy. It was nice and clean and I’ve caught myself dreaming of daily maid service more than once since we came home.

My family has stayed at Holiday Inn before and one of the things I love about them is how comfortable everything is. It’s so easy to relax and I love that they go out of their way to welcome kids. Kids eat free at Holiday Inn hotels so we definitely took advantage of that. Everyone is always much more ready to tackle the day after a good breakfast.

We love sneaking away for short getaways and now that the twins are getting a bit older it’s a bit easier to do it (can I just tell you how hard it is going anywhere with two newborns?). Traveling anywhere is always a bit interesting with kids though so we have a few things we always make sure we do when we take a trip.

Here are our best tips for having a great quick getaway with kids:

Plan. Plan. Plan

I actually think I spend more time packing and planning for quick trips than I do actually vacationing but it is so worth it when I can have the time to really relax and not worry about the odds and ends. I start packing days in advance. Each child has their own space in a suitcase or duffle bag (I use these eBags inside a larger bag to separate everyones stuff and they are awesome for keeping things organized).

Since we are traveling by car for quick getaways I know I can get away with a bit of overpacking. I don’t usually unload everything from the car but I love knowing that I have things if I need them so I keep an extra bag of stuff in the car with medicine, extra diapers, snacks, and anything else I think we could possibly need. It doesn’t really add to our overall pile of stuff since we won’t be bringing it into the hotel room but having a bag of “extras” has saved us more than one trip to the store while traveling with kids.

Be Flexible

I used to joke that a vacation with kids wasn’t really a vacation at all. There definitely isn’t as much relaxing involved as there would be on a solo trip but I’ve found some great ways to recharge and relax with my kids while we travel and now I love it when we get the change to get away as a family.

I’ve learned that I’m much happier if I plan on being flexible. I always head into a trip with a general plan but it’s not set in stone so we have wiggle room to do what we want once we get there. That means if the kids are tired we call it a night early or if they are loving an activity we stick with it for longer than we planned on.

Enjoy the Moment

I am always so busy. My kids are used to seeing me hunched over the computer for hours on end (which is definitely the downside of working from home) so I love the chance to just put everything aside and focus on them. I’m always amazed at how little it takes to make my kids happy. My kids were thrilled to just spend some time at the hotel pool and have a change of scenery. They loved being able to say “hey mom, watch me do this . . .” and not have me say, “Ok, but let me just finish this first.”

I want then to remember those moments when I’m present. The Holiday Inn in Torrance, CA has a gorgeous pool. My kids could have stayed there all day.

The twins got to hang out in their stroller and watch.

My boys jumped into the pool over and over again.

That was the highlight of our stay for my boys and my daredevil daughter.

Unplug

The whole point of getting away is having a break from everything. Since I work from home my work is never really finished so I’m always checking my phone. I put serious limits on it when we are on vacation though. Turn off your notifications so you won’t be tempted to peek at your phone. Leave your laptop at home or keep it powered off if you absolutely have to bring it. Kids really notice the difference when we are fully present and they’ll be more engaged and willing to unplug too.

Apparently the weekend was a success because everyone was nice and relaxed.

Do you have any great tips for taking a quick getaway with kids?

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