When traveling in the great State of Texas, you have to learn to love a good road trip. Most destinations require quite a bit of driving no matter what part of the State you live in and I know that can be intimidating for some families traveling with small kids. While our family does travel primarily towing a Toy Hauler which comes with the luxury of having a huge chunk of your belongings with you, I still have some great tips for what to have in the car when roadtripping with kids.

Tip 1: Have a little portable trash can or trash bag in your car at all times! Great for all the snack wrappers and messes but also comes in handy of a kiddo gets car sick.

Tip 2: Use a foil pan as a plate for snacks. The deep dish will keep snacks from spilling all over the place. They are lightweight and easy to wipe down and reuse!

Tip 3: Get a lap desk for kids to be able to draw during long trips or set their tablet or book down.

Tip 4: Let your kids pack their own backpack full of stuff. Tell them they can pack whatever toys, books, drawing stuff, etc. as long as it all fits into one backpack. I find this helps them feel in control a little bit and it also helps to keep the toys contained when they are not playing with them. It’ll also make it easier to transport once you get to your destination. 

We roadtripped to the Gulf to stay at Blue Water RV Resort in Surfside, Texas. We wanted to enjoy a relaxing weekend at the beach, camping and enjoying the resorts amenities. What’s great about Blue Water is that all of the sites have access to the canal where you can paddle board, canoe and fish or you can just cross the road and you are at the beach!

 The RV resort offers kayak and paddle board rentals, has a beautiful pool, playground and even a private boat ramp. There is a general store on site that has everything from snacks to fishing bait and tackle. Each RV site comes with a picnic table, 30 and 50amp hook-up along with free cable and internet. They also have 4 waterfront cottages for those traveling without an RV!

What we really enjoyed about Surfside, is that you can drive on the beach. I find this to be a really good option when traveling with kids, especially young kids because it allows you to bring all of your things and not have to worry about how you are going to carry them all to the beach. Having your car with you gives you a wind and sand free place to feed the baby and allows you to easily change into dry clothes before you leave. Remember, you can never have enough beach towels when wrangling wet sandy kiddos at the beach, so keep some handy under your car seats!

This article was written by Sarah Korus. You can find more helpful adventure tips and tricks on Sarah’s Instagram @hausvonfloof