A Family Road Trip: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Road trips are supposed to be fun, right? But often, they turn into a mixture of family togetherness and a series of disasters akin to National Lampoon’s Vacation. Here’s a recap of our recent family road trip—the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Why we choose a road trip

Initially, it was my husband’s idea. And, having just written a road trip games article for work, I was on board. Of course, Jonathan and I had different ideas of what a road trip was. My definition is driving to multiple places with a different route home to maximize stops at cool attractions. His idea was to drive somewhere and stay for several days and then come home. I consider that just a trip, like the one we took two years ago during our vacation to Dauphin Island.

We had a week, so Jonathan trusted me to create a plan and discuss it with him before booking anything. I also needed to find places along the route where we could charge our electric car. We have a Ford Mustang Mach-E that gets around 300 miles on a full battery charge.

 

Researching overnight stops and attractions

First, I researched locations within a day’s drive from our home in Dardanelle, Arkansas, and settled on Houston, Texas, for our first stop. Another aspect of my job is writing about moving to different cities, so I was already familiar with a key attraction: NASA’s Johnson Space Center. I knew my husband and 17-year-old son, Drew, would love it, and I figured my 13-year-old daughter, Meredith, would enjoy it too.

I also wanted a beach stop, so I looked at places along the Gulf Coast to see what stood out, and I decided on Panama City Beach. I was inspired by a dear friend’s novel, Chasing Time, since one of her main characters lives there. You should check out Sarah Louise Dale’s book!

The distance between Houston and PCB was farther than I wanted for the next day’s travel, so I looked at cities along the route. I figured my family would love the history in New Orleans, so that felt like a good place for a second overnight stay, while still allowing us to work in beach time and my daughter’s waterpark request by planning to stay two nights in Florida.

Next came Atlanta, because I thought the Georgia Aquarium would be great for the whole family, and there was a significant discount for going in the evening rather than the daytime. Traveling from Atlanta back home to Dardanelle was farther than we wanted to drive for the last day, so I looked for cities around the halfway point. Tupelo, Mississippi, sounded good because it was decently sized and had an indoor mall (another Meredith request).

I had a tentative plan, so I discussed it with my husband. He was concerned that it might be too much, so I showed him the route and distance between stops designed to minimize driving time on all travel days except the first day. I also told him how excited Meredith was about the Shipwreck Island Waterpark in Florida. He agreed to the trip and told me to book everything.

Booking hotels

Searching for hotels for my family always begins with finding budget-friendly (and safe) suites or rooms that can sleep six people. Why six? Because my son and daughter need separate beds. That usually means Drew gets a sofa bed, but he doesn’t mind if it means having his own space.

Hotels like Hampton Inn, Hilton Spark, and Home2Suites typically have what we need, so I often start with those. I like that they’re usually in safer locations and don’t cost a fortune. Saving money is important, but I also want a clean place where we’ll be comfortable and leave without being murdered or losing an organ via some urban legend coming true.

To save money, I booked through Expedia and clicked through my Rakuten account for additional savings. I also applied for Expedia’s One Key credit card, which offers benefits that include a free hotel night stay during the trip and another for later.

NOTE: I don’t recommend going into debt for a vacation. I used the credit card for the benefits and already had the money saved to cover the hotel costs. 

Where we stayed

These are the hotels I chose, along with my thoughts on each.

Houston: stayAPT Suites Houston NASA Clear Lake

Actually located in Webster, TX, stayApt Suites-Houston NASA Clear Lake was a solid 4-star experience. All the rooms open to an outside internal atrium. That meant the hallways were hot, but it wasn’t a big deal because we didn’t spend much time outside. The internal-facing doors also make the place feel more secure.

The room was adequately sized and clean. It had two double beds, a bathroom, a kitchen, and a sofa bed. The biggest issues were that the sofa bed had no sheets or blankets, and there were only three bath towels for my family of four. It was a bit annoying, but there was nothing I could do since we checked in after 7 p.m. when the front desk closed for the evening.

Fortunately, I anticipated a sheet issue, so I had packed an old sheet to use on the sofa bed, and my son had a blanket he traveled with. My kids and I all showered that first evening, so I just used two hand towels for drying, and we checked out early the next morning.

Breakfast is not included since the room has a kitchen. We just ate snacks in the room before leaving and did not use the kitchen space.

New Orleans: Hampton Inn & Suites New Orleans Canal St. French Quarter

Hampton Inn & Suites is situated near a less desirable part of New Orleans, and the only parking was in a parking garage that did not directly connect to the hotel. Of course, none of that is the hotel’s fault. I appreciate that the covered parking offered by Tulane University Medical was relatively inexpensive for overnight stays, only $12.

Fortunately, the tiny room was clean and had everything we needed. The double beds were tiny, and the sofa bed wasn’t the most comfortable, but at least it had sheets.

The bathroom was also small and difficult to move around in, meaning you couldn’t access the sink without stepping inside, backing into the space between the toilet and the shower, and then closing the door. But it worked out fine for us, and there were enough towels. The hotel had a continental breakfast that was average. The staff were friendly, and the inside of the hotel was immaculate. The place felt secure because all doors were locked and only accessible with a key card or by being let in by staff. Solid 3-star experience.

Panama City Beach: Holiday Terrace

The next stay at Holiday Terrace was disappointing in some ways and amazing in two aspects. Let’s start with the amazing parts: The beach views from our top floor balcony were incredible, and the access to the beach was perfect. Another positive was the on-site parking included in the stay. We never had problems finding a spot.

The not-so-good part was the condition of the property. Everything was dirty and run down, including the stairwells, the room, and the elevator. Both elevators were slow and dirty, but one was especially bad with busted tiles they’d thrown a rug over. The bathtub was damaged and poorly repaired.

For the price we paid for the two-night stay, I was extremely disappointed and would never recommend this place unless it was your only option.

I chose the place because it had enough beds for us, included a “furnished” kitchenette, had beach access, and was close to Shipwreck Island Waterpark. Well, the dishes and cookware in the place were lacking. There were not enough plates or flatware for my family. I didn’t cook full meals in the room because of that. We bought lunch meat and naan bread to make sandwiches, using the chips we’d brought from home. I also made muffins (from a mix, using powdered milk) twice using a drink pitcher as a mixing bowl. I had brought a silicone muffin pan and a half-cup measuring cup from home because I didn’t think the kitchenette would have them. The oven was basic and dirty, but at least it worked.

There were not enough towels for my family, so I had to go to the front desk to get some. While there, a new general manager inquired about the number of towels I had, the number of guests, and my expectations. He was trying to gauge customer feedback. I told him that I had four people, which I had included on the reservation. I said I expected at least that many sets of towels, plus one more for good measure in case of kitchen spills. There were no towels, dishrags, or potholders in the kitchen anyway, so I used a wash rag to wash dishes (including washing anything I used in the kitchen first) and a hand towel for drying and as a makeshift potholder.

Overall, I would not stay there again unless the place had a complete renovation. Two stars only because of the incredible view (even though it was from a balcony with busted plastic chairs and a leaking AC unit), and the fact that we survived staying there without making the local news.

Atlanta: Hyatt Place Atlanta Airport-South

When I booked the Atlanta hotel, everything downtown closer to the Aquarium was already booked. While in Atlanta, we realized it was because Beyoncé was on the first of four nights of her concert at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium. That explained the horrendous traffic and booked-up hotels!

Hyatt Place Atlanta Airport-South was the only available space within our price range and was a reasonable distance to our attraction, located in College Park, GA. The place was clean and included parking for $18. There was a decent breakfast and a pool we didn’t use. I rated our stay a 4-star because the sofa bed was not in the room when we checked in, there were not enough towels (which I had to ask for twice), and the in-room vanity had a motion-activated light switch that had no off setting. I ended up placing a Band-Aid over the sensor so the light wouldn’t come on every time one of us turned over in bed.

Maintenance dragged in a sofa bed from somewhere else in the hotel, and there was bedding for it in the room. I finally went down to the front desk, and the attendant gave me a towel straight from the dryer. Another small issue was that only one of the two elevators was working in the very busy hotel. The elevator was often crowded because it was also used by housekeeping staff with large carts. I took the stairs several times to our 4th-floor room (not an issue without luggage).

The shower was excellent, and honestly,  the best we had during our vacation. Our room was handicap accessible, although I didn’t specify that during booking, so the bathroom was large.

Tupelo: Spark by Hilton Tupelo

And the winner for the best hotel of our trip was the Spark by Hilton Tupelo. Five stars, even though I slipped and fell on my butt on the front curb while it was raining. The fall was a combination of my gracefulness, slick-soled sandals, and dampness that wasn’t the hotel’s fault.

The room was immaculate, had plenty of towels, and the beds were comfortable. There was no microwave in the room, but there was one available in the lobby, along with plastic utensils, napkins, and paper plates. Breakfast was decent, too, so I can’t complain. I would definitely stay here again. It was a little out of the way, but the property was nice, and we felt safe there.

What we did while out of state

Here are the fun things we did while traveling.

Toured NASA Johnson Space Center

This was the highlight of our trip. Touring NASA. We got to see the astronaut training facility and the historic Mission Control Center, which was used for the moon landing. While in Mission Control, we heard the broadcast and saw the on-screen projections from the moon landing. It was interesting.

The NASA campus in Houston is also a wildlife sanctuary, so deer wander around the area, which was neat to see. I picked up a small Snoopy plush and a lapel pin (I collect them) as souvenirs, but I left the expensive Snoopy shirt behind.

I did purchase our photos because the proceeds go to a good cause, and I like having photos of our family together, and apart in terms of these neat astronaut photos.

Took a walk in New Orleans

We strolled toward St. Louis Cemetery No.1, not realizing it didn’t open until 9 a.m. Oops. Along the way, we got to see some historic architecture that was interesting. What wasn’t fun was the amount of trash along the sidewalks, including multiple fast food wrappers, broken liquor bottles, and a used condom (gross).

I had hoped to show my family the cemetery and tomb of Marie Laveau, as I had taken a tour there during my visit to New Orleans for a work conference back in 2019. Back then, I visited the Museum of Death and thought that maybe my family might like it, or the Museum of Voodoo, which I had skipped during my previous trip in favor of going to the New Orleans Pharmacy Museum.

After seeing all the trash and feeling unsafe, we decided to leave early for Florida. We didn’t get any souvenirs, and I only took one photo. I have a Hard Rock Cafe New Orleans lapel pin from my previous trip.

Beach, shopping, and water park in Florida

In Panama City Beach, we walked on the beach the first evening, and Meredith and I swam briefly in the ocean. It was a bit slimy with algae, so we went to the hotel’s outdoor shower (which was pitiful) and pool afterward for chlorinated swimming.

We went to Target for food supplies, and Drew was able to find a couple of Transformers for his collection, so that made him happy.

The hit was Shipwreck Island Waterpark on day two in Florida. We swam, the kids went on slides, we floated in the lazy river a couple of times, and enjoyed the wave pool. The kids got a bit sunburned, despite wearing SPF 50 and reapplying, so that was a bummer. I had aloe vera gel with us, just in case, so they found relief with that.

After the water park, I got away by myself for a bit while my family napped and wandered around the PCB Goodwill store. I bought a book and a pretty blouse, which were good deals. Afterward, I went to a service station/souvenir shop to charge the car and bought snow globes for the kids, a sticker for Jonathan, and a necklace made from sea glass for myself. I also bought a tiny jar to collect sand from the beach, which we’d done on Dauphin Island two years ago.

Toured the Georgia Aquarium

We chose evening admission to the Georgia Aquarium because the tickets are significantly cheaper. The aquarium hosted an event called “Glow Nights,” which featured aerial dancers and other performers in the central area, making it neat to see. We didn’t do any of the special tours, but seeing everything was really cool. We loved the otters, dolphins, and the sea turtle. We chose to eat at the on-site food court, which was expensive (as expected). Parking was $25, and there was an electric car charging area we paid for while at the Aquarium, so that was handy.

Drew was happy to find a giant squid plush for his bed (he likes unusual things!), and I grabbed a turtle keychain for Meredith and another lapel pin for my collection. Like at NASA, I chose to purchase the digital photos.

Experienced Buc-ee’s in Leeds, Alabama

We’d heard a lot about Buc-ee’s from several friends, and we wanted to see it for ourselves on our way to Mississippi. It worked out that it was our charging location. Wow. So many beavers. Fun fact: I graduated from Glen Rose High School in Malvern, Arkansas, in 1999. Home of the Mighty Beavers! The shop was excellent. The bathrooms were immaculate, and we got a few souvenirs. Drew and I got lapel pins. Meredith chose a Snoopy Warmies Plush, not a Buc-ee’s branded one, but it made me happy since I love Snoopy.

Saw Superman at the Tupelo Cinemark

It was raining when we were in Tupelo, so we rested for a bit in the hotel and ate our leftover lunch food for dinner before heading to our preplanned stop at the mall to see the new Superman movie. We went inside the mall first and got a few things at Hot Topic. I didn’t get a Tupelo or Mississippi-themed lapel pin, but I did get a Krypto the Superdog one, which is adorable.

Overall, the mall was fine, but there was one entrance and section that was boarded up, which looked sketchy. I researched and learned that my suspicion about the vacant area being a former Sears store was correct. It was near the parking lot where the Tesla chargers were located, but we were not able to use them because they are the older versions that can’t charge non-Tesla electric vehicles.

The theater was a bit nicer than the one we have close to home, so it was a good experience for us, with assigned seats and recliners. The movie was really well done, and we all enjoyed it. After that, we went back to the hotel and slept, ready to travel home the next day.

Will we take another family road trip?

I’m not planning one anytime soon. I enjoy traveling more than my family does, so I might consider traveling alone for a writing retreat sometime in the future.

For our next vacation, we might stick closer to home with a day trip, similar to what we did last year when we went to Branson to see the Titanic Museum and Ripley’s Believe It or Not. Who knows what the future holds?

Readers, what was your most memorable family vacation?

Thanks for reading.

-Brandi Easterling Collins