Written by: Kathleen Tirella Ecker

“The words “Spring Break” bring many images to mind – beaches, bathing suits, boom boxes and beer bottles. Having had four beautiful children in four years, including one set of multiples, those days are long behind me. But, it doesn’t mean that I can’t still have fun on Spring Break — it just now means family fun! We are fortunate to live in the Washington, DC area where not only are there so many options for fun things to do right here in our hometown, the majority of the attractions are low or no cost and educational! Being centrally located on the East Coast, we can be in New York City or on the beach in the Carolina’s within a day’s drive, and suffice it to say we are a definitely driving family. Plane tickets and rental cars for a family of six just isn’t feasible, so we pile in the van and go! A Road Trip can be a day trip, an overnight or a week-long trip. When going on a road trip it is very important to be prepared. That includes, in addition to our luggage, having a stash of items that you can get to quickly and easily.

Here are some of the things I always have on hand: bottled water, small potty, pull-ups, emergency change of clothes for each child, zip lock bags (large bags can hold the gross stuff, the small ones can be used to divvy out snacks), band-aids, wipes and plenty of snacks! We also have lots of DVDs and music on hand.When selecting our destination, we encourage the children to be involved and discuss as a family the different things to do and see. One of our favorite spots to go in Washington, DC is the National Zoo. The Zoo does not charge an admission fee, and has plenty of picnic spots. The National Zoo is also 1 of only 4 zoos in the U.S. to be home to Panda Bears. More