Our Worst Family Trip to Long Island, New York for Thanksgiving

We decided to spend Thanksgiving with my husband's family. Most of them live on Long Island and the others generally travel there for the holidays. My husband had to work until three the day before Thanksgiving, so we decided to drive as far as New London, Connecticut. We could stay overnight there and catch the ferry to Orient Point in the morning. This way we could take our time, rest and relax and arrive on Long Island refreshed before noon on Thanksgiving.

Sounds good, right? Too bad it didn't work out that way. First of all, did I mention that we have five kids? Traveling with five kids is never easy or relaxing. We thought we'd stay at hotel with a pool so that the kids could go swimming. We figured they'd be tired and we could get them to sleep easier.

We got a great deal on a hotel room a few minutes from the ferry. It had a pool and looked like a great place to stay. We parked in the parking garage. Then we loaded the luggage valet with our mismatched luggage, pillows, stuffed animals and pool toys. We're not light travelers! We don't like to leave anything at home that we might possibly need. We got on the elevator and headed for the lobby to check in. Did I mention that the kids insisted on wearing their bathing suits? The door opened to the lobby and we got out. As the doors closed behind us, we could see everyone staring. We knew it was supposed to be a nice hotel, but we never imagined this. Everyone was dressed in suit and tie heading to the dining room or lounge for cocktails. Then there was us looking like we a scene from National Lampoon's Vacation starring Chevy Chase. I never felt so embarrassed in all my life!

We checked in at the front desk and headed up to our room. The problem was that every time we wanted to go to the pool, or anywhere for that matter, we had to go through the lobby and past the dining room. I f you have kids you know that five kids, hungry kids, that have been in the car for over three hours are not quiet. I've never shh-ed or said quiet more times in my life. The embarrassment and discomfort made the evening very unpleasant. To top it all off, the kids couldn't sleep. We were up until two a.m..

We had to catch the ferry at 8:00. So much for rested and relaxed. We drove out of the parking garage and realized it was hailing out. The wind was gusting and it was freezing and icy. We got to the ferry in just the nick of time. It was the small ferry, the really small ferry. The wind was crazy, the waves were huge and we were freezing. We parked the car on the ferry and went inside. It wasn't much warmer inside. It was only a few minutes after we'd left and the boys were already freaking out. The waves were crashing over the windows and the ferry was rocking back and forth. You couldn't stand up or you'd fall over. By this time our oldest son was hugging the garbage can as he threw up violently over and over again. The sight and smell of it was so bad that some of the other passengers started vomiting too. Our other son was lying on his stomach on the floor under the chairs and crying in his best clothes. Then the girls started crying and screaming that they wanted to get off the boat. It was the longest ferry ride we'd ever taken!

We couldn't get off the ferry quick enough. When we got in the car all you could smell was vomit. Our clothes were soaked. The kids were sick. We were all a mess! It was miserable and it sure didn't feel like Thanksgiving. By the time we reached the in-laws house we were exhausted. We looked like a bunch of vagabonds, and we sure didn't feel like celebrating. It most definitely our worst holiday trip ever!

So, my best advice to you is to make sure that where you're staying is a family friendly hotel. Then be sure to check out the weather forecast and the size of the boat if you're taking the ferry. Traveling with kids can be an exhausting task. You can't be too prepared. Check and double check your plans and do what works best for you. I find that it's actually easier for me to do the cooking, cleaning and entertaining in the comfort and convenience of my own home. Happy Holidays and may your traveling be better than ours was.