The past couple of weeks were all about packing and getting our family of nine ready for a cross-country trip to visit my husband’s family in Washington State. There’s something about going on vacation that motivates you to clean and organize as much as possible before takeoff—because no one wants to come home to a messy house.
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Lessons From My Mom’s Pre-Trip Cleaning Ritual
My late mom was amazing at this. Before every family trip, our house was spotless. I honestly don’t know how she pulled it off (although I probably only remember the wins, not the fails). This is something I’ve been striving for, but I haven’t always been successful. I wish she were here to give me tips, but I truly believe she’s still guiding me in motherhood and family life—because with every trip, our house gets just a little cleaner before we leave.
A New Season of Life and Smarter Packing Systems
This time, I think I nailed it. Part of that is because I’ve entered a new season of life: I have a teenager now, and for the first time in years, I don’t have a nursing baby. Looking back, I realize I wasn’t failing at pre-trip prep before—I just had a lot of little kids at the same time. That season was short, but exhausting, so I realized I did what I could. Now, I’ve also built better packing systems thanks to experience.
Why I Start Packing a Week Before Our Trip
A week ahead of our flight, I started tackling laundry—washing, folding, and putting everything away. While doing this, I went through the kids’ clothes and pulled anything too small or unloved. Keeping wardrobes minimal makes packing so much easier. That two-in-one goal felt amazing, especially when I dropped off two bags of clothes at our local consignment shop.
The Game-Changing Rolling Suitcase System
Last year, we started where every child had their own rolling suitcase. Last summer, I thrifted one for each kid, and it’s been a total game changer. We focus on packing one child at a time, and they’re responsible for their own suitcase. By Sunday, everyone was packed for our Tuesday afternoon flight. That left Monday free for house cleaning. My main floor and kitchen were spotless—such a good feeling to come home to a mostly tidy house. Moral of the story: it’s never too early to start packing!
Easy Meal Ideas for Packing Days
On packing days, I keep meals simple—think boxed mac and cheese or easy salads—so I’m not spending hours in the kitchen. One of my favorite travel hacks is to bring our own airport food. Last year, I started making hot dogs for the trip to avoid those crazy airport prices. This time, I broiled them in the oven, and the girls assembled them with ketchup, wrapped in foil. I tossed a few bags of Pirate’s Booty into each kid’s backpack, and we were ready to go.
Large Family Airline Travel Tips in Action
Our flight was smooth—I followed all my tried-and-true large family airline travel tips—and the kids did great. The only rough patch came when we landed at SeaTac, which was packed wall-to-wall with travelers. That airport has never been smooth sailing for us, but we made it through with all our luggage and, more importantly, all our kids. Then, the fun began!
Family Fun in Washington State
We spent plenty of time relaxing with my husband’s family, swimming in my in-laws’ pool almost every day. Two big highlights were a visit to Great Wolf Lodge and visiting Tacoma.
Great Wolf Lodge: Family Fun & Surprisingly Good Eats
Great Wolf Lodge was a fun-filled two days with plenty of water park time, and we even treated the kids to some arcade fun. We bought some food for the day we arrived lunch and did yogurt shakes and granola bars for breakfast, and then took advantage of the food on-site so we could maximize our time at the waterpark.
Now, I’ll admit — I’m a bit of a food snob. It goes beyond health reasons; I’m half Italian, and food is life. Every event is judged by the food. So, it means a lot when I say I was very pleasantly surprised by the food options at Great Wolf Lodge. They were delicious!
We tried the pizza place one night and Fatburger for lunch the next day — both were hits. The first day’s breakfast and lunch we packed ourselves with snacks and sandwiches to keep costs down. And of course… don’t forget the ice cream! Yum.
Money-Saving Coffee Tip: Instead of everyone buying individual coffees, we ordered a Starbucks coffee box and brought it back to our room. Perfect for fueling up before a day of fun.
Tacoma: A City on the Rise
I was honestly impressed with Tacoma this trip. They’ve really cleaned things up. Barely a year ago, there were so many homeless encampments and downtown didn’t feel safe. But now? It’s totally different.
One budget-friendly thing to do in Tacoma is take the trolley and hop off at a few stops. The Glass Museum is worth seeing from the outside — there’s beautiful glass art displayed all around. There’s also a lovely park nearby to stroll through.
Later in the week, we went back to visit the Children’s Museum, an indoor playhouse full of climbing and sensory activities. The kids loved it — even our teenager got into it!
A Teaser: San Juan Island Adventure 🐳
The biggest highlight of our trip deserves its own post — an amazing day exploring San Juan Island. Stay tuned, because I’ll be sharing that story soon.
Plans Change: Missing the North Cascades
We had planned to visit North Cascades National Park — our last national park to check off in Washington — but car issues forced us to cancel. It was tough to skip it, but we knew it was the right choice.
It was another lesson in patience and handling disappointment (even for us adults!). We know our time will come to get there.
Why I Love Washington in the Summer
Summer is my favorite time to visit Washington. The weather is at its best, the skies are bright, and the days are long — really long.
Four-year-old Gregory, whose sleep schedule follows the sun, was very confused the first night. Exhausted but seeing daylight at bedtime, he turned to me and asked, “Does it ever get dark here?”
Where Has Your Family Traveled This Summer?
I’d love to hear about your adventures! Comment below and share where you’ve been. And don’t forget to subscribe so you don’t miss the upcoming San Juan Island post.
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