Sunday, June 04, 2006

Travel conundrum

Dear friends what live inside my infernal computation device,

I have plans to head East with the poppets this July, and I have three options:

Fly
Drive
Train

There are distinct advantages and disadvantages to each method of locomotion (including locomotion!) and I seriously can't decide which is the least insane.

My MIL is going with me, then we're parting ways in DC, NY, somewhere out there. I can have a brother, my dad, or my stepmonster meet me for the trip to VA, but the part that I need help with is getting to the coast.

Flying
Pros: like ripping off a bandaid, a few hours and it's all over.
faster, so we're spending more time with Grandma and Grandpa and the uncles.
less disruption of what little routine we have

Cons: given her nuclear meltdown on the last flight, it could make for rough sailing.
lugging all that shit sucks balls, pure and simple
monumentally uncomfortable for a few hours

Driving
Pros: See the country! Stop whenever and wherever you like! Smell the roses!
DVD player for to entertain Certain People
Road trip!

Cons:
Road trip!
Gas prices!
Car seat insanity!

Train
Sleeper car!
Extended trip, but with the ability to run around while traveling
See the country! Smell the roses!

Cons:
Possible extended layovers when cganging trains in Chicago
Frankly, the room descriptions are a little icky.
More expensive than flying or driving. By a lot. A whole lot.

Help me, friends. What would you do in this situation?

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

If money were no object, I would choose train, hands down.

We only travel 5hrs away for the weekend about once a month and if there were a train from here to there, I would figure out a way to afford it.

And I only have one baby (well, toddler, eek). We have to stop at most every 2hrs to stretch our legs or eat. When she was less than 9m, it was every 90m at most. It took for-freaking-ever to get there.

However, I have to say... We flew from Detroit to Seattle over Thanksgiving and Lily was an absolute doll. Mind you, again, I only had one baby and two adults. *shrug* However, I hate planes. Thus, the preference for rail-travel.

At any rate, Driving = DEAD LAST for me. In a big way.

My two (or four) cents. Sounds like the trip (aside from the traveling) will be lots of fun!

d e v a n said...

hmm, that's a tough one.
For me the train would be out. Expensive AND lengthy. yuk.

Um, flying would be my option if it didn't cost an arm and a leg.
Driving, with 2 kids and no husband? Not for me either most likely. Flying would probably be my choice.
At least it would be over shortly.
Are you sure you want to go on a trip??!

Just kidding (mostly)
Have fun!