Road Trips with Kids Should be 5 Hours or Less…What’s 5 Hours from San Angelo?

A new survey of 2,000 parents of kids under ten shows that parents start getting overwhelmed about five hours into a road trip with children. This surprises me, especially now with screens in many vehicles where children can watch their favorite videos and movies and even play video games.  You would think today's smart vehicles could definitely keep children occupied for longer than that.

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Here in San Angelo, road trips almost anywhere have to be longer than that. Although there are some great Texas destinations within five hours.  Here are some destinations here in Texas, around 5 hours away.

1. San Angelo to Abilene               90 Miles           1hr 26 minutes
2. San Angelo to Midland             112 Miles          1hr 46 minutes
3. San Angelo to Lubbock            183 Miles          2hr 56 minutes
4. San Angelo to Austin                204 Miles          3hr 27 minutes
5. San Angelo to San Antonio       212 Miles         3hr 16 minutes
6. San Angelo to Wichita Falls      236 Miles         3hr 38 minutes
7. San Angelo to Dallas                258 Miles         4hr 05 minutes
8. San Angelo to Amarillo             317 Miles         4hr 45 minutes
9. San Angelo to Corpus Christi   355 Miles         5hr 22 minute

These destinations have something for everyone. Everything from Sea World to Six Flags locations. Even the beaches and the Texas State Aquarium in Corpus Christi are just a little over 5 hours.

With all the inconveniences and expense of flying  anywhere from San Angelo is almost impossible and extremely over-priced. The survey agrees.  39% of parents say traveling by car or plane is equally difficult. However, 65% of parents noted they have an easier time keeping kids comfortable when travelling by car.  Every air traveler knows all too well the horrors of a screaming kid on long flights.

As difficult as traveling with kids can be, the best memories of many of us are of summer road trips with our parents.  I can vividly remember the trips our family used to take from my childhood home in West Virginia to the beaches of Daytona Beach every summer.  We would take two carloads of relatives, including grand parents and cousins. It was always a great time. It is a universal experience immortalized by Chevy Chase in the "Summer Vacation " movie franchise.

And 69% of parents agree. The survey found  more than two-thirds of parents think traveling wouldn't be the same without their little ones. 70% take their kids on every trip. 72% of parents with little children look forward to bonding with their kids on summer road trips.

Road trips are not without problems when kids are involved. 60% of parents in this One Poll survey conducted for Diono for its Lifetime Journey Care launch say it's hard to clean up after the kids on the go with bathroom accidents being the most common. I remember my dad threatened to poo in the front seat of my first new car, since as a baby I did that to him.  I'm glad he never took me up on that, but I can understand the frustration.

So, even with high gas prices this summer, don't miss out on making a lifetime of memories.  Go ahead and take that summer road trip with your kids this summer. After two years of  the restrictions of the Covid epidemic, everyone in the family could use the vacation. Whether you chose lakes, mountains, beaches or theme parks, as Nike says "Just Do It".