Any advice when you are driving in a car for 16 hours?

Get out and stretch your legs every few hours.

We will be driving straight through alernating driver. Thats good advice Thanks.

Get some good tunes on your radio and bring a kazoo.Have fun! :)

Depending on your time zone the little one might fall asleep for a long stretch of the trip. Music is a must, preferably CD’s. Stop frequently to stretch and get some fresh air. And if you even think you’re getting sleepy, pull over and take a nap. Have fun! Do you have a lap top, so you can keep up with fluther?;)

Switch, or stop and sleep.

My heart goes out to you. Having multiple people in the car, including a child, can extend the trip.
– Depending on the ability to synchronize bladders, I’d budget to stop every 3 hours for about 15 – 20 minutes. If it is just a bathroom break, use rest stops. They are easy to get in and out of quickly with plenty of space for the child to run around safely.
– CDs are great for sing-a-longs.
– Plan snacks in advance. We take a small cooler with sliced fruit, sandwiches, trail mix, bottled water or sodas, crackers and trail mix.
– Plan for car sickness. One very young niece would let it loose after 10 miles on the road. A good waterproof container, a roll of paper towels, wet wipes, and a change of clothes are handy.
– Are there any good travel games for a 3 year old? What about a DVD player for movies?

Good luck and safe travels!

@Pied_Pfeffer I never thought of car sickness! Not once. DO they have something you can buy? I will bring a puke bucket.LOL Just in case.
@AmWiser I do have a laptop. I will back on when we reach Washington DC.

The car sickness medication I was given as a child was Dimenhydrinate. The challenge in your case is that if you don’t know if the child is susceptible, you aren’t going to want to use a medication before you find out. All I can say is it worked for my niece and me.

There are carsickness medications you can get, but for someone 3 years old, even the OTC medication should not be used without talking to your Dr first.

I always take me some books on tape and listen to them. I do alot of driving with my job and I always have a book in the tape deck at all times. Makes the trip to my destination go by faster.

But your thoughts will soon be wandering
The way they always do
When you’re ridin’ sixteen hours
And there’s nothin’ much to do
And you don’t feel much like ridin’,
You just wish the trip was through

Turn the Page by Bob Segar Sorry, I couldn’t resist, that’s what came to my mind when I read the question.

I advise refeuling whenever your tank hits the halfway mark, whether you feel like you need to stop or not. I used to do 6–7 hour stretches between stops because that’s how long my gas lasted. However, after getting caught in a few significant traffic jams, including being parked on the interstate for extended periods of time, I figured out that it’s wise not to push it with the gas. Just because you know you can go another 50 miles under normal conditions doesn’t mean that something won’t come up. It drives me crazy to double my stops, but it’s worth not getting stuck somewhere if something unexpected happens.

@bobbinhood Excellent advice! Unless the plans have changed, I know what interstate they will be on, and traffic can be hit or miss around the metropolitan areas and due to construction. I’ve been in the low gas panic situation one too many times.

I’ve heard that there are web sites that can provide a heads up on planned road construction, but I’ve never used one. Would this be worth looking into?

@Pied_Pfeffer They can be useful, but they are not always up to date. The weather can often change things this time of year. If the road is closed ahead of you, don’t go to the last open exit to stop. The closer you get to the closed road, the harder it is to find a motel with vacancies.

@Pied_Pfeffer Often construction isn’t the biggest issue. Serious accidents or unexpected severe weather are more likely to bring traffic to a standstill long enough to create problems with your fuel level.

I made it!! I am here. My daughter, Chelsea ,was trooper ,and no car sickness. Funny I brought all this stuff with me and ended up sleeping, not that well or comfortable , sleeping none the less. Thanks God for GPS!

Thanks for the update @Frenchfry. How long did the trip end up taking?

Well with the stops We left 1 Am and the got here at 7:30 pm .Alot of stops. My husband drove most of the way. The trees are Beautiful! The fall colors. We don’t have it in Florida. Today is the Smithsonian. We are riding the Metro to go there. Cant wait to see Dorothy’s red slipper and the Hope diamond.I will post a picture! Thanks for all the advice.