Inquiring minds want to know....

How did we get all of us and all of our stuff in the Festiva!

We've been asked quite a few times how we managed to take our road trip without a trailer or roof top carrier. Our answer has been that we travelled very light! Sharon did an excellent job figuring out the packing... here's how it was done.

Rather than have each person pack a bag and bring five or more bags into the hotel each night Sharon set up one bag with swim gear for the hotels that had pools, another with toiletries and PJ's and a third with a  pair of shorts for each of us.  A couple of larger bags contained the rest of our clothing but these stayed in the back of the car. What Sharon did is pack one small grocery bag for each day with a change of clothes, except pants, for everyone. When we got to our hotel all we would have to grab is the toiletry bag, the swim bag if needed and the small bag with the next days clothes in it. That small bag would become the laundry bag for the clothes we were changing out of and that bag would go back in the car the following morning.

In addition to the bags we had a sleeping bag, a collapsible cot and a pillow. Why you ask? Well I'll tell you. Most of the hotel rooms had only two queen or double beds so we brought along the cot etc and B, E and I rotated turns on it each night. Some snack type food items, an umbrella or two and our jackets rounded out the stuff we stuffed in the car.

All packed up and ready to head out!

We didn't carry too much up front, just a couple of smaller bags for maps and snacks etc. Those in back seat where a little cozy but didn't have a lot of "stuff" in with them. We borrowed a DVD player with two screens which allowed them to pass some of the time away. We had decided who was sitting where before we left Calgary so there was no discussion each morning!

B, I, and E in the back seat on the morning of Day 3.

All of us in the car ready to head out from Raleigh NC on Day 9.

You asked and now you know... five in a Festiva for more than five thousand miles can be done!!