3 minute read
Hit the Road with Leah Caraher
Hit the Road with Leah Caraher from Five for the Road
By Trish Pino
Leah Caraher has been documenting travel tips since 2016 on her blog, Five for the Road. Originally from Buffalo, Leah grew up taking day trips with her family and now continues that tradition with her husband and three children.
Sharing her love for travel and family, Five for the Road is a way to document her family’s adventures while inspiring others to get out and explore with their own families. Especially as her kids get older, Leah cherishes time spent connecting, making memories, and experiencing new places together, whether it’s an extended vacation, a short weekend getaway or a quick day trip.
Out for the Day
A favorite weekend getaway for any family is NYC. Whether you fly, drive, or take the train to the city, there is so much to do and see.
Leah's Travel Tips
• Tailor the experience to your family: “Be realistic and flexible. Your kids aren’t going to be different people when traveling, so when planning make choices that consider each person’s needs, interests, and personalities to be sure everyone has a good time.”
• Incorporate surprises along the way: “Pick a destination and then research surrounding areas to find fun/unique stops and places to eat. Whenever I plan day trips, I put the location into Google Maps and zoom in to find different stops along the way. No one likes being in the car for a long time (especially young children), so we look for mystery stops to incorporate.”
• Plan the trip together: “I always include my kids in the planning, even when they were small. We used to go to the library and get books about where we were visiting and have them be a part of the plan we make. Some kids don’t like surprises, so we build the excitement and let them choose parts of what we do so everyone feels invested in it and has something to look forward to.”
• Explore reciprocal memberships: “Before you go, be sure to check out local memberships to see if there is a reciprocal for the city you will visit. Many zoos and museums have reciprocals in other cities, so paying for an annual membership here not only gives you benefits to use at home, but can save money when you travel as well.”
