I took a 6-day road trip with 4 teenagers. We spent over $5,000, and I learned to feed everyone before they were hungry.

05.10.2024 - 14:19 / insider.com

When I picture a road trip, I see images of two carefree people in a convertible traversing Route 66. There are no kids in the picture, and I'm not even sure there is luggage. It feels so easy and inexpensive. A road trip with kids, however, is a different experience, especially when those kids are teenagers.

Still, I decided our family would hit the road for a vacation. The travelers were my husband, my three kids, ages 15, 17, and 19, and one boyfriend, age 19. We had taken road trips before, but with the kids being older, there were no more child discounts, kids' meals, or minivans. Plus, we needed multiple hotel rooms. This made it pricier, but I'm so glad we did it.

We decided to travel around Niagara Falls on both sides, Canada and the US. Here's everything we did and how much it cost us.

We started with the unexpected expense of a rental car because my car was acting up, plus gas for the week. We stayed at the Sheraton Fallsview in Canada for the location and rooftop pool, which was a big hit. For our time in New York, we rented an Airbnb on a working cattle farm for some quiet nature time and a kitchen

After a quick breakfast at home, we set out for our destination, stopping at Dinosaur Bar-B-Que in Syracuse for lunch, which everyone loved and cost $129.08 for the whole group.

We continued to Niagara Falls State Park in New York and Cave of the Winds. This was the perfect intro to build excitement for the Falls. We grabbed a take-out dinner at the hotel and relaxed for the rest of the night.

This was our busy sightseeing day. We started early with a light breakfast at Tim Hortons — because when in Canada — and walked to the Niagara Parks Power Station, followed by Journey Behind the Falls.

Everyone loved the tunnel at the Power Station but the Journey Behind the Falls was too busy with less impressive views. We ate decent fast food at the Table Rock Cafe before heading to the Hornblower Boat Ride, a memorable experience. Overall, getting an early start helped us avoid crowds and long lines.

After grabbing some snacks we took a break and swam at the hotel. Then we went out for a special dinner at the Skyon Tower — which was one of our biggest expenses at over $400 total — and it was one of everyone's favorite parts of the trip. It was worth the high price tag for the views and the food. Plus, if you go near the fireworks time you get an amazing view.

After such a busy day, everyone was ready to relax. We got a hearty diner breakfast at the Flying Saucer and took a leisurely ride to Niagra on the Lake, stopping at a coffee shop and a farm stand. Next we drove to our Airbnb in Savona, NY, getting KFC lunch on the way and groceries. That night, we had a simple dinner and relaxed at the house.

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