Sometimes, all you need is a change of scenery when things seem so heavy, like the state of the world. Remote learning is not my forte, but traveling while homeschooling can be done.
We are not a family that sits still. We love family travel, like taking road trips and discovering new places. So, when we stayed in Heber Overgaard, we drove to Pinetop to eat lunch and decided to return.
This time would be different, though. Traveling while homeschooling takes careful thought.
Traveling while homeschooling can be less appealing to some, but with the right tools, we make it happen. We just needed to figure out how to travel while remote learning (road schooling).
So, our first decision was to stay inside our own state when we took trips. The second decision is where we can stay and feel safe doing it.
Here are some hacks on how to travel while homeschooling or online learning.
Table of contents
Prepare for Homeschooling Ahead of Time
If you know that you are going to travel while remote learning or homeschooling, it takes some preparation. There are many things to consider, like what to pack to keep it simple, whether or not to bring computers or iPads, which supplies for school are mandatory. It’s also important to research supermarkets close to the destination.
Check Travel Restrictions and the Destination’s Policies
There are travel hacks for traveling these days. One of them is researching rules and regulations from the CDC and travel restrictions. Check that your destination is following CDC guidelines and the destination’s list. Call them to see what their policies are.
For instance, I stayed at Worldmark Pinetop and asked if I needed to make reservations for the pool. They said yes and informed me that there was a 30-person maximum.
However, I stayed at another popular timeshare, and they said that there was no maximum, which was a major turnoff. If there are no rules for social distancing at a pool, then this begs the question of how they manage the rest of the property regarding sanitary conditions.
Where to Stay
Condo Style Resorts are the way to go, especially when traveling while doing remote learning or homeschooling. We loved staying at WorldMark Pinetop.
Located 7,200 feet up in the White Mountains, Pinetop-Lakeside, AZ, WorldMark Pinetop is a year-round recreational paradise, offering golfing, fishing, biking, hiking, birding, shopping, and a variety of water sports and snow sports. Getting outdoors and in nature is so good for the family, especially the kids.
After a full day of exploring some popular attractions like the Kinishba Ruins, Petrified Forest National Park, Painted Desert, Hon-Dah Casino, and Casa Malpais, you can come back and relax at the pool or roast some marshmallows in the fire pit.
WorldMark Pinetop features spacious studio, one- and two-bedroom resort suites that comfortably sleep two to six guests. Resort suites feature a Murphy bed in the studio suite, a private bedroom with a king bed in the one- and two-bedroom suites, two twin beds in the guest bedroom, and a Murphy bed in the living areas. We stayed in the two-bedroom suite.
In addition to a large dining area, there is a cozy fireplace and a private balcony with a barbecue grill.
The living room is huge, with a Murphy bed coming from the wall.
They have a huge pool and hot tub, a ping pong table outside, and a playground, among other amenities.
The dining room table seats four, and the boys could also use it to do their remote learning and homework. This is super convenient.
It was also nice to change the structure and let them be a little more relaxed in a domesticated setting.
The best part of the trip was making a fort in the forest. Pinetop is so pretty and has so many trails and forests to explore.
The kids enjoyed breakfast outside, blowing bubbles and making wishes!
Of course, sword fights are the best!
What to Bring on a Road Trip
There are some no-brainers on what to take when traveling with kids, like packing essentials for road trips.
If you are staying in a suite at Worldmark Pinetop, you have the option to do laundry, so you can bring your own. We love the option to do laundry. This way, we don’t have to over-pack.
Sometimes, we must shake things up in the home school world to make it more exciting and fun. I always bring my OOLY supplies, but I made a special travel bag for both of them this time.
I filled up their Mighty Zipper Pouch pouch with a DIY Cover Sketchbook, some Mini Pocket Pal Journals, Mini Magic Erasable Highlighters, Mini Monster Scented Markers, Color Click Mini 6 in 1 Ballpoint Pen.
I also packed Sticky Tabs to bookmark the pages in their books. Being prepared with fun supplies makes remote learning more fun.
We had such a great time visiting Pinetop. Traveling may differ these days, but if you’re prepared, you can make it work! If you stay at a condo-style resort like Worldmark Pinetop, your stay will be seamless.
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