Before Anderson was ever born, really before he was ever an idea, we were determined to find a way to expand our family while ensuring our passion for travel could stay at the forefront. Sounds like a great idea, right? We were met left and right with so many naysayers telling us that we would change our minds. That once we were in it, we would realize it’s not worth it . Call us stubborn, but that kind of fueled our fire.. We were determined to find a healthy balance where we could be the best parents we could possibly be, while providing Anderson with unique experiences travelings that get us outside of our comfort zone together as a family. Traveling with a baby definitely got mom and dad out of their comfort zone! We feel we have grown so much together through our travels as a couple that it was really important for us to give Anderson that opportunity for growth as well. Enough of all of that - let’s talk about our first trip! What we did, what went well, and opportunities to do better next time.

We were originally planning to spend our September trip (Anders being just over 3 months old) in England. The world is unpredictable and it threw us a curve-ball. Just like September 2020, England was out the door. Utah had always been top of Mitch’s bucket list so we decided to pursue that as our back up plan. We were excited to mix together exploring some new cities with lots of outdoor time in National Parks. Here’s how our adventure went.

We had a warm up trip to Traverse City with friends in July that helped us craft what our wants and what our needs were when it came to traveling with Anders. If you’re a new parent and are looking to take the plunge to go somewhere further away with your baby, I highly recommend taking a “warm up trip” closer to home to get a feel for things that you need to continue to bring, don’t need, and maybe some lessons learned of things that would have made your life easier. Some products we love? Our Guava Lotus travel crib. It’s a familiar place for Anders as he has napped in it at home many times as well. It’s super light weight and easy to set up - perfect for traveling! Our Ergo Baby Omni 360 was a life saver when we were out and about hiking. Another good thing about it is, Anderson loves it. What’s better than being strapped in close to one of his two favorite people? Last but not least, honestly a must have in my mind if you plan to take more than just a few trips in your baby’s first year, the Doona infant car seat and stroller combo. It made our life 10 times easier as we were on the go. If you aren’t familiar with the Doona it is a two in one system that is a car seat that safely works without a base when you are traveling on the go that then easily expands out into a stroller - all while your baby is still inside so you don’t have to move them out of the car seat to make it adapt to the stroller setting. It is super lightweight and easy to strap into your car. Being two in one makes it so there is one less big piece of equipment you have to lug around when traveling because between mom, dad and baby we had our hands full.

On to our trip. Our first flight there was scary. Not so much the flight itself, but more so the anticipation of the unknown. 24 hours before our flight we got upgraded to Comfort Plus which should be a good thing, right? Not so much… They split us up and we were both in middle seats in separate rows surrounded by strangers. We had to work to get our seats back together, but once that was all sorted out we were ready to roll. Anderson did so well on his first flights! There were two different legs to Utah. Before we boarded, the gate agent gave Anders his first set of Delta wings. They are absolutely adorable. Something we will hold on to forever. The first 20 or so minutes of our first flight Anders seemed a little uncomfortable and we were second guessing everything wondering what we got ourselves into. Luckily, from then on out, he was a plane pro. He slept really well in flight and loved that he was snuggled up close to mom or dad for one on one play time or naps. The flights ended up going as flawlessly as they could. Tara even found the hidden changing tables in the tiny flight bathrooms and was blessed with the opportunity to change two diapers in air. 

Once we landed we were in Salt Lake City to start. As you know from previous blog posts we are big proponents of using airbnb over hotels. Our allegiance to airbnb has only heightened after traveling with a baby. Having a separate space to hangout in after Anders went to bed, or a kitchen to clean and sanitize pump parts was worth its weight in gold. Not to skip ahead to the ending, but we spent our last night when we looped back to Salt Lake City in a hotel and it left much to be desired. We spent a few days checking out the open air art fair just steps from our airbnb. Going on walks and trying out new coffee shops each morning. We hiked up the Ensign Peak Trail that gave us a view of Salt Lake City from above and we quickly learned babies (or anyone under 21) in breweries are not allowed in Utah. But best of all, we got to spend lots of time just hanging out us 3. 

We packed up from Salt Lake City and made the 4 and a half hour drive to Zion National Park. We quickly learned that road trips with a baby are much more anxiety inducing than plane rides. Saving the dramatics, Anderson hated it. Planes = good, cars = bad. Once we arrived we were all in good spirits again. The airbnb we booked was absolutely incredible. Probably the best one we’ve ever stayed at and we’ve stayed at over 25 airbnb’s to date (Linked Here). It was so bright and airy inside with a wrap around porch with unobstructed views of beautiful red rock mountains inside the park. We had ample space for us to spread out, so much so that we even had an extra bedroom we had no use for. Our airbnb was also a loft above the cutest little coffee shop/cafe so we had quick and easy access to breakfast. We had planned lots of hiking in Zion but the one problem with our master plan? The heat. Each day we were there the high was over 100 degrees. 100 degrees is hard on anyone, 100 degrees with a baby is just not feasible. We woke up before the sun each day and set out to hike for a few hours with the goal to be back inside our airbnb by 10am when the temperatures started to get uncomfortable. This wasn’t ideal, but it worked out great to make the most of our time. Luckily, our airbnb was a treat all by itself. Zion was absolutely incredible, the views were breathtaking - making you feel like time stood still for a moment. 

Our next stop planned after Zion was Arches National Park. However, we learned quickly that you have to be flexible in your plans with a baby. We decided the night beforehand to pull the plug on going to Arches because the temperatures were similar to Zion and would make it so that we couldn’t be outside for most of the day. Also, by heading to Arches then back to Salt Lake added multiple more hours to our total drive time. We decided to shift gears and looked up a last minute stay in Park City, Utah. We hit the jackpot! Park City in the colder months is a big ski resort town. It’s nestled in the mountains with beautiful mountain views and temperatures that averaged 20 degrees cooler than Zion and Arches. Park City is also where the Winter Olympics took place in 2002. Our stay ended up being at a ski in/ski out condo through airbnb (surprise, surprise) that was normally $900+ a night and we got it for $175 a night at the last minute. We will fast forward through the drive because again, learn from our mistakes. Though Park City was a last minute change of plans, it ended up being the perfect ending destination for our trip. We spent time being the only 3 poolside. We visited the Utah Olympic Park and saw the museum as well as some people practicing ski jumping into water. We had no idea how it was done in the summer and it was really cool to watch. We walked around the cute downtown area and had some of the best Thai food we’ve ever had outside of Thailand. We did a nice hike on the Armstrong Trail to Dawn’s Trail Loop which gave us beautiful mountain views in the aspen trees. Anderson loved taking a good fresh air nap in his carrier when we were hiking. 

At the risk of sounding insanely corny, but being completely honest, the best part was getting 8 uninterrupted days together doing the thing we love most with the person we love most in the world. So many adventures to come for the Starback’s. 

So lessons learned or tips for the next person? 

1. Do a warm up test run where you stay away from your house, even if it’s only for a night somewhere else close by.

2. Don’t have more than 2 places to stay when you have a young baby that comes with a lot of equipment to lug around. We had 4 stays in our trip and it felt like a lot of set up and tear down. Try to narrow down your home bases.

3. Limit driving time if you have a baby who doesn’t love the car. Planes allow you to hold, interact and love on your baby. Cars have them strapped in a seat by themselves and if your baby is anything like Anders, they get sick of it pretty quickly. 

4. Be flexible. Don’t be frazzled if you have to change your plans. We were pretty calm about our change of plans but I know it can be a bummer to cross something off your list that you were excited for. We truly think our change in plans worked out better for everyone and resulted in a better trip.

5. Try to plan long car rides around nap times. 

6. If you are flying, nurse or feed your baby at take off and landing if possible to help with discomfort.

7. Try to ensure your baby gets good naps while on the go. A well rested baby is a happy baby! 

8. Try to book a place to stay that has a separate common area for you to spend time in outside of the room baby is sleeping in. Babies typically go to bed pretty early!

9. Target pick up is your friend. We placed an order for diapers/wipes and some other essentials that took up too much real estate in our luggage via Target pickup. It was ready for us when we landed. After a long day of traveling, walking through Target with a baby sounded less than ideal. This worked out really well and saved us time and space.

10. Try to keep baby’s bedtime routine familiar when traveling. We made sure we carved out time each night to do the same routine with Anders that we would have done if we were home. It helps to continue to trigger sleep associations especially when you’re in a different place and time zone. Your nights when traveling may end a little bit earlier but if it makes everyone well rested, it’s worth it!

11. People are 10 times nicer to you when you are traveling with a baby. 

Happy Travels!

The Starback’s