10/25/2024
I’ve been taking my family to Oregon for over two decades now. It's one of our favorite spots—the coast just feels like a second home at this point. So, this one time we packed up for another trip, but it wasn’t exactly the smoothest start. I’d gotten off work late at Maddox (you know how that goes), and we didn’t want to drive the whole way with the kids in one shot. So, we figured we’d leave after work, get part of the way there, and find a place to crash for the night.
We hit the road, kids in tow, but after a few hours, I was beat. I’m talking dead tired. We started pulling off into little towns, hoping to find a place to stay for the night. Somehow we couldn't find a vacancy anywhere. We kept driving and driving until, before we knew it, we were in Portland. Way further than we planned, but we were desperate at that point.
We finally found a hotel with a room, and when we were checking in, the clerk casually drops that if we had more than two kids, we’d need a second room. A second room? It was late at night, we were only going to sleep for a few hours, and we were trying to stick to a tight budget. Like, really tight. We worked hard to save for these trips, and there was no way we were springing for a second room just for a few hours of shut-eye.
So, I did what any dad would do. We went back out to the car, unloaded the suitcases, and—get this—we put Amanda and Shelby in the suitcases. I’m serious! They were tired, cranky, and crying, but we told them to hush up and that it was an adventure. I mean, c’mon, what kid doesn’t love the idea of hiding in a suitcase for a few minutes, right? (Well, at least that’s what I told myself at the time.)
We wheeled them right into the hotel room like they were a couple of travel accessories. Got 'em out of the suitcases, tucked them into bed, and got a few hours of sleep before hitting the road again in the morning. It was all worth it, though—because the next morning, we had just a quick little drive to the coast, and then it was all beach, waves, and making some of the best memories.
Looking back now, it’s one of those stories we laugh about every time it comes up. I mean, sneaking kids into a hotel in suitcases? Who does that?! But, hey, it worked. And honestly, those kinds of crazy moments are the ones that make the best family stories. We’ll never forget that trip!!
