All Aboard

We are going to try a new adventure with the twins tomorrow--train travel!

They have been on subways and we were on 3 different types of trains in Argentina, but this is a whole new territory.

Normally when we go to visit family upstate it requires renting a car. In Manhattan, the average price of a rental car is $100/DAY. Over a 3-day weekend, you'll easily shell out close to $400. This is not part of our financial picture.

Before babies, we would sometimes take the commuter train to the last stop and talk Chicken's mom into picking us up. She didn't like this as it was a long drive for her, so we didn't do it very often, even though it's only about $30 round trip.

Now, we are getting creative.

Chicken's dad--the big gay dad who lost his life partner to cancer in April--has a new BF who lives in a town much closer to the train station. We always had to rent a car to see BGD, because he lives closer to Canada than NYC.

Big Gay Dad (BGD) wants us to meet the new man in his life so we are going to go spend the weekend with them at the BF's house.

Since we talked about this trip before ordering the car seats, I came up with a good 'trial' plan. I shipped the car seats to BGD. He will install them and drive his car to pick us up at the train station. We have packed one carry on suitcase (that will fit in the luggage rack overhead) and a diaper bag. The boys will ride in the Ergo, no need for a stroller this weekend. Basically, we are trying to keep it as light as possible.

BGD is driving to Florida next week and will drive us down to Manhattan on the way, unload the car seats, us, etc.

This is a good trial to see if we could handle taking the car seats on the train with us backpack style. I ordered the travel bags and now I'm anxious to see if I could actually wear the car seat on my back, the baby on my front and pull a suitcase at the same time.

I think I'm going to need to start lifting some weights!

It seems like if this trip is successful, surely we can do it with the backpacks. I hope so, because it will save us a ton of money.

The only part of the plan we don't like, but we can live with, is getting to the train station. The subway is too much of a hassle and slightly dangerous trying to get a suitcase down the stairs while wearing a baby.

BUT, the alternative is a taxi and we would have to wear the baby in the taxi as we have no car seats (this is legal). Many parents in NYC do hold/wear their children in taxis because sometimes you just need to get places and you can't be lugging your 25 lb car seat with you. So, we are going to taxi it.

We took some taxis in Argentina while wearing the babies, so we're going to do it again. We're only a 15-20 minute ride, so at least it's not too long.

I'm really looking forward to getting away and being out in nature. I love the city, but I love getting out of it as well and I really want my boys to grow up in the best of both worlds.

Wish us luck!