8 Things I Learned from Traveling with Our 3-Month-Old for the First Time

As a new parent (and anxious worrywart) I’ve been dealing with this dilemma lately: I want to take my baby out and show him all the fun things this world has to offer, but I also dread the logistics of it all. Maybe more confident first-time parents wouldn’t think twice about embarking on a trip around the world with their infant, but that, sadly, is not me. Although, I hope to get there one day (maybe for the second kid?!).

But with my maternity leave wrapping up last month, my husband and I decided a little getaway with our 3-month-old was in order. Logistics and stress and first-time jitters be damned!

I’m happy to say that it all turned out… fine? Well, more than fine—fantastic actually! And it even inspired us to take our next trip (on a plane!). If you’re having similar feelings about traveling with your baby for the first time, I’m sharing the tips I picked up from our trip in hopes that it might help!

Courtesy of La Quinta Resort & Club

Pick a Familiar Destination

Sure, it would be fun to explore a new city, but we decided to visit a place we’ve been to countless times before—the greater Palm Springs area. Knowing our destination well made it so much easier to make a plan: We knew when to leave our house so we wouldn’t hit traffic, where to stop for lunch, the best spots to walk around with a stroller, etc. 

We stayed at La Quinta Resort & Club, where we’ve been before and loved. It’s a beautiful resort with warm, cozy rooms, tons of amenities, and great food options. And since we were pretty familiar with the layout of the resort, we were able to hit the ground running and enjoy all the property had to offer the moment we checked in.

Pack and Plan Ahead

Even when I didn’t have a baby I was one to pack days in advance. It always makes me feel better to know that I’m somewhat packed a few days before I’m set to leave. So I made sure to do that for our trip—I spent some time making an exhaustive packing list and then got packing! I’m glad I did because babies really do need a lot more gear than adults.

Of course, I was still running around the morning of our departure making sure we had everything packed and ready to go, but knowing I was confident in my packing list made it so much better. (And I’m happy to report that we didn’t say, “I wish we brought this” or “Next time we should bring this,” once during the trip!)

Planning also includes communicating with your hotel to ensure that they have what you need for your stay. I made sure to check with the hotel beforehand about crib availability.

Dermot Connolly, VP and Managing Director at La Quinta Resort & Club, agrees it’s a good idea to reach out. “At La Quinta, it’s good to request in advance connecting casitas, cribs and rollaway beds, and poolside cabanas for a place for families to settle in between swims and time in the sun,” he says.

Keep It Short and Sweet

Would it have been nice to have a weeklong vacation? Yes. But we thought two to three nights away would be a good test run for a bigger vacation later on. We also wanted to keep our travel time short, especially since our son hasn’t spent that much time in the car yet. Our two-hour drive to Palm Springs was perfect—he slept through most of it!

If your travel dates are flexible, it might be worth going on a midweek trip for a quieter experience, which is what we did.

“Midweek travel days softens everything,” Connolly says. “During the week, the resort moves at a quieter pace. Weekends carry a bit more energy, a natural lift in the atmosphere. Both have their place. It depends on what you’re looking for. Something still, or something with a little more movement. Either way, the experience meets you there.”

Courtesy of La Quinta Resort & Club

Choose a Hotel That’s Kid-Friendly, Not Kid-Centric

Listen, I’m not hating on any kid-centric hotels and resorts. I know eventually we’ll spend some time at a theme park hotel one day (I’m excited for a Disneyland visit!), but for now, since our son can’t really take advantage of a water slide or kids club just yet, we’re going to stay at places that are not just about the kiddos.

That being said, La Quinta Resort & Club is extremely kid-friendly, so we didn’t feel like we were intruding on an adults-only space. There were many families there—kids were enjoying the pool and scootering around the resort. There was even a temporary arcade room that the resort put together for spring break visitors.

One of the best parts about the resort is its sheer number of pools—there are 41! Sometimes, kid-centric hotel or not, you’re fighting for a lounger at the only pool on property, which isn’t the case at La Quinta. Instead of checking out the main pool, we used the pool just outside our suite, which  which felt like our own private space. It was the perfect quiet spot for our son’s first time in the water!

Stay at a Bigger Property

Sunset Editor in Chief Hugh Garvey advised me to stay at a larger resort so we wouldn’t feel like we needed to leave the property, which would require some logistics with a small child. At 45 acres, La Quinta Resort & Club has so much to explore. We loved walking around the peaceful grounds and exploring the shops; we never felt bored during our stay.

Courtesy of La Quinta Resort & Club

Eat on Property

Staying at a bigger resort also means that you have more dining options. While I love trying out all the fun restaurants in the Palm Springs area, we’re still used to dining out with our baby, so staying on property for our meals was the easiest for us.

La Quinta Resort & Club has four dining options: the upscale Morgan’s in the Desert, Adobe Grill for Mexican food (great guacamole!), American bistro Twenty6, and The Marketplace for grab-and-go needs. We tried them all throughout our stay and never felt bored with the food options.

It was even more helpful to eat where we were staying because when we attempted to enjoy a nice dinner at Morgan’s in the Desert, our son had a bit of meltdown halfway through—the staff was so nice about helping us pack up all our food so we could head back to our room and finish our dinner.

Courtesy of La Quinta Resort & Club

Carve out Some Time for Yourself

Family time is super special, but if I learned anything postpartum, it’s important to have some “me” time. I definitely recommend trading off with your partner to enjoy a solo activity. I headed to the spa for a relaxing massage and my husband got to hit up the lap pool every morning.