A Quick Trip to Amsterdam Without the Quick
Lessons from a wintry family road trip— the best memories aren’t always planned
Traveling with kids is always an adventure — throw in a winter storm in a foreign land and you have the makings of a great memory.
In 2010, my family and I were living in Germany and we had an opportunity to go to Amsterdam for the weekend. There are many wonderful things to see in this vibrant city, but I was especially excited about touring the Anne Frank House. The timing wasn’t ideal because it was February, but I was a highly motivated traveler who would not be deterred by cold temperatures.
As the weekend approached, the weather forecast started to shift in a concerning direction. Not only was it going to be bitter cold, but a winter storm was moving south through Belgium and travel conditions were expected to be difficult. We couldn’t change our plans, so all I could do was hope that we would make it to Amsterdam before the snow fell.
On departure day, as we started packing the car, snowflakes began to fall. It was earlier than predicted. I told the three kids to pack their snow boots and winter parkas and briskly hustled everyone to the car.
With the five of us tightly packed in our little VW, we set off on the five-hour drive to…
