Question about travel to CA with 4 & 6 yo

I am traveling to Stanford (flying in to San Fran) on Wednesday staying til Sunday, with a 38 lb 4 yo and a 48 lb 6 yo. We have a CA for the 4yo and a Highback booster for the 6 yo. Im going alone, with the 2 car seats, 1 small roller bag, 2 dvd bags, laptop and my 6yo will have a backpack.

I was planning on gate checking the seats and roll bag but traveling thru the airport with all of that is daunting. We have a 3 hr layover and will be getting in at 930 pm. We will really only be in a car from the airport to the hotel and back, and then on Saturday we will do the zoo thing, etc, so very little driving. Thurs and Fri we will be taking a shuttle and be at the university all day.

I do have a highback booster that is for 3 yo and 30 lbs, I don't normally use it but thought about taking it on this trip for my 4 yo. I've looked on Cali's sites seeing what their seat requirements are I'm real confused by it. It almost seems like they can be less than 40 lbs if their seat is made for it, but I'm not 100% certain since other places it says 4 & 40.

Does anyone know? Would I be ok using the booster since we really aren't going to be driving much (I know, it only takes 1 sec for something to happen) but would really rather not take the big seat if I can at all avoid it, we are from a very small town and going into the big airports is already daunting enough. :/

If you strap one or both seats to your rolling bag, and then put all your other 'stuff' inside a backpack that you carry, and have your 6yr old carry another backpack, you should be fine. The only anoying part is getting through security. I dont think a HBB vs a carseat will be a huge difference as far as lugging stuff around.

Here is a more detailed explanation of the law:

http://www.carseat.org/Legal/636_CAlaw_guide.pdf

Its 6 OR 60, "properly restrained", so a 38lb child in a 30lb+ booster is allowed.

Great thanks. I tried to attach the CA to the bag but the top of the bag only comes up 3/4 of the way on the seat, the bag is an allowable carry-on size so is relatively small.

I have checked websites for luggage carts but no one has them in stock. Im waiting to see if a local hardware store can get one, otherwise I may take the booster.

Thanks for the info and help!

Oh I just looked at the traveling toddler and I guess being small is ok, though Im not sure mine is as sturdy, it would probably be ok if she wasn't sitting in it.

I don't know your 4 year old- my oldest at maybe 4.5 would have been OK for this, but frustrated, my youngest, while much more rambunctious than my older was actually distinctly more compliant in a booster at 4.5 years old than her sister was- but I wanted to make sure you've looked at the distances you're talking about.

SFO to Stanford University is a 25 mile drive, on the freeway: google maps puts it at 35 minutes best case, and depending on what time you're arriving could be quite a lot worse- at 10pm it probably won't be bad, but there are always lots of cars on the road and an accident can tie things up even at that hour. Stanford up to the San Francisco zoo is 35 miles, google says 45 minutes, and again may be much, MUCH worse.

Even with the best-case times, you're talking about 3 hours in the car over the course of three days, in an exciting new place, going to exciting things, with new and exciting freedom in a booster.

I'm not sure what I would do, and I'm not sure a booster really cuts down your baggage hauling.

Thanks for the times, she is actually really good in a booster. We live on a ranch and she uses a HBB when bouncing around the farm.

Dh has worked it out using 2 ratchet straps and my bag, so I think it will work fine. Thanks for all your help!