Alex Drummond Braves 5-Hour Solo Road Trip With Baby Sofia

The new mom navigates the long drive to the family ranch without her husband's help.

Mar. 11, 2026 at 3:00pm

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Alex Drummond, daughter of Ree Drummond, recently took a solo 5-hour road trip from Dallas to Pawhuska, Oklahoma to visit her parents at the family's Drummond Ranch. With her husband Mauricio away, Alex had to entertain her 1-year-old daughter Sofia for the entire drive, which proved to be quite the challenge as the toddler was 'a lot more squirmy' and didn't want to sit still. Alex had to get creative to keep Sofia occupied, trying different playlists, snacks, and even handing over her phone in the final stretch to make it through the journey.

Why it matters

The story highlights the challenges new parents face when traveling long distances alone with young children, especially as toddlers become more active and restless in the confines of a car. Alex's experience resonates with many families who must navigate these types of road trips without the ability to divide and conquer childcare duties.

The details

According to Alex's Instagram stories, the 5-hour drive from Dallas to the Drummond family ranch in Pawhuska, Oklahoma proved to be quite the ordeal. With her husband Mauricio away on a trip, Alex had to entertain the couple's 1-year-old daughter Sofia by herself the entire drive. Alex noted that Sofia has become 'a lot more squirmy' and 'does not like to sit still' these days, making it difficult for Alex to drive while also keeping her occupied. Typically, Alex and Mauricio are able to take turns sitting in the backseat with Sofia, handing her toys and snacks, but with just Alex driving, she had to get creative - playing different playlists, passing back snacks and water bottles. However, Sofia kept throwing things out of her car seat, which Alex couldn't retrieve while driving. Eventually, Alex had to let Sofia cry it out, before resorting to handing over her phone with Spotify playing Sofia's favorite music for the last 30 minutes of the trip.

  • Alex and Sofia made the 5-hour drive from Dallas to Pawhuska, Oklahoma on Friday.

The players

Alex Drummond

The daughter of Ree Drummond who recently took a solo road trip with her 1-year-old daughter Sofia from Dallas to the family's Drummond Ranch in Oklahoma.

Sofia

Alex Drummond's 1-year-old daughter who accompanied her on the 5-hour road trip.

Mauricio

Alex Drummond's husband who was away on a trip, leaving Alex to drive the long distance alone with their toddler.

Ree Drummond

Alex's mother, also known as 'ReeRee', who lives at the Drummond Ranch in Pawhuska, Oklahoma where Alex and Sofia were traveling to visit.

Ladd Drummond

Ree Drummond's husband, also known as 'Papa', who lives at the Drummond Ranch.

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What they’re saying

“Sofia and I did the 5-hour road trip SOLO yesterday for the first time in awhileeee. I was nervous haha, IYKYK roadtripping with toddlers is an adventure!”

— Alex Drummond

“She's just a lot more squirmy these days, and she does not like to sit still.”

— Alex Drummond

“It's really hard when it's just me and her...because when Mauricio and I are together and we're roadtripping with her, one of us can sit in the back with her and hand her toys, hand her snacks, help keep her entertained, but when it's just me driving, I can't do that.”

— Alex Drummond

“For the last 30 minutes of the drive, I just handed her back my phone, because it was dark out and she was really losing it, and I was like, 'You know what? We just gotta make it through the last 30 minutes.' So mom of the year, I passed her back my phone open with Spotify with some of her music that she likes to listen to, and she was like pressing shuffle, and that kept her entertained for the 30 minutes, but woo, that was quite the journey.”

— Alex Drummond

The takeaway

Alex Drummond's solo road trip with her 1-year-old daughter Sofia highlights the challenges many parents face when traveling long distances alone with young, active children. Her creative solutions to keep Sofia entertained, like playing music and handing over her phone, demonstrate the resourcefulness required to make it through such journeys, even for experienced parents like the Drummonds.