Translation of basics in Spanish

My family is doing well except for my youngest daughter. She is a little ill and needs to visit many doctors. She has had several infections lately, but nothing dangerous, so we are not too worried.
I understand that you use the article 'die' when talking about a feminine object, das when the subject is neutral, and der when talking about a masculine object. But how can you remember all these?
The road was a really horrible, but the lakes and the surrounding woods were colorful and impressive. We drove for two hours through the forest towards San Martin de los Andes, but decided to turn back before it got dark.