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If there is one thing I know about it it’s how to stay happy and keep us both well fed on a road trip. The hubby and I lived in our fifthwheel trailer for just about 10 years. The first few we were still in New Jersey – our house sold far more quickly than we were expecting it to. Then we lived in it for several years while we built the yurt. But the years in the middle were the fun years. It was one long road trip! And it was a blast.
Over the course of those years I refined my ideas on how to keep us comfortable and well fed while on the road. This included how to have a lunch ready for a quick pit stop and how to have a delicious, quick and easy dinner on the table in short order after a long day’s driving. You can do it too – it just takes a little planning and some smart shopping. So, come on the road with me and I’ll show you how you can have fun on your trips – whether they are just one day or for 4 years!
We never had much of a schedule beyond we had to be in Montana for the summer, New Jersey in November and Georgia for Christmas. Other that we just meandered back and forth across the country visiting places we wanted to see. If we liked a place we’d stay longer, if we didn’t like our location – we’d leave! As we’d figure out how we’d get to Montana from Georgia we’d look and see where we might like to stop and we’d plan out the route. The trailer was set up with full solar and it had large water and waste tanks so we didn’t have to stop at campgrounds that often – in fact our first winter we spent in the desert of Arizona! Most travel nights we wouldn’t put the slides out so dinners had to be fast and easy. But that didn’t mean they weren’t tasty! It just took planning.
When I knew we’d be hitting the road I’d cook something big the night before – like a whole chicken, a ham or a roast beef. That way I’d have leftovers for meals on the subsequent travel days. It worked great. I could then use whatever I had cooked for sandwiches, tacos or salad toppings. I could change it up so it never got boring. We would try to hit the road fairly early so we wouldn’t be driving late at night so the morning of departure I’d finish packing up the trailer then I’d make the sandwiches we’d be having for lunch and put them in the refrigerator for when we stopped. The last thing I’d do is pack up the snacks box ’cause you’ve got to have snacks on the road!
A good snacks box has a mixture of sweet and salty because if you ask me you need both. I always include some kind of nuts because they are a good source of protein plus they taste good! I always have chocolate – chocolate makes the world go round! Dove Dark Chocolate Covered Blueberries are great for the hubby and I’m a huge fan Milky Way Bites. I like to have some fruit and cheese too – grapes are the easiest but I could also do apple slices. Individual bags of Cheetos (MINE!) and Doritos are great. It’s good to have variety when you are sitting in the seat of a truck for 8 hours watching the corn fields go by. I also would fill several (stainless steel) water bottles to keep in the cab of the truck.
To make the snacks box is very easy.
- I purchased a lidded storage container.
- I put the smaller items like nuts and the Dove Dark Chocolate Covered Blueberries in smaller containers so they are easy to keep separate.
- I wash the fruit and put it in another covered container.
- I add the smaller containers to the larger one and then the packaged treats like Doritos
- Then I cover the snacks box and it’s ready to go. It’s easy to find in the cab of the truck and since it has a lid nothing gets lost. I put the trash right back in it for easy clean up that night.
There is a reward for watching all that corn! (I actually could not believe HOW MUCH CORN there was. OMG!) You ultimately get to stop for the night. When it came to dinners on the road I always planned something really simple. We were usually both tired and we didn’t want to eat anything heavy. A salad was a great option – I liked to keep Earthbound Farms Organic greens in the ‘fridge. I could pull them out add some of the chicken or ham, sprinkle on some nuts and raisins and there was dinner. I would add any leftover grapes and cheese from the snack box so nothing would go to waste! It was perfect a late night meal after driving all day.
Road Trip Salad
Serves 2
4 cups Earthbound Farms Organic Salad Greens
1 cup chopped ham, chicken or beef
1 cup sliced cucumber
1/4 cup raisins or dried cranberries
1/2 cup cheddar cheese, cut in small pieces
1 cup grapes cut in half
1/2 cup Planters Chili Lime peanuts
vinaigrette:
3 TBS extra virgin olive oil
2 TBS rice wine vinegar
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
Divide the lettuce between two plates
Sprinkle half of the cucumber over each plate of lettuce.
Add half of the cheese and the grapes to each plate.
Sprinkle half of the peanuts over each salad.
Add the vinegar to the olive oil. Whisk until it emulsifies. Add salt and pepper and adjust seasoning if necessary. Drizzle the vinaigrette over the salads.
Serve with bread or a roll.
PrintRoad Trip Salad
- Yield: 2 1x
- Category: Main Course
Ingredients
- 4 cups Earthbound Farms Organic Salad Greens
- 1 cup chopped ham, chicken or beef
- 1 cup sliced cucumber
- 1/4 cup raisins or dried cranberries
- 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, cut in small pieces
- 1 cup grapes cut in half
- 1/2 cup Planters Chili Lime peanuts
- vinaigrette:
- 3 TBS extra virgin olive oil
- 2 TBS rice wine vinegar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
Instructions
- Divide the lettuce between two plates
- Sprinkle half of the cucumber over each plate of lettuce.
- Add half of the cheese and the grapes to each plate.
- Sprinkle half of the peanuts over each salad.
- Add the vinegar to the olive oil. Whisk until it emulsifies. Add salt and pepper and adjust seasoning if necessary. Drizzle the vinaigrette over the salads.
The even better reward for all that driving was arriving at our destination. We were so very lucky to have been able to travel and see some of the more amazing places in this country like the Valley of Fire in Nevada.If you can get to this often overlooked state park do so. You will not be disappointed.
I loved Carlsbad Caverns so much we ended up staying for over a month. I went into the caves every day for two weeks. I saw something different each time I went in. It’s astoundingly beautiful there. The only thing that disappointed me was not being there at the right time of years to see the bats.
We even got to wake up to wild ponies in our campsite when we stayed at the Assateague Island National Seashore. We were there in the off season so we were practically alone in the campground. The weather was perfect and we walked along the beach and watched the waves.
It was such a horrible place to be….I mean – look at that awful view! It was really heavenly to wake up to the soft whinnies of the wild horses.
I cannot express to you enough how wonderful it is to get out on the road – whether it’s for a day trip or the trip of a lifetime get out there and see this beautiful country of ours. It’s unbelievable how much there is to see! The hubby and I have been making road trips for the entirety of our marriage. Some have been just hours long and others have been for weeks. One of the very first trips we took as a couple was a road trip.
What does this photo tell you?
Besides the fact that we are old?
It tells you that I’ve been at this road trip stuff for a while and I know a bit about preparing for The Best Road Trip Ever!
- Pack a snacks box for when you are driving. There is nothing worse than feeling hungry and having to stop more often than necessary. Food is fuel too and it helps keep the driver alert.
- Keep plenty of water handy.
- If traveling with kids make sure they have books and games to keep them entertained for long driving sessions.
- Plan for an easy dinner when you arrive at your destination. You don’t want to be cooking and cleaning up after driving all day.
- Get your snacks box and lunch ready the night before so you can get going early in the morning.
I found all of my great Road Trip snacks and foods on sale at Albertsons (and their banner stores like Safeway, Vons, Randalls and Acme)
You will find so many great snacks and treats on sale right now.
Be sure to enter The Best Road Trip Ever Sweepstakes for your chance to win a new car! That would be an excellent way to start your road trip – wouldn’t it?
