Friday, June 6, 2014

Road Trip: Packing & Prepping

Brian and I are headed out soon with his family for Grand Teton National Park.  After two eight-hour driving days, we are staying in cabins in Colter Bay Village for four nights together.  When the family leaves to head home, Brian and I will be continuing on to Yellowstone for two nights, and then Rocky Mountain National Park for three more.  We are stoked.  This is why Brian works extra hours all year long.  It always feels amazing to be free on the road.

Crater Lake, OR
Avenue of the Giants, CA
Moki Dugway, UT


I've learned the hard way that the most difficult part of a road trip has nothing to do with hours spent sitting in the same seat.  For me, it's really about the availability of food.  Gas station stops really only supply candy and chips, and it's not so much that I believe all junk food is evil or something, it's that I struggle to maintain my blood sugar and being hungry makes me a very difficult person.  (Same with Brian, but that's our little secret!)  Road trip fights in the car almost always stem from the two of us being hungry and not knowing where to stop, what we are hungry for, and where anything is once we do finally pull off the road.

I have this shirt "pinned" on Pinterest, and I'm serious.  I need it.  I'ts so me.

via here

Last year we tried something a little new and we decided to choose some Diner's Drive-Ins and Dive spots (using this website) along our route therefore making our stops stress free and more deliberate.  It was really great.  This year we are caravan-ing with two other cars, so it won't be quite that easy.  We will be travelling with a three year old, so I imagine that will dictate stops more than anything.

Anyway, what this really means is that this year, I went crazy on snacks.  Like, crazy.



 I have:
1.  Organic hard-boiled eggs
2.  Trail mix of pecans, salted pistachios, unsalted sunflower seeds, and dried cranberries
3.  Home-made spicy organic chicken jerky
4.  Organic plain greek yogurt + organic blueberries
5.  Organic snack packs of apples + organic almond butter in tupper wear
6.  Non-GMO Larabar nut and seed bars
7.  Multi-grain crackers + organic mozzarella cheese sticks 

I. AM. READY.