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Family Kitchen
Fellow Griswolds: I Need Your Help!
In a couple of weeks, my family and I will be heading north for our annual summer trip to Vacationland (aka Maine). In the past, we’ve cut the trip in two—spending the night in a New England hotel before we hit the Maine border— so the kids wouldn’t have to spend more than 10 hours on the road (and we wouldn’t have to spend 10 straight hours on the road with them). But I know of many hardcore road-trippers who consider an 8-10 hour drive child’s play; and now that the kids are a bit older, I’m thinking that maybe we can handle the big haul in one go. I’ve been soliciting advice from other parents about how to best manage the time, boredom (keep in mind, we don’t have an on-board entertainment systems) and most importantly, the meals.
And I would love to hear your 2-cents!
Do you leave at the crack of dawn and then stop for breakfast along the way?
Do you pack all of your meals rather than surrender to the rest stop food courts?
Or is this the one time of year you let your kids order anything they want off the Burger King menu? (Full disclosure: the first time I ever brought my daughter to McDonald’s was after a long ride home from Cape Cod. We ate a bag of french fries in the parking lot that tasted so good, they might as well have been illegal.)
And what are your favorite snacks for handing out in the car?
All advice and opinions are welcome! And also, do you have a favorite stop along the way to your summer destination? A place you always hit on the way and look forward to all year?
Happy Travelling!
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Alex @ The Salt Exchange [In Portland, Maine] commented on Jul 30 10 at 4:51 pmGoing by way of food packing has always been best, because of: a) avoiding the calories that come with the food court, b) supporting non-corporate and local (to where you start of) food, even when on the road and c) minimizing time spent on the stop. The food court trip is rarely ever fast, even though it allows for the bathroom break.
Car snacks: Turkey and cheese rolled up (kept in a small container on ice), strawberries, nuts and trail mix, granola bars.
I love traveling from Maine down to Connecticut so to stop at Rein’s Deli in Venon:
http://vernon.reinsdeli.com/ordereze/default.aspx
It’s so much food that tastes so good, it’s like you said – it’s like it’s somehow illegal.
Gwyn commented on Jul 30 10 at 6:11 pmWe leave before our evening meal, stop to eat/play somewhere, stop to get jammies on, and drive all night. brutal, yes, but SO worth it. Some friends of mine just leave at 2 in the morning . . . but for those hours in the vehicle, dry erase boards, magnets, lollipops, DVD’s, kids’ songs, rope licorice, and cups of ice help pass time.
Bob commented on Jul 30 10 at 6:14 pmit will be SO worth your money to buy an inexpensive personal DVD player at a big box store and get a seat holder for it. That will be the best $100 you’ll spend.
Alex @ The Salt Exchange [In Portland, Maine] commented on Jul 31 10 at 6:02 pmWe posted the question on our Facebook page and we got this answer:
I think it depends on how old your kids are…
We make stops and hold timed races to help the kids move, get the kinks out, and get their ya-ya’s out! Other rest stop activities include bubbles, balls, Simon says, and Red-light-green-light.
…But we always set our phone timers so the amount of time we are stopped and messing around is limited and known by all before we get out of the car…iPods with books on tape, hang-man, license plate bingo, and magnetic board games.
I also hit a dollar store before the trip and pack a bag of new surprises to use as bait for good behavior!
Good luck:)
Patti commented on Aug 01 10 at 7:00 amWe gased up our car checked oil water ect and packed the car the night b 4 (except for what we were gonna wear) We ALWAYS leave early early in the A.M. We would sometimes eat breakfast along the way, but mostly just scrambled some eggs, w/ crumbled bacon, onion, bell pepper,Diced Lunch meat Everything including the kitchen sink,) (Just any left over things in the frig.That goes w/eggs (even beans) I call My garbage Eggs, add a little shredded cheese, Slap it between a couple pc’s. toast, or pita bread, or warmed taco shells and head out the door and eat it on the way. (make sure to pack ALOT of Napkins or Paper Towels, & or Baby Wipes. I keep those in my car still today at all times.) Packing Our Goodies. Sandwich makings, U can use Pita Bread Or Floured Taco shells, (to make it a bit easier) the meats, cheese, Shreded Lettuce, (I use Spinach, and shred it up so the kids didn’t know it was spinach), Little packets of mayo, mustard, ect. Sm bags of chips of all kinds, gronola, trail mix dried and fresh fruit, drinks u know all that kinda stuff. (in a Cooler or Course) We to sang songs, played slug bug, all the games mentioned. And made games up. Stopping along the way for Potty stop and to stretch the legs, (us kids didn’t mind going behind a tree on the way lol). But I have to agree w/Bob on the DVD Player. In my time we didn’t have those and oh how I wish we did for us as kids and again for my kids when they were little. That is the BEST FRIEND EVER for U and UR Kids on a long Trip. U won’t hardly know they R there except for the laughter from the Movies. That is the greatest thing there is out there today for Traveling w/young and older kids these days.(Even Parents). Good Luck Have FUN and most of all DRIVE CAREFUL… :o)
Cyn commented on Aug 01 10 at 5:00 pmI can’t believe I am going to admit this in public, but one of our favorite car snacks is squirt cheese. I would never let the kids eat cheese in a can at home, but it can pass a good hour or two, squirting letters, smiley faces, snakes and ruffles on crackers.
We do the DC-to-downeast Maine drive every summer, which is 15 hours in the car. We leave after traffic in DC and slog to CT and find a hotel with a pool for cheap on Hotwire, then get up early and drive the rest of the way.
Our trick on long drives is to make one fun stop in the afternoon. We’ve done mini-golf, a hike in dinosaur state park in CT, or a playdate with a friend who lives on the way. It’s worth it to get out of the car and get the wiggles out.
ccampion commented on Aug 01 10 at 7:17 pmHey Cyn–thanks for your honest reply! I forgot all about cheese in a can…I think once a year makes it legal!
And how clever to make time for an afternoon fun stop, it’s worth looking into.
ccampion commented on Aug 01 10 at 7:20 pmHey Patti–I love your egg-breakfast description…maybe I should make some mini-egg burritos to go and stuff them with whatever goodies are left in the fridge. Brilliant.
ccampion commented on Aug 01 10 at 7:22 pmHi Alex–Where’s the Salt Exchange? We always make a stop in Portland on our way up state, and sometimes spend the afternoon (it’s one of my favorite cities), is this a place where we can go visit?
I will Google.
And races are a terrific idea, as long as my 3 year old doesn’t run in front of a semi.
ccampion commented on Aug 01 10 at 7:25 pmGwyn–you drive through the night?? Wow. That is hardcore–I’m very impressed.
Love rope licorice, too.
ccampion commented on Aug 01 10 at 7:26 pmI’m totally going to make my family go to Rein’s! Thanks, Alex.
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