Just got back from a road trip. We stopped for sandwiches on the way there and made sandwich wraps on the way home. Wraps were way better than what we had at Panera and lots cheaper. More money to spend on souvenirs.
The last proper road trip I took was from AZ to TN via I-10 through NM, TX, more TX, even more TX, OMG does TX never end, LA, MS, AL, then into TN. Most of the trip I stopped at supermarkets along the way to stock up my cooler with chow and snacks. I spent 5 of the 6 nights in the back of my Tahoe, pulled off the interstate somewhere in the wildernesses watching movies, eating sammiches made from the contents of my cooler and staring at the stars. A grand trip. No schedule, no plan, just a leisurely stroll to TN. I’ll get there when I get there.
The best night was #2. I turned off I-10 onto TX-17 toward Pecos and pulled out into the desert. I don’t think I’ve ever seen as many stars in the sky in my life. Absolutely glorious. I was awakened in the wee hours by a pack of coyotes. They were just hanging out in the same clearing, playing and howling at the moon. What a great night.
I’ve never been on a real “road trip,” at least not one that took more than 4 or 5 hours so packing a cooler with snacks just hasn’t been necessary. Anything longer sounds like torture. Thank the gods for Amtrak and affordable last minute airfare.
I guess my road trips are non-standard, because I’m not driving to get somewhere; I’m driving to drive, stopping at places along the way.
I pack water and Diet Mountain Dew to start.
If I anticipate changes in elevation I’ll buy chips at gas stations along the way, partly to see what regional flavors are available but mostly to watch the bags expand and contract. I’ve had some I bought under 1000 feet pop at over 10000. Some bought at higher elevations look vacuum sealed when I get a few thousand feet lower.
I like to look for regional foods and famous (but not expensive) restaurants. And I’ll try and usually be disappointed by barbecue restaurants I pass.
Sometimes I get ambitious and buy a bag of apples, most of which eventually end up rolling down the road to see which can go the furthest without breaking up or leaving the pavement.
@craigthom@ruouttaurmind I like to plan my trips around restaurants profiled on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives. My satisfaction rate for BBQ outside of TX is only about 50%, but otherwise this has been a successful strategy.
Driving across TX is certainly a grind, but I had to go all the way to S Florida to buy a used, low-mileage, Highlander Hybrid (apparently everyone in TX buys 4WD he-man pickups instead). I can tell you - it’s long, LONG way from Miami to Pensacola. Not being a coffee drinker, I needed plenty of Mountain Dew in that electric 6-pack cooler.
Sometimes I’ll bring snacks. Sometimes I’ll buy them on the road.
I remember way back when… My parents had a mini fridge that plugged into the car. We would pack it with sandwich meats and what nots. I remember going through the mountains, pulling off at lookout points and making sandwiches while enjoying the scenery.
@RiotDemon Yes we did that too. For more of my childhood it was a cooler though. Later, after I was an adult they bought a plug in to the cigarette lighter cooler. When we were kids the 5 of us would sleep in the station wagon (in camp grounds or occasionally rest areas) for a month on vacation. When there were finally 6 of us and we wouldn’t all fit in the car, my parents bought a small tent top trailer and we’d sleep in that. A huge treat was stopping for a dairy queen and buying a small ice cream cone or very occasionally at a fast food place (we never, ever ate out otherwise so this made vacation a treat as well).
My road trip staples in college were always Surge soda and Moon Pies. Those sure were the days… Jolt too, if I could find it, but it wasn’t always available. On occasion, if we wanted to mix it up we’d get some Josta, and I can’t for the life of me think of a reason that doesn’t still exist.
@aetris I have not had Guarana Antarctica, but I am intrigued. I’m inclined to say it doesn’t taste like it, though. Josta was basically a cola (a Pepsi product if I’m not mistaken) with a little fruitiness to it, and a little herbal/vegetal kind of undertones at the same time. But mostly a sweet-ish cola taste. It was supposed to give you energy as well. I can say categorically that in this respect it lagged well behind Surge and Jolt. ^_^
Find an exit, find the first place that doesn’t have more bars on it than a prison, that’s where I’m stopping
Pack snacks. Meals are fast food or restaurants we find along the way.
Coffee and snacks helps maintain clean bathrooms.
Just got back from a road trip. We stopped for sandwiches on the way there and made sandwich wraps on the way home. Wraps were way better than what we had at Panera and lots cheaper. More money to spend on souvenirs.
The last proper road trip I took was from AZ to TN via I-10 through NM, TX, more TX, even more TX, OMG does TX never end, LA, MS, AL, then into TN. Most of the trip I stopped at supermarkets along the way to stock up my cooler with chow and snacks. I spent 5 of the 6 nights in the back of my Tahoe, pulled off the interstate somewhere in the wildernesses watching movies, eating sammiches made from the contents of my cooler and staring at the stars. A grand trip. No schedule, no plan, just a leisurely stroll to TN. I’ll get there when I get there.
The best night was #2. I turned off I-10 onto TX-17 toward Pecos and pulled out into the desert. I don’t think I’ve ever seen as many stars in the sky in my life. Absolutely glorious. I was awakened in the wee hours by a pack of coyotes. They were just hanging out in the same clearing, playing and howling at the moon. What a great night.
@ruouttaurmind Sounds lovely.
@ruouttaurmind that sounds about as perfect as it can get.
I’ve never been on a real “road trip,” at least not one that took more than 4 or 5 hours so packing a cooler with snacks just hasn’t been necessary. Anything longer sounds like torture. Thank the gods for Amtrak and affordable last minute airfare.
One plain M&M every two minutes keeps me at optimum sugar levels!
Or a Runt. But they’re a little harder to find. And less tooth/crown friendly… maybe I should just switch.
@walarney But Runts are so good.
I guess my road trips are non-standard, because I’m not driving to get somewhere; I’m driving to drive, stopping at places along the way.
I pack water and Diet Mountain Dew to start.
If I anticipate changes in elevation I’ll buy chips at gas stations along the way, partly to see what regional flavors are available but mostly to watch the bags expand and contract. I’ve had some I bought under 1000 feet pop at over 10000. Some bought at higher elevations look vacuum sealed when I get a few thousand feet lower.
I like to look for regional foods and famous (but not expensive) restaurants. And I’ll try and usually be disappointed by barbecue restaurants I pass.
Sometimes I get ambitious and buy a bag of apples, most of which eventually end up rolling down the road to see which can go the furthest without breaking up or leaving the pavement.
@craigthom I like the chip bag elevation experiment too!
@ruouttaurmind I write the location and elevation on the bags when i buy them with a Sharpie.
I also have a ceremony i perform when i cross the Continental Divide (if there aren’t other people around).
@craigthom @ruouttaurmind …and??? What is the ceremony?? Don’t leave me hanging!!
@craigthom @ruouttaurmind He pees on it.
@Fuzzalini @ruouttaurmind In two oceans at once!
I’ve also performed evaporation experiments in the Mojave Desert and Death Valley using a similar technique.
@craigthom @ruouttaurmind I like to plan my trips around restaurants profiled on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives. My satisfaction rate for BBQ outside of TX is only about 50%, but otherwise this has been a successful strategy.
Driving across TX is certainly a grind, but I had to go all the way to S Florida to buy a used, low-mileage, Highlander Hybrid (apparently everyone in TX buys 4WD he-man pickups instead). I can tell you - it’s long, LONG way from Miami to Pensacola. Not being a coffee drinker, I needed plenty of Mountain Dew in that electric 6-pack cooler.
Sometimes I’ll bring snacks. Sometimes I’ll buy them on the road.
I remember way back when… My parents had a mini fridge that plugged into the car. We would pack it with sandwich meats and what nots. I remember going through the mountains, pulling off at lookout points and making sandwiches while enjoying the scenery.
@RiotDemon Yes we did that too. For more of my childhood it was a cooler though. Later, after I was an adult they bought a plug in to the cigarette lighter cooler. When we were kids the 5 of us would sleep in the station wagon (in camp grounds or occasionally rest areas) for a month on vacation. When there were finally 6 of us and we wouldn’t all fit in the car, my parents bought a small tent top trailer and we’d sleep in that. A huge treat was stopping for a dairy queen and buying a small ice cream cone or very occasionally at a fast food place (we never, ever ate out otherwise so this made vacation a treat as well).
My road trip staples in college were always Surge soda and Moon Pies. Those sure were the days… Jolt too, if I could find it, but it wasn’t always available. On occasion, if we wanted to mix it up we’d get some Josta, and I can’t for the life of me think of a reason that doesn’t still exist.
@indiebass - Is Josta anything like Guarana Antarctica? I love that soda.
@aetris I have not had Guarana Antarctica, but I am intrigued. I’m inclined to say it doesn’t taste like it, though. Josta was basically a cola (a Pepsi product if I’m not mistaken) with a little fruitiness to it, and a little herbal/vegetal kind of undertones at the same time. But mostly a sweet-ish cola taste. It was supposed to give you energy as well. I can say categorically that in this respect it lagged well behind Surge and Jolt. ^_^
@indiebass https://www.dailydot.com/unclick/bring-back-josta-quest-pepsi-90s/