Road trip, picnic, eat in room kinda stuff? About This Page:

[graygables]

DDs and I are getting ready for our last big trip. From the way things are going this year, I think I'm not going to be doing shows for my business anymore, so this is a last hurrah. We have a show in NJ followed by one the following weekend in TN. On the way home from WDW, 12yo asked if we could do a quick drive through of the New England states (ME, NH, CT, MA, RI, VT) between shows so they can add those to their maps. I've got a trip worked out (New England in 2 days!), but we really need to eat on the cheap this time. I started out the year well hauling a microwave, electric kettle, soups, etc, but that was TOO much work, so we resorted to fast food and dinners out. Bad for my bottom line. I'd like to keep this trip cheap food-wise, so need some suggestions that do NOT involve my taking the microwave. I'm not pulling my trailer, either, but will have a rooftop carrier and cargo tray on the back, so coolers are most certainly an option. We'll be on the road for 12 days with 8 hotels. I will take the electric kettle and a chest cooler...should I get a hotplate for soups/mac & cheese?

Ideas for packable, portable, kid-friendly foods?

[simbarel]

I'm not an expert, but I can think of what DH and I would bring for ourselves.....

Peanut butter and bagels
Lots of fizzy water (fizzy cans would need to be in a cooler, but bottles are ok room temp---not to mention a better bargain)
Granola bars
Prepared Mac and Cheese
Cold cuts.
Squeeze bottle of Gulden's, maybe mayo.
For bread...we might just stick with the bagels b/c DH hates it when loaves of bread get smushed, and anytime I'm near a loaf fo bread I smush it so I imagine it would be even worse (for me) in a long-term car situation.
Single-serve cans of soup (sometimes you can get decent coupons on these.) We don't mind eating lentil/pasta soups unheated.
Tuna fish (in this case, we'd definitely bring the mayo.)
Hot dogs (or in our case, veggie dogs)
Prepared chicken....we'd probably get a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store and keep it in the cooler.
Carrots
Celery
Broccoli
Hummus
Apples
Plums
Peaches
etc....

Have fun...wave if you drive past Portland.

[Teresa]

Get the hot-plate. Take along a pot. In the evening, you can have soups, spaghetti (sauce doesn't need heated if the spaghetti's hot), stir-fry etc. In the AMs, there's always eggs, sausage, oatmeal. Or get instant oatmeal and use the kettle for the water.
ON the road:
Lunch meats, cheeses, veggies, fruits. Nothing else needed. Frozen bottles of water will work well as "ice" for a while. then, you have water to drink. I take those Kool-aid packs you can add to water, just for fun. You could also freeze juice in water bottles.

[graygables]

I'm getting SO excited about this trip...thanks for the tips! I'll be heading to BB&B this week for the hotplate and start stocking up. I'm going to make the mission to have the most fun on the least amount of food $$$. We'll be hitting Mystic Aquarium, probably stopping in the Stonewall store in York, driving across to touch in Vermont (hopefully see some foliage), and finish at Sturbridge Village (on their homeschool day, even! )

[DyanKJ130]

If you get to Rhode Island and decide to hit one of the mansions in Newport, I find the Astor's Beechwood to be one of the best themed with kids in mind. They have actors pretending to be back in that time period take you around the 'cottage'.

[Caldercup]

Have a blast at Sturbridge Village -- it's my fav spot these days!
Eileen

[denwol]

I'm not sure where you are planning to stay, but one of the easiest ways to get a good, cheap breakfast is to make sure you stay at a hotel that offers free breakfast.......They're pretty easy to find these days. Then you have one less meal to worry about!

Good luck!

[DebbieG]

Where will you be in NJ?

Debbie (in NJ)

[graygables]

Originally Posted by DebbieG

Where will you be in NJ?

Debbie (in NJ)

I'll be in Whippany at a scrapbook weekend (never been to Whippany before!).

BTW, we are staying places with free brekkies, so I don't have to worry about that.

[Huntermom]

My kids never dealt well with repeated meals out so on vacation. We always has a rental car and I would pack a collapsible cooler. I would always stop at supermarkets and pick up turkey and bread (bakery bread) to make sandwiches and perhaps some premade tuna or egg salad. I also get lots of fruit-apples, oranges and premade fruit cups. I'd also pick up some good cheese and crackers, sometimes a hard sausage. My kids love hummus with pita chips and salsa and corn chips for snacks. I'd never travel without peanut butter for crackers, bread or bagels. My kids also liked to snack on dry cereal, dried fruits and nuts. Sam's Club/Walmart has some great snack mixes for around $5. for a large bag.

For dinner we would frequently get a roast chicken, potato salad and some vegetable salads. We also would go to the salad bar. So many stores have good premade foods.

Also when we stayed in REsidence Inns and Homewood Suites, we would bring breakfast to the room and keep a couple of extra yogurts, bagels and fruits for later.

Have fun. And enjoy New England. The weather has been lovely and depending on the timing, you may get to see our great folliage.

Diane

[krisk11]

My dd's dad just bought us a cooler on wheels to keep in hotel rooms for when we are away at hockey tournaments (if I eat out less it's cheaper so I ask him for less money). DD & I eat turkey and cheese wraps, yogurt, fruit - although that is harder now as dd can't eat apples without them being peeled and cut up due to braces. I also bring chips and salsa and pop tarts for breakfast.