When on the road, even PB&J is a yummy delight! This was day #6 on the road, making a late lunch in Saguaro National Park near Tucson, AZ. The small condiment packets made for a change of pace from the cooler and dry box of food.
Typically when I start out on any road trip, my cooler has some basic items . . . 4 or 5 hard boiled eggs, prepared tuna salad, several pre-cooked slices of bacon and a small jar of mayonnaise (or Miracle Whip). This will generally get me through the first several days without having to hit a drive-thru or grocery store. For this trip, David also prepared sausage gravy and a couple of biscuits for me to try out my new "heated lunch box" bought on Amazon a couple of months ago.
My dry box of groceries included a loaf of bread, potato chips, apples, Lance cheese & peanut butter cracker snack packs, trail mix, crackers (saltines and Ritz), several cans of soups and tuna fish . . . and of course, David's famous homemade cookies. Sometimes I still pack Nilla Wafers, but the last few road trips, they've been omitted from my grocery list.
The way my schedule worked out for this trip, I was on the road eating from my provisions for the first four days . . . and then was at my sister's followed by my friend Dawn's for a couple more nights. Having some home cooked meals plus a nice dinner out, was really a special treat. All of this made planning a little bit easier in terms of how much food I would need with me, before hitting a grocery store. After my time with them, a stop at the local Fry's (a Kroger affiliate in Arizona) for the next assortment of food times including cereal, milk, bananas, roast turkey lunch meat and yogurt. Saving these more perishable items for later in my trip allowed for a nice change of pace too. A week later, leaving Moab, UT would be my final grocery store shop of the trip. A few more yogurts, a "half loaf" of bread, potato chips and a couple of bananas would get me home!
In addition to the time spent with friends/family, I did plan for a couple of nights in hotels throughout my adventure, which provided for additional breakfast and dinner options. While some of the hotel choices for breakfast were rather lame, I didn't mind picking up a packaged muffin and some breakfast condiments along the way. And rarely will I pass up the waffle maker when available. Unfortunately the Hobbs (NM) Best Western didn't have much to accompany the waffle but I did enjoy it. By far, the best hotel dining experience was the buffet at Ruby's Inn, a Best Western property in Bryce Canyon. The hot breakfast buffet was included in the price of the room ($130/night) . . . and the lunch/dinner buffet was full of great options at a very fair price. I enjoyed both of my meals there!
Admittedly, by the third week on the road, I was starting to crave certain meals . . . especially a decent burger & fries with a creamy chocolate milkshake. When in Larned, KS I asked the young lady at the Santa Fe Trail Museum for a recommendation OTHER than the Sonic Drive-In up the street. She was spot on with her suggestion, even if I did drop nearly $20 for my lunch.
These are just a few of the cool places I enjoyed meals at while on the road!
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| The Adobe Cafe & Bakery (Reserve, NM) |
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| Cafe 247 (Lucerne Valley, CA) |
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| Macayo's (Surprise, AZ) |
Here are a couple of collages of photos of just a few of my meals on the road. Again, I owe a big THANK YOU to Cindy, Dawn & Debbie for the wonderful hospitality and home cooked meals, as well as some pretty fabulous dining experiences while we were together.
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| Breakfast from cereal to eggs & bacon |
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| Lunch/Dinner were wonderful too |
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