Traditional Travel Food

When I was a kid, my mother and her best friend decided that our two families should go on a vacation together: a day-long drive to our vacation spot and a week of letting their children run around together and then a day-long drive home.  That same summer, the two friends discovered a new cookie recipe and introduced it to us.  They were called "Monster Cookies."  We blissfully ate the treat all during the vacation; it was like magic to us kids.  My mom decided that they were a little too much of an indulgence to eat on a regular basis and she didn't bake them very often for us.  We ended up seeing these cookies only on more special occasions -- like vacations.  These were not the cookies we whipped up when we were bored on a rainy Saturday afternoon.  These cookies were the signal that we were about to have the time of our lives.  I'm not sure if my mother intentionally reserved this recipe for vacations, but my childhood memories associate these cookies with long car drives.  Even now, when I make these cookies memories of my family and friends against a backdrop of a myriad of our vacation destinations flood my mind.

These blissful memories prompted me to create this tradition for my children, which leads me to my tip for today: designate a treat or a snack that is reserved for road trips or equally special times.  Pick something that everyone enjoys, isn't too hard to make or buy, and isn't needed at other times during the year.  Our monster cookies don't make it on every single road trip, and they're used a little more often than the times we pack up the van and go for days at a time.  However, I do use them sparingly because I know how powerful such a recipe can be when it is used in moderation.  I like that baking these cookies and taking them on our trip sets the tone and communicates to the kids that our intention is fun, not torture.  They are in happy moods knowing that they'll be the recipients of this delicious treat.

I particularly like the monster cookie recipe for this because it makes a giant batch.  Even when I half the recipe I have to use my largest bowl.  The dough freezes well, which allows me to do a little bit of preparation well in advance of my need.  Because of how much it makes and how well it keeps in the freezer, it makes for a kill-two-birds-with-one-stone type of a teacher gift for the end of the year.  I give them a plate of cookies (with a corny note attached saying "Thanks for all you do for our 'little monsters'") and freeze the rest of the dough for use later in the summer when we go on vacation.  I'll share the recipe for our family's tradition in case you're in need of the perfect cookie for your own road trips.

Monster Cookies
1 lb. margarine or butter
3 lbs. peanut butter
2 lbs. brown sugar
4 c. white sugar
1 doz. eggs
1 T. vanilla
1 T. maple syrup (optional)
8 tsp. baking soda
5 lbs. oats
1 lb. chocolate chips
1 lb. M&M's

Mix together in order listed.  Drop by ice cream scoop on ungreased pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 12 - 15 minutes.

(As mentioned earlier, I always half this recipe.  I sometimes use the suggested ice cream scoop and I sometimes make the cookies the regular size.  The recipe is very flexible.  It also works well to create a giant cookie.)

A Prize a Day Keeps the Whining Away

Before hitting the road, I pack a bag full of prizes.  The idea is to hand out each child a small prize each day to keep things exciting and prevent dullness from setting in the car.  I first heard this idea long ago and immediately thought, "What a fun idea!!"  But then I was concerned that this habit would lead to an entitlement attitude.  Here's a few things I've done to provide excitement that prevents whining while avoiding setting an expectation of being showered with lavishiehnsss each day.

1.  The rule is that all the prizes are small - both in size and price.  We're not talking a new DS game or anything here.  I'm talking stickers, lollipops, dollar store toys, matchbox cars, etc.  I generally purchase things that are designed to be handed out by the dozen like the silly toys that are given at birthday parties.  The beauty of keeping the items cheep extends beyond the protection of the budget:  Chances of each item successfully making it home are slim to none.  Things fall out of the car, get left behind at rest stops, or simply fall into a black hole.  While I want the prize to bring happiness, I don't want it to be something that the kids and I can't shrug off and say "Oh well" when the inevitable happens.

2.  Although I say "A Prize a Day" I actually use that term a little loosely.  Really, it's a prize for the long driving days.  We've had times that traveling from Point A to Point B would take 3 or 4 days and all the time we had to travel that distance was 3 or 4 days.  We couldn't afford pulling over to stretch our legs and just have a little fun.  On those trips, we definitely handed out a prize every day.  On the other hand, there are the trips that we've got 8 days to travel and it won't take 8 days to get there.  Those are the trips when we make little detours to add in something fun and stretch our legs some more.  I tend to not hand out a prize on a day like that.  Sometimes, I count the souvenir we purchase as the prize for the day.  Sometimes I count the toy from the fast food meal as the prize for that day.

3.  I keep this aspect of our trip unpredictable.  By now, my kids know that I pack little hand-outs, but just when and how the surprises will be distributed is ever-changing.  Sometimes I give the prize of the day as we get in the car for the morning just as a "Mom and Dad sure love you -- here you go!" gift.  Sometimes I wait until all existing forms of entertainment have been exhausted and give them out as a "Sorry that you're bored -- maybe this will help" pick-me-up.  Sometimes I wait until the very end of the day to give a small gift as a reward for the good behavior.  Occasionally I'll tell the kids that I've got something for them, but that they need to earn it by not arguing for X amount of time or by reading for Y amount of time.

4.  Think through EACH item.  Imagine all the things that could potentially go wrong with the family dynamics with everything you offer.  Small bouncy balls are not permitted in our car: I'm sure you can imagine for yourself the reason for that.  I once purchased silly putty for my kids thinking that it would be properly contained.  But when half of it ended up ruining the car's upholstery and the other half was left in a pocket of a pair of shorts and ruined that, there was some lecturing and sadness involved when we should've just been having fun.  If you have more than one child, don't provide anything that could possibly be unequal.  Nothing ruins the joy of riding in a car together like a child complaining that their prize isn't as ____________ (insert adjective here: big, cool, yummy, colorful... you get the picture) as their sibling's prize.  Identical prizes are great so there's no question about equality, but then you have the issue of keeping track of which toy belongs to which child.  It seems easy until only one toy is found exactly in the middle of the children and all the children involved claim it.  If you go with identical, save yourself a headache and label it beforehand.

5.  As I mentioned before, I have very little patience for the entitlement attitude.  By now my kids know that I pack treasures for them, but they're never really too sure when or where or how these prizes will be made available to them.  They do, however, know that if they ask for one, the fulfillment of that wish will be delayed.  When I'm asked, "Are we going to get a prize today?" I generally play dumb and ask in return, "What in the world makes you think I've got stuff up here that I'm just going to hand to you?"  When the eye-rolling is over and they've forgotten all about getting something, I once again offer the toy/candy for the day.  By that time, my offering is met with gratitude instead of expectations.

Seat Back Organizers

Our family doesn't wait until we arrive at our destination for our vacation to begin.  The adventure commences as soon as we get in the van.  I started a tradition that utilizes seat back organizers to make the ride itself as exciting as possible.  We usually try to begin our road trips by getting up early in the morning, packing up the van and taking off.  This gives us the evening after the kids go to bed to get a lot of last-minute work done and it allows me time to get in the van and attach the organizers that I've stuffed full of activities.  I purposely don't use these organizers during the rest of the year because I want the sight of them to be exciting.  I try not to let the kids near the van in the morning until we're officially ready to pull out of the driveway, at which point they're allowed to look in the pockets to see what treasures await them.  Its like opening a birthday present and the first day of driving is blissful with all the new things their parents have provided them.

I'm sure that I've made it sound as if we spend tons of money on the back-of-the-seat-booty, but we really don't.  The new things I put in the pockets are simple: drawing/writing utensils, new sketch pads, Crayola Color Wonder pads, and a folder of car games.  I save money by watching the Toys R Us sales on Crayola and I stock up on their products and store them in my closet until its time for a trip.  There are a few things that I put in the pockets that are not new, such as the DS, ipod, etc.  However, I make sure that those are charged, that the desired music is downloaded and that they are easily accessible.  When the kids get in the car, they're not surprised to find those items, but they're thrilled to discover that  that their treasured electronics are at their finger tips and not forgotten at home.  

The organizers themselves can be as simple or as difficult to acquire as you wish.  When I was shopping for the organizers a few years ago, there were plenty of plain black organizers out there, but I couldn't bring myself to purchase a simple hum-drum version of what I wanted and be done with it.  I suffer from a disorder called "Make-everything-more-difficult-than-it-needs-to-be-for-no-good-reason" and so I purchased cute fabric - a girl version and a boy version - and made them myself.  They're so bright and inviting.  They practically call to kids: "Come and lose yourself inside my pockets!"  Besides that, there are limitless options of fun coordinating projects to go along with it.  I made matching color pencil holders for our seat-back organizers.  Click here, here or here for links on a crayon roll tutorial.  (There's ton's of tutorials out there.  I modified mine from the original crayon size to fit color pencils, similar to the first link.  The other two tutorials have fasteners I like and I wish I would've thought of those instead of the ribbon closure I used.)  I haven't really had the chance to add to the ensemble, but I've been wanting to.  If I had more time in my life, I'd make matching notebook covers, tote bags, drawstring backpacks and maybe even tissue holders.  If I wanted to get my kids in on the excitement, I'd buy felt that matched the organizers I made and have them make their own pencil cases and notebook covers.  (Why am I spending time blogging and not sewing these fun things?)

I digress.   Not only is it magical to find new treasures on the first day of the trip, the organizers are a lifesaver throughout the trip.  Kids' possessions have the tendency to explode and make a mess.  These will help keep everything from falling out of the car every time you open the door at a stop.  These items are a life-saver in so many ways and they're worth the investment regardless of whether you make your life simple and buy one at a store or you suffer from the same disorder that I do and feel compelled to make them yourself.  You'll be happy you have them.

Travel in the Morning, Fun Activities in the Afternoon

When we first started traveling with kids, we were given the tip to do the largest chunk of traveling in the morning while the children were well rested and to save the fun activities for the afternoon.  When I first heard this advice, I questioned the wisdom in it.  At the time our children were very young and afternoon time was nap time.  I couldn't imagine taking a child who should be napping into an attraction of any sort, no matter how fun.  Besides, shouldn't we try to take advantage of the hours our kids slept and get in as much driving as possible?  However, we tried to loosely apply that recommendation on one of our road trips and we found it to be very wise advice, despite trying to work around a nap schedule. Pushing lunch up an hour and nap back an hour allowed us to travel in the morning when the moods were great, do a fun activity when patience for being strapped with a seat belt was waning, and then to cover more distance while children peacefully slept off the exhaustion of the fun activity.  They'd wake up just in time to pull over for dinner.  After dinner, if we needed to cover more distance, the kids were rejuvenated enough to endure the seatbelt a little longer.

As our children have outgrown naps, we've found that this is still a great basis for planning our vacations.  We enjoy getting up in the morning, packing up the van and having children who are well-rested enough to happily entertain themselves for a few hours of driving.  As we get ready for the day, they develop their own plans for how to spend their time in the car.  They hop in the car looking forward to reading their book, playing their DS, drawing, or playing with their souvenir purchased the day before and we drive in peace for quite a while.  The activity usually falls just about the time that the book that couldn't be put down the night before suddenly transforms into the most boring book ever written, the "Are-we-there-yet?" questions start coming and the sibling squabbling begins.

We've discovered that "Travel in the Morning and do Fun Activities in the Afternoon" means that we sometimes have to find a fun activity.  Many of our road trips are designed to get us to a location at least two days away, assuming we drove the most direct route to our destination.  We've discovered that it's worth it to go a few hours out of our way to find diversions for as many days as possible, even if several side-trips end up adding extra days to the overall vacation.  This way, we get to the intended target and see all the iconic American destinations for which we bother taking the trip, but we also see some of the less popular places in America.  We have a blast every day of our vacation.  Having something wonderful to look forward to each morning when we wake up makes the trip more relaxed and peaceful.

This philosophy has not only ensured happier children in the car, but it has lead us to see and do things for which we would never bother to take the time otherwise.  We've played at children's museums, admired random statues that claim to be the world's largest of that thing, enjoyed small amusement parks that surpass our expectations, waded in rivers and lakes, seen beautiful nature, and slid down some fabulous slides.  These small side trips are never intended to be the "meat and potatoes" of our vacation, but frequently provide the best opportunities for spontaneity and end up creating memories that are just as important to our family as the memories we create at our main destination.