Guest Post: Gluten-Free Road Trips

If there's ever been a better time for planning a gluten-free road trip, it's right now!

Today I'm sharing a guest post from my friend Elikqitie all about how to plan a gluten-free road trip.

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This post features my friend Elikqitie from Travel Gluten-Free Podcast, and she's sharing the best tips for road tripping with celiac disease or on the gluten-free diet! You'll find tips for where to go, how to plan it, and tips for creating a schedule that works for you- and your family. Elikqitie also shares road trip tips for driving with kids - something I actually don't have any experience in!

I've also included some helpful gluten-free travel guides from the blog and itineraries to inspire you to start planning that epic drive!

Here's how to plan a gluten-free road trip - with tips from Elikqitie from Travel Gluten-Free!

Gluten-Free Road Trips

Table Of Contents

Gluten-Free Road Trips

Road Trips are the best way to get to know the geography around you, have the opportunity to talk to locals, and learn about new places along the way. I've found many different museums, parks, and cool non-touristy off-the-radar areas I wouldn't have noticed if I had not taken a road trip.

Why You Should Plan A Gluten-Free Road Trip

The great thing about road trippin' is that you can easily fall within your budget when you aren't flying or renting a car. Flying and car rentals can be significant expenses on your trip. Consider, too, that you can bring as many foods, drinks, and snacks as your car space allows. Getting your own food also substantially lowers your trip's expense by reducing the amount of eating out. And, of course, when you're gluten-free, you are at least guaranteed to be able to survive if you're bringing food with you because, seriously, being sick on vacation is right up there with having bad hair on your wedding day.

The road trip you are most likely thinking about is the leisurely vacation types, without the carload of animals and add a SO or a good friend or your family. Driving leisurely down scenic byways and zipping by on freeways to get to your destination, a road trip can be an experience you’ll never forget. Stop and take gorgeous pictures on your every whim, while your family says, “do we have to stop AGAIN.” Then find an out-of-the-way cafe to eat lunch and a place to stop and have some fun, like a petting zoo!

Things To Consider On A Road Trip

Want the best road trip to see as much as possible on your trek?

Take your time. Make driving time between three to four hours a day.

Driving at this pace will allow your road crew to stop at several random points of interest, which sounds fascinating. One-stop we found when traveling across the country was a museum of the movement across the wild west. An old-timer was dressed in period clothing, greeting you at the door. Walking through the exhibit took you through time travel in experiencing the old west! We would never have found this on our own. We saw the advertisement while driving on the highway.

Looking to get to your destination a bit faster?

Create a schedule with five to six hours of drive time per day. It doesn’t sound like a lot of time to spend driving, but trust me, your legs and butt will feel it! With driving at this pace, you can pick up one big fun and random stop along the way to your final destination and a couple of smaller stops such as a walk through a half-mile trail at a park, a locally owned ice cream shop, or a town festival. No matter where you are, you are sure to find an exciting and inviting place to stop.

Road trips are unique because you can’t experience a tour any other way than by car. Traveling by car offers a more cultural and intricate vacation experience. Roadtripping offers you in-depth and tailored adventures suited for you! Next trip, consider taking your car - you’ll be glad you did - and remember to stop by the petting zoo when you’re in Utah!

How To Choose Your Next Road Trip

When you choose your road trip, you must use a backward design. If you're unfamiliar with the term, backward design is a way to create a path using your goal in mind. Starting with your plan, in this case, a location, direct your route from A to B with your end goal in mind.

With a road trip, you want to consider what type of car you are driving when considering your land destination. Ensure your vehicle is equipped to handle the road type, road conditions, and know the seasonal conditions before deciding on a location for your road trip.

You'll also want to consider the weather at the location you are headed for and what type of weather you want to visit. If you plan your trip in summer and want to get out of the heat, make sure to go north to a cooler location.

Another way to choose your next road trip is merely finding a destination you've read about in a magazine, fell in love with, and decide to go to that location.

Pick what you want, base your trip using your destination city or location, and what you love, plan it out and do it. The only thing that is stopping you from experiencing the vacation of your dreams is yourself.

Tips for Road Tripping with Kids

Road trips....a bit more planning, a bit more unplanning, but how do you choose your destination? How should you plan where to go? Read on, dear fellow travelers, for the how-to on the most significant decision of your road trip....the vacation locale!

Are We There Yet?

This ad nauseum phrase is heard more times than you've changed your baby's diaper in a week when you have a group of kiddies along for the ride. When you have small kids, you may want to 1. Bring children if they are a minimum of five years of age 2. make your trip kid-friendly to avoid having the boredom of children chip away at the fun of your journey and the fulfillment of your trip. Whether or not you have children with you on your tour may change your trip's location and timing. "Kid factors" will ultimately affect the "WHERE" of your journey.

How to Travel with Kids On Car Trips

If you have kiddos on your trip, you will need to pick a location where you will have more "kid-friendly" stops along the way. Kid-friendly stops can be their favorite chain restaurant, a highway rest stop with facilities and picnic tables, a local, county, or state park. If possible, plan to be on the road driving while your child is napping. This will reduce the amount of stress for adults and other children in the car. I suggest wearing your kids out with a fun game of frisbee, tag, or other activity at one of your stops, such as a park or a rest stop. When kids are tired, get back into the car for them to nap away driving time.

Select your road trip destination a bit closer to your home base to avoid burning out your children. Choose a location within 8 hours of your home if you plan an overnight to get to your site, or 5 hours or less if you are planning on getting your road trip completed in one day. Five hours doesn't sound like a significant amount of time until you're in a car on the road in a small space for prolonged periods.

Make Sure to Add Drive Time When Traveling with Kids

Add 20% to 30% to your planned driving time to get to your destination. With extra bathroom stops, an unexpected illness, and stopping to reserve adult sanity, adding this spare time to your planning will significantly reduce stress and give your family a more realistic time frame to get to your destination.

For example, say you're planning a road trip that your map app says is 4.5 hours away from your home. Adding 20% of the time, you will take 5.4 hours of actual time to get to your location when you use a 30% time factor, your total real time is 5.85 hours of transit. Adding this time gives you a buffer for the unexpected, which we all know happens with children daily, especially when you least expect it!

Bring Kid-Friendly Snacks on Road Trips

Don't rely on a gas station for snacks on the road, especially if you're gluten-free. If you've run out of food, stop at a local produce stand, or, better yet, stop at a local supermarket. Not does this give you more variety, you'll save money on buying locally at a supermarket or produce stand. Another great choice is to stop at a local health food store. Health food stores and markets will have a greater variety of gluten-free and allergy-free snacks for your road trip.

Have Car Games Exclusively for Your Car

When my kids were little, we had a foldable cube in our car, which had games. These games were reserved only for car trips - they were not allowed to bring them into the house. This may sound extreme; however, if you have "special" toys for the car, children are more likely to stay engaged for a more extended period.

Keep Baby Wipes, Tissues and Plastic Ziplock Bags in Your Car

Get a car organizer box and keep the above items in your car 24/7 when you are on a trip. Another great idea, which I would recommend only if you have older kids, is a car organizer which hangs on the back of your seat. Children can easily access items in this type of organizer, which they need on the fly.

Plastic Ziplock bags are a great item to have in your car for unexpected events such as a tooth that comes loose, uneaten snacks, pieces of a toy that have broken, broken jewelry, and other unexpected events unforeseen lost or broken items.

Baby wipes, no matter how old your children are, are a fantastic tool for washing, cleaning, and bathing yourself, your children, and your car! I've used baby wipes to wipe down my car during road trips as your vehicle is your mobile hotel, and there's one thing I wouldn't say I like when road tripping, and that's a dirty car. Get unscented baby wipes and add a few drops of your favorite essential oil and some water to dilute the scent and presto! You have an excellent way to quickly clean up any living being or object in, around, or in your car.

*These tips are especially important right now due to COVID-19. Don't forget your hand sanitizer, too!

For more great gluten-free travel info, check out Elikqitie's podcast (listen to the recent episode where we chatted about gluten-free travel at home) her website, and social media channels!