We took our first road trip recently and drove from Omaha to Boulder. It was a 7 1/2 hour trip. We had booked a room at Adventure Lodge, where we knew we had a small kitchen and the use of a grill. Knowing we were a few days early for the Boulder Farmers Market, we wanted to make sure we had all we needed for our road tripping with a triathlete adventure and a few days before the market on Saturday.

adventure lodge in boulder, colorado road tripping with a triathlete


We also had just made some major dietary changes, including my triathlete hubby dropping the probiotic pills and getting it through his nutrition. So, with that and other favorites of ours, we loaded up a cooler for the adventure.

Whether we are traveling to our destination by car or plane, we prefer to have our own space and kitchen sometimes. We love to visit farmer’s markets to pick up local favorites and specialty items. We generally eat out 1 or 2 times a day and prep our own meal to eat in. As my husband says, “I just like your cooking”.

What we packed and why

For most everything, the why was to be sure we had what we liked to have! Many times when you are traveling, even to a foodie town like Boulder, if you don’t know the city, you might spend more time sourcing your basic needs then enjoying the sites! So, since we were road tripping, it was just as easy to bring along…

what my frig looks like before road tripping with a triathlete

Supplies

  • Lodge Cast Iron Skillet
  • wooden spoon
  • a good knife
  • wine opener
  • hot water pot
  • tea and coffee cups

In the cooler

  • Berries for our yogurt and snacks
  • Grapes
  • Apples for cheese plates and easy to transport when hiking
  • Tart Cherry jam for our yogurt
  • Yogurt. Sourcing organic whole milk yogurt can be hard, so we bought individual containers to make transporting it easy and for an easy to grab and go snack with a few berries on top.

yogurt I take for road tripping with a triathlete

  • Whole Grain Organic Bread – perfect for a quick breakfast and makes transporting lunch easier
  • Organic eggs to make breakfast
  • Hard boiled and peeled eggs for snacks
  • Organic turkey and ham. We didn’t have any leftover proteins in the house, so these made great easy sandwiches for lunch when fishing and hiking.

what food I prepare road tripping with a triathlete

  • Chopped lettuce to make quick salads
  • Cleaned and chopped veggies; all prepped and ready for a snack or to use when cooking
  • Bacon, because it is mandatory
  • Salad dressing, because it makes life easier on the road, rather than carrying what you need to make it
  • Charcuterie, which is easy to transport and oh, so yummy
  • Leftover salads and sides, like spinach and mushrooms, which we used in breakfast eggs
  • Cheese, lots of cheese, because we love it.

how to prepare food for road tripping with a triathlete

  • Kombucha. We buy by the case when on sale, because we have paid upwards of $6 when on the road, ugh.
  • Lemons
  • Avocadoes

In our pantry bag

  • Tea and coffee
  • Olive oil
  • Salt and pepper combo
  • Wine
  • Honey
  • Homemade Trail Mix, made with almonds, dried cherries, and walnuts with a few chocolate bits

Find your balance when you travel to both keep it real and stay eating the way you like on the road.

DANA

WHAT ARE YOUR MUST HAVES TO TAKE ON A ROAD TRIP?