Do you road trip with snacks too?

 When it comes to some of the best parts of my life they have been on fun long-distance trips.  That does not always mean flying to a distance and exotic location.  The truth is that the United States has some of the most beautiful places to be on each and road trips in a vehicle can be an easy and cheap way to get there.  There is a very important part to road-tripping and that is staying awake while driving and staying happy during the trip.  

The former is definitely the most important but the latter is part of keeping the former too.  The way to stay awake much of the time is simply to be happy and doing that can sometimes require snacks.  Snacks are a wonderful way to get your mood boosted and keep you alert while driving on the road.  I know that they are essential to keeping me awake while driving in the night and keeping alert as well.

Now if you don't go to the grocery the day before to prepare, that is ok.  I like to do that to save money because snacks on the road are more expensive when purchased in small quantity.  But a great way to do this is to take a little bit of time when you stop for gas to do some shopping at the gas station shopping center.  Some shopping centers have more than others but I sure like to peruse the candy boxes and find the one that fits my mood. Just last weekend I was on a trip to see my in-laws and I had to drive a long distance.  I wanted to be safe and also arrive in a good mood so when I stopped for gas I chose to do some candy box shopping. It was worth it because I started the entrance to their home off in the best of moods.

So, don't be afraid to indulge a little.  I ended up choosing something I was a bit surprised about myself.  I was honestly a bit tired and knew that I would have to go ahead and do my best to try and stay awake.  My taste buds decided on going for a childish treat that reminded me of the olden days. I saw some sour patch babies and decided to not go with my normal candy boxes that were also on the wall and I knew that it was the answer.  It was not my favorite snack, and in fact a memory of one of my childhood friends eating the sour patch kids decades ago was a motivation to go ahead and get a bag of them.  I decided to branch out a bit and found a tropical flavor that was something I had never tried.  After opening them up I discovered I did feel like a kid again and the sugar provided a nice boost of energy as well. 

The next time I stopped at a gas station to fill up I decided to branch out a go a different route.  Snacks can come in all forms and this time beef jerky sounded like the best route for me to find that happy energized feeling again. But beware of the smell in the car.  Others may not appreciate that one as much as you!