quote:

Originally posted by Kaileen

Price. Usually, at those fast food stops, the food for children is less expensive. Sure, the quality is also substandard, but when you have to make a trip with very little fundage, you have to make it last.

When we go on trips, we buy food at the grocery for the journey, then keep it in the cooler. We always eat out one meal a day, and only one meal a day. We usually have that planned well in advance, and 95% of the time it is a local eatery. This way, we have enough money to have an exciting culinary experience and avoid the tourist traps errr… fast food joints.

I enjoyed your post so much because that is exactly what I did when my children were small and even now traveling with adult childen. Our big meal is in the evening. If our hotel does not offer a free breakfast, we make sure that we have a cooler with milk and juice and a picnic basket with cereal, bagels, etc. It is fun. If we cannot find a roadfood place at noon, it is a quick stop at the grocery store for picnic supplies. If the weather is good……..it is a bonus and we eat outside and the kids have a chance to run. If the weather is poor, we eat in the car and talk and listen to music. In the evening, we go out for a nice meal. My children and grandchildren will remember this much more than a trip to one of those "cheap to eat" horrid fast food places. I guess it is all about not being lazy and using your head.