Hitting the Road

By the time you read this, I will have just wrapped up a two week vacation in Eastern Washington.

And happy to be home again!

The great thing about a road trip, in my humble opinion, is that you can take everything you need with you without having to deal with baggage limits or airport security.

Which is why a road trip strikes me as the ideal vacation for anyone who is Celiac, or dealing with food allergies.

That’s because you can bring along food and other supplies, relying on local groceries only to stock up on fresh produce and other necessities as the need arises.

Of course, that also means you might not exactly be traveling light.

In fact, if you’re like me, the words “travel light” might not be in your DNA.

But that’s exactly what makes a road trip so ideal!

For this annual escape, we always stay at the same place – a comfortable time share condo, that is ours for exactly one week.

When we arrive it is always sparkling clean, with everything neatly arranged and orderly.

The place is tastefully furnished with your basic seating, tables and beds – even a hide-a-bed for extra guests – plus a well stocked kitchen.

Yet, even though the condo comes with a fully equipped kitchen, in the last couple of years, I’ve started bringing more and more of my own equipment.

Perhaps you can relate.

The big concern here, is cross – contamination.

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How to Travel in Style

Back in the day, a gentleman or lady of means typically traveled with something like this.

Perfectly appointed with a travel size knife, fork and spoon and a pair of scissors – for what, I’m not exactly sure.

Fast forward to modern day travel.

Yes, travel in this day and age is certainly challenging as we navigate airports and our busy schedules.

For anyone living a gluten-free lifestyle, your travel woes are likely compounded by the constant worry of what are you going to eat?

Two weeks ago, I was in Austin, Texas followed by a few days in Asheville, North Carolina.

While I wouldn’t call myself a seasoned traveler, I do have a go-to system that I rely on whenever I travel, a system that ensures I have will have enough to eat.

Most of the time, anyway.

Because I have additional allergies, to both dairy and eggs, along with gluten, I’m unable to enjoy even a breakfast of scrambled eggs while on the go.

So I always include individual packets of gluten-free oatmeal, or a bag of gluten-free granola in my travel kit, then rely on restaurant fare for fruit or juice.

Better still, after I reach my destination, I like to stop in at a local health food store to stock up on fruits and healthy snacks. If you have a mini refrigerator in your hotel room, that’s ideal.

As for the plane trip itself?

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Summertime & The Living Is Easy

How’s your summer going?

If you’re like me, you’ve been taking full advantage of these warm, lazy summer days and enjoying time outdoors with your family.

Along with picnics and long bike rides, summer is also a time for vacations and travel.

I haven’t taken my vacation yet, but it’s coming right up and I can hardly wait!

Meanwhile, for those of you who might be traveling, be sure to read this and this, plus this excellent post from Whole Life Nutrition.

And you’ll be on your way.

Of course, you might find your Gluten-free lifestyle challenged over and over again while on vacation.

I know I’ve had my share of ‘unique’ situations.

Case in point, last year I spent a couple of weeks at a charming lakeside resort and frequented the fabulous health food store at the center of town.

Turns out, there was a little café located right next door – specializing in crepes.

You can imagine my delight when I noticed a menu posting had gluten-free, dairy-free, plus egg & soy-free options!

This seemed too good to be true…and in fact, it was.

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Easy Tips For The Gluten-Free Traveler

The focus, this week,  is once again on travel. 

Even though Winter hasn’t quite let go of its grip, many of us having been dreaming of sunnier places, maybe even starting to plan this year’s summer vacation.

Where will you go?

Today, I want to share with you an extremely well-written travel article I came across a few weeks ago, that I think is a fabulous resource!

It applies to everyone, by the way, whether you’re gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian, or dealing with any kind of food allergy, or food related illness.

Since going gluten-free eight years ago, I haven’t yet traveled to a foreign country, other than Canada.

Which doesn’t really count, since the language and food options are pretty much what I’d find here – just with different packaging.

I have a good friend, though, who is gluten-free and accompanies her husband on regular trips to Paris.

She says she’s never had a problem.

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Hawaiian Interlude

As I sit here, writing these words, I realize that one week ago today, I was still on the island of Lanai, in Hawaii.

Around this time, I was likely sitting by the pool, basking in the sun, while buried in a good book.

At the time, I couldn’t imagine a better way to welcome in the New Year, and that feeling hasn’t changed!

The island of Lanai is one of the lesser known of the Hawaiian Islands – and it is certainly among the smallest.

The driver, who shuttled us from the airport to our hotel, described it this way:

“There are only three main roads, that are paved.” he said, “This one, that one, and the one over there.”

He had us laughing all the way to the hotel.

Since we were traveling, I once again resorted to my very own personal guidebook on how to travel in style – gluten-free.

You can read all about it in my previous post, if you like, or keep reading for a brief re-cap of my experience in Hawaii.

As always, I tossed a bag of cereal in my carry-on, so I knew I was good for my morning meal.

I like Udi’s Gluten-Free Granolas, preferring the original flavor sweetened only with honey.

That way, I can add my own extras like pumpkin seeds and raisins.

[Read more…]

TRAVELING IN STYLE

Back in the day, a gentleman or lady of means typically traveled with something like this.

Perfectly appointed with a travel size knife, fork and spoon and a pair of scissors – for what, I’m not exactly sure.

Fast forward to modern day travel.

Yes, travel in this day and age is certainly challenging as we navigate airports and our busy schedules.

For anyone living a gluten-free lifestyle, your travel woes are likely compounded by the constant worry of what are you going to eat?

Two weeks ago, I was in Austin, Texas followed by a few days in Asheville, North Carolina.

While I wouldn’t call myself a seasoned traveler, I do have a go-to system that I rely on whenever I travel, a system that ensures I have will have enough to eat.

Most of the time, anyway.

Because I have additional allergies, to both dairy and eggs, along with gluten, I’m unable to enjoy even a breakfast of scrambled eggs while on the go.

So I always include individual packets of gluten-free oatmeal, or a bag of gluten-free granola in my travel kit, then rely on restaurant fare for fruit or juice.

Better still, after I reach my destination, I like to stop in at a local health food store to stock up on fruits and healthy snacks. If you have a mini refrigerator in your hotel room, that’s ideal. 

As for the plane trip itself?

I’ve been using this nifty bento-style lunchbox from Laptop Lunches for about a year, and I love it!

The best part is that you can be as creative as you like with your portable meal, choosing a different food for each container.

In the photo above, I packed Sushi and my favorite stuffed Collard Greens. (this way I get in my daily greens, along with some protein and healthy carbs).

[Read more…]