As summer vacations will soon be underway, the echo of this statement from the backseat will fill our ears. For my brother and I, a trip to grandma and grandpa’s meant a long trip to Northern Wisconsin. There were only two ways to get there by car from our home in Northern Indiana. We could go either straight West, through Chicago and then directly north to Lake Superior, or directly North through Michigan, across the Straits of Mackinaw and then west through the Upper Peninsula to our grandparents. After my brother and I became adults, my mother told us that the “are we there yet” question started about 30 minutes after we left home and continued for the long 10 to 11 hour trip.
Even though our trips were long, my mother definitely planned how we were going to eat along the way. Back then there were few fast food restaurants, but plenty of small towns and road side parks to stop and have lunch. I think Mom was pretty smart at planning for food to take on a long trip and keeping it safe. Lunch meat, cheese, and homemade bread were kept chilled in a cooler with containers of ice. Veggies from the garden and of course, homemade cookies were added. She always took care to pack beverages too. Jugs of ice cold water and lemonade were always on hand. The water also served as a means for washing our hands before and after eating. Mom even brought soap and wash cloths so we could wash our hands.
Even though the length of time to get from home to a vacation destination has decreased, the importance of keeping food safe while traveling is still critical. Plan ahead. Consider what food you are going to take. If a food would need to be reheated, will you be able to safely reheat it to the proper temperature of 165ºF? When traveling by car, will there be roadside rest areas along the way? Many interstate roadways have rest stops with picnic tables, vending machines with ice cold beverages, and plenty of soap and running water to wash your hands and clean up your picnic.
Today, the choices of food to carry on a vacation have grown in variety, but it is still critical that we follow the guidelines for food safety. There are a variety of coolers, packaging, food wraps, beverage containers and even disposable wipes available to clean up messes, sanitize surfaces, and keep our hands clean. Our knowledge about food safety has grown. While vacations can be a great time to create new family memories, there should never be a vacation from food safety. The Partnership for Food Safety Education has tips specifically for “Food Safety on the Move.” Suggestions include:
- Have plenty of ice.
- Don’t forget to use your food thermometer.
- Don’t leave food out on the picnic table for more than 2 hours.
- If the temperature is over 90º F, it should be out only an hour or less.
- Get the food back in the cooler as soon as you are done eating.
- Remember, hot foods hot, cold foods cold.
- Keep raw meat separate from cooked food and produce.
- Don’t forget to bring soap to wash your hands.
If your vacation includes hiking, camping, boating, or just having fun at a lake, the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service has a fact sheet just about Food Safety
While Hiking, Camping & Boating(PDF). Some of their suggestions include:
- Make sure all perishables are kept in a cooler with plenty of ice.
- Keep coolers in the shade, not in the car.
- Place drinks in a separate cooler than the food since a cooler full of drinks is opened more frequently, which can change the temperature of the food.
Staying at a hotel? We enjoy eating at local restaurants and discovering local food favorites. Too much food at a restaurant? You may want to take it with you like you would when eating out close to home but, can you keep it safe? Does your hotel room have a refrigerator? Is it big enough? Will you actually eat the leftovers? You may need to reconsider just what and how much you are eating on vacation.
Now, on the road for a vacation, I still find myself saying “are we there yet?” This time though, it’s when can we stop to eat, get gas or just take a break to stretch. One thing that hasn’t changed on any vacation is that it evolves around food.
Enjoy your vacation and make it a memorable one full of fun and not involve the memory of someone getting sick from the careless handling of food.
