Picnic Lunch

^ Got these plates and napkins as a wedding gift and have been using them for road trip picnics ever since our honeymoon. 

A proper Streicher Family Road Trip does not operate on a set of rigid rules, but does indeed make use of time-honored traditions that not only streamline the operation but also maximize the fun.

Roadside picnics are a perfect example. Heaven knows it is entirely feasible to hopscotch across the country on a steady diet of McDonald’s, Subway, and Taco Bell, and I’ll be the first to say there is no shame in that game.

But for my money, a proper road trip lunch break happens only when we ease the car off the pounding interstate to a lush green rest area. We check out the picnic table options as we cruise to a parking place; we lug the cooler, grocery bags, and picnic basket across the grass to either the most shaded table or the sunniest, depending on the weather.

^ Gracie Streicher has been scrounging for scraps under picnic tables since the day she was born. 

Nothing beats a meal eaten in the open air. Let the kids get their first round of wiggles out; their freshly washed hands can help dig out the supplies and set the table. Simple sandwiches or summer sausage and cheese slices piled on crackers take on the proportions of a royal feast when pulled from the back of the car and spread out in the sunshine.

^ Scrounge no more, little girl. Here’s a special picnic lunch just for you. 

Not every rest area lunch break is perfect. Over the years we have faced several picnic disasters. We have been whipped by desert winds, invaded by bees, and drenched in a torrent of sudden rain, to name just a few . These hardships have all been overcome by grabbing our food and running back to the safety of the car, and many a family legend has been born as the windows steam up and we laugh at our troubles.

^ After lunch, a proper road trip picnic includes plenty of time to wander about and stretch our legs. 

Once we’ve eaten, tummies may be full but bodies are still humming with restless energy that must be burned off before we head back to the car. Now’s the time to take advantage of those long green lawns. Tossing a ball around, chasing bubbles, walking the dog, and taking photos are all Streicher Family Road Trip-approved methods for releasing any remaining grumpies and getting the group onboard for more miles.

There is nothing like a proper roadside rest area picnic lunch to break up a long day in the car and set everyone to rights again  it’s one of the most deeply entrenched and deadly beloved traditions of a Streicher Family Road Trip.

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These photos were taken at the rest area on eastbound I-90 near Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, on the first day of our road trip. Since no Streicher daughters are joining us in this road trip, Gracie is standing in as our only restless child.