Stacie, I'm glad that you all had a great trip. To your DH's question--yup,that's what we do! I use to stop every month at Trader Joe's on the way to LAX. I would bring home at least one grocery bag as my carry on (when you could do such a thing).

Last year I traveled 7 hours to Roswell, GA for the grand opening of TJ's.

It is pretty funny the things we do..LOL

I have a trip coming up next week to a town 5.5 hours SE of here. I've googled the area..Found some cool food stores to visit..the location of the Weekend Farmers market...and plan on checking out any road side stands on our way, once off the main Freeway..LOL

And my husband is already rolling his eyes at me...and we aren't even on the road..LOL

Are you kidding? The ONLY reason I visit my sister in Jacksonville is so I can go to Penzey's. LOL

Stacie, your hubby might question your penchant for hauling groceries, but you only need remind him that he'll likely be glad to eat them! :D

I'm glad I'm not the only one who can't help but view road trips in terms of what the opportunities to stock up the pantry might be.

In fact, Monday, I'm going into the Bay Area (2 hour drive) to attend an employee reunion dinner at a restaurant where I worked for quite a long time. I am driving my truck, and will load it with several coolers. Dinner will involve quite a bit of wine, and likely cocktails as well, so I have booked a room (there's a bed and breakfast upstairs) and will have as much time as I like the next day to shop.

Oh boy. Some women would hit all the clothing outlets etc...What's on MY list??

Indian market-spices, kari leaves, dals, chapati flour.
Chinese market & deli-several roast ducks (to freeze), a number of ingredients I don't know the English words for, a few much treasured and very missed green vegetables, various noodles (fresh and dried) some fresh fishes I cannot buy here (to freeze when I get home), good quality long grain rice, some candies and savory snacks I have been missing. Some rice bowls, noodle bowls and ceramic spoons to replace the ones I've broken, and who knows what else.
Japanese market-good sashimi quality tuna (to freeze when I get home), my favorite rice (Tamaki Haiga, which is fully milled, but left with the germ intact for better nutrition and I think flavor), various dried seaweeds, various pickles, gobo roots, candies and savory snacks. Hopefully, I'll find some of my favorite chopsticks, the dark wood, square cut, very fine point ones, as some of mine have been wearing down and drying out. Ooooooh, some mochi.

At my favorite produce stores, I will buy...well...produce! I expect I will be drying, freezing and canning the contents for several afternoons once I get home. There is so much in the way of produce that I simply cannot find around here.

Attempting to keep my freezer(s) space in mind, I will also visit my favorite butcher for a few specialty meats like calves liver, which I can't find 'round here, and also some cuts of lamb that never make it into my local stores.

I have a feeling it's going to be an expensive trip. :D

I'm another who checks out 'what's on the way'!! LOL
Have a trip planned in couple of weeks and have already found several places to stop.

Have cooler, will travel!!

Deanna

Stacie, I'm going to Ohio next weekend and that will involve a trip to Jungle Jim's, so I can bring home sorghum and some of Elery's favorite hot sauce. We'll go to Elery's after that and take a trip into Ann Arbor so I can go to Trader Joe's and get some more of that Orange Muscat Champagne vinegar I like so well and Elery can stock up on Three Buck Chuck. On the way home I have to stop in Lansing at Horrock's to see what kind of really inexpensive produce I can get that I don't grow myself and stock up oncheese because it's so much cheaper there.

We might swing by the Mediterranean Market on the way home and stock up on tahini, bulk tea for iced tea and those green chili Urad wafers to papadums.

Fortunately, Elery is the same way I am, we could drive across the U.S., just stopping and shopping at all the food markets, LOL, with an occasional diner.

Yes, we ALWAYS take a cooler....

Annie

We have two of the plug in coolers, only took one this time. I think that the next road trip we might have to take both of them. We had the sweet corn from Florida and tomoatoes for Rhiannon's birhtday lunch and Father's day lunch and boy were they good. Everyone had seconds and some thirds. I am ready for the next trip:)

Stacie

Oh, don't you just love those plug - in coolers? I use mine all the time.

We've always visited grocery stores on vacation--as far back as 35 years ago, when we were first married. Of course, back then, you were even more likely to find new and different foods than now (so many regional favorites have become mainstream over the years). But you can still pick up interesting local favorites, or sometimes just some great bargains you wouldn't be able to get 'at home'.

My husband thinks nothing at all of us bringing back loads of food. And you should just see the car when we happen to visit So. Pittsburg, Tenn--the home of the Lodge Factory and Outlet--now THAT gets interesting, when I fill the trunk with cast iron--LOL

Hi!
And I thought I was the only one to do this.....!
My favorite vacations involve renting an apartment in Paris. One must check very carefully to be sure that the location is near a street market.
These street markets are filled with fresh produce, hundreds of different cheeses, meats, great fresh seafood, wonderful pastry and bread shops, the little wine store on the corner, handmade to die for chocolates. It is a riot of color and texture!
I am in heaven!!!
After the main sightseeing for the day is done
I shop and bring my prizes home to the little apartment and cook and cook!
The apartment is filled with great smells, we open a bottle of wine and sit down to a great meal, with the doors open to the courtyard garden.
After a short time, we are ready to go out to see the evening sights: lights along the river, the Eiffel Tower at night, the Latin quarter.
I also bring back for the pantry: Grand Marnier, chocolate, French lentils and French sea salt. My children kid me mercilessly that I had packed the salt and lentils in my carryon so I would be sure the airlines wouldn't loose them!
What a great memory of those times!
Fondly,
Linda

Plug-in coolers? Where have I been?? I need to invest in one and just keep it in the car. I could have used one of those on many occasions!

These are photos of one of my road trips to NY a few years back. I'm not sure I came back with anything that didn't belong in the kitchen!

One thing I try to do when I travel is to bring back a cookbook from that area:

We foodies are definitely a different breed!

Lori :D