4. Fill a couple water bottles and freeze them the night before getting in the car. You have to pack those water bottles anyway for your time on the bike, so you might as well make them useful in the car. The frozen water bottles can keep your fresh food cold.
5. Did someone mention fresh food? Oh right, that was me. Absolutely pack fresh food. First of all, your tummy will be displeased if you eat fast food for too many meals. Second, if you’re driving somewhere rural, you may drive for hours without seeing even a fast food joint, and then you’ll be hangry. Third, packing food can be cheaper than buying it on the road. Fourth, eating packed food saves you time on the road (no need for slow restaurant service). Fifth, after a long day of driving, it’s nice to eat real food for dinner. I made a southwest-inspired mix in advance (chipotle chicken, corn, tomatoes, arugula, black beans, cheese, southwest dressing) and packed wraps separately so that we could have a tasty road-side lunch on the first day. Madilynn made empanadas in advance so that we could have an incredible dinner after 12 hours in the car. If you aren’t ready for that level, just pack some sandwiches (with meat or just pbj), snacky veggies (like carrots or celery), and easy fruit (like apples, oranges, bananas).