Summer of Road Trips and Snackations (or just perfect snacks for the road)

This story of road trips  and snackations was sponsored by the J.M. Smucker Company but as always, all snacking opinions are mine.

Yikes.  Summer is almost over.   For me, it's bittersweet.  I actually despise the summer heat here in Phoenix so I am glad to see temps dip below 100F labor day weekend BUT the one perk of the heat? Escaping the Valley of the Sun and head towards the cooler mountain temps of Northern Arizona.

My favorite destinations are Sedona and Jerome.  They're a little less than two hours away and 10-15 degrees cooler.  Ahhhhh the perfection of it.

Head out of town.  Get outside. Explore.  Have TONS of fun.

We love local destinations and I vowed that we would do more this year.  I have been finding ways to save cash by bringing snacks for the trip instead of spending money (in the end, leaves MORE cash for more local adventures).

Ghost towns are full of exploration

As I shared with you that Walmart is our SNACKation Destination previously, I love packing healthy snacks.  A great way to makes snacks easier and more accessible is to pack containers with snack portions so that way it just needs to be pulled out of the cooler, opened up and go!

(Cooler tip: Freeze your drinks and use them in place of ice packs.  Best of both worlds- food is kept cold and drinks are ready to drink by the time it's snacking time!)

Crunchy pretzels? Check

Fruit? Check

Cheese? Check

Protein?  Check

I mean... you do have to have fuel in case there's an alien sighting or something, right?

Em asked me multiple times if she could bring home the alien and I was totally with the idea.  I mean... Mulder & Scully foreva!!!!

Seriously, the small communities between Phoenix and Flagstaff are really awesome.

They're vibrant.  Many are artsy and eclectic.  Some are western and cowboyish.

MANY are full of Native American history such as the Sinagua Ruins.

There's so much to learn, so much to see and explore.  Perfect for kids who need the sensory input (like Em) and the fun of getting out and seeing our local history.

When it cools down, the next stop is to the historic towns of Tombstone and Bisbee.

Oh and just so you know... Jif Whips with Salted Caramel?

I have a date with it on Saturday nights along with some apple slices and we sit together while I catch up on my Downton Abbey and Orange is the New Black.



Ssshhhh don't judge.

What are the perfect snacks for YOUR SNACKation?
Do you prefer staycations, daycations, road trips or full on destination vacations?

What is your fondest vacation memory?