My Road Trip

Kari · Post by **Kari** » Wed May 22, 2013 7:44 pm

Hi PP Friends,

Thought I'd do an update about my road trip in the hope that it can help someone else. I was very nervous about the trip, but had always wanted to see the Northwest. Since SO's daughter has moved to SF for her first job (high-school math teacher), wanting to visit her seemed like the perfect excuse to make it happen.

The trip turned out much better than I had expected MC wise, probably because of my careful planning. Here is what I did:

- Since we wanted to spend more time in SF and in Seattle, we rented small apartments on VRBO (vacation rental by owner) for 4 nights in each place. That way I could cook my meals and replenish my cooler for the road.

- I had a large cooler - and instead of ice, I used several plastic ice bricks, which seem to stay frozen much longer than just ice. I was able to refreeze them in the hotels when on the road. So I had no issues with keeping my food cool. I also had a small cooler with me that has a shoulder strap for use on outings (sight-seeing).

- I brought along staples such as Vegenaise (mayo substitute), Earth Balance (butter sub.), cans of tunafish, celtic salt, almonds, Paleo Muffins, Udi's bread, rice crackers, cooked bacon, apples, coconut and olive oils, cooked (and frozen) shrimp, dark chocolate, mango juice, cauliflower, broccoli, home made potato salad, and perhaps a couple of more items I can't think of at the moment.

- Brought my own cooking utensils, cutlery, frying pan and a pot.

- One of the very few restaurants I can eat in more or less trouble free is Red Robin. I always order plain, grilled chicken, steamed broccoli and steak fries (yummy and cooked in a dedicated fryer). They seem to take food sensitivities very seriously, and have a whole manual with suggestions for various food issues. Even so, I usually ask for the Manager, to make sure my meal gets special attention in the kitchen, which always seems to work. All that said, we mapped out all the Red Robin restaurants on our route, which gave me a great sense of security and worked like a charm.

- Other than eating in Red Robins, I only ate out twice at other places. One was a Chef owned, wonderful restaurant in Menlo Park, where I probably had the best meal of the trip, with no issues (spoke with the Chef, who was very understanding and accommodating). The other time, I was not so lucky. It was a restaurant on Fisherman's Wharf in SF, where I immediately sensed it wasn't going to work, but after a long talk with a seemingly understanding and knowledgeable waitress, I went against my better judgement and had some sauted shrimp. Despite her assurance that they were done in olive oil, I'm pretty sure it was butter. So I got sick, and spent much of the next day in bed (slept around 16 hours). Fortunately I woke up refreshed the following day.

- We visited friends a couple of times in Seattle and had dinner at their houses. In both cases, they were able to accommodate my needs, and I had wonderful, safe meals. Then, of course, there was the great meal Leah cooked - thanks again Leah:).

All in all the trip went exceptionally well. With my MC symptoms more or less under control, I was able to enjoy friends, sight-seeing and nature. I'm amazed at the vastness and spectacular scenery of that part of the country, and have seen places where I would like to revisit in a more focused way. As an example, Lake Tahoe comes to mind. We drove through a total of 8 states: Wyoming, Utah, Nevada, California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Montana.

I'd like to say it feels great to be home, but the crazy thing is that I've been in a flair since the first day I got back (a week ago) - sigh. Today I finally made chicken soup, which I hope will help get me back on track. This disease is relentless - it seems like no matter how careful I am, something gets me

. However, I'm very, very grateful that I was able to enjoy the trip and got to see some of this amazingly beautiful country!!!

Love,
Kari

Sheila · Post by **Sheila** » Wed May 22, 2013 8:17 pm

Thanks for sharing, Kari. I hope you feel better soon.

FYI, my late husband bought a large cooler than plugged into the car and kept food cold. He would lug the thing into and out of motels en route. We arrived in North Carolina with a cooler of food in perfect condition. I will have to make a dogleg on my trip to N.C. this year stopping at my sons home en route. He can unload the cooler, plug it in overnight and then reload the next morning. That way I won't have to worry about a dog friendly motel and how to get the large cooler in and out of the car.

VRBO sounds like a perfect solution for a road trip. Unfortunately there are no Red Robin restaurants in this part of the country. I remember Gloria posted about her travels a few years ago with a lot of good ideas including the plug in cooler. Thanks Gloria

Sheila W

dfpowell · Post by **dfpowell** » Wed May 22, 2013 8:21 pm

Kari,

Glad to hear the trip was a success for you!! Could you tell me the name of the restaurant in Menlo Park, I may be out there this fall.
It's helpful to hear how you planned your trip around your diet needs. Glad to know about Red Robin, I have one close to my house, I'm going to check it out.
I will be going to France next month, and am trying to plan ahead and pack food to take along. I have rent a house at each of the the different places we are visiting, so will be able to do some of our own cooking. We are looking forward to the markets, but don't really know what type of food will be available.

Joefnh · Post by **Joefnh** » Wed May 22, 2013 8:25 pm

Kari thanks for sharing your story and experiences. Eating out is one of the toughest parts of dealing with MC. You have shown that through planning and intuition, we cannot only travel well but also eat out. I have never eaten at a Red Robins but there are 2 of their restaurants in the area. I'm so glad the trip was successfull with only one incident.

Thanks again for sharing.

maestraz · Post by **maestraz** » Wed May 22, 2013 8:48 pm

@ Donna, sounds like a dream trip to France! If you shop the markets for fresh produce, good meat, cheese, etc, I can't imagine you'll have a problem. I'm not even sure I'd bother trying to take food along. You can probably eat better and more safely there than here.

dfpowell · Post by **dfpowell** » Thu May 23, 2013 7:28 am

Suze, I agree the markets should be good for fresh foods and meats, mainly I am taking my almond bread and a few other items to get me through the first few days.

Kari, I decided to look into Red Robin and noticed they had a big disclaimer saying they could not guarantee their food to be gluten free, as they could be contaminated in the broiler or fryer from other gluten containing foods. How did you ensure they were using a dedicated fryer for the fries?

Thanks,

Martha · Post by **Martha** » Thu May 23, 2013 7:46 am

Dear Kari,

I'm so glad that your trip was a success, and you were able to travel and eat without too much danger. That gives hope to the rest of us! Renting a place where you can do your own cooking sounds like the best plan.

Sorry that you're in a flare now, and I hope it goes away soon.

Love,
Martha

Kari · Post by **Kari** » Thu May 23, 2013 9:35 am

Donna - the name of the restaurant in Menlo Park is LB Steak - you can google it to check it out. If you do make it there, make sure to talk to the Chef. He showed me a picture of a gluten free, fabulous dessert he was developing to go on the menu, so he is very tuned to people like us. Regarding your trip to France, I agree that you should be able to find great, safe food there. Your biggest concern is probably your meals on the plane. When I travelled to Norway a couple of years ago, I had a doctor's note that explained why I had to bring my own food (getting through security), and that worked well.

Regarding Red Robin, I believe all restaurants have to have that disclaimer, since the risk of cross contamination is so high. They pride themselves on their GF dedicated fryer for their steak fries. I still check every time I eat there to make sure the GF fryer is up and running, and only once was I told that it was being repaired. Regarding the grill, when you tell them your issues, often the manager will prepare your food, using clean gloves and utensils and preparing the grill. These precautions will minimize, not eliminate, the risk of cross contamination.

Joe - I know you are somewhat of a "foodie", so please keep in mind that Red Robin is primarily a burger restaurant. The only thing I can eat there is a plain, grilled chicken breast w/steamed broccoli and their awesome steak fries. There is a great GF honey poppy mustard that I use for dipping. To be able to eat any relatively safe and tasty meal in a restaurant is huge for me. I'll be curious to know your experience if you decide to try it.

All - thanks for your well wishes as my flare marches on - this seems to be a tough one :(.

Love,
Kari

Leah · Post by **Leah** » Thu May 23, 2013 9:52 am

Thanks for the update kari. I was wondering how the rest of your trip went. Again it was great fun to meet up and thanks again for the almonds and dark chocolate :)

We have a Red Robbin close by ( I think kari said she ate there) and i order a plain burger patty with the fries. The burger was only OK ( I have become quite the burger eater), but the fries are delicious.

Leah

humbird753 · Post by **humbird753** » Thu May 23, 2013 5:00 pm

Hi Kari - I am glad you had a great time while you were gone, and sorry to hear you've been in a flare since getting home. I noticed potato salad on your list of foods you took with you. Can you tell me how you make yours? I've been thinking of potato salad now that the weather is getting nicer in Wisconsin.

Hope you feel better soon.

Paula

Kari · Post by **Kari** » Thu May 23, 2013 5:12 pm

Hi Paula,

Since I use very few foods in my diet, my potato salad is very plain. I flavor the potatoes with celtic salt, Vegenaise and some Dijon Mustard, but don't add anything else. If you can eat peas, I've always thought they are great in potato salad. Vegenaise is a GF mayo substitute that I've come to prefer over mayo - it's light and delicious and I have always tolerated it well.

Thanks for your well wishes - I do feel slightly better today - probably the chicken soup :).

Love
Kari

humbird753 · Post by **humbird753** » Thu May 23, 2013 5:37 pm

Thank you, Kari - I believe simple is best for most of us. I'll have to see if I can find the Vegenaise.

Glad to hear you're doing a bit better. I do hope you're over the flare soon. I have noticed since eliminating foods I know I am sensitive to that when I am glutened, the reaction is more noticeable than when I was reacting all of the time.

Paula

Leah · Post by **Leah** » Thu May 23, 2013 9:20 pm

I can't use Vegenaise :( it has soy. I use Hain's brand mayo ( but it has eggs)

Leah

Kari · Post by **Kari** » Fri May 24, 2013 6:52 am

Thanks for pointing that out Leah - I know so many here have problems with soy. I tested negative for soy both at Enterolab and MRT and seem to do fine with it. Here is a complete list of the ingredients in Vegenaise (Vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, non-gmo): Expeller-pressed Canola Oil, Filtered Water, Brown Rice Syrup, Apple Cider Vinegar, Soy Protein, Sea Salt, Mustard Flour, Lemon Juice Concentrate.

Hope it works for you Paula - good luck :).

Love,
Kari

tlras · Post by **tlras** » Fri May 24, 2013 8:22 am

HI Kari,

Sorry to hear about your flare but so happy you had such a successful trip! Sounds amazing. And, wow, you were so prepared! I also eat at Red Robin a lot with no issues. I always eat the simply grilled chicken burger (with the gluten free bun) and their plain ole fries...but sooo good! Like you said, they are really good about being careful.

Hope you are getting over your flare. Haven't been on here in a while.

So glad you got to meet up with Leah!

Take care,
Terri