With school out and work schedules frequently more relaxed, summer is a popular time to take a road trip. Making those trips more memorable can be as easy as bringing along the right snacks and personalizing the stops along the way.
Stephanie Stuckey, CEO of the Georgia-based Stuckey’s chain of candy and convenience stores, believes road trips are a great time to give yourself permission to step away from normal dieting habits.
“The cool thing about a road trip is, it’s when you indulge yourself, and that includes where you go, when and where you stop, but also what you eat,” Stuckey said. “It’s about freedom, independence and choice.”
During the height of the pandemic in 2020, Stuckey, like many Americans, took to the open road, rather than the skies, for her travels. Her mission was to visit all Stuckey’s own shops, as well as stores that carried the brand, while also documenting her road-tripping on social media.
Why has the road trip become part of the American story? “You’re in charge of your little automobile kingdom,” she said. “You get to choose what snacks, which route, what tunes you play, and then you leave all your worries and anxieties in the back seat — or throw them out the window.”
Four out of five Americans plan to take a road trip this summer, according to a survey by the Vacationer, a travel industry site.
Stuckey said she receives significant social media feedback whenever she posts about road-trip food, and the snacks that travelers choose can be just as personal as their itineraries.
“People are passionate about their snacks,” she said. “They’re usually going to gravitate toward a mix of sweet and savory, but it’s always a really interesting and personal combination. You’ll get popcorn with mints in it, or Ritz crackers with Snickers. It’s almost like a wine pairing.
“And licorice is definitely its own thing,” she added.
Credit: Handout
Credit: Handout
Stuckey said her current must-have on the back roads is an Orange Crush paired with Pringles barbecue sauce-flavored potato crisps.
“I do have some staples,” she said. “I drink Dasani water and Powerade. I like salty snacks, too, and I always like to see what the new flavors in nuts are. I’ve been seeing dill pickle-flavored things a lot lately.”
Those looking to expand their road trip experience should get off the interstates, Stuckey said, and stop at local gas stations and convenience stores, to find less common brands or local favorites.
“I will say, I actually like truck stop coffee,” she admitted. ”Most of my friends roll their eyes, but convenience coffee is good! Or, at least, it can be good. I’ve become quite the connoisseur. Circle K is my favorite.”
She said the other thing she always looks for is “so-called gas station gourmet” food.
“I’m obsessed with finding gas stations that have unique food,” she said. “I want something special. Every now and then, you’ll find a spot with fresh veggies from a local farm, or a gas station where they make their own biscuits.”
Stuckey, who served 14 years in the Georgia House of Representatives representing DeKalb County, encourages travelers to personalize a road trip with offbeat stops that appeal to their individual interests. She suggested doing a little advance research on websites such as Roadside America, Atlas Obscura or RoadArch.
For those who might not have time to commit to a full-blown vacation, Stuckey said it’s easy to get creative, as she does when traveling from her home in Candler Park to the Stuckey’s plant in Jefferson County.
“I think you can make anything a road trip,” she said. “I regularly commute to Wrens, and every time I go, I try to take a different route. It keeps things fresh. So, on my way to work I might see the Sac-O-Suds filming location from ‘My Cousin Vinny’ (in Monticello), or the Laurel & Hardy Museum in Harlem, Georgia. It might take me a little longer some days, but it’s worth the trip.”
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