Help me figure out how to "vacation" while treating lyme!

Hi Guys! I need your help. Help me figure out how to plan a "minimal stress" road trip vacation.

My hubby and I are planning a road trip to the Smokey Mountains in Tennessee, maybe a few random stop overs in TN/NC area and possibly Atlanta, Georgia - i want to go to the aquarium there!! ATL is only a destination depending on if I feel well enough to keep traveling. This will be my first WEEK away from home- we have done 4 day vacations, but nothing longer than that since ive been on treatment and sticking to a strict diet.

Last time I went away I spent at entire day beforehand cooking for the 4 days I was going to be away - it was a little stressful but worth it. I have been VERY good about sticking to an extremely strict diet in the last 10 months (today is actually a year anniversary of my first blood test when I realized I was sick...no wonder im so manic!) We were able to go to a couple of restaurants for dinners and while on the road without access to heat up my food, i ordered off the allergy menu and didnt seem to have any ill effects - but I cant eat out for all 3 meals of the day. Breakfast is hard to figure out- I eat eggs EVERY day - I cant eat dairy, so protein shakes are out.. no idea what do to in a pinch for breakfast. i tried baking egg protein muffins.. YUCK. I couldnt do it. hemp protein is not for the weak of heart!

This vacation, we dont have a planned timeframe at any one place, so I dont want to rely on having my food possibly go bad from going into a mini fridge, back into a cooler, and back into a fridge. I also dont know where we will be and when I would be able to heat up food. Its funny how my hubby thinks NO schedule is less stressful than planning things... its quite the opposite. We did a spontaneous road trip across the USA for our honeymoon - we missed traveling for our first anniversary bc I was sick, so we are trying to kind of re-create a little of that roadtrip now (at 1.5 years into marriage!).

I was thinking of cooking for the first leg of the trip, and then possibly checking into a place that has a kitchenette (like extended stay america?) to be able to cook the rest of the week......... i really wish i could take a vacation from cooking and taking care of myself.............

so please share with me your travel tips that you have had success with!!

FOOD TIPS: what do you pack for snacks, hold me over food, etc. Favorite quick & easy breakfast/lunch/dinner options? Favorite receipes for traveling food? What type of cooking supplies & utensils do you bring? I feel like I can get away with packing just a spatula and a big and small frying pan, a knife and cutting board - and cook eggs, or chicken and veggie stir fry as meals.

DETOX/MED Schedule: How do you stick to your med schedule when you arent always able to eat at the same times you normally eat at? Im a little flexible, but I need my 3 meals a day to take all of the pills and supplements! How do you handle detox schedule while traveling? im worried about feeling worse bc of slacking off on detox. best vacation friendly detox methods? Im kind of grossed out by taking a bath in a hotel and dont want to clean before each bath - im on vacation, darn it! HAH! Ive been increasing my detox a lot lately bc I have been having incredible amounts of nerve pain lately. its actually making me stressed out thinking about car travel when it hurts to sit for a little while... luckily it has heated seats HA! something else silly- im also afraid to drink TOO MUCH water while in the car... i tend to under drink when we travel... you cant always find a rest stop when you need one! Ive been drinking a lot of water this week trying to boost my detox, and maybe some strength training for my bladder hahah :)

any helpful tips would be appreciated! I have a couple of weeks left to plan, I know i need to start making lists now and minimize as much stress as possible. I really want to have a GOOD vacation and come back refreshed!! Im going to bring my cane to help me get around - im no longer embarrassed to use it, YAY! i also apologize for my scatterbrained post - I think I got all of my questions out there! Thanks in advance.

Eagle - please don't take this the wrong way, but you are stressing yourself out already trying to control and plan every little thing out of fear and you haven't even left yet= there is no way you can enjoy yourself like that. Sometimes as hard as it may be, you just gotta go with the flow. My trips NEVER ended up well when I had to "get everything right down to the snacks I had to eat" I would want to pack everything including the kitchen sink and never was able to RELAX. Lately, for road trips, I pack easy things like hummus, ready prepped vegetables, some egg salad, tuna salad for the first day heading out, fruits like bananas, oranges, baggies with assorted nuts in them or make some easy "power ball" snacks, kefir in the cooler, detox tea bags, plenty water. For suppers while on the road we'd just pick up a ready made chicken and prep a salad on the side with some marinated bean medley that we'd get at a supermarket. Also, chickpea "salad" so easy to prep and nutritious. You could also prep some easy green lentils with veggies and take it with you on the road - really delicious with herbs and spices - lasts up to 4/5 days in the fridge! Think EASY. Sometimes the easiest and more nutritious things hardly need any prep time. Organic sugar-free apple sauce.....As for detoxing, I usually drink the detox teas in PM in hotels and when I get to destination, then I can resume the full detox routine. Like you, I cannot use the hotel tub to bathe in - I will just use the shower and try not to touch the walls or shower curtains - yeah, I am that germaphobic. Also, make sure you make plenty pit stops to just get out and walk around some for your circulation and breathe and enjoy the sites!!. I didn't do that often enough last year and both my feet swelled up like elephant feet and my veins in my legs were hurting and protruding - so scarey. When you surrender and think positive you WILL enjoy yourself. Also, know that there will always be a convenience store or market somewhere where you are going to pick up whatever in a pinch. HAVE FUN!!

Thanks all for the great tips - needhelp - you hit the nail on the head - i NEED to learn how to let go. you are right!! its just sort of scary to do. Its hard for me when I have the allergies that I do - I have been avoiding dairy, corn, ice berg lettuce, tomato and aluminum for a long time - its hard to NOT have control over those things! But you are right - I need to let go! I also am pretty sure I wouldnt have an anaphalactic response, so I should "live a little". the allergy situation makes it hard to even eat a salad out - im not a lettuce detective haha! last time i ordered a salad at longhorn I forgot to ask what was on it- it had so much shredded cheese, and I couldnt decipher between ice berg or the chunky stalks of romaine.. so i just picked the few cucumbers out and pushed the bowl to the side... lesson learned - always ask whats on a salad. learning curve!

Kathie - that jet boil looks COOL!! I'll have to look into one of those down the road! have you ever used one IN a hotel room, or just in the parking lot? I have "Stove in a can" but keep that for emergency purposes.. you know, prepper gear waiting on that zombie apocalypse! haha!

I didn't read everyone's reply so someone may have already said it. But getting a hotel rooms with a kitchenette is a great idea. Also gluten and dairy-free/allergy friendly menu's are more and more common these days. Maybe ahead of time you can google those restaurants.

I think the combo of making your own meals in a kitchenette and certain restaurants should cover your food.

You mentioned a bath as part of your detox. Instead of a full body soak maybe a foot soak in a container that your bring with you?

Medication: so I'm assuming you have to take it with food? If so, then plan your activities around your 3 meals, not the other way around. There's enough time in the day to get all the activities and site seeing in. You got to eat no matter what right? So plan your activities around your meals, not the other way around.

I hope my 2 cents helped. Thanks.

Just have a good time. It is a vacation, not a time to stress. For a week you will be okay. I quit my herbs for 3 days because I got so very sick. I was freaking out that I would have to start all over. I just made out fine. So obviously sometimes we can have glitches and do fine.

The jet boil is really cool. Heats water to boiling very quickly. I've only used it outside. My daughter and I stayed in an Airbnb in Maine in November...cooked soup outside on the porch.

I found an app on my phone called "Healthy Out." Haven't used it yet. I love Yelp too, multifacetedme. I can usually find Health food stores, coops etc, and farm to table local places. I don't do fast food if I can possibly help it.

I'm flying to Florida in April for 10 days. I've been thinking about this too...I'm bringing 1 big suitcase with my foot basin in it so I can soak my feet if there's no tub...and my heating pad and Castor Oil Pack. I'll get Epsom Salts and anything else there.