Great food can deliver better memories long after your vacation is over

Great food can deliver better memories long after your vacation is over.

When we travel, we tend to try and take in regional specialties, and sometimes, it makes the vacation far more memorable.

If there is one thing I am guilty of, well, there is a lot, but food is a major part of my travel itinerary. I can’t even visit my in-laws in Ohio without checking out my favorite food spots. While at times, it is an excuse to escape the noise I often wonder if my time can be better spent. It can’t.

We take pictures of everything we see, most of the time. Skyscrapers in New York City, the lighthouses on the coast of Maine. Mickey and Minnie Mouse at Disney. The list goes on and on. When we return home, we upload our pics, share with friends and family, and store them somewhere to look at later.

Pictures don’t always give you a “full picture” if you will. Take a picture of that really good drink you had in Hawaii and it looks great on your computer screen and maybe you can remember a little bit about the taste but in general, it’s a faded memory that you recall as being good.

Food and drink, however, can leave a far lasting memory beyond that of a simple picture because if you can recreate it, even a little, you can take yourself back to that moment the picture reminded you of.

More from TripSided

• Do You Know Where the World’s Oldest Operating Restaurant is?
• Why You Should Learn Some French Before Going to France
• Why Everyone Should Visit Las Vegas Once In Their Life
• Best Islands to Vacation on When You’re on a Budget
• A Brief History of Bánh Mì

Most of my travels have been East of Texas and along the eastern coast of the United States. I have some really great pictures of everything from Key West, Fl. to Lubec, Maine but those pictures don’t bring back the sites I visited. The food does.

Taste and smell are important parts of our make-up and while sight can bring a mental image, taste and smell can transport you. It’s like Thanksgiving day, the smell of the turkey can take you back to your childhood when mom was in the kitchen baking pies and your senses were being whisked all over the place.

In Portland, Maine, I had the absolute best lobster roll I have ever eaten. It was from a little food truck in the parking lot of the Portland Lighthouse. It was incredible. So I bought another one and broke it down then replicated it back home and wouldn’t you know it, my mind didn’t just allow me to taste the flavors, I could almost feel the chill off the water, hear the sounds around me.

We need to savor the food we eat on vacations because later, it can bring us back and we get to remember with more than our conscious mind.