My packing list needs revising

When we traveled in January and February of this year we took what you are taking in your first list but we took 2 sizes of sanitizing wipes. We had small packs for taking on day outings and we had a package of large sized wipes for wiping down surfaces in our accommodations and on flights we had to take. We also packed a thermometer in our ⛑ kit, something we don’t always take.

Yes to thermometer plus take an oximeter if you have one. I always pack a first aid kit, bacitracin ointment, band aids, gauze pads, etc.
I assume the plates and cereal bowls are disposable? If not you need dishwashing soap, dish towel. Shopping bags- paper, disposable. rather than your reusable ones.
We recently had to stay in a hotel and were given breakfast boxes which worked well enough- granola bar, yogurt, bagel, fruit, water bottle.

I had another idea for your second field kitchen list. We’ve traveled for a teaching semester at a time and ate at least one of our meals in our hotel room each day for 105 days straight. I’m so thankful for the 10”x13” melamine tray I found early on. It fit in the outside pocket of our 24” suitcase. We could pull it out, wipe it down and use it to hold our food and utensils on any surface we were dealt with. We loved having that tray with us that would hold spills and we could clean regularly.

If I were to do a trip where I had to prepare some of my own food in a park or in my hotel room again I would also take a thin cutting surface ‘board’.

Oh a melamine tray is a good idea.

I'd add a small cutting board, ziplock bags or leftover containers. I like the sturdy ones better than the bendy ones and since you are traveling in the car that should work. I have that on my Yellowstone packing list and it is especially helpful if you are having to prep food on an unsteady surface.

In addition to alcohol wipes, I'd take some bleach wipes or other bigger sanitizing wipes. Although thinking of this, I think of alcohol wipes as the small 1" squares used in hospitals or medical offices and maybe you have the bigger ones that come in a pop up tube or flat pack?? Not sure what you have here. I am thinking of one that is bigger than your palm and can be used to wipe down faucets and toilet handles.

I’m away at moment - in a unit with 2 burner stovetop ( no oven ) mini fridge , tea kettle and microwave.
Luckily place provides plates etc - but I brought my good knife !
I brought a can of Lysol that I sprayed down all hard surfaces and light switches etc , which really was overkill as the resort leaves places vacant for minimum of two days between guests - in fact maids do not enter room for two days after last guests ! But I felt better spraying again .

I did not and do not have to use gloves - just wash my hands - but especially here we are out in woods / beach - so rarely encounter any people or surfaces people touch .

We brought food - but resort we at also offered take out food from their closed restaurant- so that was nice .

I feel safer here than at home - we walk a massive beach where you’d have to purposefully try to get within 20 feet of another human - unlike walking in my neighbourhood at home where when walking someone’s got to step off the sidewalk to pass other walkers and not be less than 6 feet apart .

Corkscrew and wine!
Kitchen towel and cloth napkins

Salt, pepper and any other condiments you might like to have. I've often wished for salad dressing when on the road, but I've never actually taken any with me.

Your drive is short enough that you could take a bit of refrigerated food with you if you think your shopping opportunities at the destination will be more limited than what you have at home.

These are the food items I take with me when I head out on my annual week-long trip to a figure-skating competition (staying in hotels with mini-fridges), where opportunities to get to a restaurant are very limited and there's not always a supermarket within walking distance: crackers, peanut butter, nuts or trail mix, yogurt, hard-boiled eggs, apples. You probably don't need to do anything like that since your alternative to carrying your own food will not be unhealthy, over-priced arena food.

Barbara beat me to it: corkscrew and kitchen towel. Maybe a luttle dishsoap too?

I love the melamine tray idea and will adopt that.

I bought my first melamine tray at a department store in London. It’s held up really well but two years ago when we were at the Mauritshuis Museum in den Hague I found a melamine View of Delft by Vermeer tray and bought that. I’ve often seen beautiful trays in museum gift shops all over Europe with reproductions of Monet’s, van Goghs and many other artists. The trays are practical and part of bringing a bit of Europe home.

I love those trays you see in museum shops! Never could think of what to do with them and now I'll know, lol!!

If you don't want to buy a melamine tray, consider a silicone mat (like for baking). It could be rolled up and take up only a small amount of space. Paper\plastic products- plates, cups, cutlery, napkins or roll of paper towels. Small containers/packets of salt and pepper, condiments, dressings, etc. Instant coffee, flavor packets for water. Definitely small bottle of dish soap. small bottle of bleach- add a drop or two or three (no more) to sink when you wash 'dishes'. Ice chest/cooler.

As our dietary choices are different from the mainstream, we'd be packing a cooler full of prepared dishes.

I don't see a colander on the list, for rinsing those grocery store produce purchases. I'd also want to include some ziplock bags, both for leftovers from said purchases and packing for my days out and about, as well as some leftovers containers, both mentioned by Pam. A sandwich bag holds a pound of those silly "baby" carrots or a pint of cherry tomatoes, for example. I don't know if they're sold there, but a go-to for us is a tube of rice cakes. And I always throw a roll of paper towels in as well.

I assume one of the easy food items you can buy is hummus?

Have a nice time.

Picnic blanket and plastic wine glasses.

"The hotel is providing boxed breakfasts, electric kettle and minifridge."

It sounds like travel isn't going to be as enjoyable as it once was. One of the things I always look forward to when travelling in Europe is trying the breakfast at each hotel I stay at, which is often a buffet style. It's nice to be able to get a good breakfast before heading out for day touring.

Mona or Suki - what did you need the thermometer for? BTW most places here check temps before they let you in.

Suki - I haven't decided on disposable. I think that's what I'll take with the idea to reuse them. I hate using plastic when it's not necessary. The dishwashing soap is a good idea and I will take some. Shopping bags are reusable, either cloth or heavy-duty plastic, all with straps.

Mona - thank you for the tray! I have one from Ikea, about 12x18" with an inch-high rim. Size is not a problem. My favorite tray is a melanine one with butterflies that I bought at the butterfly house in Redding CA about 20 years ago.

Pam - the alcohol wipes are the size of the other sanitizing wipes and they are in a pop-up container. We don't have bleach wipes or any sprays.

Pat - the gloves are for filling up the gas tank and any unforeseen circumstances. I will ask (as usual) that the maids don't clean the room while I'm there.

Barbara - LOL. I lived in the SF Bay Area long enough to know never to leave home without a corkscrew and a bottle stopper or two. There are lots of good wineries in the area and I plan to visit a couple of my favorites. A decent red wine glass has always been on my packing list for auto trips. I'll use the small hand towels the hotel provides so I don't need to bring from home. Cloth napkins - only at home when I'm trying to impress guests :-).

Ann - yes! salt & pepper shakers. For 3 nights, I don't need more. I went to the market this morning, it reopened a week ago after a long closure. All the summer fruits were piled high - apricots, peaches, nectarines, grapes, cherries and big, red, seedless watermelons. Since most of the fruit orchards are in the north where I'll be staying and visiting, I only bought some grapes . . . . and 2 kilos of the last strawberries of the season, though I don't expect very many to last until I leave on Sunday. I also went into one of the dried fruit and nut shops for some peanuts (my favorite snack) and was tempted so I got some dates, raisins and cashews as well. Now I have to figure out where to hide them until Sunday.

Toni - I keep a sturdy cooler in the car's trunk. Since most of the year, it's pretty hot and sunny here, I put my cold and frozen food in it from the supermarket to home. For a trip, I freeze 2-3 large soda bottles with tap water. I will probably bring it up to the room to keep things cold (the mini fridge is quite mini). I always take a small one for day trips as well (even in Europe).

Donna - the colander is brilliant, especially since I expect to buy some fruit - especially cherries, on the road. I thought about cherry tomatoes this morning at the market but I don't need a kilo (they don't sell smaller quantities). I might pick some up in a supermarket during the trip. BTW they were invented here in Israel. Hummus, yeah, I can get it in half a dozen flavors in any supermarket. Eggplant salads too, lots of varieties. I may just go with that, though I usually don't eat them at home (too many calories).

CWsocial - all the sights have picnic tables. But a small table cloth is something I might take.

Ken - Hey, how are you? The kettle and minifridge are standard at the hotel. The boxed breakfast is not. They have (er, had) very good buffet breakfasts and did not mind people making sandwiches for lunch. If I don't like the boxed meal, I'll just buy some stuff at the supermarket. That's not a big deal. What I am going to miss is leisurely restaurant dinners.

Thank you all for the excellent suggestions. I'll let you know how the trip goes.

@Chani I put our thermometer back in the medical kit last summer when we had our teenage granddaughters traveling with us in Europe for three weeks...you never know. Now we take it with us so we can better monitor our health especially if we don’t feel well during the night and are trying to determine if we should seek medical care.

BYW, in the US the only places where we’ve witnesses temperatures being taken were at hospitals and medical facilities—we seem to be playing catch up these days.

I eagerly await a review of your trip!

@acraven - What do you mean, you don't like arena food?!? My family just LIVES for those cold hot dogs, stale popcorn, and watered-down sodas.

I started about an hour later than I'd planned. With no plane, train or bus to catch, it was stressless. The disadvantage to no-limit luggage is that I ended up taking a whole lot of stuff. I'd originally thought I could get by with a gym bag and backpack, then I started thinking about food and Covid, mostly food. I got out my carry-on spinner, but after packing it, I unpacked it and got out my 25" spinner, so I could fit most of my stuff into one bag. Really the only thing that was a problem was the colander (which was very useful).

I stopped at Ikea on the way to pick up something I've been wanting for a long time. I got there around noon (Sunday's the beginning of the work week here) and was surprised at how very crowded it was. I managed to find a parking place - hey, everyone is supposed to be back at work today!! In and out in 15 minutes, then stopped at one of my favorite wineries to pick up a bottle for the trip. One bottle was perfect for 3 nights.

The hotel is following the Ministry of Health regulations. The rooms are disinfected between guests and staff do not enter the rooms during one's stay. If you need anything they'll provide it on request. I still wiped everything down with alcogel wipes. They were slowly reopening and only a few of the rooms were occupied the night I arrived. They had about doubled the occupancy by the time I left.

The dining room was open for breakfast (though they would supply a boxed meal on request). All guests had to wear masks to enter and had to use alcogel to sanitize hands or wash them with soap and water as well. The food was at their buffet, but doled out by staff and guests were to keep at least 6 feet apart. Tables were spaced out more than usual and the room is very big, but they could have had much more spacing. After the first morning I decided to eat in my room (granola from home and yogurt from the supermarket) - especially encouraged by the roomy balcony overlooking the lawn and the blue lake beyond. That's also where I had a glass or so of wine in the late afternoons.

Restaurants were only allowed to open for in-house service on Thursday (my trip ended on Wednesday). Quite a few were open for take-away (which was authorized a couple weeks ago) and a couple were cheating and had table service, indoor and outdoor on Monday/Tuesday.

The weather was surprisingly pleasant, though it got a little warmer each day. By Wednesday, I had the AC on in the car all the way home. Monday was the first day of the 3-day Eid al-Fitr festival, about the biggest Muslim holiday of the year. There are many Muslims in the towns and villages of the north and they were all out enjoying the new freedom and the beautiful weather, mostly in family groups of no more than a dozen, many with portable grills (heavenly aromas). There were limits on capacity at beaches and you had to book in advance for the national parks. Entry to every sight required wearing a mask and having your temperature taken. They did that at the hotel as well.

The restrictions seem minor compared with the wonderful feeling of being out and about. I don't know if I'm ready to go to a pub or dinner at a restaurant yet, but it's good to know that life is becoming more normal and many people are back at work and school.