The Best Road Trip Snacks for a Pacific Northwest Summer Drive

A great road trip needs great snacks. Not something that melts in the cupholder or leaves your hands sticky for the next hundred miles - something that holds up, tastes good, and feels right for where you are.

In Idaho and the Pacific Northwest, that's always meant Idaho Candy Company. Their classic bars have been made in the same Boise factory since 1909, and they've been along for the ride ever since.

Why Candy Bars Are the Perfect Road Trip Snack

Candy bars travel well. They don't need refrigeration, they're portion-controlled, they're easy to pass around the car, and the right one can turn a gas station stop into something worth remembering. According to the American Automobile Association, road trips are the most popular form of summer travel in the United States, with over 100 million Americans hitting the road each summer. [External: aaa.com] What you bring with you matters.

The Idaho Spud Bar

The Idaho Spud Bar is the natural choice for any drive through Idaho. Introduced in 1918, it's a cocoa marshmallow center coated in dark chocolate and sprinkled with coconut, shaped like a potato. It doesn't melt as fast as a straight chocolate bar, the marshmallow center makes it satisfying without being heavy, and it's the kind of snack that sparks a conversation every time someone who hasn't had one takes their first bite. 

The Cherry Cocktail Bar

The Cherry Cocktail Bar is a road trip discovery waiting to happen for anyone who hasn't tried it. A whole cherry at the center, surrounded by cream, then encased in freshly roasted peanuts and premium milk chocolate. It's the bar people ask about after they've eaten it. Made since 1926. 

Owyhee Butter Toffee for the Long Stretches

For the long straight stretches of Idaho highway, Owyhee Butter Toffee is the move. Crunchy, buttery, and rich, it's named after the Owyhee mountain range in southwestern Idaho - a landmark you might actually drive past depending on your route. It keeps well in the car and holds up to summer heat better than chocolate-forward options. 

Stock Up Before You Leave Boise

If you're starting your trip in Boise, Idaho Candy ships from their factory at 412 South 8th Street. Order ahead at idahospud.com and have a full supply ready before you hit the road. The Mixed Candy Bar Pack gives you 3 of each bar in the lineup - enough to last a proper road trip and share with whoever is in the passenger seat.