Even though 3.1 million people across the United States alone follow a gluten-free diet, traveling with celiac disease or related conditions can often cause worry. After all, nobody wants to feel sick when traveling - as it is an easy way to turn a great trip into the worst week of your life stuck in a hotel bathroom that you can’t wait to escape from. Whether you are heading out on a family road trip or planning a luxury hotel visit for yourself and your family, one of the easiest ways to go on a gluten-free travel adventure is to head to a destination that will be gluten-free friendly!

With that in mind, here are some of the best travel destinations for Gluten-Free travelers and, of course, fun things to do in each destination! Remember that you can listen to the Travel Gluten Free podcast to find specific episodes on many of these top gluten-free destinations.

Never had the inkling to ski? Would you rather have the flu in the middle of summer than hit a snowy slope in the middle of January? Going to Salt Lake City doesn’t have to be all skiing, wiping the possibility of cultural activities off your to-do list. There aremany fun cultural and science activities to do here in Salt Lake City, especially if you love museums. From art and science to laughs and escape rooms, you’ll find something for everyone in Salt Lake City.

Art Museums
There are multiple art museums you can check out while you’re in Salt Lake City. Make sure to check hours for each art museum on their websites listed here. The Utah Museum of Fine Art is all about the history of art across the world. There are two museums that host modern art and are free and open to the public: Urban Arts Gallery and the Utah Museum of Contemporary Art.

Science and Nature Museums
From pre-historic dinosaurs to science, STEM and gardens, Salt Lake has a myriad of science and nature museums to see. See exhibits, movies, planetarium shows and IMAX shows exploring space and technology at Clarke Planetarium. Find dinosaurs lurking about, Native American cultural artifacts and learn about genetics the Natural History Museum of Utah. When you visit The Museum of Natural Curiosity you’ll get to explore over 400 different interactive exhibits — no two visits will ever be the same. For an eclectic mix of art and science, check out The Leonardo. Visit the Hogle Zoo to walk through a safari of wild animals from all over the world.

Enjoy a Great Craft Brew?
Like a refreshing pint now and then? You’ll love the 

Confused about how to find great gluten-free restaurants around you or when you travel? Find out tools you can use to find amazing gluten-free friendly and dedicated gluten-free restaurants to eat at on New Year’s Eve. If you're new to the gluten-free scene or you've been gluten-free for a while, you can still have a hard time finding a great restaurant. Whether you are a foodie or not, looking for a restaurant at home or on vacation, getting a good gluten-free meal at a nice restaurant can be daunting.

There are several tools you can use when you want to find a great restaurant for you and your family and friends! Filter for price, type of food and ambience. Learn how to cross-check your choice of restaurant, find out the difference between a gluten-free friendly restaurant and a dedicated gluten-free restaurant. Additionally, listen in to find out which three questions to ask when calling a restaurant to find out if they are safe for celiacs.

Opentable
One of the resources I love to use is OpenTable. OpenTable is a reservation site and I use this resource because it’s easy to filter and find restaurants and reserve online instantly. You can use opentable’s online website or their mobile app to book a table. Your account setup is free. Find restaurants and make reservations through OpenTable and receive points when you dine at that restaurant using a reservation from OpenTable. When you reach a certain level of points you will receive rewards through OpenTable.

Find Me Gluten Free App
Find Me Gluten Free is available online and as a mobile app. Look for gluten-free friendly, dedicated gluten-free restaurants, places to eat with dedicated fryers. Find different gluten-free features

Four years ago, I discovered the Pacific Coast Highway in Sunset magazine. By the way, if you've never read an issue of Sunset - beware - this publication is addicting! More specifically, Sunset magazine embroils the senses with the unique, fantastic getaways and the most inspiring and delicious interior decorating a magazine publication has to offer.

In the beginning, my basic knowledge of Pacific Coast Highway, or PCH as it's commonly known, was how the highway mingled with the west coast of the United States from the northern California coast to  Southern California. I had been searching for a fantastic road trip adventure, and, to my traveler's delight, Pacific Coast Highway was the journey I was looking for! 

After piling through information on Pinterest about PCH, my heart was pounding to go and explore the grains of sand, exquisite views, and glorious mountains, which caress the Pacific Coast Highway shoreline.

#2 Find a Gluten-Free Restaurant

Finding a GF restaurant may not sound hard, until you try to look for one, especially in a rural area. Cities have more food choices, and you can easily find a gluten-free option in a town, but what about less populated areas?

One of my favorite tools to find gf restaurants is Find Me Gluten Free App. Jason Elmore, creator of this app, is celiac. He decided to make the app after being frustrated about the difficulty of finding food that is safe to eat when you are eating out.

To find out more about Jason and how he created the Find Me Gluten Free App,

I really enjoy a great road trip. This means an extended weekend or a planned multi-day trip which involves stopping and eating at places I've never heard of. That can be as easy as brushing a furry knot out of my long-haired cat when I'm not sure what's available in the next town, especially when I'm in the middle of nowhere. I've found a few ways to lessen the hardship of gluten-free on the road.

#1 Carry food with you at all times. Yes, and bring a superhero along with you as well (is Captain America available?). This can be easy if you find out what you like and keep it on hand. My suggestion: gluten-free protein bars and cookies. I really like protein drinks (single-serve powder is most accessible, although it can be costly). I take the protein from my bulk container and double bag the protein. This keeps costs down but gives me a few meals to hold me over until I find a safe restaurant to eat at.

Always bring yummy snack foods with you for the ride. Gas Stations do not have many gluten-free offerings, except for Oregon and California. These are the only two states which I have found more than 2 or 3 safe snacks to eat.

My favorite gluten-free snacks are KaPop Snacks, Deliciousness Foods, and Jai Mix. I've interviewed each of these owners on my podcast, and I would feel safe eating these snacks, even on vacation! They are reliable and do not use any gluten in their products or their process.

Remember to not carry chocolate with you on your road trip, chocolate melts, and makes a mess. Be cautious of coconut oil, as this will quickly melt in your car!

Check back for your next gluten-free on the road trip next blog!​

​For great advice on how to travel gluten-free, grab my Guide to Traveling Gluten-Free on Amazon today!