Our travel themed graduation party food and origins

We used a travel theme for our daughter's graduation party. She received the book "Oh, The Places You'll Go" by Dr. Seuss for her high school graduation. Little did we know that she would take the book so seriously. Our travel theme graduation party rocked the food and shined the light on her personality.

Dishes were selected that represented her favorite places from road trips or vacations. The tables were decorated with brochures that were picked up along the way. The song "I've Been Everywhere, Man" by Johnny Cash literally played in the background. It was a lot of fun.

Each food item had ties to the places that she has visited. Here are some of the dishes and beverages that we chose and why.


Alaska
Smoked salmon not only represents Alaska but what we found came from that incredible state. Alexandria took a trip here in 2009 and almost didn't come back.

Florida
We couldn't bring the Florida beach but we found some great oranges for the party.

Minnesota
Wild blueberries grow freely in the northern part of Minnesota. These became the State Food of Minnesota back in 1988.

Tennessee
What says Tennessee more than biscuits and honey from Country Garden Apiaries in Etowah?

Georgia
Atlanta pharmacist John Styth Pemberton, created Coca-Cola in 1886. He probably had no idea that his concoction would sweep around the globe. Allie has traversed the state, marched in an Atlanta parade and stopped in Juliet, Georgia to visit the set of Fried Green Tomatoes.

Hawaii and South Carolina
Each state claims ties to the beloved pineapple. In South Carolina it is a symbol of welcome. It is also a symbol of Hawaii. Dole Food Company was started by a man named James Dole. He traveled to Hawaii in 1899 and is known at the "Pineapple King". We made sure to serve Dole pineapple at the graduation party.

Kentucky
The recipe for banana nut bread is on the official Kentucky Derby website. It's easy to make, travels well and is ideal for breakfast, a snack or even dessert. It's also said to go well with bourbon (not served at the party) which may help give treat its claim to Kentucky fame.

Wisconsin
Say "cheese"! Each of the four types of cheese that we served came from Wisconsin.

California
Fruit and cheese go together like a hand in a glove. Famous California wines can only begin with equally famous California grapes.

D.C. and Maryland
Crab from Maryland was perfect for our crab cakes. The recipe came straight off the can for Old Bay Seasonings. A native of Maryland said it had to be served with mustard and saltine crackers on the side. That's exactly how it was served.

Texas
Chips and salsa. We didn't have to look long to find chips and salsa from the great state of Texas. Alexandria has taken the long trip across the state a few times. She's been to Dallas, Fort Worth, Amarillo, across the panhandle, to San Antonio, El Paso, Houston - she's been almost everywhere, man!

Where will her travels take her next? A road trip, flight out of town or across the state? She will certainly have a fun time wherever she goes.