An American father-son duo embarked on a two-day road trip from Virginia to Ontario, Canada, solely to purchase ketchup chips. Rich Lieberman and his 15-year-old son, Jacob, hopped into their old army Jeep, affectionately named Gertrude, which could only travel at around 70 kilometers per hour, and set their course for Niagara Falls, Ontario.
The purpose of their journey was clear – to buy Lay’s potato chips in the unique and delicious ketchup flavor, which is exclusively available in Canada. After crossing the border, they made their way to No Frills, a grocery store on the Canadian side of Niagara Falls, where they filled their shopping cart with 40 burgundy bags of the sought-after chips.
Although the drive could have taken under 10 hours, the duo opted to take a leisurely route down the backroads, savoring the experience. Jacob, who is deaf and legally blind, enjoys the sensation of the open-air Jeep, and the wind blowing in his face brings a smile to his face throughout the journey.
Jacob’s love for the ketchup-flavored potato chips developed during another father-son road trip last summer while driving through Canada on the Alaska Highway. Communicating through sign language, Jacob expressed his fondness for the Canadian classic due to his passion for ketchup. In fact, he has a reputation for putting ketchup on unconventional foods, like apples.
Rich and Jacob have a history of road-tripping together, having explored all 50 states and half of Canada, including the Northwest Territories. While ketchup chips can be ordered online from Amazon, the purpose of their adventure was to have fun and enjoy the journey.
When they arrived at No Frills and began loading up their cart with ketchup chips, an observant employee noticed them and helped them locate an entire box of the popular snack. Last Saturday, Jim’s No Frills on Lundy’s Lane posted a photo of Jacob on Facebook, which garnered more than 9,000 likes, with some even offering to ship Jacob his favorite chips a few times a year.
While Canadians have been known to venture south of the border to Trader Joe’s for mixed nut butters and dark chocolate peanut butter cups, this story highlights the special local treasures worth making a trip for, such as Coffee Crisps and Smarties.
Rich and Jacob plan on returning to Canada next summer for another year’s supply of ketchup chips, but for now, they are content with their impressive haul of 40 bags. The unique and heartwarming journey captured the spirit of adventure and the joy of sharing simple pleasures with loved ones.