August 7, 2021

Jackson Hole, WY to Jackson Hole, WY

Today we had plans to not do much. Jason was up early taking pictures of the haziness that surrounded the campsite. I pulled Patch a little closer and tried to stay sleeping until it warmed up. This was the coldest night we had experienced so far – in the 40’s.

Patch and Bear had ventured out with Jason, who while taking some of the pictures had his back turned for a moment and Bear lost his mind at something. Barking up a storm, Jason turned to call him back nervously. Thankfully- it was just a man washing his clothes in the creek. Phew!

The pups had been begging to explore a little more around the site but I hadn’t really gotten the courage up to do it yet. While we hadn’t seen any wildlife yet, I didn’t really want to poke the bear, so to speak. But today felt like as good of a day as any to encounter a bear in the wild, so we put our water shoes and bathing suits on and went for a walk around the creek.

The pups were loving running around and Jason and I were trying to find rocks that we could take pictures of for color inspiration for our bedroom. We haven’t loved the color in a long time and it’s time for a change up! So many beautiful colors to choose from!

Luckily, we had no interactions with any animals other than the pups. The water was cooooold so we went back to make some lunch before heading into town. Jason needed to get an oil change and I wanted to go to the National Museum of Wildlife Art!

On the way into Jackson, we finally saw them!!! 🦬🦬🦬!!! Cars were lined up by the side of the road so we knew something good was coming up! Unfortunately the Tetons were hazed over, but these beauties stole the show! This is my happy place.

Since we finally had cell phone service we called a few places for an oil change…. But they closed at 4:00pm! Oops! Definitely should’ve checked that out. Jason dropped me off at the museum and brought the pups on a walk overlooking the National Elk Refuge.

Combing both art and wildlife is my favorite things from two worlds! They had an Andy Warhol exhibit so I was quite excited about that too. Warhol changed my perception about art when I was in 6th grade. Thanks Mr. Kaiser!

I wandered around absorbing it all in. A mix of traditional American art with modern art shifted from room to room. Some of the video media was mesmerizing! I’ll share a taste of the art.

I spent much of my time looking at Carl Rungius’ work. He was a North American wildlife painter and his style blew me away. I ended up buying prints of his for our home.

Finally I entered the Warhol and Weiwei’s exhibit: Valued Species. From the website: Andy Warhol and Ai Weiwei are two incredibly familiar names in art who have both created series depicting animals. In this exhibit, the National Museum of Wildlife Art combines Warhol’s Endangered Species series from the Museum’s permanent collection with Ai Weiwei’s Zodiac (2018) series, which consists of twelve Chinese zodiac animal portraits made of thousands of colorful, plastic bricks. Together, the unique, kaleidoscopic interpretations of real and magical creatures offer a comparative look at the similarities between the two iconic artists, with accompanying narratives that bring into question how we value both animals and art.

I absolutely loved this exhibit. It spoke to me about how some can value certain animals for certain things but others they devalue, culturally, religiously, or other reasons. Being vegan, I know I can get on a soapbox about this stuff, but it does drive me crazy. Why is it okay in some societies to eat one animal but another is sacred? All lives are sacred. Animals shouldn’t need to hold value to humans for them not to be eaten or used. It was a powerful moment for me and strengthened my understanding about why I am vegan.

Lastly, I visited an unusual interactive exhibit! It was about mason spiders but there was craft materials in the center of the room though videos played around you. You were encouraged to make your own spider and add it to the webs around you. Awesome!

I had told Jason to come back at closing time so I had an opportunity to explore the gift shop, where I purchased some prints and assorted other gifts. I was pretty damn happy to find stuffed animals for my nieces that were actually affordable! When Jason saw me walk out he captured how happy I felt 😂

It was dinner time! We had planned on celebrating our 13 year anniversary tonight although it was tomorrow. We knew we’d be spending much of the time in Yellowstone and might not get back in time for fun food! It took awhile, but we finally found a place that was open and had food we both wanted, Teton Tiger! We love Indian food. I had the Tom Kha soup and vegan makhanwala.

But first, we needed outdoor seating with a view! We drove back into Grand Teton National Park and went to a few of our favorite stops to watch the sunset of a lifetime. I have never seen a sunset wrap itself around the horizon, all 360 degrees surrounded us with color!

I told you that we went back to Oxbow Bend several times, and here it is again. 😍

Tomorrow is the day we’ve been waiting for…Yellowstone!

August 6, 2021

Jackson Hole, WY to Jackson Hole, WY

Rain, rain, go away. The storms caused us to slow down a little bit today. We stayed in the camper, reading books, updating the blog, and keeping Patch calm. These days on the trip are so important. Slowing down felt really, really good.

The rain stopped around 1:00pm and we decided today should be the day we spend in downtown Jackson. While it would likely be busier, the dogs wouldn’t be as hot in the car.

We went the opposite way through the National Park today and stopped at Oxbow Bend. Omg. This is my favorite place. Ever. No apologies for the amount of pictures I will share from this place as I made Jason revisit it several times. There was a steep hill that quickly lead down to the water and this amazing view. And more thistles of course!

We continued down the road and more and more of the Tetons unfolded themselves to us.

Check out the clouds covering the top. 😍

Jackson is such a great town. There is a certain section that is definitely touristy but still so much else that has a cool vibe to it. Jason went for the shopping rounds first and I stuck back with the pups. Some incredible people watching here! Rhode Island plates make our truck pretty popular. 4 kids stopped to say they “found” Rhode Island on their state plate chart. I loved seeing their excitement!

Jason would stop back to the car with bags and I ordered dinner from a pizza place nearby. I really wanted Indian food but the places near were closed. I ordered a pizza with green apples, vegan crumbles, red onion and jalapeños. When I went to pick it up, it didn’t look right. I rechecked what I ordered and this was definitely not my pizza. Arg. Weird thing is- they shut down from 4-5pm every night so I had to wait to call them a back and figure it out. Arg.

Once they reopened they made me my pizza. Jason is getting a free pizza for dinner and he doesn’t even know it yet! He isn’t a vegan cheese lover so I knew he would be excited at least.

It was my turn to walk around 5:30pm. Stores were set to close at 7:00 so I picked the few places I had researched and got going. I forgot to tell Jason that I read this weird thing about a shootout happening daily at 6pm in the square… directly across the street from where we were parked. Shit.

Jason was walking the pups around the square actually when he noticed a man dressed in an old style western costume with a gun in his hands. He knew something was up. He was on the phone with his mom and barely had time to react when BOOM! Shots (fake) fired! Patch freaked out and raced back toward the car, never to calm down again it seemed. I was blissfully shopping away and never heard the commotion outside. Jason’s face when I returned to the truck said it all. That’s when I remembered I had read it happened there daily. Oops. 😬

Jason spent his time in the truck researching our next adventure… Yellowstone! The anticipation was killing me but I was also just so damn happy to be here in the Tetons. A dream for sure.

I was just about finished with the first book in the Outlander series which I brought along with me as well as books we borrowed from the Thornley’s (thanks Jon, Nicole, and Jayna!). I can’t tell you the last time I read a book for pleasure. I need this in my life too.

Jason wasn’t hungry because he ate the whole pizza but I had brought left overs home. I’m sure you could see the disappointment that the vegan cheese was on that pizza. People who aren’t vegan don’t get it- vegan cheese doesn’t melt the same way….but it definitely gets crispy if you do it right.

I decided to remedy the issue and get my crisped up cheese onto my pizza, same as I had in Telluride with the cheese tacos.

Now THAT is how vegan cheese should be on a pizza! Smothered, crispy on the bottom and creamy on top. Ooooh yeah!

August 5, 2021

Jackson Hole, WY to Jackson Hole, WY

This morning we woke up at 7am to voices outside the camper. We were a little confused because while site #7 was close, this was CLOSE. We look outside the window to see a van pulled into our campsite with people outside getting ready to go fly fishing. Uhhh what? This is our site for the next 5 days and we weren’t super happy to see someone so casually in our space when we know we will be leaving our camper and gazelle here while we explore.

Jason went and had a conversation with the guide and he basically said they had every right to be there since these were free sites and he just brought the people with him up the stream a bit further outside of our direct site. Sigh. Jason decided we would call the wonderful lady we talked to the day prior who found us this site and see what the deal was.

This put a damper on the start of the day for sure. We put away our griddle because we didn’t want to leave something out that would be easy to grab and headed out for the day. We couldn’t call the ranger just yet because we didn’t have any service. The people who were on site #7 talked to us and told us they agreed, it was a little weird where this guide decided to park.

Our bad mood quickly washed away when we were driving out of the Pacific Creek Campground Rd. What was obscured the day before was on full display this morning, clear as day. The Grand Tetons. The jagged edges and glaciers were unreal. When you think of a dramatic mountain, this is it. It is multifaceted and changes from one moment to the next. Majestic and totally larger than life. We stopped and watched them for awhile and felt our stresses melt away. Nothing mattered right now. It felt like it was just us and the mountains.

We stopped at every single outlook because we wanted to soak it all in. We took the advice from the locals the night before and knew that the wildfire smoke could come back at any moment and we’d miss out. We headed into the Cunningham Cabin site first and snapped away. Man, I love thistles.

We headed back into the part of the park where we need to show our America the Beautiful pass to get in. I feel like this park has made me a National Park fiend now. My lifetime bucket list will include seeing the 62 National Parks now for all of their beauty. We headed to Jenny Lake Overlook and took turns walking down to the water. BRRRRRRRR. This glacial lake isn’t fooling anyone. Too cold for me for sure! Jason saw some people swimming in it but wasn’t chancing it with the rest of the day ahead of us. This is one of my favorite views of the Tetons.

Next we (I) decided it was time to eat. We had rushed out of the campsite earlier and didn’t make breakfast just so we could get ourselves moving. The locals had told us about Jedaiah Smith Trail which overlooked Taylor Mountain, which was just 15 minutes from a place called the Stagecoach. This bar has the longest running house band that has played for a crazy amount of years, every Sunday, but also boasted good drinks and food.

Jason wanted to do the hike first and then come back here but I was too hungry to try to do a 5 mile hike without proper food. We had the snack bag in the car today but none of that was giving me the energy I needed for this hot day. They had some vegan items on the menu online but the items were totally different once we got there. No big deal, at this point I’d eat anything.

I ordered a vegan burrito with a side of truffle fries. Well the fries came out loaded with cheese on top (sigh) so I brought them outside to the picnic tables and found a lady with a cute dog and asked her if she’d like the fries since I couldn’t eat them but didn’t want to throw them away. She was overjoyed and actually jumped up and down like crazy. I remember those cheese-loving days.

Unfortunately my burrito was super bland. I don’t know how they put so many yummy ingredients into one meal but it came out flavorless. The burrito came with regular fries so I loaded up on those. I needed hiking energy! The vibe here was cool but unfortunately the mistake with putting the cheese on the truffle fries and the bland food left us feeling eh. Time to hike, though!

We drove over to the trailhead and the parking lot was reasonably full actually. I felt a slight comfort in knowing others were on the trail. It was hotter than most days had been recently so we made sure we had a lot of water with us this time. Trail maps showed us the pups would have some streams to play in and drink from throughout but we wanted to be sure they had enough too.

The hike was mostly under covered trees to start so that was nice. We saw some people on the way that told us a mama moose and her baby were up at the meadow a few miles in so we had some pep in our step to try to make it there to see them. The trail was beautiful. It really reminds us of the White Mountains in NH but on steroids.

The pups found any bit of water they could and jumped in. Some of the switchbacks were still steep at times so I wasn’t a fan of that part. So. Much. Sweating. And I thought hats would help with the heat, but they just made me sweat more. We took some breaks and took our time getting up there. We had no plans after this other than to drive 2 miles into Idaho so we could add another state to the list so we were in no rush at all.

Made it to the meadow based on the All Trails map but no moose in sight. No bears either though so I’ll take that! We saw a sage grouse that was showing off to us at one point but otherwise no animals.

We turned around because the dogs began to show us signs of fatigue and we still needed to head back down. They were faster than me in this endeavor. It was probably the belly full of french fries but knows! We didn’t pass anyone on the way back and when we got to the parking lot there were only 2 cars left. Eeek.

I really wanted to head into Idaho just because. It is a beautiful state but we knew we wouldn’t be able to explore it. If we had thought a little more ahead, we should’ve driven back to the campsite through Idaho to catch the sunset on the west facing side of the Tetons, but we couldn’t figure out which roads would take us home.

Right when we crossed the border we saw signs for a music festival. We looked for parking and who the band might be and they were actually a band out of.. Portland, Maine! Looking around there was a lot going on and even though it was dog friendly, we didn’t think the dogs would want a night like this. I searched for some dog friendly breweries but everything was packed. This was a busy Thursday night. We decided to be logical and head back to the site for the night. We hadn’t made any plans for the rest of the week and truly did want to stop and look online for awhile to scope things out, but the hike too enough out of us to send us back to the camper instead.

I don’t know why the stickers are there? But it’s certainly cool!

When we arrived back, we anxiously waited to see if anything happened to the camper while we were away or if anyone else was within our site. Our call to the ranger confirmed that since these were free sites anyone could be there. The numbers on the sites are only to be able to figure out where you are in case of an emergency (not that we could call them without cell service if there was an emergency). We took our fate into our own hands that night and prepared for the next day…. by parking the 4Runner in front of the road into the campsite. No one else will be able to join us now.

Maybe we could’ve felt some guilt for this, but we didn’t. Site 7 was open now anyways so if anyone else wanted to park they could take that site. We just wanted some peace and quiet for a few days. Didn’t seem like much to ask for. I had planned to take pictures of the stars because I was too tired the night before to do it, but the clouds had rolled in and the skies opened up. The rain fall was INTENSE all night and into the early morning. Bear looked outside wondering what was making all the noise. Patch found a spot on top of the pillows where Jason tried to sleep to find some comfort. If only they could tell us what they were thinking.

August 4, 2021

Rawlins, WY to Jackson Hole, WY

Today is the day! Today we drive to the Tetons.

Jason went and got us coffee from a “real” coffee shop instead of a gas station. This was the worst coffee of the whole trip. Eeeeeek. No amount of oat milk and sugar is fixing this.

Wyoming is a very interesting state to drive through. We are taking Chris’s rule of “fill at a half tank” very sseriously because it’s obvious why she said it. There isn’t much here off of the main trucking highway or the road to the Tetons. A few small towns, but nothing major.

The scenery kept us busy for awhile. So much to look at and so many changes on the road.

We were stopped for quite some time for road construction with a woman holding a STOP 🛑 sign and nothing else going on. Finally we realize that her car is broken and she is waiting to be jumped from the lead car on the construction site. Wow. What a way to spend 30 minutes.

This whole time we have no cell service. Nothing. So thankfully we had the names in mind of a few dispersed camping locations. We arrived in Moran Junction around 12:30pm and this was later than we heard we should be arriving to get a spot. Jason decided to call the state park and see if they had suggestions on where to go. We talked to a very nice lady who directed us to the Pacific Creek Camping area. There is both a campground and dispersed camping in this area, so we have plenty of opportunity to find a spot.

The America the Beautiful pass is going to get a lot of use this week! We have to drive through the Grand Teton National Park to arrive at our campsite. The road is about 10 miles of dirt and thistles but it was easy peasy to drive down. The anticipation of knowing if we would find any spot was killing us but we were playing it chill.

We pull up to the first set of sites. Jason looks at site 2 and comes and gets me. It’s settled over large evergreens and there is a private walkway back to a creek. It was beautiful. My issue with the site was that we couldn’t see that far in any direction. I wanted some sight lines because— well we are in Grizzly country. They make the rules. We live by them.

Jason agrees to keep going and we find another set of sites together. We drove down to the actual campground but everyone was on top of each other. Plenty of open sites but not the feel we wanted for a week. We headed back to the dispersed area.

Site number 8 caught our eye. Very open. Right on the creek. The last site of 3 on the driveway in. It felt really right. Plus- I mean- it’s number 8. It is a pretty important number in our lives haha. Did I mention that horseback riders went right by our site every 30 minutes or so? Far enough away to see but in my mind- why would a bear come near here when there is a line of horses constantly walking nearby? It felt logical at the time.

We would be settling in for the next 5 days here. This would be our home. I felt very good about this location. Finally was able to get a little swimsuit time in too. Water was cold like our house in Maine, but well worth it! We brought the pups on an exploration of the area.

Now it was time to go see what we were here for. The Tetons! We didn’t see it on the way in because of the directionally we thought. Truly it was also because of the haze from the wildfires. It didn’t make it any less impressive.

You always learn when you explore. I had no idea Jackson Hole wasn’t an actual town but a name for an area. Jackson is the name of the city we were closest to. We were very impressed. Greta vibes to start it off!

We went to StillWest Brewery to get a drink and some WiFi to make a plan for the night. We talked to some interesting people, including a guy trying to get us to bring the dogs on a gondola ride and he’d be our tour guide. 😬uhh we’re good thanks!

The two beers available weren’t the type we love, but we tried them out and moved on. There was a cool farmers market closing up and we watched some great people watching. Then we saw Thai Me Up brewery and decided to ask what the wait was. They said 45 minutes and Jason originally said no but I told him we could sit and have a beer outside and wait and he agreed. We are on vacation! It’s okay to wait a minute to have an experience.

We noticed a new group of people who were also waiting and they were apprehensive to come near us with the pups. They were laid out all over the ground so there didn’t seem to be room. I called them over to us and moved the pups. What a simple thing to do with a massive impact to our trip.

Turns out, a few of them are locals. And they knew exactly where to send us for food and hikes around town. They told us about the haze from the wildfires and when the mountains would be in clear view. It was a great conversation and honestly part of me wanted to crash their dinner reservations and sit with them because they were very interesting people. Our phone went off saying our table was ready and we said our thank you’s and goodbyes. Bear even gave one of them a kiss. So cute.

Thai food is some of our favorite. We have a few places back home that are our go-to’s but this would be my place if it was at home. I absolutely can’t say no to shishito peppers and these were so good! Then my entree with coconut milk and the perfect amount of thai spice- omg I want to go back already!

My first tofu in weeks!! I was so excited! Jason ordered shredded chicken for the dogs—- they were pretty excited too.

We headed back to the campsite and I wish I had taken more time because there were so many stars out! I looked up and told the sky I would be back to take pictures tomorrow. Quietly the sky laughed at me.

August 3, 2021

Pine, CO to Rawlins, WY

Kevin texted us saying coffee was ready and we happily rolled inside for a few cups. We decided to keep the dogs separated this morning so that we could just relax.

We feel like home here even though we aren’t in Rhode Island. We talked about our future plans and the adventures we hope to have together. These guys have been essential to us this whole trip. They have been our trail angels helping us along the way. Even though we know our paths will cross again soon, it didn’t make it any easier to leave. The weather is what gave us our cue to get on the road. Chris gave us some vegan eats for lunch and said our goodbyes.

We drove through the familiar red rocked roads but this time headed north to Wyoming.

Today was just a short 4 hour drive. We passed some bison 🦬 but not much else truly.

We arrived in Rawlins at the Western Hills Campground. It was sunset and we spent time some thinking about our friends back home and what they’ve been going through while we have been away. Although being on the road is amazing in so many ways, you definitely miss home and friends and family. We set out good vibes to the sunset of Wyoming.

It was laundry night and even though we rolled in later in the night, it had to be done. I went and did that while Jason cooked dinner.

Spicy Mac and cheese, with a jalapeño, cheddar, and BBQ Beyond Meat Burger

We did a TON of research tonight for the Grand Tetons- what we’ve been thinking about the most this whole trip. We wanted dispersed camping but the sites are first come first serve. We had a 5 hour drive in front of us to get there but we were hopeful to get a spot. We would have no WiFi for a few days so I set my work email to vacation mode for 5 days knowing I wouldn’t be able to necessarily be available quickly. This will be the first time the entire time on the road that I haven’t been accessible. I have been addressing issues and questions throughout but even that has been limited. I just think educators all needed July off to not think about what’s to come.

We’d try to be up and out early. Okay campground- nice facilities – but not much space. The one thing this campground had in spades is weird signs.

August 2, 2021

Telluride, CO to Pine, CO

Today we drive to spend the night with Kevin and Chris and their pups! We weren’t sure this day would happen but we are both so excited that it’s here.

Winslow was making some noises this morning and Jason wasn’t happy. We couldn’t tell if it was just the condition of the roads or something else. This caused about a half hour of stress and then the sound was done. Hmm. No idea.

I was texting Kev and Chris because there were lots of roads out. My phone was telling us we had to go one way- Jason’s said a different way. Turns out- today was the FIRST DAY of construction on a bridge which closed the road from 830-1230 and then 130-430. An hour window to get through the road. Yeah no we weren’t risking that time frame. Oh wait? There is another road closed due to mudslides? Sure! Add that to today. We went from arriving at 2pm to after 4pm just by these two issues. Sigh.

We drove through some towns we wished we had gotten to but just didn’t have the time. Ridgway looked awesome and we’d love to check that out. We also drove through two towns we love but didn’t stop in this time- Buena Vista and Salina. We will see you the next time out here, my friends.

We stopped for puppy bathroom break at a few cool spots. Great sports complex with cool metal signs- well maintained- with tools even available to fix mountain bikes. So cool. Also we stopped at Blue Mesa Lake- which Jason decided was too blue to let the dogs swim in. Chemically maybe? The funny thing is we passed a lot of boats today and being from the coast seeing a boat in the mountains doesn’t make much sense to us. But hey- use whatever waterway you can to enjoy your life I guess!

I took the wheel for awhile and I’ll say it because it is my story- I was doing great driving! These roads aren’t easy by any stretch, but I was holding my own. There was an Rpod behind us for awhile and I made Jason take photos! Haha he wasn’t amused but complied.

And then, a familiar road. I knew there was something about this area but couldn’t really remember it. We arrived to the top of Old Monarch Pass and Jason asked me if I was okay to keep going. The road was tricky but I was confident. I pushed ahead. Not even 100 feet later I remember this road as an 18 wheeler FLIES up the hill, straight at us.

I said to Jason “Nope, nope I can’t do this!” And he replied “Well you’re going to do it now!” Holy crap. I made the turn, driving well under the speed limit, and then found the first turn off and took it. I had the car in park and the emergency brake up but I still couldn’t let my foot off the brake to let Jason into the driver’s seat. I remember this damn road now! Screw this. Jason was back at the wheel- probably very relieved that I was ready to hand it over.

The roads stayed familiar through South Park and into Pine. We sent a text to Kennedy Space Station to let them know that Sweaty Paws and Bearded Beauty were on their road. I made some screeching sounds with glee and there they were! Kevin was dancing in the streets and the stars felt like every thing was suddenly aligned.

The hugs and puppy barks were so much to handle. My heart was bursting. Zeke and I were old pals, though the last time I saw him he had two different buds with him- the legendary Magellan and Kev’s dog Zeb, who have recently crossed the rainbow bridge though forever live in our hearts. With 5 dogs before I didn’t make as much of a connection with Zeke, who constantly wants love and attention and makes the most expressive faces you’ll ever see a dog make! But added to the mix is the beautiful almost 2 year old pup- Abiquiu. Q (or Abi) is just the sweetest thing but holy shit was she energetic! She raced around to greet us and Bear and Patch did not quite get the memo that this was supposed to be fun and chill and they should get along with everyone. Jason and Kevin slowly walked around the back of the house and they showed off some of the changes since the last time we were here. Slowly the dogs got more comfortable with movement and settled.

We dropped the trailer quickly and headed inside. Chris had gone to Trader Joe’s and bought us all the vegan treats to eat! It was so thoughtful of them to do this for me 💜.

We started as all good meals do- so many different chips and dips and Chris’s top notch margaritas. I love it- she measured each one separately and poured them one at a time. This is what makes them special! Measuring drinks- what a concept! 😂

We spend the night by the table or the fire, talking about our adventures and what they’ve been up to. With Kev and Chris, it just feels comfortable. Like not a day has gone by without seeing each other even if it’s been weeks or months.

What a perfect night!

August 1, 2021

Telluride, CO to Telluride, CO

We were up early and tried parking near the hike but there were no parking signs everywhere. We headed back to the campsite and walked to the hike from there.

Marked change from yesterday- there was no one else on this hike. It was insanely quiet and it took a few self affirming words in my head to remind me I was okay. We both had bear spray, the pups were on leashes, and it was all good.

Yesterday on this trail was a 100 mile mountain bike race. The Magic Meadows trail was maybe 5 miles out and back. Mostly a single file line but extremely well maintained. Much better than trails back home. Even with all of the rain there were no concerns. Apparently I didn’t take many pictures this morning so I dug through Jason’s phone for some.

There were a few meadows but we aren’t exactly clear if we found THE magic meadows but all in all a great hike that showed us what Colorado is all about. We passed a few mountain bikers, but no other hikers over the full three hours or so we were out there. One biker had lost his sunglasses on a turn the day before and went to find them. They must be pretty important sunglasses!

Jason found a ton of different mushrooms hiding. His mom loves mushrooms so we grabbed as many pictures as we could.

We walked back to the camper and made brunch. I threw a bunch of vegan cheese straight into a sauté pan and let it cook. It got all crispy on the bottom and then was still creamy on top. Omg delicious! Those who have had vegan cheese know it doesn’t melt the same way. It doesn’t usually get crispy. My mind is blown and I’m loving this! I put my leftover tamale on it from the day before. Love!

We looked behind the camper to see a surprise before the rain! So cute! Mama and her baby 💜

I still wanted a sweatshirt so we went on a mission to Telluride. We were going to switch off who was walking around town this time so the pups weren’t as stressed.

There was a nice light rain coming down so we decided to take advantage of people not being out and we went to Telluride Brewing Company’s location in Mountain View. This cute town was not far at all from Telluride- we passed it from our campsite to Telluride. The gondolas run from Mountain View to Telluride and I was still debating having us all go on a ride- some are dog friendly!! Can you even imagine how cute Bear would look on a gondola??

Inside this brewery was a street taco shop called Los Buenos Tacos. What a great name! The tacos shells were grilled and it gave a whole different taste. They had two vegan options so I ordered them and found a spot for Jason and I to sit outside in the center of the shops. Jason got me a sour beer and it was lovely!

The rain picked up a little bit so we went back for our afternoon nap. The dogs were tired of being pulled around and loved the break.

Needing internet, we headed back to town one last time. Jason took his turn to shop and I stayed in the car with the pups. Jason came back with a few items in hand… including a vegan pizza!! Score!! Yay!

Red peppers, hatch chiles, red onions, spinach 😋

Telluride was not at all what I expected. Such a chill vibe. We will absolutely come back here!

We got back to the campsite and had a new neighbor. His name was Patrick and he had lost his wife about 5 years ago. He sold his house in Telluride and designed and helped facilitate Doctors Without Borders over the past few years. Right now he was back in Colorado, camping around the state to find where he would settle down. The work he had done was therapy for losing his wife and now he was looking to start life over again. He had a daughter, also named Shannon, and said she had “a lot of energy.” Jason said it sounded familiar. Patrick was looking at putting a camper on land he buys so we showed him around and inside our rig. He was such a kind person!

I love this about traveling- you never know who you will meet and how your lives can change.

July 31, 2021

Telluride, CO to Telluride, CO

I woke up knowing that in mere days I would be hugging my friends and loving on their pups and I know there was a smile on my face that couldn’t be easily removed. Vacation mode was in full effect now. We were in Colorado. Hands down the best state to hike in that I’ve ever experienced. It’s not too hot. It’s not too cold. There is a moderate risk of wildlife bigger than my dogs. It’s pretty much perfect here.

Jason had found a hike to a waterfall in Telluride that was more highly trafficked than he typically likes but was willing to take that on so that we had our first hike in a safer area. (Bears are most definitely around here!)

We parked close to the Bear Creek Falls trailhead and set off. Lots of people around and we were some of the few who leashed their pups but I am not chancing it with be

There was so much to see through the mountains and the valleys. The waterfall was beautiful at the top but of course crowded. We didn’t stay too long and headed back into town for lunch.

La Cocina De Luz was our lunch stop today. We couldn’t get outdoor seating but our camp was only 15 minutes away. They had vegan tamales here and I was pumped to try them for the first time! They also had a walk up salsa bar and soooo many options! Posole was on the menu as well so I had to try it out again! I can’t wait til I find hominy to bring home with me.

The tamales were perfect. I ordered it with both the red and green sauces.

We were back home at the camp for less than 20 minutes when the afternoon thunderstorms started again. Jason and I took the opportunity to read and nap. Patch got some more CBD to chill while we road out another storm.

We woke up to a little sunshine and decided to do the short overlook hike within the park. Absolutely beautiful views and flowers.

We weren’t ready to stop exploring so we decided to get in the truck and scope out locations for tomorrow’s hike. We had considered staying at Alta Lakes nearby so we wanted to drive up and see what it was like there.

This long and bumpy road up was well worth the drive, but we wouldn’t have brought the camper into here. Wicked narrow at times and some tough turns. Small fishing ponds at the end and many people were camping around here.

Back at camp we made a light supper- tacos from leftovers. Tomorrow we would wake up early to hike Magic Meadows.

July 30, 2021

Dolores, CO to Telluride, CO

We woke up not knowing if we were going to stay here and use Dolores as our base camp for Colorado or if we’d continue up to Telluride. Jason had met some cool people the night before and we liked the vibe of this campground. It was very well maintained, the new best showers of the trip, and had a small cafe on site. Jason brought the dogs for a walk and I got laundry started.

We didn’t have a lot of time to decide if we were staying or going. Ultimately we decided to try to move closer to the action and packed up to go. Jason and I both have high compliments to the owners on the way out. Very groovy campground for sure!

There were quite a few dispersed camping sites on the way we were considering, but our top choice was Sunshine Campground. It is about 15 minutes outside of Telluride and it had great reviews- but it’s hard to get into. Since we left so late this morning, I wasn’t sure we would get a spot even though we only had to go an hour and a half away. Dispersed sites usually get taken early in the day since they are free or cheap.

We stopped to get gas and there was some construction going on in the road, but that’s not what was remarkable. Highway gas price yet- $4.09/gallon. Arg! We skimmed the bottom of the jacks on the way out of the gas station but no problem. There was construction and the way out wasn’t the way we would’ve chosen to go.

We passed Lizard Head camping and Alta Lakes to our #1 desired location- Sunshine Campground. This is a small campground with 15 spots that are hard to come by. It’s 10 minutes from Mountain View and 15 minutes to Telluride.

On our approach we see the sign glowing at us “Sites Available”. After a quick squeal we drove in and found that almost half the site was empty even at 12:30pm. The hosts came over to talk to us and they had quite a life story! They must’ve been in their early 70s. They had been long haul truckers for years together, driving from San Diego to NY and back in 5 days for years. Holy crap! They have been everywhere, but they had never been to Maine, so we gave them our information and let them know we had a cottage they could rent from us. She was so excited! Our house by the lake is pretty incredible. Can’t wait to return!

We found our site – #8 of course. There was someone in a tent next to us but no big deal. The hosts had warned us about the storms, but we weren’t too worried after the dust storm the day before. Then they mentioned where we could see the hail that had fallen two days earlier and we were slightly less excited haha.

The thunder was BOOMING about 30 minutes later. Never have heard thunder this loud and this close. The sound was crackling around us. We gave Patch some CBD treats and headed for an almost restful nap.

We woke up around 6:30 with the rain at bay but my tummy saying we needed to find food. I have never researched Telluride so I had no idea what to expect. I thought maybe it would look like Providence? Everyone talks about this place so I thought it was huge.

Ummm I wasn’t even close. This quaint little town packs a punch but it was nothing like I had imagined. Very touristy- I’ll definitely say that- but overall I loved the vibe of this town. I actually want to fly back with my sister because I think she could like this place.

We stopped at the first place that had open outdoor seating and WiFi and I figured I’d find something edible for me. Steamie’s fit the bill but by the skin of its teeth. They had a chili I could have and I added on items to bulk it up. I was a little shocked about the items I COULDN’T have on the menu. But I trusted them that I couldn’t and had the chili. It was very good. Hot. But good.

The most important thing happened while we were at SteamieS. Usually when we are out west, we spend the bulk of our time with our great friends, Kevin and Chris. They’ve been out in Colorado for 25 years and have done a lot of exploring, so they’ve been helping us along whenever needed. They didn’t have the time they’ve had before this summer so an adventure with Kev and Chris and their adorable pups was off the table. But we just wanted dinner and drinks so we bit the bullet and asked…. And patiently (okay okay I wasn’t at all patient) waited. They responded with a YES!! Woohoo!!!

We were PUMPED!! All the stars are aligning on this trip. We are just too excited now! Even hours with Kev and Chris will fill us up and we know it. And I get to meet their newest pack member- Abiquiu!

I’m sure the rest of the night was great. We got back after posting a few days on the blog on SteamieS free WiFi and I ate some chips and hatch green chili salsa because I needed a little more than a baby cup of chili. We researched the hike for the next day and went to bed peacefully knowing in mere days our friends would be with us. The best feeling in the world is being with people who you love and who love you. I was truly at peace.

July 28, 2021

Sedona, AZ to Marble Canyon, AZ

Today we leave the Coconino National Forest that has been a perfect home and we head to the Grand Canyon. He had seen another canyon on the trip and asked me how much more epic the Grand Canyon was to that one. There was no number I could give other than 10/10. It’s incredible epic. We had been going back and forth about going to Arizona but I knew he needed to see the Grand Canyon so we decided to come this way. I am extremely fortunate to say that I have been to both Sedona and the Grand Canyon before when I was 19 or 20 years old. My brother and Amy brought me out there to see the World Baseball Classic. But Jason hasn’t experience it yet so I am excited to watch him take it all in.

We woke up slightly later than we wanted to and Jason wanted to make breakfast but I showed him the radar for Grand Canyon and we got moving quick. It was hard to do it though with the perfect temperature it was, wearing sweatshirts and sweatpants to stay warm. we dressed for warm and rain. It’s easy to get hooked up and going when you’re boondocking. We still had 2/3 of our two camper batteries full and somehow the propane tank is still on great shape. The propane not only is used for cooking on both the Blackstone and the stove inside, but it also runs the fridge when we aren’t hooked up to shore power. We have no idea how we still have propane but we’ll take it!

We did have a little fun before we left!

I went to give Jason a granola bar for breakfast when I noticed… we had a visitor in the car!! Apparently when the trunk was open the other night he got in. We found some poop on a towel and I had to throw away a bunch of snacks in our snack bag that he had tried to get into. He did a good job on a life saver and attempted to get to the dark chocolate covered pecans with no success. We’ll deal with this later.

It was an easy hour and a half ride from our campsite to the entrance of the Grand Canyon. We had called Jason’s parents on the way to check in on them. We bought them a digital picture frame that we can email photos to so they could stay in touch with us on the trip. Lillian says she just watches it over and over again and we’re glad we found a way to keep them with us while we were away. While Jason was talking and I was driving, I saw a sign that said “wildfires tune to 1610AM”. Lovely! I got Jason’s attention and we bid our farewells until we could hear what the radio had to tell us. It turned out to be nothing. Just- “if there was a wildfire we’d tell you here”… nice.

The America the Beautiful Pass came in handy again! After a long 20 minute stop and go wait to get in, we were through. We found parking and it still hadn’t rained yet, just sounds of thunder in the distance and a ominous grey color in part of the sky.

I let Jason approach the end by himself and watched has he stood in awe. He didn’t move, didn’t take his camera out. He just looked out over the expanse.

All of a sudden- I’m crying. Not because of how epic this place is… because in front of me there was a silver and white miniature schnauzer. We lost Josie in October in the middle of the craziness that the beginning of the year was. My mom was just about to start a new treatment as well and my Grandma Jean passed away the same week. So much was going on at that time I knew I hadn’t properly grieved the loss of my first dog, my love Josie. I couldn’t approach the dog at first but finally we caught up enough that I said hello. The owners were so nice and told me Coco was only a year old. I told them about Josie and how she lived to 12.5 years and was the best companion. I may have over exaggerated it a little bit because if you knew Josie you also know she was a very particular dog and was extremely regimented and scheduled and drove us nuts with being allergic to 7 types of grass and 4 types of trees along with chicken and various other things dogs shouldn’t be allergic to. But I loved her insanely and she gave the sweetest kisses when she wanted to. Before leaving the area, the owner saw me again and brought Coco over to say goodbye. Ahh I needed this so badly. (I’m crying worse while writing this. Arg I miss her so much).

We stopped as often as we could throughout the park. The skies finally opened up at around 12:30ish. Jason had jumped out to take pictures and came back SOAKED but thrilled. We took about 3 hours in the park but couldn’t stayed for longer for sure.

I was taking the brunt of the driving today. Jason had gotten us out of the campsite and to a gas station but I wanted to do the rest. We had decided against Utah due to mudslides and issues with the dogs in some of the national parks, but we found a few places in northern Arizona we wanted to explore so we headed north before back east Colorado.

We drove a long time through Navajo lands which surround the Grand Canyon north to Page, AZ and eastward. The skies kept looking bleak, but we never got more than a few drops.

Our plan was to stay off grid tonight at Lee’s Ferry Campground in Marble Canyon, AZ. There were a few other places around but this was our first stop. We arrive to the highest gas price we’ve seen so far. $3.79 per gallon. 🤪

The camping area here is quite small and there were no hook ups but a dump station across the street. No big deal we thought. We thought it was going to be around 75 degrees at night based on the forecast but right now when we arrived it was 95 degrees. Shiiiiiit.

We decided we’d bring the dogs down to the water to get them cooled off and make a plan from there. The town of Page, AZ was 50 minutes away but had some maybe vegan options? So we thought we’d drive until things cooled down and then come back. The Colorado river was running quick in some areas but we were able to get the dogs into a quiet spot. Jason joined them, for whatever reason! It. Was. Cold! No way was I going in there.

We actually never made it out of town. The water was great, dogs were happy, and Jason and I were loving taking pictures of the area. The scenery was perfect. It was just too good.

All of a sudden… up on the hill we saw them. Wild horses. Wow! Then they came down and took a drink right across from us. They were so close and so peaceful.

In the parking lot, a fox ran through and up on the mountain tops were Three Billy Goats Gruff!

We went for a quick spin back up to the gas station a few minutes away for Gatorade. It was hot, man! We stopped at a few stone structures we saw on the way in and caught some sunset pictures. What a stunning place. What I love about this is that we might never have experienced this if we didn’t make any of the decisions we had made up until now. We were truly meant to be here.

We got Gatorade and went into the general store just to stay in some AC for a minute. They actually had things made out of vegan leather!

We noticed there was a coin operated shower we could use that opened in the AM. Awesome! At this point, any shower is a good shower.

Back at the campsite, we took everything out of the car to try to find our rodent friend. We also took it as an opportunity to clean up a bit. The 4Runner is covered in dirt and dust from all different states. Winslow deserves a bath that’s for sure.

It was too hot to think, so cooking was totally out of the question. Sandwiches for dinner it was!

Jason was tired so attempted to sleep. We have a few fans that can be charged so thankfully they were at 100% and ready to go. Jason found a way to sleep. Bear, Patch, and I did not. It was 86 degrees at midnight. Breeze was gone so it was just hot. Between the panting and heavy breathing, there was no way I could sleep. I became a Momma Bear and I did whatever I needed to to help them to cool down. Water on their bellies, alternatively fan on each dog, ice cubes in their bowl. I brought them for a walk around the campground at 2:00am. Others were awake too, walking around or sitting at their picnic tables.

At 3:30 Patch had settled next to Jason but Bear still wasn’t feeling it. So I brought out a little puck light and my book and sat with him outside. The moon was waning but there was still a lot of light outside. I hear a chirping sound, which turned out to be bats. They flew in front of me grabbing the bugs that were attracted to my light. I felt terrible for the little guys. Bear finally fell asleep on the rocks outside and I stayed next to him until around 5:00am when I had him go back into the camper. Jason woke up and I took a few minutes to try to get some sleep. Hottest night of the trip but hopefully this is the last one. Tomorrow we will be asleep high in the mountains of Colorado.