Grand Island, NE to Pine, CO

July 22, 2018

Grand Island, NE to Pine, CO

Driving time- 10am-3:30pm

Breakfast

I wasn’t super hungry this morning so I just had coffee, lemonade, plums, and watermelon. Jason had oatmeal again with banana and blueberry with coffee and coconut milk. We were graced by the presence of insects and amphibians this morning. Our tenting neighbor was holding a cicada, which was very interesting to see! We heard them all night so it was cool to see what it looked like. She was an aficionado of insects and talked about the cycles of the cicadas. They were a really cool couple, on a road trip from CT out west on a motorcycle that could pull a pop up camper! I was obsessed with their little camper so they gave us information on how to get a custom built one like they did. The woman was a PT so I talked to her about Bear’s daily massages and she was as impressed we were working so hard to help him out. The man was an engineering teacher in a high school so Jason talked to him about Kyle. They live in a earth house which was super cool to hear about.

This dragonfly hung out with us for a little while as his wings warmed up. It was quite chilly in the morning in Nebraska.

Also, a family of 8 (6 kids!!) was a few sites down and the kids each showed us the toads they had caught and named. It was truly nice to see these kids feel comfortable enough to talk to us and ask us questions about the dogs and our trip. It was nice to feel the community that campgrounds tend to always have.

Leaving Nebraska

The scenery started to change today. We went from high grasslands that were really green and lush, which were being diligently watered as they were crops, to the low scrub brush area that was much much drier, because it was not being taken care of for crops. There has been very little rain in this area which is contributing to wildfires in the area.

What was really difficult for me was we started to see cattle farms. The animals were in pens in close quarters and without grass in sight. They were just huddled in dirt areas. This brought tears down my face to see these terrible conditions for these helpless creatures. The smell in the area was also very tough to handle. All in all, this was the worst part of the drive across the country so far and I fear what more I will witness on our more southern route home.

We drive into rolling hills for the next short period of time with a noticeable slow grade up with the car. It was extremely rainy up ahead and we knew as we were approaching Denver we should be seeing more mountains but they were tucked behind the clouds. Jason captured this incredible image of our approach to Denver. You can see the rain line in the distance.

Lunch

Lunch consisted of our mason jar salads, which have held up amazingly so far, and pasta salad. I also had the last of my Whole Foods Tofu nuggets and Jason had cranberry apple quinoa salad from Trader Joe’s. We were snacking on more of the cherries from the farmers market the day prior as well.

Did you know?

We had to stop for a bathroom break a few hours before our arrival in Pine. We found a McDonald’s and Jason and I wanted some French Fries to munch on. A usual vegan staple food, I thought. Well as I was waiting in the car with the pups (it was 95 degrees out!) I looked up on PETA’s website what else was vegan on McDonald’s menu. Guess what? The fries aren’t vegan! Whaaaaaaat?? They contain natural beef flavoring and they were sued a few years back for not disclosing this information. I was shocked!!! So needless to say, I did not eat the French Fries. This goes to show you, you always have to check on your food, because you just never know what is in it.

Arrival

We arrived at the Kennedy’s house just after 3:30pm! There is something so comforting about seeing old friends. Like you pick up where you left off and it is so seamless. The pups remembered where they were, and also remembered they had to be reintroduced to Kevin and Chris’s 3 pups, Magellan, Zeb, and Zeke. It pretty much went as we expected with a small getting reacquainted squabble that ended very quickly. Nothing to worry about! Phew.

Dinner

I have to say, I have been the most fortunate person when it comes to transitioning to veganism. Jason couldn’t be any more supportive, my family has been incredible, and my friends are incredibly accommodating. Kev and Chris had a veggie kabob dinner planned for us with a balsamic marinade.

We also had grilled corn on the cob with different salsas to try with chips. So tasty! We had a homemade margarita with dinner and it was perfect! My friends even checked for and bought a tequila that was vegan for me. I’m so thankful. 😊

I crashed out early and took the opportunity to be in a real bed. Jason stayed up with Kev and Chris and played frisbee golf outside in the rain. A memorable first night and happy to be with our people. 💜