July 26, 2018

Weather Forecast- rainy pretty much everywhere we wanted to hike

Today was the first day that Kev and Chris needed to work so Jason and I were left to our own devices. It was going to be raining at all the places we were looking at doing day hikes, and with Bear’s limp coming on a little more again, we decided to stick close to home base.

Breakfast

Today’s breakfast was a repeat, but so so tasty. Toast with apple pie jam, coffee with coconut creamer, and dates!

Tattoo

Well what else were we supposed to do? It was raining!! Chris is health inspector and gave us some hints on places that were clean and used vegan ink! I have wanted a thistle tattoo since I first went to Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 back in 2007. It symbolizes travel for me. After seeing all of the thistle on our hike the day prior, I knew what we needed to do today. Thankfully Jason was totally ready for the adventure and helped decide on the final design. Notice the mountains and waves on the stem.

The tattoo parlor is named “Fallen Owl”, and my tattoo artist lives a vegetarian/vegan lifestyle. We had awesome conversations about travel, food, family, friends, and music. She and another vegan artist offered us a list of lesser known places to try so we are hoping to try those next week!

Motorcyclist in need!

On the way to the grocery store, we saw a couple on the side of the road trying to fix a motorcycle. The chain had fallen off and the rear axle was loose. We had tools in the car so pulled over and offered to help. Maybe 5 minutes of teamwork and it was all set! The boys name was Kyle so we thought that was kismet. Happy to help those in need!

Grocery shopping

I can’t believe I am admitting this… but I cried in a grocery store. Of course I could’ve have been alone for this moment. Nope, the shelves were being stocked at that very moment. Jason and I went to a “Natural Grocers” store in Conifer so we could make Chris and Kev a taco dinner after they got home from work. All the aisles were full of surprises! Definitely a health conscious place, but my shock and awe came from the non dairy cheese display. It was glorious!

Look at this INSANE collection!!! Soft cheese, shredded cheese x 5, sliced cheeses, cheese dips….all dairy free! All vegan!!! I am lucky if I can get ONE non dairy cheese at a store. Hence the tears. I just hope this place finds its way home!

I can home with a HAUL!! Loma spicy pad Thai, cheesy bacon Mac, lightlife Mexican crumbles, Daiya pepper jack style shreds, 4 types of primal jerky (all vegan!), Daiya cheezecake, sliced tomato cheese, and VEGAN COOKIE DOUGH!!!! Whaaaaaat!! More on that later.

Dinner

When Jason and I cook, we tend to go a little over the top. We definitely overestimate what we need as well. We decided to do tacos since they are so easily customizable and Kev and Chris love them!

We did green Chile jackfruit, roasted mushroom, eggplant, onions, and peppers, rice, black beans, refried beans (check to ensure they are vegan!), avocado, fresh cilantro, and Daiya pepper jack style shreds. We had so much left over but it was very fun and playful!

July 25, 2018

Pine, CO

Hike: Staunton State Park

Drive time: 8-10 minutes

Hike 2

Today Kev and Chris brought us to a hike basically right in their backyard. Barely 10 minutes away from their home is Staunton State Park. This was unique to me because it actually is certified by the ADA and this park offers hiking solutions for people with disabilities! I have never heard of this before. This is so special to me because my father used a wheelchair for many years prior to his passing and he would’ve loved to have been able to explore the outdoors.

Look at how beautifully wide and graded this trail is! So amazing.

One of my favorite plants has been everywhere in Colorado. The thistle has many meanings to me, but I absolutely just love the texture of these flowers.

There were some cool out buildings throughout this park from the 1800’s!

Can you see what we see?? Deer/elk! Their antlers are so fuzzy right now too it’s interesting to see them like that!

We climbed to the top of a connecting trail to a red cliff. The views were stunning! To think that this is what my friends see daily is inspiring to me. Such beauty and grandeur!

Lunch

We kept life simple today. Hummus and veggies for lunch! Yum!

Dinner

For dinner we went to a place in Pine called Zoka’s. They had vegan cauliflower wings, which I had with a Korean sauce. Dinner was a little more complicated. Their pasta had egg in it, so I asked if I could have rice, veggies and some more Korean sauce on the side. It was delicious!! Don’t be afraid to order off the menu to get what you want!

Drive home

We saw some more deer on the windy road home. Kev and Chris brought us through old roads that were along side a small river with high rocks and boulders on either side. It was beautiful and thrilling!

July 24, 2018

Pine, CO to Vail, CO

Shrine Ridge Trail

Drive time: 1 hour 45 minutes

Breakfast

I wanted something simple this morning, so grabbed Dave’s bread and toasted it and added an apple pie jam we brought from Maine. Sooo yummy. Had a couple of dates as well as we ran out of fresh fruit.

Shrine Ridge Trail

To think that something this spectacular is mere hours away is amazing to me. Our friends weren’t sure if we wanted to go for another long drive after our trek from RI, but we want to see as much as we can! When we got there, the trailhead parking lot was PACKED! On a Tuesday! This is how you know it’s prime wildflower season. We strapped up and got going in. Tons of dogs on this trail and the 3 dogs we brought with us did very well with all of them. Almost like they all knew to behave or they would miss out on the hike!

Speaking of dogs, I should’ve introduced you earlier. There are 5 of them total in the house now!

Here is our pup Bear.

And his sister, Patch!

Here is Magellan, who just had surgery on his foot so he has it covered up. He is 13 years old and the biggest teddy bear!

Here is “Kev’s dog” Zeb! He is just the sweetest with the cutest block head ever. He’s my pal and he knows it.

And this is Zeke! Zeke is still young enough to come on the hikes. He actually had the biggest smile I’ve ever seen on a dog, but of course he’s camera shy.

Okay, now onto the hike. Just for reference, we are pretty close to sea level at our house, maybe a few hundred feet above. We live on a peninsula less than a half mile from the coast. At Kevin and Chris’s house, they are at 8,300 feet ABOVE sea level. That essentially means there is less usable oxygen the higher you go up. We are figuring that we have about 1/3 less usable oxygen up where we are. Even though Jason and I were in pretty good shape before we came here, at times we would take 20-30 steps and need to stop to breathe deeply and catch our breath. Kevin and Chris have been living here for 22 years, so they have definitely accumulated to these conditions. Our puppies were taking breaks too, so we felt better knowing it wasn’t just us who were feeling it! I was using hiking poles for the trip so I will say that 99% of the pictures today were taken by Jason. Here are a few of the favorites. (There will be many, sorry!)

Indian paintbrushes were everywhere! Such beautiful scenery no matter where you turned. We got to 11,700 feet on this hike! Pretty high up there! The highest mountains around us are 14,000 to give you an idea.

Lunch

We found a brewery with a dog friendly patio near by called Angry James Brewing. We heard they were BYOF so we stopped at Chipotle to grab lunch.

I got a sofritas (tofu) bowl with brown rice, black beans, hot and mild salsa and guac! Hmmm so tasty.

But when we got there, they did serve food! So after about 2 hours of trying some beers, I needed something else to snack on.

They had a little place located inside that was called “Cultivate”. Most of their menu was leaning toward vegetarian, but their fresh summer rolls are vegan!! Rice paper on the outside with carrots, cucumbers, greens, and apricots! The peanut sauce was also spectacular! Mmmm the best!

Drive home

The drive back home felt quick comparatively to our recent drives. We unpacked, showered, and had some chips and salsa for dinner since Chipotle does really fill you up. We planned our hike for the next day and headed to bed. Great first hike in Colorado!

July 23, 2018

Pine, Co

Weather- all day rain- perfect!

Day 1

Rain couldn’t have come at a better time for both Colorado and us. There have been extensive forest fires in part due to the lack of rain. We also didn’t mind having a day where we slept in and didn’t feel we needed to get into the car at all. Pure perfection.

Breakfast

Quite the spread for our first morning! We kept it simple with oatmeal and toast with some peanut butter on it.

Lunch

Ramen noodles themselves are a quick and easy lunch. We added fresh veggies and a spicy peanut vinaigrette from Trader Joe’s to today’s lunch. I also added sriracha baked tofu from Trader Joe’s. Kev and Chris also made an amazing salad and we added the microgreens we had bought at the farmers market in Chicago. Add a little Green Goddess dressing from Trader Joe’s for the win!!

Also notice the Wild Cider Pear! It is vegan and it is vacation after all! 😊

Dinner

We kept it simple for supper with pasta with red sauce. Again my hosts were super considerate and made sure both were vegan. I added Nooch (nutritional yeast, again from Trader Joe’s) to the top for a slightly cheesy flavor. Add some more salad to finish it off but this time Chris also had a Mango Jicama Slaw (TJ again!) and it added a fresh crunch to the meal.

Today was all about sitting around the table with friends. We talked all day and it felt so good to be with them. We planned for tomorrow’s hike and got to bed early for a 7am send off! Can’t wait for the first CO hike!

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. 💜

July 21, 2018

Chicago, IL to Grand Island, NE

Driving time- 8:45am-7:30pm

Breakfast

Another beautiful oatmeal breakfast by Jason today!

Here is the view from the camper into Seamus’s backyard. Bear finally felt comfortable and started exploring the space. He found the chickens and that kept him intrigued for quite some time! Maude came out and played with Bear and Patch so that was an awesome start to the day. We talked with Seamus, the Airbnb renter, for awhile and took our time packing the car up because it was misting outside. Seamus told us of a can’t miss farmers market that has actually been supporting local organic farming in the area because of the high demand for the product. He also said the church where this event takes place makes their own donuts 🍩 so Jason definitely wanted to try that out.

Before we left we said goodbye to the most adorable little camper out there!

Farmers Market

WHOA!! This little place was AMAZING!! It was raining at a pretty good clip when we got there but we definitely wanted to walk around and see what they had. This is a great way to get fresh produce as a vegan on a trip!

Check out the gorgeous colors that were just popping against the raining background! I’ve also never seen purple green beans so that was fun! Jason tried currants and we bought some cherries and the most beautiful plump blackberries! So fresh!!

Microgreens!!! We have been thinking about growing these at home. So colorful, flavorful, and healthy! We bought a variety of types to put on salads and add freshness to sandwiches. Soooo tasty! He also had this super cool axe like knife he used to cut the sprouts and I totally wanted one! Haha

These flowers were insane!!! I told Jason had we not been on a road trip I would have made him buy me all of them. The first set of flowers were called Sweet William, which was my grandfather’s name. Cool, right Mom?? I had never seen them before. Sunflowers 🌻 have a very special meaning to me because of my grandma too so seeing those brought back amazing memories of her. Little reminders that our loved ones are always with us, no matter what.

Homemade salsa, sauces, pickled items, and the biggest mushrooms ever rounded out the produce we saw. Jason and I said we need to start going to the farmer’s markets near our home so I hope we do!

The donuts looked incredible! They were not vegan so I couldn’t have them, but the story around them was worth sharing. The church hosts the farmers market every weekend. Each weekend they donate the sales of the donuts to a different charity!! Amazing! This weekend they were donating to a preschool that had been in existence for over 112 years!! Jason bought two (as he is not vegan) and donated extra money to the cause. We told the women we were teachers on a road trip and they we SO kind and excited for us!! We talked to grandparents who were babysitting their grandchild and brought him to get donuts. He looked so happy with the white powder all over his face! Definitely my favorite part of the trip so far!

We drove for awhile in the rain before it cleared up.

This random sculpture basically sums up the morning drive. It looked like a caveman with a pineapple? Not sure at all!

Lunch

Iowa was pretty, but definitely repetitive! Corn, soy, corn, soy!

We stopped to have lunch at what they call a “pocket park” which is just essentially a small field. Jason thought he found one on the map that was next to a pond, but when we started walking the path we didn’t find it. We did find beautiful flowers and unfortunately ticks 😩. I hate ticks. Here are some of the flower shots Jason took.

We turned right around and decided lunch would be on the go today. I had the best tofu from Whole Foods with my salad. Jason had spinach dip with chips. Simple and easy.

Car Trouble

What is a road trip without a little hiccup! In Chicago a nice man told us that our front headlight was out. Thankfully I had an extra one in the car and Jason was able to fix it. Easy peasy! Secondly, the most classic road trip thing ever happened!! We ran out of gas! 😂. We were 4 miles away from the gas station in Iowa and definitely thought we would make it when the car sputtered and we didn’t. We called AAA but even before they located us, the very nice Iowa State Trooper knocked on our window, setting Bear and Patch into a massive barking frenzy, and he told us he could drive us to the next station to buy a few gallons. All in all, we were back on the road in less than 30 minutes! We asked him if we could donate to a charity of his choosing in his name, and he declined. He just asked that the next time we see one of his brother officers that we pass on the thanks! 😭😭 Tears of course! How sweet!!

Back on the Road

We stopped to let the littles run around and have some fun. Jason of course found this tractor and we needed to have a photo shoot!

Love it!!

Grand Island, NE

We got to the KOA around 7:30pm. Long day today! We got the tent up quick and settled in.

There was an incredible sunset before dinner so I took some time to enjoy it.

Dinner

It was a ramen and steamed veggies dinner with a spicy sauce Jason found at Dave’s Market. I didn’t get a picture of what it was but I’ll try to find it again. Don’t use the flavor packets that come with ramen as they were not vegan. We cut up peppers, squash, carrots, zucchini, and celery. Awesome dinner by Jason once again.

Brewery

Is it really a road trip without beer? We’ve been very good and haven’t stopped for drinks at all the whole trip, but I found this place while searching online and really really wanted to go. Kinkaider Brewery in Grand Island, NE. Our waiter told us all about the history of the place and we were so impressed. They have brewed over 100 types of beer in one year! Most craft beers are vegan unless they use honey or milk in the process. One quick question asked and I knew I could have 11 out of the 12 types! We got the dirty dozen sampler and were both very happy. Dog friendly seating and good beer? Yes please!

Headed back and got some sleep. What a day!

Friday July 20, 2018

Niagara Falls, NY to Chicago, IL

Drive time: 7am-4pm

The amazing sound of birds woke us up by 5:30am today. I have never heard so many different varieties of birds. Usually, I would be pissed to be woken up so early- let’s be honest! But today I knew I really wanted as much time as possible in Chicago so I woke up Jason (risky on my part!) and we got the process started.

I actually can’t take any credit for the food! I am extremely lucky that Jason went on a 4 day hike recently and has all of the camp cooking down to a science! I cleaned up the tent and got the lunches switched out of the primary cooler into the small lunch box cooler. Best idea we’ve ever had! No need to open up the big cooler throughout the trip and everything is kept as cold as possible.

Breakfast

Jason made oatmeal. Quick, cheap, and nutritious! He added blueberries and bananas to his while I like mine with a dollop of peanut butter. Trader Joe’s chunky peanut butter with chia and flax seeds is my favorite! We also had instant coffee with coconut milk.

On the road

We packed up quick, showered, and got on the road just before 7am. The weather was okay until we got to Ohio, which was filled with on and off torrential rain fall. Not so much fun at all. We finished Trevor Noah’s amazing autobiography “Born a Crime” on audible. A must listen!

Snacks

Again, Trader Joe’s for the win for snacks today! Herbs and spices on popcorn! Yesss! We also ate a half of a bag of plums, which was my first time ever having them. Yes you read that correctly. I was certainly not an adventurous eater when I was young, so when I tell you it’s easy to be vegan, I promise I’m not lying! There are so many options of fruits and veggies I’m sure you haven’t tried yet either! It’s maybe my favorite part about my transition to veganism.

Chicago

First stop- Montrose Dog Beach!! Bear and Patch are such troopers!! They’ve just been chilling in the back seat, mostly sleeping, sometimes whining for treats, but otherwise perfect travel companions! It was pouring when we got to Chicago so our plan of going to Millennium Park needed to be put on hold. In looking along the shoreline on the map, we saw a dog beach pretty close by and decided to go. The pups looooved it!! I must admit, I did not realize the Great Lakes would basically look like the ocean does back home. The dogs loved it! Bear’s limp looked slightly worse today so he will need an extra dog massage every day for a few days to see if we can help him out. He just seems stiff from laying down all day. We shall see!

Second- Millennium Park

The venue looked incredible! They were setting up for an orchestra that night. The sound system looked unreal!

The Bean was next and also very cool! This was something Jason really wanted to see so it was a must do in Chicago.

Video and Water installation.

This piece was SO cool!!! They had a video projection of people’s faces with varying expressions with water coming out from different places. Amazing!!

Our camper home

Airbnb is so cool! When we didn’t really love any of the campgrounds near Chicago, I decided to check out Airbnb just to see if anything was different and affordable. Well we found the best thing ever! This tiny orange camper in someone’s backyard! They had the most beautiful veggie garden and chickens too! And- Maude! The cutest puppy after ours!

Dinner

We got to the camper when it was dark, so we decided to quickly unpack and find some food in the area. Our Airbnb renter told us about a place called Munch that had vegan and vegetarian fare and outdoor seating. It was only about 10 minutes away so we headed over. Unlike our area, the restaurants closed early at 9 so we had to do take out. I would’ve eaten here two or three more times it was so good!

I had vegan lasagna with lentil soup! The tomato sauce on the lasagna was incredible! Not too sweet and the best consistency. The tofu was cooked fantastic in it too with mushrooms and eggplant throughout.

Jason had the jackfruit tostada special with an amazing roasted chipotle salsa! Soooo spicy! He even put vegan cheese on it so I could share (that’s true love right there!). Roasted beets were his chosen side and they were straight up earthy and good, everything you’d expect it to be!

They had vegan cake balls for a dessert option, so you KNOW we had to grab those too! Triple chocolate, peanut butter, and mint chocolate! Yum!

Thursday, July 19th, 2018

Warwick, RI to Niagara Falls, NY

Drive time: 6:45am- 3:30pm

On the Rhode and off we go! Jason and I are totally NOT morning people, but we were up and loading the Subaru with the final few items by 5:30am. I couldn’t wait to get on the road!! We totally underestimated what could fit into the car and had to add a few bags to the rooftop storage bag, but even that proved easier than expected. Bear and Patch have been anxiously awaiting to find out what is going on as they’ve seen the bags piling up in the living room for the past week. Once we said “wanna go for a ride?” they KNEW they could get excited too!! Being the dog mom I am, I grabbed the couch cushions from our camper and put them in the back seat so they could be comfy for the long ride ahead.

Breakfast

Truly I was too excited to eat, but I ate a banana and some watermelon Jason had cut up for us. It was really early so we grabbed coffee from Dunkin and promised ourselves we wouldn’t buy anymore coffee today. My Dunkin order? Medium Iced Toasted Almond with almond milk 😋

Snacks

So sometimes the over-organized teacher jumps out at me when I least expect it! This is how I decided to store our snacks this trip! I HATE digging through bags to find things. I will inevitably get frustrated and eat the same thing over and over because I won’t go looking for it. Not this time!!! Trader Joe’s for the win as always with the majority of these treats! The ginger chews were my favorite during this ride today.

Lunch

We passed by the Finger Lakes around 1pm and decided to stop and let the dogs swim while we ate. Unfortunately, the water wasn’t swimmable in that area due to a family of geese. No problem, we sat at a picnic table near some willow trees.

I had packed salads and pasta salad in mason jars (photos coming later). Jason is so far impressed at how well we’ve packed the food. I’m pumped to know that we are eating healthy and fresh food even on the road.

Niagara Falls

I’m not saying that I wasn’t impressed…but I wasn’t as awestruck as I thought I would be by the Falls. Let me walk that back by saying, we were on the American side of the Falls and with two cattle pups in tow, we could not go on the boat that get you all misted and wet. I was most impressed by the raging water leading up to the Falls! Stunning! I have also heard from many many people that the Canadian side is better because you can see the full effect of the Falls. I definitely don’t deny they are right! We met many curious people. One lady asked to take a picture of me and the dogs together? 🤷🏻‍♀️ I still don’t quite understand that one! 😂

Dinner

We were pretty exhausted by the time we got to the campground. We were the only people in the tent area of the KOA Niagara Falls North so we could allow the dogs some freedom off lead as we set up the tent. Neither of us were super hungry, so we just ate some of what I call my “vegan crack”. I could literally eat this for every meal and not get sick of it! Trader Joe’s vegan kale cashew and basil pesto. Amaaaaaazing!

Shockingly enough, Jason and I were in the tent with the pups by 9pm and asleep soon after! It was a long but satisfying first day.

After months of conversations and weeks of preparation, Jason and I hit the Rhode in only 2 days time! We have made several lists, have been checking things off more rapidly this week, and are so excited to get going!

A few things to consider when embarking on a 4 week long road trip…

Pack once, pack twice, pack again!

We have been collecting items we need to bring with us over the past few weeks. I admittedly have had my clothes pack for about 10 days now! 😂 I keep finding items that I forgot to back and have added them to the bag. Tomorrow, I will take everything out, look through it, and make final decisions on what comes and what doesn’t. The hard part about this trip is definitely the weather. While it may be hot at lower elevations, there are still packs of snow up where will be hiking. Temps are still dropping 30-40 degrees cooler at night in the upper elevations. It’s best to be as prepared as possible and as my dad would say “better to be safe than sorry!” Long pants, long sleeves, and jackets will also be backed with tank tops, shorts, and dresses. Thankfully LuLaRoe’s clothing is amazing and can be utilized so vastly! Leggings will act as PJ’s, long-johns for cold nights, and bright accents to my typically day wear. Dresses will work for nights on the town and days by the lake. Shirts and tank tops will be the layers I need while hiking and drinking at breweries! See! So versatile!! 💜

Comfort while driving on the Rhode

On the days we are driving, we will be in the car for 8+ hours. That’s a lot of sitting!! It is imperative to stop and get those legs moving every few hours. We have the best reminder system in place so we stop and take a break….Patch will whine and let us know when she has had enough! 😬😂. Puppy pee breaks give us and them the movement we NEED!

We have also set up the back of the car for comfort too! We took the couch cushions from our camper, Jack, (who we are not taking on this adventure!) and put them in the back with the seats folded down. This provides a nice spot for Bear and Patch to be while also giving us a place to lay down if need be. Add some pillows and blankets, and the backseat will be perfect!

We are also filling a cooler for the car, but more on that later!

Audiobooks, Spotify, and Podcasts

Jason and I have an assortment of different things to listen to on the Rhode as well! As much as I love listening to Jason (and him to me😜) we both know we will need a break from the conversation at times.

Audiobooks- Up first is one I have listened to but I think Jason would love. Trevor Noah is a hilarious comedian, and his life story was incredible to listen to! We have several suggestions on other ones, and are open to more if you have any!! Comment below!

Spotify- We signed up for a 3 month trial so we can listen to whatever as we go! From Dave Matthews, to George Ezra, to whatever Jason will find and ask me if I know who the artist is (I’m very bad at that game.. the 80s is not nostalgic to me in any way!😬😉), we will have something to entertain us.

Podcasts- I am an avid podcast listener. I drive over 45 minutes to work each day, so I have a lot of car time. If I’m not listening to NPR, I’ve got a podcast on. My top two are “TedTalks” and “My Favorite Murder” by Georgia Hardstark and Karen Kilgariff. If anyone watches shows like Criminal Minds or Law and Order SVU, this podcast is perfect for you.

So these are a few things we have been doing to get ready! Cannot wait to share this with you! #adventuresinpurple💜 #veganontherhode