10 days 10 nights across 3,383 miles

There is just something really exciting about a long road trip. I don’t know if it’s all the research n planning or getting all the gear together, loading up on boxed dinners and filling the coolers with some good brew for the evenings and Red Bull to give us wings to make it across one state line after another. 

With everything packed and ready, we head west in the VW EuroVan. This ride is dirtbagging in style, equipped with a pop-up camper to avoid the crash pad nights at rest stops, a mini fridge to store all the PBR, a stove, sink, and water hose to brush our teeth which is totally optional. 

 

In 3,383 miles, we saw enough corn fields to make us never wanna eat corn, realize the collective power of cows to freshen up the highway for miles and miles depending on the direction of the wind and the beautiful summer clouds of Wyoming which float so low that we literally had to drive through them. (we got pictures to prove this)

Well those were stuff we kinda expected, as we were out on our second annual pilgrimage to the Tetons National Park as our first stop before heading down to Lander for the International Climbers’ Festival. 

What we didn’t expect was a flat tire in the middle of nowhere Nebraska, with simi-trucks flying by at 80 plus miles rocking the van left and right. 

 

I am a huge supporter of the Freedom to Roam movement, a strong believer that we all belong to nature and that animals should roam freely with humans providing a safer environment for the animals. What I didn’t realize was, that same freedom to roam moment would come my way in the form of a huge white tail deer across the winding downhill section of the Grand Tetons National Forest area knocking out my right headlights at 1.30 in the morning. (just for the record, the van just gave it a little slap across its ass, reminding it to look left and right before crossing the road, so as far as my Black Diamond headlight and I am concerned, we think the deer survived to scare other drives at night.)  

 

We finally arrived in Jackson, Wyoming with just one flat tire in the middle of nowhere, and one deer hit resulting in a winking van. What else could possible go wrong right? 

Well, some gas stations across Iowa apparently don’t accept cards, I realized that after I had actually opened the gas tank, and put the cover with the keys attached in the little compartment on the door. So I was kinda ticked that I had to actually step inside the store, pay the cashier, resulting in loosing precious minutes on a 3,383 mile road trip. Lol

So here I am in the store, waiting in line to make the payment. I look out the store window to check the pump number when I see Monica smiling walking toward the store with the drive side door now shut. That’s when I go, “oh no” (the exact words didn’t make the blog) So yup, we locked ourselves in Iowa.

 

So to sum up the road trip:

Flat tire in the middle of nowhere with trucks flying by at 80 miles: $120

Deer hit at 1.30 am in the middle of Tetons National Forest:$ X (still waiting on an estimate, wish I could send the bill to my deer)

 Locking ourselves out: $25

Laughing about it all and being in the Tetons and having a blast at the Climbers’ Festival: PRICELESS