Dougnuts
Well-known member
First, let me give an enthusiastic THANK YOU! to everyone who posted in this thread, were I asked for trip advice. Even if I didn't work it into this trip, trust that all advice was listened to and noted for future trips.
As for this trip, it was a plan of mine for over 4 years. When I was going through a tough time, back in 2018, I felt an intense urge to 'head out west'. Each fall since, I've felt the same pull. I think there something about being a man and preparing for winter that drives this feeling.
As luck would have it, I recently accepted a new job and was leaving the place that I had worked for almost 15 years.
I needed a reset.
I needed a break.
I needed to experience the draw of the desert that I read about on Expedition Portal every night.
I.....would need to do a lot of driving.
I started planning in late October, before the job offer and time between jobs was finalized, but I had faith that if it was meant to be, it would happen. My wife was jealous, but she had important work to do so I reached out to my friend of 35 years. He lives in north Alabama and I live in central Kentucky. He left all of the planning to me, so here's how it went.
Day 1) I leave Kentucky at 5 am EST and Jeremy leaves Alabama at 3am CST. The stretch goal for the day is to get to Denver, give or take a few hundred miles. As the night began to give way, I was rolling on I-64, through the gentle hills of Hoosier National Forest. Everything out my front window was grey and frozen, including the foggy air. But as Bob Seger's Traveling Man came on the radio, my mirrors lit up with oranges, pinks, purples and yellows. I hoped, out loud, that this was a good omen for the week come.
But first, we have to meet up in Evansville, IN., transfer his stuff to my truck and continue on our aggressive mileage day.
Many hours later, we passed through KC, MO., continuing on I-70 across Kansas, which would be a first for both of us. Typically, we would have turned north from KC to get to where my extended family lives.
Around the middle of Kansas, the sun began to set. After stopping for a good meal, we hit the road and I started scouring the internet for good car camping spots. I ended up using iOverlander to find a well reviewed gravel lot off I-70, well past Denver. That became our goal for the night. We filled up with gas at one of the last exits before hitting the climb into the Rockies, and after getting back on I-70, it was snowing within a minute. We began to climb and climb, eventually using 4WD as the road became super slick. We passed a couple vehicles having trouble, including an 18-wheeler with chains, but the Subaru's flying by gave us hope that our snow rated tires and 4wd would get us to the destination, which it did.
Day one clocked in with 1200+ miles of driving and ended with us sleeping in the truck as the snow fell all night long. We left the truck running and, while only sleeping a few hours, it was relatively comfortable.
Day 2) We woke up before the sun rose and begin the 305 mile drive to Moab, stopping in Frisco, Co. for a fantastic breakfast at Breakfast Deli. If you find yourself in the area, it's worth a stop. Their croissont wrapped sausages were $0.75 each and worth twice as much. After getting gas, I went back to supply some praise and buy six more for the road. She said that they often sell out fast, sometimes in bulk.
After finishing our drive up to the divide, we began the decent through Vail, Aspen, etc., eventually dropping down into Grand Junction (where we filled the fridge for the first time).
As for this trip, it was a plan of mine for over 4 years. When I was going through a tough time, back in 2018, I felt an intense urge to 'head out west'. Each fall since, I've felt the same pull. I think there something about being a man and preparing for winter that drives this feeling.
As luck would have it, I recently accepted a new job and was leaving the place that I had worked for almost 15 years.
I needed a reset.
I needed a break.
I needed to experience the draw of the desert that I read about on Expedition Portal every night.
I.....would need to do a lot of driving.
I started planning in late October, before the job offer and time between jobs was finalized, but I had faith that if it was meant to be, it would happen. My wife was jealous, but she had important work to do so I reached out to my friend of 35 years. He lives in north Alabama and I live in central Kentucky. He left all of the planning to me, so here's how it went.
Day 1) I leave Kentucky at 5 am EST and Jeremy leaves Alabama at 3am CST. The stretch goal for the day is to get to Denver, give or take a few hundred miles. As the night began to give way, I was rolling on I-64, through the gentle hills of Hoosier National Forest. Everything out my front window was grey and frozen, including the foggy air. But as Bob Seger's Traveling Man came on the radio, my mirrors lit up with oranges, pinks, purples and yellows. I hoped, out loud, that this was a good omen for the week come.
But first, we have to meet up in Evansville, IN., transfer his stuff to my truck and continue on our aggressive mileage day.
Many hours later, we passed through KC, MO., continuing on I-70 across Kansas, which would be a first for both of us. Typically, we would have turned north from KC to get to where my extended family lives.
Around the middle of Kansas, the sun began to set. After stopping for a good meal, we hit the road and I started scouring the internet for good car camping spots. I ended up using iOverlander to find a well reviewed gravel lot off I-70, well past Denver. That became our goal for the night. We filled up with gas at one of the last exits before hitting the climb into the Rockies, and after getting back on I-70, it was snowing within a minute. We began to climb and climb, eventually using 4WD as the road became super slick. We passed a couple vehicles having trouble, including an 18-wheeler with chains, but the Subaru's flying by gave us hope that our snow rated tires and 4wd would get us to the destination, which it did.
Day one clocked in with 1200+ miles of driving and ended with us sleeping in the truck as the snow fell all night long. We left the truck running and, while only sleeping a few hours, it was relatively comfortable.
Day 2) We woke up before the sun rose and begin the 305 mile drive to Moab, stopping in Frisco, Co. for a fantastic breakfast at Breakfast Deli. If you find yourself in the area, it's worth a stop. Their croissont wrapped sausages were $0.75 each and worth twice as much. After getting gas, I went back to supply some praise and buy six more for the road. She said that they often sell out fast, sometimes in bulk.
After finishing our drive up to the divide, we began the decent through Vail, Aspen, etc., eventually dropping down into Grand Junction (where we filled the fridge for the first time).
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