The 41st Telluride Jazz Fest

August 17, 2017 by Erica McCarthy

Telluride, Colorado

We arrived in Telluride excited for the long weekend ahead with family and live music. Not only were we meeting up with my family, but Tim’s parents had decided to join us from Connecticut and had taken their own road trip from Denver. 9 adults, 2 kids, 3 days of Jazz Fest and 1 big house.

If you haven’t been to Telluride before, it’s kind of the perfect mountain town. Nestled right in a valley, it’s super small, 2,444 residence to exact. The entire town is also walkable, complete with Main Street that’s filled with cute shops, good food and small music venues. Surrounding the town are infinite opportunities to explore nature and embark on an adventure. From rock climbing to waterfalls gazing and top-notch skiing, Telluride has it all, no mater what the season.

We had one day to explore the town before the festival kicked off. We sent the real adults, our parents, out on a swiss army jeep tour of the area and spent the day with my nephews and brother, prepping for the fest, playground hopping and snagged lunch in town at Brown Dog Pizza, perfect for the kiddos. Pierce, and his wife Sarah, had been coming to Jazz Fest for 6 years and had it dialed it. After nearly driving off several cliffs and exploring a few waterfalls, the adults were back and ready for a cocktail.

One (of the many) great things about Telluride is that the gondola is also free and travels over the top of the mountain, to another village! The best part is at the top, a restaurant called Allred's, with incredible views, a big wine list and pretty fantastic food too. The McCarthy’s treated us to a great dinner and we headed back down to town. The ride down the pitch black mountain was somewhat terrifying but worth it. If you head to T-ride, make sure to at least grab a drink here for sunset!

The next 3 days were filled with music as Jazz Fest was in full swing. Telluride has every kind of festival you can imagine, from hot air balloons, to blue grass to mushroom (managed to catch this on RR 1.0). Jazz Fest is actually one of the smallest festivals which was actually great. We were able to get “front row” tent seating every day, the lines for food and booze didn’t exist and the grounds were a quick 10 minute walk down the river from our house. Oh and did I mention that everyday around 1pm there was a giveaway, and by that I mean wine, whiskey, bubbles, and tequila cocktails….for free!

Friday morning Amy and I walked out our backdoor and up the trail to Bear Creek. The 4.5 mile round trip hike was complete with a waterfall at the top, including awesome views of the mountains below. Dog and bike friendly, the trail actually wasn’t packed and we managed to grab some great photos, and exercise, all before 11am. The festival kicked off at 12pm with none other than The McCarthy Trio! We spent the majority of the day at the festival with a break for lunch at The New Sheridan Hotel. We made it back to the fest just in time for Lee Fields and Macy Gray….who kept belting “it’s a wonderful Saturday” to the crowd. Thankfully it really only was Friday and there was still more music to see! In true jazz fest form, there are also late night venues. We headed to the Opera House for our final show of the night FatsO, an incredible string and brass band from Columbia. I think this was Dr. McCarthy’s favorite group of the weekend and the old school venue was pretty great too.

We decided to shake things up a bit Saturday morning. By shake, I mean we were literally shaking when we met our guide that morning to take us on the Via Ferrata trail. For those not familiar, Via Ferrata – which is Italian for “iron road” – sends you traveling through the mountains in an exposed setting with the protection of cables and steel/iron rungs. They were originally developed during the first World War to aid the progress of troops through the mountains. If they can do it, so can we! Tim, Amy, Sarah and I put on our helmets, triple checked our harnesses and set off for 4 hours of cliff scaling 400 feet off the ground. The weather held out an we had one hell of an adventure. Our guide, Dave, was amazing and actually does treks all over the word. I will be calling Dave if I ever find the need to summit Denali or Everest. This is definitely on my list of top adventures to experience!

Extremely hungry after our mountain climbing, we grabbed a great lunch at The Butcher and The Baker. We still had an entire day of music ahead of us, and headed into the fest to catch the later acts. The voodoo Orchestra, actually a high school band, was really really good and was a the perfect lead up to Miles Mosley & The West Coast Get Down, only to be topped off with the Funky Meters and Dr. John.

The McCarthy’s had made a bet with my sister that they would stay out past 11pm so it was time to head out to the late night shows. Tim and I headed out with the McCarthy’s to walk into town. We were only a few blocks from Main Street and made our way, like we had done every night, up a populated side street. Kyle and I were admiring an adorable little B&B when I noticed that sitting just a few feet away, under the porch light, was what looked like a bear. Assuming it had to be a statue, I paused, took another look and did exactly what you aren’t supposed to do, I screamed BEAR! A huge brown bear was sitting on the side walk less than 5 feet from us. If you know anything about what to do when you see a bear, you are supposed to stay calm, look big and walk away.

Forget it! Dr. Tom, only hearing a scream, actually ran towards the bear, Tim took off up the street and Kyle and I bolted to a nearby porch. Of course, our commotion caused a dog to start barking and take off toward the bear…..who the promptly started running up the street in our direction. Thankfully, he turned down a side street and the panic settled. So much for our nights in shining armor, we finally found Tim and Tom blocks away. After escaping death the for second time that day, it was clearly time for a cocktail. We hit each of the late night music venues, my favorite being the Mardi Gras Indian Band at O’Bannon’s. I do have to share that the next morning there was trash littered in our yard and down the street...maybe he did mean business after all?

The final festival day kicked off on Sunday with a second line parade through town. Obviously, super fans of a good second line, we made a few masks for the kids and snagged a spot right by the band and marched our way into the festival for our final day. The weather had been off and on all weekend and thankfully held out for the parade, but rain just didn’t seem to want to let up on Sunday. We warmed up with a dip in the hot tub and headed back to the festival for the final act, Mavis Staples.

It was time to get back on the road for our last few stops before NYC. I will say, Telluride is a little magical place. From waterfalls to bear scares, if I had to pick one place to live in Colorado, this would definitely be it. See you later T-ride, thanks for the adrenaline rush!

Restaurants/Bars: Brown Dog Pizza, Allred's, The New Sheridan Hotel, Opera House, The Butcher and The Baker, O’Bannon’s
Fun Stuff: Jazz Fest, , swiss army jeep tour, Via Ferrata

Microsoft Desktop Wallpaper

August 12, 2017 by Erica McCarthy

Antelope Canyon, Arizona

Tim and I were initially at a loss of where to stop to break up our 10-hour drive to Telluride. My brother suggested Lake Powell and after investigating a bit further, I realized that although we wouldn’t have time to actually enjoy the lake, but we would have time to check out Antelope Canyon! You may remember a photo of this piece of rock from the now "vintage" Microsoft desktop wallpaper. The canyon is located just over the Arizona state line, near the city of Page, on Navajo Indian land. This small crack in the earth, known as a slot canyon, was super under wraps to tourists until the late 90's, when National Geographic published a photo of the canyon on the cover of their magazine and figured out that the famouS desktop wallpaper was not from the Grand Canyon. Having seen the incredible photos, we were super pumped to take a tour ourselves and enjoy the sights of the crazy cool shapes and colors inside the canyon.

Enroute to Arizona, we spotted a small sign on the side of the road that read “Coral Sand Dunes”. Super intrigued after seeing the National Sand Dunes parks in Colorado, we decided to take the almost dirt road 15 miles off our route to check it out. Although not nearly as grand as the park in CO, it was still pretty awesome to take in a canyon filled with loads of bright pink sand! Imagine all of the sand that the wind whips off of Zion and Bryce, and put it here!

Almost to the town of Page, we noticed a glimpse of Lake Powell and turned off to a vista point that did not disappoint. The Lake is actually massive, complied of tons of smaller fingers, deltas a dam and super bright blue water. Clearly another item to add to the bucket list, a weekend on a house boat on Lake Powell. Dreaming of cooling off, we headed to town to check into our hotel.

A couple of tips we learned about Antelope Canyon that are important to share, should you ever make the trek:

Lodging: There are no campground close by, and if it’s summer time, it’s blazing hot so opt for lodging with AC. We stayed at the Motel 6, the cheapest option around, which was still $180!

Access: Because the Canyon is on an Indian reserve, the only way to see it is though a “guided tour”. There are a bunch of different companies, which all pretty much do the same 1-hour tour. If you have a fancy camera you can book a photography tour, but everyone has to have a camera and a tripod. We chose the classic Lower Antelope Canyon Tours because they had availability.

Canyon Options: There are 2 options, lower and upper. The lower canyon is better in the morning when the sun is just coming in and the upper canyon is better mid afternoon to get the bright rays of sun.

When to go: This being said, here’s the MOST important information. It’s insanely hot in the summer, especially mid afternoon and you have to wait outside for your tour time to be called. Also, tour buses have found the canyon and drop off several loads of buses during peek hours. Tim and I booked at tour at 3pm, showed up next to loads of buses and were told tours were running late and we wouldn’t get getting into the canyon for 2 hours. We asked the tour guides and they suggested we reschedule for first thing tomorrow morning. GENIOUS!

THE ANSWER: Book a tour in advance for first thing in the morning (7am) so you can enjoy the canyon without the riff raff or the heat! Oh, and of course, don't go when it's raining to avoid flash floods.

The experience is worth it and so are the photo ops. It is unlike anything you’ve seen, plus it likely will be over run with tourists soon and destroyed over time. While you are in the area, grab BBQ at Big John Texas BBQ, and if you’re lucky they’ll have some live music.

After our 7am tour, filled to the brim with how cool nature can be, we had one last stop before Telluride. Four Corners Monument was on our way and of course we had to stop! I will say, monument is a very loose term. Other than a line of people waiting to take photos (3 per family only), vendors selling memorabilia and medallion in the ground, there’s not much to see.

Regardless, after a check off the list, 3 photos and a magnet for true documentation, we were halfway to Telluride. We were looking forward to seeing our families, listing to loads of live music and a comfy bed.

Restaurants: Big John Texas BBQ,
Fun Stuff: Coral Sand Dunes, Antelope Canyon, Four Corners Monument

"Life Elevated"

August 11, 2017 by Erica McCarthy

Zion, Bryce Canyon, Utah

On Road Roux’s 1.0 we didn’t get the chance to hit Southern Utah, so visiting Zion and Bryce Canyon were top on our list of things to see this time around. We also figured some fresh air would cure our hang overs from one too many whiskey drinks.

The drive through Utah, boasting its new state slogan, "Life Elevated", was in-fact, quite elevating. We rolled into the town of Springdale, which sits right below the west entrance to Zion National Park around 5pm. The town is actually quite established, so for those who aren't into camping, glamping is for sure an option. Sadly, it was too late to get a camp spot in the park, but a ranger was kind enough to suggest Hi-Road Campground located less than a mile outside the east entrance to the park. We picked up some groceries to make fajitas, filled the gas tank, double checked our wine ration and headed through the park. The drive through Zion was stunning as the sun started to set. The tunnels through the mountains, bright pink rock formations, crazy patterns created from wind and water and plants sprouting from every crevice - all create such an interesting landscape. We made it to the campground which had a bunch of great spots to choose from, several suggesting access by 4-wheel drive. We took the Ruby Sue off roading and found a great spot to settle in for the night. After a camp stove dinner, cards and some wine, we were ready to snuggle into our tent, complete with new camping mats (these REI mats really are THE KEY to a good nights sleep).

The next morning, we drove back through the park enroute to a hiking trail. Zion’s true beauty cannot be captured from just driving through it, it’s really meant to be hiked. There's also a shuttle tour that only the park shuttles can take to additional look out points, but no pets allowed! Because we were strapped with time and had a four legged friend with us, we were only allowed to hike the Pa'rus Trail by the entrance to the park. By 11am it had already hit 90 degrees and Roux wasn’t making it much further than soaking herself in the river that runs through the park. We packed up and headed out, noting that we will need come back to Zion for the full experience, but at least we got to scratch the pink surface.

Located only a short 1.5 hours away was our next natural beauty, Bryce Canyon National Park. Although close in proximity, it’s quite different than Zion, and actually not a canyon. It’s a series of amphitheaters that are etched into pink limestone, visible from the lookouts located all over the 37-mile scenic drive around the park. We scored a spot inside the park at Sunset Campground and road back out for the scenic drive around the park. Our favorite new word of the day was hoodoo! A hoodoo (also called a tent rock, fairy chimney or earth pyramid) is a tall, thin spire of rock that protrudes from the bottom of a basin. These natural colorful spires have been created from wind and water are all over the park and make it look a bit crazy and honestly, fake. Our first stop was the Bryce Amphitheater which was spectacular! We realized that the rest of the tourists had the same idea and the parking lot was packed. We decided to head to the very end of the park and make our way backward. Brilliant! We had the majority of the look out points to ourselves. While Zion was cool and big, Bryce was bizarre and nutty. We hit loads of lookouts and headed back to camp for dinner and some star gazing.

Unfortunately, not all things go quite as planned. While putting the tent together, the middle stake that supports the entire structure snapped and the clouds roll in. It’s these moments that duck tape come in handy, which, of course we did not bring. Recalling all of those MacGyver episodes from childhood years, Tim rigged the tent up with the help of a few trees and some rip cord. Thankfully, no flash floods, but the clouds managed to cover what is supposed to be one of the best star gazing spots in the country. With a solid nights’ sleep in our half functioning tent, we strolled out early in the morning for one last view at Inspiration Point. Although we did not get to wish upon a star, Utah was quite magical. If you are ever in the area, make sure to hit BOTH parks, and say hi to some hoodoos for us. Next stop…Arizona?

Parks: Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park
Camping: Hi-Road Campground, Sunset Campground

110 Degrees in the Shade

August 09, 2017 by Erica McCarthy

Palm Springs, Las Vegas

We decided to kick off our road trip in one of our favorite spots outside of LA, Palm Springs! Although it’s a bit sleepy and incredibly hot in the summer, we had come to love it! This time around we decided to cash in a few extra dollars and stay at The Ace Hotel. We hit the road mid afternoon for the quick 2-hour drive into the desert. We spent the entire afternoon in sipping Watermelon Margaritas poolside - granted it was too hot actually walk around the pool. Waterlogged but cooled off, we headed into town and grabbed 2 seats at the bar at Workshop Kitchen, followed by a night cap next-door at Truss and Twine. The next morning we packed up the car, took one last quick mid-century house tour and plugged in directions to The Cosmo Hotel on the strip. That’s right, next stop, VEGAS BABY.

The drive through Joshua Tree was once again bizarre and interesting, but I had my eye on the prize, the Seven Magic Mountains. If you are on Instagram, or really any sort of social media, you’ve probably seen a photo of these 25 ft tall towers of boulders painted in neon colors in the middle of the desert. Located 30 minutes outside of Vegas, of course, we stopped for a quick photo op in the 110-degree heat. They were quite magical and definitely worth the stop if you are passing through!

Tim hadn’t been to Vegas since he was 17 and was excited to experience the real deal over the age of 21. There was no mistaking we had arrived as we drove into Vegas and down the strip. My friends Megan and Emily had scored a room larger than any of our apartments at The Cosmopolitan, and kindly offered us their pull out couch. For those with pets, The Cosmo is also dog-friendly and comes with a box of treats for your pooch! We dropped our bags and headed out for some quick sight seeing…well, and gambling. A drink at the Chandelier Bar, a tour through the casino at the Bellagio, a quick stop at Caesars Palace, a gaze inside the Eiffel tower in Paris and it was time to start the night.

Emily made reservations at Beauty and Essex which did not disappoint. The food and cocktails were delicious and offered just the right amount of sustenance for a dance party. Sticking close to home, we skipped the line at Marquee and hit the dance floor. Around 3 am it was time to reign things in, and by that I mean a night cap and of course the hunt for late night food. Following the smell of pizza, we discovered an unmarked “alley” hidden in the Cosmo, revealing a secret NY style pizza shop. We headed home with an entire pie for a casual few hours of sleep.

We weren’t done with Vegas quite yet. The next morning, thankfully for the pizza, we headed to downtown Vegas to check out the Neon Museum and Fremont Street. If anyone has seen Chevy Chases Vegas Vacation, the giant neon sign graveyard is real and it’s awesome. You MUST book a tour to be able to get in, and do it in advance! Maybe we’re design geeks, but to us, these signs are some of the best old school art out there! The museum takes in all of the old signs from Vegas and restores them as much as possible, several into working order. It is a feast for the eyes and filled with so much history!

Riding on our old school sign high, we headed down to Fremont street, which we had heard had been revived and was worth checking out. Having little expectations, things just got better. There are incredible murals all over the place, small boutique shops, funky art, great places to eat and of course, all of the old casinos! If you head to Vegas, this is a must see and likely even more fun here at night. If we had 2 nights you would have found us at the Golden Nugget.

On our way out, I couldn’t convince Tim to renew our vows but we did stop at the Little White Chapel. Vegas, you get a bad rap, but you were worth the stop. Thanks for the hang over, off to Zion!

Hotels: The Ace Hotel, The Cosmopolitan
Restaurants & Bars: Workshop Kitchen, Truss and Twine, Chandelier Bar, Beauty and Essex, secret NY style pizza shop
Fun Stuff: Seven Magic Mountains, Marquee, Neon Museum, Fremont street

Let's Put This Thing in Reverse

August 08, 2017 by Erica McCarthy

Goodbye West Coast

Before we take off, I figured we owe you a quick update for those who are wondering how we managed to score another road trip and what the hell happened to San Francisco?

Tim and I spent 1.5 years in San Francisco and in the end, we’ll admit, it just didn’t quite fit. Don’t get me wrong, we made some incredible friends, explored the Pacific North West as much as our jobs would physically allow and of course, hosted a few shindigs. Tim had quit Apple in September and was freelancing, and I had now been given the opportunity to work for a small creative collective in LA. It was the perfect opportunity for us to depart, goodbye Carl the Fog. We once again packed up our Subaru, put everything that wouldn’t fit in a storage unit and sprinted south to Los Angeles.

Having learned from our drive up that the drive down was going to be spectacular and there were stops we had missed, we decided to take the weekend to drive down. A stop in Pacifica for clam chowder, a night in San Luis Obispo to ride dune buggies in the morning, an afternoon at an ostrich farm AND a miniature horse farm and, obviously lunch in the "Danish" town of Solvang - we made some great stops to add to the check list.

The day we landed in LA (really, the day we arrived) Tim was given a great job opportunity back in NYC and after much deliberation, decided to take it. The terms were that we could stay in LA for the summer so I could spend more time at my new gig, Tim would work remotely and we would drive back across the country for 2 weeks starting July 29th, making a pit stop in Telluride, for to meet up with our families at Jazz Fest, which we had planned months earlier.

Regardless of the ticking clock counting down until our departure from LA, we had an incredible summer! We scored a little apartment, complete with a backyard, had Friday nights out in Venice with my sister, took weekend trips to Palm Springs, Ojai and an airstream in the Hollywood Hills, kayaked through the Channel Islands, listened to the symphony at the Hollywood Bowl, made friends with new coworkers, and of course attempted to establish a friendship with James Franco. Although our time was cut short, our summer in LA was worth it!

July 29th came faster than we could have imagined. It was time to officially say goodbye to the west coast and start our trek back east. We laughed, we cried and we hugged all of the great friends we had made, and had In & Out burger as our last meal. It’s a bit ironic that once again, we took off August 1, exactly 2 years later, but hopefully wiser.

SEASON 1 RECAP

August 08, 2017 by Erica McCarthy

ACROSS THE COUNTRY IN 30 DAYS
During The trip, Tim captured videos of Erica moonwalking across the country
and combined them into one video for her birthday.

STATES

MILES

8,290

$ ON GAS

$856.19

NATIONAL
PARKS

LODGING

9 Campgrounds,
5 Friends, 13 Hotels

SOUVENIR
MAGNETS

West Coasting

August 03, 2017 by Erica McCarthy

The Pacific Coast Highway, California

The drive from Arizona to California took us through some pretty weird territory on our drive to Joshua Tree. The mostly desert terrain was peppered with abandoned huts, funky trees, and mountains everywhere. Dr. Seuss I totally get it, Joshua Tree and its surrounding areas were ripe with inspiration! Joshua tree is made even weirder with artists popping up installations on cheap land. We took a detour to pop by Noah Purifoys' “garden”, acres of land behind his house filled with his sculptures made out of what some might call trash. A few of his pieces were actually missing because they were on view at the LACMA in LA. Some might not appreciate it, but I found the yard to be pretty cool. It’s crazy what people’s imaginations can come up when they see a broken tricycle or a spare tire. Feeling slightly inspired, but mostly hungry, we headed to another bizarre attraction, Pioneer Town, for lunch. Pioneer Town is exactly what it sounds like, a tiny town resembling something in the Pioneer day, complete with a saloon and sheriff station. The main attraction here is Pappy and Harriet's, a BBQ joint that often also has some pretty great bands roll through playing live music on the weekends. Unfortunately, we did not get to catch any live music, but and Roux did make friends with a biker gang while we took down some ribs and brisket.

We had debated, up until this point, if we were going to stay in Joshua Tree for a night or in Palm Springs. The 110-degree weather made that choice really easy. We darted for the Avalon Hotel in Palm Springs to dunk ourselves in a pool and get Roux in some AC. We quickly realized why it was “off season” in Palm Springs and spent the day in the pool. The hotel had originally been designed by Kelly Wearstler and despite it being under a new name and under priced, it was still pretty sweet. The next morning we decided to check out the Ace Hotel for breakfast and spent most of the day ducking in and out of mid century stores, antique shops and air conditioning. Out of time, we decided on our next visit to Palm Springs we’d take an architecture tour and pool hop! We couldn’t help but stop by the Cabazon dinosaurs and Hadley's for a date shake. See ya later Pee Wee!

We only had a few hour drive to our next stop at Laguna Beach. There were 2 important aspects to this stop. First, we finally reached the west coast and the OCEAN! From sea to sea, we had made it. Second, we were here to see the Pageant of the Masters. For those of you unaware of what this is, let me explain. Remember that episode in Arrested Development where the dad, George Bluth, and Buster are dressed up as a famous work of art? Ok, what about the episode where George Michael decides to take Busters spot and strolls around in his muscle suit? YES, now that I’ve got your attention, let me tell you that what they were partaking in is REAL! Every summer, The Pageant of the Masters takes place at an outdoor amphitheater in Laguna Beach. 100% volunteer based, people dress up as works of art that range from paintings to sculptures. The craziest part is that it’s life-size and they hold their pose for 60 seconds. Each character is dressed, painted and positioned EXACTLY that way the piece of art depicts. It’s bananas, it’s magical, it’s awesome. It’s so good, m sister drove in from Los Angeles and met us for dinner and the show. If you ever find yourself in southern California over the summer, definitely get a ticket.

After staying the night at The Pacific Edge Hotel, we started our drive north up the PCH. We only had a few days left so unfortunately did not have all the time we wanted to do a proper drive. We drove the 2 hours North after a quick breakfast at the Orange Inn and stopped in Santa Monica to check in on a few friends! My friend Jaclyn and her boyfriend had just moved into an apartment in Santa Monica and had a spare bedroom. We dropped our bags off and headed to Main Street for some dog-friendly drinks and food with my sister. Areal had cute patio outside and great happy hour, plus right across the street was our dinner spot, Hinterland, also puppy approved. We had a great night in Los Angeles, although pretty tame given we had 2 days to get to SF and wanted to capitalize on daylight hours. On our way out, we stopped at a dog-friendly beach in Malibu for a few rays and some seafood. Roux loves the ocean and would play on the beach for hours were it not for excessive sand her mouth and not really being able to swim. Completely exhausted, Roux passed out while we logged a few more hours up north.

We made a quick pit stop in Santa Barbara for some peel and eat shrimp and clam chowder at Brophy Brothers. A seafood staple, I couldn’t let Tim pass up the opportunity to for some fresh shrimps now that we had reached the coast. On the move, we hit the gas up the coast to San Luis Obispo. Erica had read about the Madonna Inn and was desperate to stay in their cave dwelling room for our last hotel night. Much to our dismay, the Inn was not dog-friendly. Slightly defeated, we retired to a Motel 6 nearby. Refusing to let her dreams die, we woke up early and got breakfast at the Madonna Inn and roamed as much of the hotel as they would let us. You aren’t able to see any of the rooms unless you stay in them, but the restaurant, lobby and gift shop are more than enough to understand the vibe of this place. Colored glassware, pink velvet sofas, Xmas lights year round and fake flowers galore, this place sure is special.

Our last day of the road trip was here and although super bummed to be ending our adventure, we were also excited not to be living out of our car anymore. Don’t get us wrong, the Subaru was a dream, but after a month on the road, we were ready to stretch out more than a reclining car seat would allow. Speaking of, our final stretch was through Big Sur, Carmel by the sea and Santa Cruz, before landing in corporate housing in Sunnyvale for the night.

The PCH on this leg of the journey was incredible. Loads of ocean views, bluffs, and jagged cliffs edges, we spent a lot of time rubber necking. Doing the drive South would be even more exciting, the entire drive would be spent watching the ocean…next time. We stopped at almost every view point and were lucky enough to spot elephant seals and even a whale off the coast! It’s pretty crazy how vastly different the east and west coast are - the beauty of the west coast is unrivaled! We rolled into Big Sur just in time for lunch, grabbed sandwiches at the Big Sur Deli, and headed down to Pfeiffer Beach one of the locals had given us tips about. The beach, while so different than the fine sand sprawling views of the east, was beautiful in a completely different way. We got up to be up close and personal to rock formations and cool vegetation we had never experienced before lounging in the sand. We packed up our picnic lunch and sprinted off to Carmel By the Sea for dessert.

Carmel by the Sea is an adorable little town just north of Big Sur and south of Monterey Bay. Just to be clear, by adorable we also mean expensive. We opted for the 17-mile drive through the famous golf course, Pebble Beach, filled with Mansions and stunning landscaping. All of that day dreaming had made us thirsty so we heading into the town proper and stumbled upon a little wine tasting room, Galante Vineyards, nestled in a small alley. Just when we thought we had found a hidden gem, in walks Matthew Weiner (director of Sopranos and Mad Men) with his family. It finally hit us, welcome to California. we grabbed a real desert at the local bakery to make sure our bellies were full of food and headed for our last stop, Santa Cruz. Perfect timing was on our side and we pulled up to a parking spot on the edge of a cliff in Santa Cruz to watch the sunset and take a final bow on a great adventure.

As the sky filled with colors and the ocean grew dark, we spent some time reflecting on the awesome opportunity we were given to drive across the country. 9, 800 miles later, we had reached the end of our journey. A new chapter was about to start, filled with the unknown. While planning has its advantages, so does the thrill of the unknown. We experienced so much more than we had anticipated and walked away appreciating what our country has to offer. From friends around the country offering us a comfy couch to cooking under the light of our headlamps and tucking roux in our sleeping bags, we are so fortunate and grateful for the adventure of a lifetime. Hopefully we’ll get another chance to do it all again and will remember to bring bear spray. That was one hell of a ride. Remember, the road writes the rules, just play along. Until next time!

Hotels: Avalon Hotel, Ace Hotel , The Pacific Edge Hotel, Madonna Inn
Restaurants & Bars: Pappy and Harriet's, Hadley's, Areal, Hinterland, Big Sur Deli, Galante Vineyards
Fun Stuff: Noah Purifoys, , Pageant of the Masters, Pfeiffer Beach, 17-mile drive

Isn't It Grand?

August 01, 2017 by Erica McCarthy

Grand Canyon, Sedona & Phoenix, Arizona

Tim and I both have vague memories of visiting the Grand Canyon as kids. If memory serves us right, we complained the entire time, rather than enjoying the spectacle that mother nature had put in front of us. This was our second chance to enjoy it as adults!

Of course, on our way we came across another road side attraction. Located in the middle of nowhere, we stopped at the Meteor Crator, the world's best preserved meteorite impact site. It was more impressive the Corn Palace, but I had a feeling the Grand Canyon was going to be a slightly bigger hole. By the time we rolled into the park, it was getting pretty late. Having basked in the luxury of our B&B in Santa Fe, we settled on our last camp ground, Ten X, right outside of the canyon entrance. We hightailed it to the South Rim of the park, bottle of wine in hand, just in time for an incredible sunset over the Grand Canyon. The view did not disappoint and we were super grateful we managed to catch such a stunning view, all to ourselves. If you ever get the chance, we highly recommend it. There are loads of spots to stop and just gawk at how something in nature can provide such incredible colors and shapes.

We woke up early, wanting to get one more glimpse of the park before the tourists got too rowdy, and were greeted by wild elk hanging out in our camp ground. Luckily, Roux behaved herself and we packed up and headed for one last view. It was actually quite crazy how many people were already in the park and not speaking english. The Grand Canyon has become one of the top international tourist destinations and it was extremely apparent. Regardless, it was pretty amazing to roam the canyon during the day and take in it’s vastness. We snapped some classic photos and waved goodbye. Maybe the Grand Canyon is really meant for adults at sunset and a bottle of Pinot Noir.

Sedona was the next stop on our route and we were excited to experience the “Vortex” we’d heard about. Apparently Sedona has several energy vortexes, places where people feel heightened energy and spirituality. We rolled into town and couldn’t help ourselves - we immediately signed up for a Pink Jeep Tour and buckled in to check out the funky pink rock formations. Although a super touristy move, Tim had done it 20 years earlier and it was still pretty cool to check out. Our driver was incredibly knowledgable and was all about experiencing the vortex and all nature had to offer. We did leave feeling well informed and pretty zen. Excited to eat a meal without our camp stove, we headed to Dahl & Di Luca for a great meal complete with buffalo burrata.

We only had a few hours the next morning, so we headed to a small outdoor shopping center filled with mosaic tiles, lots of greenery, boutiques and restaurants. the Oak Creek Brewery Co. were kind enough to allow us and roux on their patio. A quick meal and we were on our way to meet up with Tim’s old coworkers from Bonobos in Phoenix.

Upon arrival in Phoenix we were greeted with a penthouse suite, rooftop pool, and cold beers - courtesy of Dylan, Evan and Tuft & Needle. After Bonobos, a few of the guys moved to Phoenix to work for the mattress company and were living the life! Evan happened to be out of town and offered us a free stay in his penthouse apartment, complete with any mattress of our choice and a peloton bicycle. The trifecta was complete when Paulina, the final Bonobos alumni arrived! The crew took us out in Scottsdale, with our first stop being Bandera for dinner. A local favorite, we dined on steaks and cocktails. Ready to take on the night, we headed to Counter Intuitive for drinks with the entire Tuft & Needle crew and then “out” on the town. With zero expectations, we were super surprised to find Scottsdale to be like a mini Vegas. Girls in tiny dresses, lines out the door, golf carts for taxis….this isn’t real life. No wonder people go to college in Scottsdale, I thank my lucky stars I was completely unaware this existed until after I was 30.

Arizona, thanks for the stops. You were super hot, in temperature and pure beauty.

Overnight: Ten X
Food & Drinks: Dahl & Di Luca, Oak Creek Brewery Co. , Bandera, Counter Intuitive
Fun Stuff: Meteor Crator, Grand Canyon, Pink Jeep Tour,

Oh hey, Santa Fe

July 28, 2017 by Erica McCarthy

Santa Fe, New Mexico

Heading south towards New Mexico, we spotted one last necessary stop in Colorado. The Great Sand Dunes National Park was on our way, so we figured why not stop in the nations largest sandbox? A giant sandbox it was! As we drove up, the sandy hills come out of nowhere. It’s as if the sky opened up one day and just dropped a load of sand and said here, have some fun. At the base of the dunes, there was a steady stream of water. It looked like every kids dream, as we watched several of them making castles and rolling around in wet sand, making sure to fill every crack…aka, a parents nightmare. Thankfully all we had was a dog who enjoyed the free drinking water, and we pressed on to the desert.

If you ever thought climbing a hill was hard, think again. Climbing mounds of sand in the heat was so intense and the wind seemed to pick up at just the right moment to throw sand in your eyes. We made it to the top of one hill and watched at kids “snowboarded” and “sled” down the sand. Slightly bummed we did not come equipped with sand sled, we quickly realized that it is in no way comparable to actual snowboarding or sledding….but more like going down a water slide with a very slow trickle of water. Instead, we raced down the dunes and back to the car to press on for even hotter weather.

Tim’s parents had visited Santa Fe a few years ago and had nothing but rave reviews, so we were excited to check it out. The drive was filled with wild flowers, mountain ranges in the distance, the beginning of beautiful red rocks and a very strange gas station with animal sculptures. We stopped in Taos for lunch, itching for some authentic mexican food. The small town had a cute center square surrounded by stores. We opted for some new Patagonia hats instead of jewelry and found a dog friendly restaurant called The Alley Cantina. We hit the road with only an hour left and headed towards our B&B, The Inn of the Turquoise Bear.

The Inn was New Mexico in true form. A funky adobe house with gardens, scattered rooms, outdoor eating areas and of course turquoise doors. We settled into our room, complete with a fire place and dog treats, excited to be skipping the tent for a night. We walked downtown to find the town square filled with music. It was as if we were being welcomed to town as we approached the Santa Fe Bandstand complete with a New Orleans band belting out jazzy tunes. We checked out the stores and galleries set out on a hunt for the perfect dinner spot. Erica struck up a conversation with an owner at one of the MANY turquois shops who suggested The Shed just down the street.

The Shed had been around since 1953, was family owned and they knew how to make a killer drink. We were used to the extra sugary margarita mixes that left you with an awful headache and were pleasantly surprised by the delicious margs they served up. Thank you for making us reconsider tequila Carswell Family. The food did not disappoint nor did the service. Our waitress suggested we hit up the Cowgirl BBQ for a nightcap and called her friend Henry, a pedi cab driver, to take us there. Another margarita for the books and we made it home headache free.

The best part of staying at a B&B is always the breakfast! We woke up early the next day and were greeted with fresh ginger waffles. Post ginger intake we headed to the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum. Although small, it was mighty and worth the two hours indoors. Continuing on our art tour, next up was Canyon Road, but not before stopping by the jewelry vendors at the Palace of the Govenors to pick up a copper bracelet. Canyon Road is definitely worth a visit. The road is actually a street filled with curated galleries inside your classic Santa Fe homes. We accidentally spent hours here and found ourselves itching for a cold beverage when we wandered upon at El Farol towards the end of the road for some food. If you drive through Santa Fe, definitely take a stroll down Canyon Road.

Just when we thought we were finished with arts and crafts, we came across what looked like a vintage rug shop called Serret and Sons Architecture and Antiques. This maze of rooms and floors were FILLED with antique doors, pillars, windows, fireplaces...I mean you name it and they had it! It was incredible to get a bit lost and stumble upon all of the unaffordable goodies.

For our last night, we took the advice of Tim's parents and headed to the Pink Adobe for dinner nestled in a cute courtyard and 315 Restaurant and Wine Bar across the street for a night cap. The food and mezcal in this town are definitely worth it!

It was time to move on to our next spot, the Grand Canyon. A quick pit stop at Modern General for breakfast, a few photos crossing the continental divide and we were on our way to view a really big crack in the ground.

Hotel: The Inn of the Turquoise Bear
Taos Restaurant: The Alley Cantina
Sante Fe Restaurants: The Shed, Pink Adobe, Modern General, El Farol
Drinks: 315 Restaurant and Wine Bar, Cowgirl BBQ
Fun Stuff: Great Sand Dunes National Park, Georgia O'Keeffe Museum, Canyon Road, Serret and Sons Architecture and Antiques

Coloradical

August 30, 2015 by Erica McCarthy

Telluride & Crested Butte, Colorado

During our short 2 hour drive to Telluride we learned that there was a mushroom festival in town and of course all of the campgrounds were booked. Just as we were losing hope, a magical castle appeared in the distance. Ok, really it was just a nice, rustic hotel, but at the time, it sure seemed like a castle. The Angler Inn was just outside of Telluride and truly was a dream. They were pet friendly, had a delicious restaurant, continental breakfast, corn hole, an outdoor patio and an insanely comfortable bed — all for $110. With our stomachs full, we got a great night of sleep before our next 2 nights in the wilderness with Erica’s brother, Pierce. If you are ever looking for a place to stay around Telluride, we highly recommend it!

We took off the next morning and were instructed to put “Last Dollar Road” into our GPS. More than half way through our trip, the name felt very fitting. We hit the dirt road and drove the Last Dollar up the mountains to an incredible view point, where we’d be meeting up with Erica’s brother. Mountain bikers, jeeps and ATVs seemed to have a similar idea and also confirmed our suspicion, that this was the best view in the Telluride. In true form, Pierce arrived in his lifted Jeep with a trunk full of groceries and cold Colorado beers. He asked if we liked the view and when we said yes, he said well that’s great because this is our home for the night! We found the perfect spot nestled in the woods and set up camp. This was clearly not Pierce’s first camping rodeo. He made tarp hanging seem like an art form, his cooler looked like a stop n shop and man were his beers cold. We still have lots to learn.

We headed in to Telluride to check out the town and of course the mushroom festival. First up was the mansion on Bridal Veil Falls. No one’s exactly sure how you get there…or how it got there, but the house on top of the falls is one heck of a sight. Wanting some mountain top views of our own, we headed up the free and pet friendly tram to the top of the ski mountain. Covered in wild flowers and rays of sun, we were definitely a little bit closer to heaven.

Next up was the mushroom festival and we rolled in just in time for the parade. It’s still unclear if the festival was for psychedelic or regular mushrooms, but one thing was clear….everyone was on something. From hand made costumes to unicycles, the short 10 block parade did not disappoint. As the saying goes, if you can’t beat em join em, so we too started chanting “WE LOVE MUSHROOMS” and joined the parade. Obviously hungry after thinking about mushrooms, we headed to Oak for some BBQ and a night cap. We made it back to our camp in the woods just in time for bed.

We woke up the next day to fresh chocolate pancakes and maple bacon on the griddle. If anyone doesn’t know the secret to getting Erica out of bed, it’s the fresh scent of bacon. Ready to start the day, we broke down our camp and headed to Lost Lake campground in Crested Butte. We stopped in the a one horse town to grab lunch from a tiny farm to table restaurant…there’s a good chance we were also on the farm and pet the one horse. If we thought the wild flowers were crazy in Telluride, then Crested Butte took things to a whole new level. We picked a prime camping spot on the lake, in a field of flowers and said hello to our neighbors in their Vanawagon (mostly we were extremely jealous). We learned that they travel in their VW to different festivals and parties to do face painting and glitter. In their spare time, they are bird watchers. That’s it, forget Apple…..we’re going to trade it all in to join their circus…if it gets us a Vanawagon. We spent the afternoon debating our career choices, attempting to fish, enjoying the calm setting and of course picking wild flowers for the dinner table. Pierce had dinner all dialed in. We dined on morrocan chicken, veggies and cous cous. We added in some brussel sprouts and a salad and ate like royalty. The sky was incredibly clear so for desert we had smores made with Reece's and a view of the milky way.

Saying goodnight, we settled in our tent as Pierce folded down his seats and rolled out his 5” mattress to sleep on a Queen size bed in his car. Just as we soon as we fell asleep, we were awake and in the middle of a thunder and lightening storm. It was crazy to think how clear the sky had been a few hours ago and how terrifying it was now! Roux crept into our sleeping bags and passed out while we contemplated our safety. Not only did Pierce have a bed, he had rubber tires….wasn’t that a thing….we were on the ground with a piece of nylon between us and bolts of sheer energy. Why didn’t the bear spray mention what to do in a lightening storm? There were no seconds between lightening and thunder and were 100% sure there is a massive tree in the woods next to us that’s no longer alive. We laid awake, watching the sky light up above us for an hour and as the storm calmed, so did we.

It’s as if Pierce new we needed a power breakfast after a night dodging lightening bolts. He whipped u some fresh cinnamon and sugar donuts, of course with a side of bacon. 4 dozen donuts later, we laughed about the storm and Pierce informed us he was up half the night and made sure we were ok. If it had been that bad, he would have shared his queen bed. We headed into the town of Crested Butte for lunch and a dose of reality. The town is actually really cool and what we imagined Breckenridge or Vail to have been years ago, before it became a tourist attraction. The streets were lined with old victorian homes, there were tons of restaurants and bars with patios and of course lots of dogs. We switched up the cuisine and had thai food for lunch, which seems to be a ski town favorite. Ready for our final stretch in Colorado, we hopped in the car and headed towards Salida. The small town was our last top before New Mexico and hot temperatures. We said goodbye to Pierce and thanked him for a solid 2 days of Colorado camping along with a lot of key learnings. Tarp hanging is tricky but once you get the hang of it, it’s a camping life saver. Sleeping on a mattress in your car has serious benefits. And when in doubt, make donuts for breakfast.

Angler: another word for fisherman
Donut Secret: Pillsbury Biscuits

Arches, Canyons and Buttes, OH MY!

August 27, 2015 by Erica McCarthy

Moab, Utah

Subaroux’s odometer was about to hit 5,000 miles, meaning it was time for a quick check up. With a clean bill of health, a cooler full of groceries and fresh laundry, we left Jackson and headed south towards Moab, Utah. Our longest drive to date was going to land us in the canyons around 8pm, so we decided to secure a camping spot on the main drag to ensure we would not end up with the last spot available next to a elk carcass this time.

What we learned when we arrived is that there's no shortage of camping in Moab. There is, of course, camping in the parks but there are also campgrounds behind hotels, gas stations and even the McDonald's. We rolled into our spot in row G behind the Texaco gas station after dark and set up camp. The gas station actually proved to be extremely helpful as we loaded up on beer and as much ice as we could.

The second thing we noticed upon our arrival is that it’s extremely hot this time of year. Setting up as the sun was going down was actually the right move as the temperature was just starting to dip below 90. We dined on teriyaki marinated chicken, zucchini, potatoes and Tecate that went down like water. Also setting up for the night was a tour group full of 20 somethings from around the globe. They tipped us off to a waterfall 10 miles down the road and we made the metal note to hit it up after Arches National Park the next day.

We woke up early in an attempt to beat the heat and headed to Arches. Erica had registered Roux as her emotional service dog, so we strapped on her harness and spent the day exploring the fascinating park. The drive through the park was awesome and the views were down right magical. From towering spires, balancing rocks and of course arches, it was hard to believe this was mother nature’s doing. According to the textbooks, the thousands of feet thick salt bed was deposited across the Colorado Plateau 300 million years ago when a sea flowed into the area and eventually evaporated. Over the next 100 million years, water, ice, extreme temperatures and underground salt movement are responsible for the epic scenery that now exists (note, we are not historians). Around each corner and at the end of each trail, there was was something awesome to be seen. As the temperatures peeked at 2pm we took our friends advice and headed out of the park towards Faux Falls. We were a bit skeptical about a waterfall existing in the middle of the desert but a few dirt roads later and a hike down an unmarked trail proved us wrong. The cold rush of water was a welcomed treat along with having the falls completely to ourselves.

Wanting an even more personal experience with the landscape, we signed ourselves up for a sunset hummer trip. We also opted for a room at the pet friendly Big Horn(y) Lodge to give Roux a chance to cool down. The red hummer showed up and we picked seats in the back for the bumpiest ride possible. The “machine”, as they call it, took us to Slick Rock, a 4x4 park with killer roads and crazy views. The park provided 80 degree inclines and declines, plus views of the rivers and canyons. We popped out for some extra special photo ops with Alasaurus foot prints (Utah’s dinosaur) and at echo ridge where we were instructed to yell into the canyon. When asked for a word or phrase, Erica provide YOLO for the group and the intense echos back reminded us that we were on a trip of a lifetime. After taking in the beautiful sunset, we drove the windy trails back in the dark and said goodbye to our skilled driver, DeVon. A final night cap at the Moab Brewery prepped us for a good nights sleep, we tucked ourselves in for one last day in Moab.

We were prepared for a day and a night of camping in Canyonlands National Park…or so we thought. We did everything right! We drove through Island of the Sky, exploring views of the canyons straight out of a national geographic magazine. We got into the park early, hitting all of the view points tourist free. We scored the perfect camp spot overlooking the canyon with shade. But, we did not pick up more beer. Now, if it wasn’t already 98 degrees at 10am it would have been no problem. But, if we were going to chill in a desert for the day we needed a cooler full of beers and a deck of cards, 50% was not going to do. We paid $10 for the camp spot, put out our 2 camping chairs and decided to head out of the park to snag beers and grab burgers at Milt’s Stop and Eat, a recommended burger joint from Erica’s brother. Milt’s burgers were, in fact, the perfect mid afternoon treat, as was running into 3 of Pierce’s buddies who were enroute to the Grand Canyon. Having partied with them at Jazz Fest, Erica quickly recognized Ted behind her in line. Ted, Kevin and Jeff had scored last minute spots to raft down the Colorado River through Grand Canyon for 16 days and had chosen Milt’s as their final meal before heading into the rapids. We salute you dare devils and hope to add that to our list of accomplishments one day too! The thought of water got us thinking…we could take one last detour to Ken’s Lake to cool off before going back to our camp spot right? 102 degrees, hell yeah we can. The lake was full of locals, dogs and was the perfect atmosphere for a dunk and a couple of beers. Finally cooled off, Erica said exactly what Tim was thinking…..”what if we sacrifice our chairs, chill here and then head to Telluride where it’s 30 degrees cooler?” DONE! Moab, you were stunning, colorful, wild, adventurous and darn right toasty. We hope the next campers appreciate our $15 chairs from Marshall's and Tim’s mom forgives us for leaving them behind #2chairsleftbehind.

Oil Change: 4,623 miles
Gas Station Glamping: Canyonlands RV Resort & Campground

Can You Take Me Higher

August 21, 2015 by Erica McCarthy

Jackson, Wyoming

Jackson was only an hour away from the Grand Tetons and we were super excited to relax and spend very little time on the road, finally. We found a pet friendly room at The Inn at Jackson Hole in Teton Village and rolled in next to a field of cows and parasailers. Slightly hungry but mostly thirsty, we checked in and headed to Nick Wilson's at the tram base for some sustenance. The giant red tram looked promising as did the thought of a the view from the top of the ski mountain so we decided to buy tickets and head to the top.

The moment we got on the tram, Erica struck up a conversation with 2 parasailing instructors who were heading up for their last sail of the day with giant packs strapped to their backs. She made the comment, “that looks somewhat terrifying…but awesome”…to which the guy answered, “well I have an extra seat and there’s only one way to find out.” Intrigued but in a dress, Erica spent the next 5 minutes chatting with Mike, the instructor, who showed her pictures of his daughter and texts with his wife insuring he was going to be home for dinner and that there was nothing to be afraid of. Slightly more concerned about flashing all of the Tetons for the 2nd time, Tim suggested fashioning her dress into a romper and she signed on the dotted line. Mike escorted Erica to the top of the mountain and the two strapped in for one hell of a ride.

If you have never tried parasailing (on land) it’s incredible. Since I had gone sky diving, I was anticipating a similar experience, a jump, a free fall, a complete fear for dying and then of course the gratitude for landing. I was completely wrong! This is much more euphoric and peaceful. Once the sail lifts you off the ground, you climb higher, move further and just relax and enjoy the view. During my 20+ minute sail, I learned that Mike had actually started as a base jumper. He had made friends with a jumper from red bull who sent him on a few wild rides before he had even learned to sky dive. After sky diving for years, he realized that parasailers had an advantage—once you have the gear all you need is the wind. With sky diving you need a plane, a pilot and the perfect conditions. He had only been keeping record of his sails over the past 3 years but had logged over 3,500 trips from top to bottom. Mike, I think you’ve got the right idea, sailing the open skies is pretty awesome and I will definitely do it again…if the opportunity presents itself.

The bear scare had been enough adrenaline for Tim so he snapped some great photos and met Erica at the bottom. We’d gotten enough excitement out of Teton Village so we opted for the town of Jackson for dinner. The town actually had lots to offer. Photo ops with antler archers, unique bar stools, tons of shops and loads of great restaurants, we could have spent much more time here. We explored for a bit and wandered into Gather for dinner. The elk bolognese was excellent as was the venison and left us just enough room to hit The Million Dollar Cowboy Bar for one last beer (thanks for the tip Eagle). With tons of pool tables and live music, we settled into our saddles at the bar. We decided, while sitting side saddle, that we definitely want to come back to Jackson during ski season to really make a mark on the town and take another sail down the mountain, but this time on skiis.

Jackson Hole Ski Terrain: 50% Advanced/Expert
Best Bar Seat: Cowboy Bar Saddle Stool

Show Us Your Tetons

August 20, 2015 by Erica McCarthy

Yellowstone + Grand Tetons, Wyoming

Our Yellowstone friends had highly suggested entering the park through the North East entrance because it would be less crowded and it would be a more scenic drive. Convinced, we typed it into the GPS and headed out on our 2 hour drive on the Bear Tooth Highway, through the Shoshone National Forest and on to the parks entrance. Erica’s friend, Jess, had suggested they hit up this picturesque highway so we were pumped to get the opportunity…and we’d get to add Montana to list of states we crossed.

The drive was beautiful and worth the little bit of extra time we clocked. It also became extremely clear that we were entering bear country and that these bears do not screw around. We stopped for gas and an XL bottle of bear spray. Bear spray is essentially an intense bottle of pepper spray that also comes equipped with a pamphlet on what to do if you encounter a bear in the wilderness. 3 pages in, we were complete freaked out and felt less informed on exactly what to do if we ran into a bear, but the jist was BE TERRIFIED: don’t run because bears often “fake” charge, possibly get in the fetal position and protect your neck if they do charge, don’t climb a tree because bears can be 10 ft tall when standing, do not get in between a mama bear and her cubs, do not sleep near your food and throw everything out that smells before you go to bed, if a bear approaches your tent all bets are off….and I guess if all else fails…use the bear spray? Well shit, here’s the hoping in purchasing the bear spray it somehow meant our stay would be grizzly free.

Slightly terrified, we made it to the entrance and purchased a National Parks pass at the and started our journey through the largest national park in the USA. We were greeted by herds of bison, the Yellowstone River and loads of fly fishers. We planned our route, stopping by Tower Falls, the geyser pools and of course Old Faithful. Now, don’t get us wrong, Yellowstone was beautiful but it was also a trap, a tourist trap that is. We thought having a selfie stick would make us stick out on this trip but in fact it made us blend in here. Tour buses unloaded with every walk of life horribly dressed for the hot outdoor adventures that await them. Selfie sticks battled one another for the best views and Tim’s love for the outdoors began to wane. We made our way through the main attractions and after getting stuck behind a bison crossing the road, we arrived at Old Faithful 3 hours later. We picked a bench upfront for a solid viewing and waited. We waited 45 minutes and faithful as always, the geyser went off without a hitch. We’re still not convinced there isn’t some sort of Geyser Wizard behind a curtain pressing the button every 45 minutes to spew steaming water out of the center of the earth, but it was pretty cool. Checking the last item off our Yellowstone list, we made our way out of the park towards the Grand Tetons.

The moment the Tetons came into view, we realized everything we had heard was true. They are much more attractive and exciting step sister to Yellowstone that tourist ignore for some reason. The mountains rise out of now where are spectacular! Erica’s sister send some tips along from a friend and we followed his advice and stopped at the Jackson Lake Lodge to take in the awesome view. While there we asked the concierge which campgrounds were open and she sent us to Gros Venture. We dashed off to the campground in hopes to get there before sunset. We arrived just as the rangers were closing up and secured the last spot on the grounds with a great view of the mountain range. We pulled up to our home for the night and It was almost as if the ranger knew we had read the bear guide and conveniently put us next to the dumpster on the prairie edge, next to what we imaged to be perfect bear hunting ground….the skull and vertebrae bones were just the cherry on top.

We cooked ourselves sausage and peppers and Tim started a fire as the sun set. After triple cleaning, we we turned our attention to the sky and downed a bottle of red wine. This was by far the most clear sky we had seen yet. The Big Dipper was in fact huge, the milky way really did seem milky and the shooting stars we so bright we couldn’t believe they were real. The red wine started to kick in and we settled into our tent for what we hoped would be a good nights sleep.

Somewhere between 3 and 5am the nightmares kicked in and Tim woke up to the sound of sniffing….which could be nothing other than bear sniffing of course. He woke Erica up, who’s ears perked at the sound of something close to their tent as well. Convinced it had to be a bear, or a pack of bears, we formed a plan. Erica would run to the car with Roux and Tim would be right behind with the bear spray. Ready, set….Erica ran to the car, Tim grabbed the sleeping bag and Roux and of course no one grabbed the bear spray. We turned the lights on to find nothing but pure darkness and laughed as we realized our imagination probably got the best of us, and if nothing else, it was more likely a field mouse sniffing our tent. Grizzly or no grizzly, the car seemed like the safest bet so we snuggled in and watched a great sunrise.

Since we got such an early start we decided to head to Jenny Lake and take in the Tetons over the beautiful water. The trail around the lake provided awesome views and extra clean drinking water for Roux. The ranger at the entrance to the park had also suggested we head down River Road, a dirt road that’s never used, to get the best view and take some great photos. The deserted road offered a “stunning" view and gave us the chance to show the range our Tetons. If you ever make it to Yellowstone– do yourself a favor–head to the Tetons instead to show em your birthday suit and don’t forget the bear spray!

Bear Spray: $50
Grand Tetons Translation: Large Teat

Home on the Range

August 17, 2015 by Erica McCarthy

Cody, Wyoming

Waking up in our cozy cabin and realizing we had a 7 hour drive ahead of us was a bit daunting so we opted for a hearty breakfast at the lodge to prolong the inevitable. We hit the road and settled in for our long ride. Having zero clue what scenery was ahead of us, we were pleasantly surprised and the intimidating drive soon became an enjoyable adventure. From forest to farm country and back again through the Big Horn National Forest, the every changing scenery was incredible. Our 7 hour drive soon become 8 as we stopped at every scenic overlook and then some.

Realizing we still needed a place to stay, Erica got on airbnb as soon as we have service and came across Rod’s listings just outside of Cody. From tee pees to a sheep wagon, we had a hard time choosing what we wanted to sleep in. We opted for the sheep wagon and headed meet Rod, a certified organic beef farmer. We pulled up to his farm and were greeted by pigs, 3 border collies and a field of sleeping dreams. We drove to the field below his house and set up our wagon which conveniently came with a mattress and sleeping bags. We stayed just long enough say hello to a few fellow campers and catch the awesome sunset.

Tim’s dad had suggested we see a rodeo while in town since Cody is the rodeo capital of the world, so we headed out for the Stampede Park. Erica had never seen a rodeo before and was in for a treat. There was cattle roping, barrel racing, bull riding and a sprinkling of rodeo clown acts that bordered on hilarious and crass. The rodeo started with roping, which is a whole art form of it’s own. Two people, on horses of course, head out chasing a cow and the goal is for one to rope the front hooves and the other to rope the back….all before the cow gets to the end of the ring…..and these guys made it look easy! Things got even more wild as we watched females of all ages (starting at 12) race horses in a dead sprint around a maze of barrels without falling off in under 14 seconds. And for the finale, of course there was bull riding. While we were watching we came to the full realization that these guys are nuts, they tie a bull by the balls and hop on their backs with the full knowledge that the only way off is being bucked from a pissed off animal with giant horns that you’ve got by the balls. We’d like to thank our parents for not introducing us to this sport at an early age when it probably would have seemed like fun.

As the rodeo ended, Erica snapped a picture with the clowns and we headed to the historic Irma Hotel for a beer. Full from the nights adventures, we headed back to our wagon to count sheep. We woke up to the smell of pancakes and organic sausage and the sounds of fellow happy campers. 2 helpings of pancakes later, we had all my friends, even Roux. We talked to Sam, who was working on Rod’s farm as a WWOOFer. WWOOFing, as we soon learned, stands for World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms. A farmer can sign up for extra help and to teach the ways of organic farming in return for food and lodging...or like Sam you can sign up to WWOOF for a farmer and get free room and food. Sam signed on with Rod for a few months and has no intentions of leaving just yet. He explained that you can WWOOF all over the world and it’s become super important to know how to sustain of your own lands. Maybe next year we’ll try WWOOFing our way back east! We also met a couple from Pittsburg and few girls who worked at Yellowstone that provided some insider tips like DO NOT camp at Yellowstone and spend time at the Grand Tetons. We said goodbye to our new friends, picked up a magnet and tshirt in town and started our trek towards Old Faithful, giddy up Subaru!

Smallest Town: Trent, Population 89
First Pullover: Verbal Warning

It's Monumental

August 15, 2015 by Erica McCarthy

Black Hills, South Dakota

Saying goodbye to the Badlands was hard, but we had more ground to cover in South Dakota. On our way to Rapid City it was clear that we had put ourselves smack in the middle of the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. In less than 2 miles we counted 300 bikes blaze past. We stopped at the dog friendly Independent Ale House in Rapid city and decided to ask our waitress for the DL. Chelsea informed us that this year was the 75th Anniversary and there were more than 1.5 million bikes coming through and we were lucky enough to be there for the final day of the rally. Unfortunately we missed the Def Leopard concert last night but we should check it out and then head to the Custer State Park area to camp in the Black Hills.

Pulling into Sturgis it confirmed our little knowledge of the biker community, horrible taste in clothing, cheap food and the uncomfortable feeling of knowing you are an outsider with a french bulldog in a sea of leather. Let’s just say we made it a short but sweet stay and decided to opt out of the 75th commemorative bedazzled t-shirts. Next stop on the GPS: Crazy Horse.

We will admit, we were a little naive to the Crazy Horse sculpture and it’s history. Just in case you are too, here are a few facts about the world’s largest mountain carving. Crazy Horse is not a federal or state project, it was started in 1948 by Korczak Ziolkowski (then living in Connecticut) who was contacted by the Lakota Indian Tribe Chief to carve the great Indian hero, Crazy Horse. Since then the sculptor and his wife have passed but his 10 children are keeping the dream alive. The final piece will dwarf Mount Rushmore at 563 ft high x 641 ft long. Now that’s one crazy horse definitely worth the view.

The last 2 items on our agenda were to find a place to sleep and see Mount Rushmore at dusk. We headed to Custer State Park in the Black Hills and after debating which camping ground to stop at, came across cozy looking cabins at the Blue Bell Lodge and decided a hot shower was due. We secured cabin #5 for the night and headed towards Iron Mountain Road which was the suggested route to see our 4 fathers.

If you ever head to Mount Rushmore, we highly recommend this “road”, which is more like a race track from Mario Cart. The crazy windy track takes you through the Black Hills pine forest under one way tunnels carved through stone and provides one of a kind views of Mount Rushmore from a distance. We pulled up to Mount Rushmore’s entrance right as the sun was setting and the faces of our Presidents went dark. Tim’s parents had suggested going at dusk, and while it was too difficult to photograph at night, it was for sure worth the wait. We walked up to the Grand View Terrace and settled in for a explanation of the mountain. Sculptor Gutzon Borglum selected Washington, Jefferson, Roosevelt and Lincoln to founding, growth, development and preservation of the United States. The piece took 400 workers, $1,000,000 and 14 years to complete. As the video ended, the entire crowd burst into the star spangled banner just as the lights turned on to illuminate the amazing sculpture that symbolizes our nation. Now that’s the way to make a statement! We headed to our cabin in the woods feeling extremely patriotic and were ushered all the way by an insane lightening storm hundreds of miles in the distance that can only be described as Mother Nature’s work. Thank you South Dakota for your roadside tourist attractions, amazing landscapes and a free history lesson.

Favorite scenic route: Iron Mountain Road
Best Monument View: Mount Rushmore at dusk

The Good, The Bad and The Beautiful

August 12, 2015 by Erica McCarthy

Badlands, South Dakota

As we were leaving Craig’s house in Omaha he offered up some tips on camping in South Dakota. He told us to find the Sage Creek campgrounds and watch out for free roaming bison. He also mentioned the Black Hills were a cool area to crash for the night instead of a tourist trap next to Mt. Rushmore. He handed over our Omaha beef and we were on our way.

The drive from Omaha to the Badlands provided extra entertainment from the multiple tourist attractions we encountered. Our first stop was the Porter Sculpture Park in Montrose and was the most bizarre. The sculptor, Wayne Porter, drives 2 hours everyday to hang out in his park we found in a field next to the highway. We opted out of the golf cart ride and strolled through the park viewing the largest bull sculpture in America and several other of his interesting yet odd creations. He’s currently working on the largest horse sculpture as well, keep an eye out!

Next up was the Corn Palace, marked on our Warby Parker road trip map. We would like to challenge the word palace and replace it with gymnasium. The Corn Gymnasium’s exterior is decorated with several different kinds of corn by the local artist every year and while impressive to create art out of corn, we are still unsure of the point. The gym inside will filled with tacky corn products and hot dogs for $1. We grabbed a bag of caramel corn and hit the road. Sorry corn palace, we dethrone you.

Our final attraction was Wall Drug. Now, Wall Drug had been advertised all the way from Sioux Falls to the Badlands, a meer 500 miles, so we felt obligated to stop. The signs promised all sorts of things from a life size t-rex to a cowboy gear and homemade fudge. What we found was a drug store on crack. Yes, it did have all of these items and so much more. We took in the mechanical t-rex feeding, the XXL gift shop and decided it was time for seclusion.

We took Craig’s suggestion and found the dirt road leading to the Sage Creek Campground. The moment we hit the road, our faces lit up. Silence, fields for days and amazing views, our true outdoor adventures were about to begin. We drove the windy road as the was sun setting, directly through a bison herd and onto Sage Creek. We set up camp, cooked our Omaha filets complete with peppers, salad in a bag (excellent suggestion Kyle McCarthy) and a bottle of red wine. Now this is hipster camping!

We woke up early to breakdown our campsite and set off on our drive through the Badlands. Because we were staying in the back country, we had the extra delight of driving the deserted Sage Rim Road at the start of the Badlands which provided the sheer seclusion, crazy paths for epic photos and the most stunning views of the incredible landscape possible. We continued through the park on the paved scenic byway, popped out for a hike, stopped for more photos, but mostly we were scoffing at the tourists who had no idea what they were missing just a dirt road away. So bad, it's beautiful, these lands are a must see!

Best Views: Sage Rim Road
Free Camping: Sage Creek Campground

As you can see, we had a hard time editing down our favorite photos, so screw it, view them all!

Meat and Potatoes

August 11, 2015 by Erica McCarthy

Omaha, Nebraska

Our first stop on the west side was Omaha to visit Tim’s friend Craig and his family. It was pretty clear the moment we hit Iowa we had crossed the line from civilization to "God’s country” aka country roads, open sky and never ending fields…of corn! The corn huskers mascot is right on point, Iowa has got corn covered, or maybe vise versa. We sincerely enjoyed our 6 hour drive north following the Mississippi River, stopping to see the amber waves of grain and pausing for some corny photos.

Craig called us somewhere between field and sweet corn to let us know he had our one night in Omaha covered and that he had made a stop at Dick’s Meat Shop (ok it’s really Rick’s but come on) so we had a stash of meat for the road trip. Just another note, their gas stations are also cleverly named Kum and Go. We strolled passed fields of soy beans and right into Craig’s driveway where we were happily greeted by his wife Lindsay, 2 year old Ellis and dog Jose. The babysitter arrived and we strapped into their truck for our night out.

It started with a stunning sunset drive through the corn and soybean fields on our way to dinner. They took us to one of the few remaining old time steak houses called The Drover. We dined on steaks soaked in their famous whiskey sauce complete with loaded baked potatoes and our first taste of greens in days. Now, we know Omaha is known for their steaks but holy cow, our filets were insane! We headed off to the Homy Inn for our night cap, a local divey joint with a great name and an illuminated sign touting their champagne on tap. Erica got the peach champagne, the boys grabbed local beers and Lindsay 8.5 months pregnant opted out. We spent the next half hour and $10 on a claw machine trying desperately trying to win a penis water bottle, $50 or 2 packs of cigs. We left with zero winnings but definitely a great taste of Omaha.

Gateway to the West

August 09, 2015 by Erica McCarthy

St. Louis, Missouri

With our souls filled, we headed north to St. Louis. Lightly grazing Arkansas and Illinois, we landed in St. Louis 5 hours later. We checked in to our inexpensive but modern hotel called Hotel Ignacio, and prepared ourselves for an intense Italian dinner (suggested by Tim’s friend Jason Bornstein) at Cunettos House of Pasta on The Hill. Their famous seafood pasta and veal marsala did not disappoint or leave us on empty.

We had full intentions on hitting the Central West District or The Loop but Erica jinxed our weather earlier on the phone telling her brother we’ve had nothing but blue skies…and it was a down pour. Erica struck up a conversation with a friendly staffer at Cunettos and asked for a suggestion. The friendly staffer ended up being the owner, Frank, and he recommended we run to the Botanical Gardens for the Chinese Lantern Festival before it closed.

Uber does not exist in St. Louis yet so Frank called us a cab and we hightailed it to the Lantern Festival. We pulled up at 9:17, 2 minutes shy of the last call for tickets. Tim sweet talked the staff into 2 last tickets, promising we would be out by 10pm and buy an umbrella from their gift shop. We headed into the storm, umbrella clad and without a soul in sight! We spent the next 45 minutes running through the botanical gardens in the rain, taking in the crazy lantern installations and relishing how our seemly bad rain luck turned into the best luck!

We couldn’t leave St. Louis without a trip to the Gateway Arch so we woke up extra early and headed downtown for our 8:10am call for entry. Stumbling through the park construction (due to be completed in 2017), we finally made it to the arch. Erica’s coworker Carrie told us it was a must to travel to the top of the arch, no matter how touristy it seemed and she was so right! Having zero clue what we were getting into, we headed below ground and were cued up for our “tram ride” to the top. We’re not quite sure how to explain it other than a Willy Wonka size door that opens into a pod from 2001 A Space Odyssey. The engineering for the tram itself seems crazy as you are upright the entire time and essentially climbing to the top. If the arch were a roller coaster ride it would be top of the charts on fear factor.We made it to the top, sadly on a cloudy day, but being 630 ft above ground in steel arch was still just as terrifying.

Being the designers we are, we didn’t want to leave St. Louis without a great shot of the Gateway to the west so while on top of the city, we took a gander around and realized there was a casino just across the water with the perfect view. We packed up and headed across the Mississippi. While getting lost, we found the ultimate view point, the Malcolm W. Memorial Park. A hidden gem that’s not advertised, we stumbled upon the park conveniently located next to the casino. It was built exactly for our purpose, to view the arch complete with a lookout! The man running the park approached us on his segway and offered to take our photo. He also mentioned that we were on candid camera and wave at the web came. Rather than waving, Tim texted Bonobos and they happily supplied us with the below gif of our time spent with the arch. Yes, that’s a statue and yes Erica moon walked. Cheers to making it to the west side!

We're Going to Graceland

August 06, 2015 by Erica McCarthy

Memphis, Tennessee

Rolling into Memphis we realized we knew very little about it, so Tim reached out to his buddy John Rote, a Memphis native, for some highlights. After checking into the sketchiest Airbnb to date, we immediately headed to Charles Vergo’s Rendezvous Charcoal Ribs joint for an early BBQ dinner. The ribs did not disappoint, nor did the back alley entrance to the restaurant in a basement. We picked up some BBQ sauce and headed to Beale Street for some action.

Beale Street is a much smaller Bourbon Street, less strip clubs, more legit music and same open container laws. Our first find was the Ernest C. Withers Photography Gallery which happened to be hosting a special exhibit highlighting Memphis’ involvement in the Civil Rights movement. Ernest was Martin Luther King Jr.’s photographer for years and captured so many emotion yet beautiful moments, including his assassination. On the lighter side, he also captured some epic shots of local musicians and athletes in action.

After a somewhat teary exhibit viewing, we grabbed some beers and headed for live music. Street performers doing back flips paved the way to the Blues Hall where we snagged the last open table and soaked in the soulful sounds of The McDaniel Band.

Wanting one last cold one, we took John’s suggestion and headed to Bardog, a local joint, conveniently located by our crash pad that also served late night sliders. Solid night cap!

We weren’t done with Memphis yet! The next morning we woke up early to be first in line for a tour of Graceland, Elvis’s mansion just outside the city. We may not be die hard Elvis fans but his amazing ability to blur the lines between gospil, country and soul are unmatched and changed music forever….plus, his fancy footwork is pretty great too. We were handed headphones and an iPad for our virtual tour led by Mr. John Stamos. While no longer a “mansion” by standards today, the 13 acre property did not disappoint. From the peacock stained glass in the living room to the fully draped pool room to the epic jungle room….Elvis was a king. If you are ever in Memphis, make sure to head to Graceland.

On our way out we had to make one last stop, the Stax Museum of American Soul music. We didn’t have nearly as much time as we had hoped, or quickly realized that we needed, but man if Stax Record label was around today it would be the cats meow. So many of our favorite artists had their start with Stax: Otis Redding, Tina and Ike Turner, Isaac Hayes and Sam and Dave just to name few. Thanks for taking us to Soulsville Memphis. If Cleveland rocks, then Memphis definitely rolls!

Strangest Building: Bass Pro Shop Pyramid
Miles Clocked: 2,385

Georgia On My Mind

August 05, 2015 by Erica McCarthy

Marietta, Georgia

We actually arrived to Tim’s Aunt and Uncles home in Atlanta on time (we’re finally getting the hang of this driving thing). His cousins Sarah and Katherine just got home from their first day of school and Erica got to meet them for the first time. We hung out in the family room for a while catching up as Roux explored every nook and cranny of their house. It was great to relax for a bit and download the lives of a 7th and 8th grader. Katherine had a countdown on her phone to the One Direction concert she is going to for her birthday (14 days, 23 hours, 5 minutes and 29 seconds) and Sarah was bummed the class clown wasn’t in as many of her classes.

They cooked us a delicious meal and we all sat together in the dining room for dinner. As we left, we started to realize how we have taken those little things for granted….hanging out with your relatives in the family room and eating together with no phones or tv in the dining room. It was awesome to spend quality time with Pete, Carrie, Katherine and Sarah and hopefully one day we’ll return the favor and have a family room for you to hang out in.

After dinner we headed to Marietta Square to catch up with Erica’s friend from Ohio, Michael Finelli. We found a dog friendly dive bar, MacCrackens, and began catching up over cold beers in the 90 degree heat. Sadly, we both missed each other’s weddings but like old friends, we picked up right where we left off…..talking about Swensons, also Lebron James’ favorite drive up burger joint in Ohio. If you ever make it to the Akron/Cleveland area, a burger, shake and tator tots are a must on the menu. Michael, here’s to hoping that the video of Lebron and Amy Schumer at Swenson’s didn’t just out our hang over cure.

We couldn't leave without having a gluttonous southern breakfast, so we stopped by dog friendly Highland Bakery on our way out of town. We definitely recommend the fried chicken benedict and the sweet potato pancakes!

Note: first use of selfie stick
Cheapest Gas: $2.15 Moody, Alabama