For my four week break from the insanity of nursing school, I decided to accompany my friend, Sean on a road trip out West. The original plan was to go all the way to Stanford and then fly home. But then my brilliant friend Renee had the idea to throw in some hiking too. So now, Sean and I are driving to Denver and then I am meeting up with Renee to crew at the 3-Day Walk for the Cure and then hike through the Grand Canyon.
The Itinerary
Aug 16: Providence, RI to Hoboken, NJ
Aug 17: Hoboken, NJ to Pittsburg, PA
Aug 18 - 19: Tour Pittsburg, PA
Aug 20: Pittsburg, PA to Chicago, IL
Aug 21: Tour Chicago, IL
Aug 22: Chicago, IL to Somewhere in Nebraska
Aug 23: Nebraska to Denver, CO
Aug 24 - 25: Denver, CO
Aug 26 - Aug 29: Denver 3-Day
Aug 30: Drive to the Grand Canyon
Aug 31 - Sept 3: Hike the Grand Canyon
Sept 4: Return Home
The Method
We are trying to keep driving down to under 8 hours a day. This is supposed to be an enjoyable trip after all. To do this we have many friends to thank, who have generously opened their homes to us for a night or two.
I went ahead a planned out all the food details of a vegan road trip/ camping beforehand. I used several websites for guidance (all of which I'll list as I write). I packed a number of dry goods and fruits. Healthy options for snacking in the car. The plan is to hit up health food and grocery stores as we go.
Baggage was as minimal as possible due to Sean needing car space for all his belongings. I ended up with a small backpack for everyday stuff (laptop, wallet, etc.), a small duffle for all of my clothes and toiletries, a hiking backpack with all of my gear stashed inside, and my camera.
With our rental packed to the gills and goodbyes said, we were off!
First stop... Hoboken, NJ.
