Woke up and got some great sunrise pics and drone footage. Then continued west to California. Tahoe was recovering from an atmospheric river that caused a bunch of snow, but was able to go across without buying chains thanks for AWD and snow rated tires. Got to Jack’s to unload the car to make space for the rest of the trip along the west coast.

Woke up early to get good pictures of the sunrise. Sunrise wasn’t great but got some great pictures anyways – especially with the drone. Drove to Salt Lake City and stopped for coffee. Kept heading west to an overnight spot right on the salt flats. Not an actual camp spot but a good place to park a car or van for the night.

Got coffee in the morning in Colorado Springs. Then drove to Grand Junction on the border of Utah. Made a last minute decision not to go to the camp site I had picked out and found an overlook in Colorado Monument to try and overnight at. Got there around 9pm so it was dark. Saw a herd of big horned sheep – at least 10 – driving up into the park. Found a good secluded overlook just past the overlook I had looked up, and set up there for the night.

-Max Singleton

Cooked good food from Trader Joes – pre-packaged beef shwarma and sweet potato & onion hash. Went into town to get coffee in Denver. Then left to shower at Planet Fitness. Headed back to Boulder to check out a brewery which had a nice outdoor patio with fireplaces. Also got a taco from a food stand that they had outdoors.

-Max Singleton

Woke up and went to a coffee shop in Estes Park that did good doughnuts. Walked around the town – which was pretty touristy like a small Gatlinburg – until noon. Went into some nice outdoors stores and a bookstore that was playing Harry Potter music when I walked in. Then left for Rocky Mountain National Park. Hiked up to Dream Lake and Emerald Lake, and then to Alberta Falls. Then picked up food at Trader Joes in Boulder and went back to the 10/19 camp site.

-Max Singleton

Morning was freezing. Cooked up sausages, onions, and mushrooms which I had gotten in Boulder. Also had coffee with cream. Warm breakfast is the move after a cold night. Wind and cold made it difficult to cook, but everything turned out well. Chilled out after breakfast with my laptop thanks to good internet. Then went back into Boulder – went to an outdoors store to get warm clothes: beanie, gloves, socks, and also a solar lantern with USB charging. Then left boulder for Estes Park – a small mountain town by Rocky Mountain National Park. Got a beer at a brewery that had a really warm small town feel and talked to a guy who lived there but was from Chatt. Left later than planned so ended up staying close to town to check it out the next day.

Max Singleton

Left early to drive to Colorado. Stopped in Salina for gas and decided to get coffee at a nice coffee shop with books. Browsed an illustrated book about Gen. Grant – who’s biography I’ve read. Kept going to Colorado and stopped in Boulder to pick up some food. Got to the camp site in the Rockies before sun set. Road was rough and will be a test for my tires – wishing I had gotten all terrain tires instead of all weather. They seemed to hold up so far. Was getting to be dusk by the time I was setting up, so I decided just to have a sandwich and read/watch some downloaded Netflix shows before bed. Had good internet signal even without the booster. Temperature got to the high 20s.. so utilized all my blankets and sleeping bag and slept fully dressed from thermals to jacket. Still was a little cold but slept okay.

-Max Singleton

Woke up and biked on the gravel roads around the campsite. Got to an area used for wildlife conservation with Buffalo, which I decided not to bike through but drove through later and saw them. Then left for Wichita and found a nice coffee shop around Wichita State University where I worked on this website. Then visited Botanica – Wichita’s botanical gardens. Got dinner afterwards and was getting tired so I got an Airbnb for the night. Long drive tomorrow to Colorado.

-Max Singleton

Woke up and drove through Mark Twain National Forest and towards Kansas City. Went to Kansas City Plaza area for food. Had a good dinner at the bar with friendly bartender and talked to a nice couple who were from Arkansas around where Walmart family is from. They said the area is getting really nice with walking paths etc. After dinner headed to a camping spot further west, north of Wichita. Lots of farmland / ranches around the area, but the camping space itself was right on a lake and was really nice. No one else was there.

-Max Singleton

Left Chattanooga early to drive to St. Louis. Checked out a campsite in Mark Twain National Forrest. The site was really remote, but there was a spot with a good overlook view and some internet service. Went into St. Louis and saw the arch. Then walked around the city, which was pretty dead and uninteresting. Found a spot that was more lively around the baseball stadium and had lunch at Sports and Social. Went back to the campsite and the spot with the cool view was taken, so slept in a spot a little further down. Temperature got cold into the high 30s, but wasn’t bad in the car – pretty comfortable with thermals on.

-Max Singleton