Photo Diary: Towing a Vanagon Through the Rockies

Towing a Vanagon (check out our newly purchased Westy) through the Rockie Mountains was not fun.  In fact, it was scary as hell.  Mountain passes, an auto transport, fresh, slippery snow, and icy roads do not mix.  

We drove 17 miles an hour on 70 mile an hour roads, towing a VW mini bus.  

While Chris had white knuckles, I had to convince myself we weren't going to die.  I didn't want to become visibly nervous and distract him.  

So, I took out my camera.  If all hell broke loose, we'd go down with some beautiful pictures of what caused our demise...the whole idea amused me enough to distract me from panicking.  

Here's a few of my pics, taken while driving.    

Van of My Dreams

The Westy Fund

We started a westy fund a few months ago (along with our house down payment fund, our emergency fund, and our swear jar-just kidding, we don't have a swear jar).  

After searching for a Vanagon on the typical sites, Samba.com, BusDepot.com, and GoWesty.com, we found one on CraigsList.  Go figure.  

Drinking Wine On A Train

 "Wine on a Train"

Ahem ahem...

Headin' to Christmas with the family,

Subaru'd make it if we're lucky,

Bought some tickets, depots yucky,

Got my bags and coat and mittens, no clue what to expect, 

The kids behind are pretty noisy,

The track is smooth but it's still squeaky,

More pile in at every station,

Think I may start an Amtrak petition,

It's hot in here, they're a sleepy crowd,

But our car squeaks, and I can't tune it out, 

I need some zzz's, these new folks are a pain,

And now you know why, I'm drinking wine on a train. 

(Cut me some slack, it's 3:00am.) 

While Wandering West...

Driving across the top of Montana, through all of the little towns that have been trapped in the late 1900's, has been a serious blast from the past.  (Not like I was alive for most of the 1900's but I've seen movies…)

The feel of a simpler life is all around these little towns.  There are no Targets, Best Buys, or JCPennys.  I suppose you could always order things online, but otherwise you just make or grow it yourself.  That whole concept is so appealing to Chris and me.  

A simpler existence is what stemmed this whole adventure.  

Many of you already know that we dream of someday having a homestead.  It can be small; we could even make it work with one acre.   It would be so amazing to be able to rely on ourselves as much as possible, and not have all of the extras that crowd life.

Simplicity.  This fly-over state is full of it.

There are also a lot of cows.