Hitched and Rolling

Day 4- Higginsville, MO to Denver, CO

Today we woke up at Acadian Moon which was the winery in MO. The early morning scene on the lake was fantastic and Duke got some great fetch in while Bre did some much needed tidying in the van. We finally hit the pavement around 7:45 and continued west. 

I drove for a couple hours while Bre rested and then we pulled into a truck stop to switch places.

It was here that circumstance required us to address a reality we have been trying to ignore – the inevitable eventual draining of the toilet. Though it had only been 4 days, and the toilet in the van is only for emergencies, emergencies had accumulated faster than we anticipated.

RVs have two toilet receptacle types: cassette or tank. A tank is bigger so it requires less frequent emptying, but it also requires a dedicated site at which to do so. Cassette (like our van has, which according to the van’s owner Jamie is the standard in European RVs) offers the opposite attributes: more frequent emptying that can take place in a far greater number of places. Theory aside, it was time for us to face the facts.

We pulled the cassette out of the van’s side and unfolded its handle. Jamie said that it was no big deal to bring it into a rest stop toilet but I still felt somewhat clandestine as I rolled the waste filled suitcase past the unassuming patrons into the family toilet and locked the door. Bre and I took a selfie before the process began, when we still had hope and light in our eyes.

I won’t bore you with the details but we got it done and it wasn’t as bad as you might imagine. Chemicals help tremendously with the smell. Without them I’m not sure I could have done it. Another aspect of life on the road. Mission accomplished.

After leaving the truck stop Bre took over driving. When I woke up again it was after noon and Bre had put in a solid 3 hours. It was now sunny and warm and flat with a bright blue sky and khaki grass. We were in Kansas.

After a rather long fetch break at a rest stop, we switched places and I would drive for the rest of the day. We stopped in a town called Wilson, Kansas, which is famous for having the world‘s largest hand painted Czech egg. We pulled up to the egg and could not believe how big it was. Bizzare and awesome.

While we were admiring Wilson’s egg we saw a flyer for a decommissioned nuclear bunker, which was now a tourist attraction. The flyer provided a phone number so we called Matthew. Even though it wasn’t a tour time, Matthew obliged and told us to come on down. 

The site was only a couple miles away so we headed over. When we arrived at the abandoned missile silo site, It was, as you would expect, totally unassuming. Just a concrete slab, a candy cane shaped exhaust, and a small building approximately the size of an outhouse. 

Matthew had purchased this land many years ago with an investor who passed away, so the property had been stuck in limbo until around five years ago when he decided to resurrect it. 

The tour started with Matthew walking us around the above-ground portion of the property. He gave us a history of the area. Apparently this silo was finished in 1961 and was live until 1967 before it was replaced by a newer generation of technology. The silo housed an intercontinental ballistic missile with a range of up to 5000 miles which effectively gave it a strike zone of the entire northern hemisphere. The missile had a nuclear warhead 300 times more powerful than the bombs used in World War II and could be ready in a mere 20 minutes. The silo was strategically located in Kansas because although it was top-secret, the military knew that the location could probably be discovered by adversaries and in the event of a nuclear war, would be a target. By positioning the silo in the center of the continent, the military figured that in the event of a nuclear strike, the United States would have more time to react, and fire our Kansas-based missile to achieve the deterrent of mutually assured distruction. 

Matthew talked about the irony of how nukes like the one that lived in his silo could actually make the world safer. He also talked about how the particular rocket his silo housed, after being decommissioned, was used to send communication satellites into space and therefore ultimately made the world both safer and more connected. 

Next he took us down into the underground structure. The structure has two areas, both deep underground connected by a bridge (tunnel). 

The first area is the control room and living quarters for the people who worked at the base. They would do 24 hours on and 48 hours off, being shuttled back-and-forth from a military base about 50 miles away. Matthew had turned the old control room and living quarters into an Airbnb, which was really really cool. He talked about the similarities between living underground and living on other planets in the future. In both cases, there are concerns about fresh water, fresh oxygen, and food. Matthew’s hope is that silos like his can be used as experimental examples to hopefully one day inspire extraterrestrial colonies built for humans.

Next he took us into the actual silo itself. I was blown away. The silo is 190 feet tall and 60 feet wide, and looking up at its ceiling (which was the other side of the cement-doored pad on which we began the tour) really put the scale into perspective. 

After admiring the military-grade, seemingly-bottom-less pit for a few minutes we reemerged towards the earth’s surface with a new found appreciation for the engineering prowess and scale of the government’s secret projects. If that was obsolete in 1967 what do we have now? Wow. 

Duke has been adjusting to life on the road and I think we have finally turned a corner in that regard. When we approached the van after our roughly 45 minute absence he was asleep in our bed, much like he would be if we left him at home in our non-mobile domicile in Washington. 

The rest of the day was hard driving. Though i70 in this stretch is straight and flat, the weather was an obstacle as we pressed on to Denver. Operating the vehicle had my full attention in the hours of rain that continued into nightfall. Finally after around 4 hours of driving at high speeds (safe but not slow) in the rain at night we arrived in Denver at my buddy Tyler Frient’s house. I hadn’t seen Tyler in years, and he hadn’t met Bre, so our introductory reunion was somewhat celebratory in nature, with a dash of whiskey and a big sushi spread to prove it. 

All in all another great day on Hitched and Rolling. 

Day 3 – Columbus, OH to Higginsville, MO

Today we woke up in the Franco family’s driveway. Without much fanfare at all I climbed out of bed and threw my pants on, and we pulled away around 7:30 and hit the road. Time from snoring to driving was around 90 seconds. As we drove I noticed the fog blanketing the fields and forest in the distance, which made me feel like I was part of an exclusive group that gets to witness such a lovely morning phenomenon. A group to which I do not often earn membership.

We drove about 40 minutes before determining that it was time for Duke’s morning activities. We pulled over in a small town off i70 called Enon, where we immediately found a beautiful county park and released the beast to empty his bladder. 20-odd minutes and roughly double that number of fetch-throws later, we loaded our now-fed and rehydrated dog into the car and continued our journey.

Before leaving Enon we stopped at the local gas station to use the bathroom and fill our van’s tank. It was Wednesday morning at 8am and the place was absolutely popping off. A handful of older gentlemen in jeans and camo or flannel seemed to be enjoying one another’s company over coffee and breakfast, with more than one pack of cigarettes waiting on the well-used gas station cafe tables. Dozens more morning people in similar attire could be found waiting in line, scanning the aisles with hands and elbows full of an accumulating collection of consumables, or filling up gas. I can’t imagine the gas station gets much busier than it was this morning, and the buzz inexplicably seemed to be generally positive and somehow optimistic. 

Our goal for the day was St. Louis by 2pm so that we could see my friend Daniel, his wife Peyton, and his new baby Hank (Henry). The drive theoretically took around 6 hours, which was a reality only because of the time change and the hour gained therefrom. I worked on my laptop in the back of the van, sending some emails and making a phone call or two.

It was great to see Daniel and Peyton and to meet their new baby. Daniel is a resident in the orthopedic department at a hospital in St. Louis so he and Woo, who were meeting for the first time, automatically had a lot to talk about. Daniel ordered us some delicious Kebab fusion food and allowed us to use his shower during our quick pit stop. Bre asked Peyton what the experience of being a new mother was like, and Peyton said “in a word – humbling”. 

Having reached our goal of 2pm in St. Louis for a late lunch enabled us to set our sights on our first harvest hosts location for the evening, so unfortunately we had to keep moving. 

Harvest Hosts is a website that I learned about from an experienced RV-er that I spoke to when I was in the process of finding the van we rented. The premise is that the website is a network of vineyards and breweries that allow passing-through RV-ers to park in their yards and parking lots overnight in exchange for the travelers purchasing something. The expectation is that those who stay overnight will purchase something around $10-30 as compensation. It’s a win win because sleeping and waking up at a vineyard is better than sleeping and waking up at a Walmart parking lot, and the whole exchange is substantially cheaper than a dedicated RV park. My suspicion is that at some point we will stay at both a Walmart and an RV park but tonight was our first harvest host experience. The particular winery on which we set our sights has a kitchen that closes at 8 so we wanted to arrive before then so that our requisite purchase could take the form of dinner. 

We called around 7:45 saying that we were a few minutes away. We spoke to the owner who said no problem and no rush, that he would be here and the kitchen would be open. 

When we arrived there was another harvest host couple (harvest guests, I suppose you could call them). They were on their way from Saskatchewan, Canada to Florida. They were wrapping up dinner so we didn’t talk to them for long. The winery is set up like a brewery in the sense that it’s a large open room set atop a plain concrete slab with huge garage bay doors and a spacious bar. 

The owner of the establishment, Brandon, was really nice. He grabbed us drinks from the bar and then whipped up a pizza for us to split before joining us to hang out while we ate in the empty wine hall. We talked about the business of wine and grapes, and he told us that his establishment was a top 40 (out of 5000 wineries) stay on harvest hosts in terms of volume. I could see why.

We talked about where he grew up and how he got into wine and Brandon told me that his fraternity at Mizzou held the record, to his knowledge, of most beer consumed in a weekend of any fraternity in history. He said that I cannot publish that number on my blog, but rest assured it was a lot, and I think he is likely right. Brandon was a very interesting and multitalented guy. 

After a couple glasses of wine and having purchased a bottle to be deployed as a housewarming gift at some point later in the trip, we retired to the van for some well deserved rest. 

Cambridge, OH to Columbus, OH

Yesterday started outside of Patches’ house with some fetch with Duker Doggins. The space wasn’t enough for the full throw, but it was enough to get the job done. I went into Patches’ house to use the bathroom (the bathroom in the van is emergency-only) and then we hit the road. 

First stop was Walmart where I set up the Starlink and caught up on some emails while Woo went shopping for some van-inspired ornaments – a mini cutting board, a small handheld vacuum, a pair of soft indoor foot mats for bare feet on the van floor, and a chew toy for Duke. 

Compared to our last major adventure’s accommodations, the van is luxurious in a way that we really appreciate. When she got back, Bre used the stove to warm up some bagels that my mom had included with our departing care package, and we enjoyed those while I proudly demonstrated the Starlink’s abilities. 

Our destination for the day was my friend Alex Franco’s house which was just a couple hours away in Columbus, Ohio. Because the day was so short, we decided to take a detour to Hocking Hills State Park. Hocking Hills is famous for its autumnal beauty so we drove the 2ish hours to go see it. 

The park did not disappoint. True to its name, hocking hills is slightly mountainous, and reminded me vividly of the rolling hills of Vermont or the Blue Ridge area. There was a beautiful stone staircase that led up to a covered picnic area. This part of south eastern Ohio is distinctly Appalachian in form. 

Unfortunately, the weather was not cooperative. It was POURING. Because of this, we decided to have a “recharge” day in the van. We were the only vehicle parked in the large, leafy, wet parking lot and we were very cozy in our new home. After having been through the wedding and then packed up and departed on Monday, we hadn’t really had a chance to catch our breath. We spent the afternoon talking, writing cards, reading the guest book, and napping. 

We had talked about meeting Alex and his wife Lauren around dinner time, so around 4 we pulled out of the state park to continue our meandering pilgrimage. After a quick stop for some eggs at an Amish market, we were on our way to Columbus. 

We arrived right on time and went into to say hi to the newly married Francos. Duke played with Nina, their chocolate lab, and we headed out to dinner where we met Alex’s brother Nicky and his friend Jimmy for wings. 

Nicky, Jimmy, and Alex had come to visit Bre and me on the AT in 2020, so it was fun to get to have dinner and catch up. I enjoyed hearing about their fantasy football league which has trade rules that make it more resemble the social and political aspects of Survivor than anything in the football world. Because any player can be traded, and the league “punishment” is so severe (a couple years back the loser had to go to Mexico to obtain a jar of dirt), no one cares about winning and instead people just focus on not loosing. The result is that whoever has done well enough to secure a top spot can trade away all their good players, and those at risk of being in last have to do whatever it takes to be on the favorable side of trades from those at the top. All this to say that Nicky is very pleased to be at the top of this corruption-is-a-fun-part-of-it fantasy football league. 

After a big dinner at a local wing spot we headed back to Alex’s where we said our good nights and retired to our mobile palace. A wonderful and relaxing day on Hitched and rolling. 

Tuesday, Nov 18, 2025.
DC to Cambridge OH.

Well, we did it. We got married! It was a little stressful leading up to the wedding but it all worked out. A big thanks to my parents, my mom in particular for the work that she put in, and to Heather for helping make it all work. The ceremony was administered by Bryan Clubb and was absolutely perfect. I say this in spite of Bryan’s father Chris likely being this blog’s sole reader: Bryan’s ceremony was from the heart and a wonderful mix of humor, insight, wisdom and structure, and it set a very authentic tone for the entire wedding. For his efforts we are deeply grateful. Alex (my cousin) and Ashley (Bre’s friend and my our hiking partner on the AT) gave excellent speeches, and the night was wonderful overall. I would also like to acknowledge Kristen Clubb who won what I am dubbing the unsung hero award for her efforts behind the scenes. My sister Brooke and Bre’s friend (sister) Claire did readings during the ceremony. Honorary mentions to Sam McDonough, our makeshift family videographer, and to Lynn Alexander, our chugging referee.

But this blog is not about the wedding ceremony. It is about the hitched and rolling tour, which kicked off yesterday.

In a turn of events that absolutely no one could have predicted, our first day started much later than expected. A noon departure became 1pm, which morphed easily into 2, and then 3, and we finally actually pulled away just a hair after 4pm.

Our first stop took us to Cambridge, OH, the home of Anthony “Patches” Miller. Patches lives directly off i70 which made his hometown a perfect first stop for us. We are heading out to Denver for this weekend which is basically interstate 70 the entire way. We convinced Patches to buy a one way ticket to DC so that we could drive him home as our first tour stop and he obliged. This is not the topic of this blog, but he and I once attempted to hitchhike from San Francisco to Virginia and in 5 days made it only to Sacramento, so needless to say Patches is up for asphalt-mediated adventure.

After saying our goodbyes we slammed the sliding door shut and turned on the ignition. Having left around 4 it was dark (what felt like) almost instantly, and we three travelers trudged through some mild traffic towards i70.

The drive did not go quickly. We stopped for about 20 minutes to let Duke use the bathroom and grab some dinner, and by the time we got back into the car our ETA had moved back by a little over an hour with no clear explanation whatsoever. So it goes. My friend Grant from law school is house sitting while we are away, and we spent a couple hours on the phone with him on speaker talking about the intricacies of the house and other various topics.

When we finally arrived at Patches’ parents house it was after 11pm. Meg, Patches’ mom, was incredibly welcoming and provided us with an awesome basket of travel snacks. After a few minutes catching up with her we headed back to Patches’ house, where Woo and I slept in our newly-rented van for the first time. It is fairly tight but overall I think we were both glad to find the spaciousness more than adequate. Duke, who is very much unsure how he feels about the trip in general and the van in particular, and was panting and refusing to lay down most of the 6 hour trip, finally curled up with us and went right to sleep. A great first day.