Where is the good food, good coffee and good bathroom?

Since Andy and I have been together - just over two years - we have done a lot of traveling together. Three weeks after we started dating we were on a plane to AZ to celebrate my brother's 30th B-day. Since that trip we have traveled around the US! I had ankle surgery and was in no weight-bearing cast, with crutches, and we flew to CA, NY and IN!

But, mostly we drive. We drive a lot. We have put a 100K on my Pathfinder and 30K on his Subaru (which we no longer have). Most recently we drove from OR to NY via CO and IN. People think we are crazy but we love it. It is an adventure. We pack food, drinks, music and books on tape. The last trip we had a trailer so we put a futon in the back of the Pathfinder and if you were not driving you were sleeping or at least relaxing in the back.

The hardest part is figuring out where to stop when we are ready for a decent meal - including coffee and clean bathroom. On a long trip (like OR to NY) we stop for either a good cup of coffee or meal. The iPhone can help locate a Starbucks or using Urbanspoon find a coffee shop but the service is not always the best or there is just nothing around!

I am not a fan of Starbucks coffee but I am huge fan of how clean their bathrooms are! The best chance on the road to find a decent bathroom (except NY - NY Starbucks bathrooms are like a gas station - disgusting!) They have good oatmeal for a quick hearty breakfast and the best free filtered water. Andy likes theirFrappuccino and Soy Chai Lattes.

If we cannot find a restaurant that looks decent we can usually figure out a meal from a grocery store. Yogurt, cheese, turkey, fruit, hummus and veggies - something.

We have come a long some pretty cool restaurants along the way - some by accident.

In the morning, before leaving, Alberta, OR we went to the Tin Shed. This had become our favorite place for weekend brunch. I loved the Goat Boat adding in roasted garlic and Andy always got whatever the special was.http://www.tinshedgardencafe.com. Alberta has a few great places - Francis with their overnight apple oatmeal (which Andy now makes at home for us) and Whiskey Bar makes the best bread pudding (and I have been to the South!).

When we left Portland we only made it an hour so when Andy decided he wanted a tea or something. As we walked around this great mountain town we started really missing Frisco, CO. Then we found a little house with a long line -Mike's Homemade Cream. Andy LOVES ice cream so we had to try Mike's. It was amazing. They serve a ton of different flavors in cups, cones, smoothies, shakes and malts. They have a great taster size - about the size of a golf ball. I tried the local strawberry flavor and he had vanilla. 504 Oak Street, Hood River

We didn't stop again for a walk and meal until Salt Lake City, UT. Andy had been to breakfast during an Outdoor Retailer years back and we tried to find the place. After some research on the iPhone we found Eggs in the City. We sat outside which was nice after being in the car for a day or so. Good coffee and good food. They let us order it our way - with all the exceptions and allergy needs (Andy is gluten/yeast free). 1675 East 1300 South, Salt Lake City, UT 84105

In CO we knew exactly where we wanted to go for breakfast! Snooze!! It is by far the best breakfast I have had - anywhere (except Andy's). I love their coffee, the atmosphere and the service is top-notch. John, the owner, is always available to chat and Daniel is by far the best waiter in the business. I came across this place when they first opened in Denver. We were trying to find a place the would accommodate 17 people on a Sunday after church. We called ahead and John said he would take care of us. We were sold from that day on. Pancakes of the day like Cherry and Sweet Potato, a huge breakfast burrito, breakfast tacos, scrambles and my favorite the Oatmeal Brulee. They use organic, natural ingredients and you can taste it. This is a MUST try if you are anywhere near Denver or Fort Collins. www.snoozeeatery.com

Now I am hungry...

I have been talking about doing a real blog for a long time. As a sales manager I traveled all over the country - a lot. I felt for George Clooney's in his movie Up in the Air! I had the opportunity to do and see a lot during those years. It was a great experience. But, now that I have been out of Corporate America for 3 months and Andy (my husband) is happy with me not going back to the high paying, high stress office...let life really begin!

This blog will be about me, Andy and life on the road. I will talk about how my past effects and enhances my present and my future - from high school, college, to being a woman in the outdoor industry. I am hoping to take pictures and videos of our lives and of those we meet along the way.

Andy and I have been struggling to decide where we want to live. We miss Colorado - a ton. But, we also wanted to be close to family - parents, grandparents, nieces/nephew. We decided not to live in IN so landed on living in NY. We want to be close but not too close. We had envisioned upstate NY but Andy is getting a lot of work on Long Island. But, LI is not exactly "us". My mom, Mrs Real Estate, suggested we buy and RV. So that is exactly what we are doing! More on this later.....

I am in Indiana this week - talk about some interesting experiences and people..should be a good week to start a blog :)