“VOX” = VanDOit Owners Experience
We took a 3-week trip in May & June 2022 to attend VOX#5. This particular VOX was put on by the VanDOit company. Prior VOXes have been self-organized by fellow owners at various locations around the US. Since this one was in Bentonville and close to the VanDOit factory in Kansas City, VanDOit wanted to be a part of it. This was the first VOX we have attended so I can’t compare to others, but they did an excellent job. For us coming from Seattle, the journey there and back was just as interesting.
Day 14 (6/7)
Had breakfast on the balcony. Lorretta provides guests with bagels, honey buns, and other goodies.
As we were leaving, Loretta asks Alexa to play soothing music for the dogs!
Went on a tour of Lubbock. Prairie Dog town. WW2 glider museum.
Drove around Texas Tech and kept getting lost. We went through a drive through Starbucks for lunch.
Out to dinner at Uncle Julio’s Mexican restaurant. Loretta accidentally started her keychain alarm and none of us knew how to stop it. Mike put it in his hands and then sat on it. Finally, we drove by a cotton field and Mike threw it out the window. It’s probably still going off.
Day 15 (6/8)
Ran some errands. Outdoor Chef, Costco, HEB. Had lunch at the Texas Tech Club at the stadium. Made pizza at home on the Ooni pizza oven.
Dogs got to listen to Reggae music. According to Loretta, there was a study that said that they liked it better. We weren’t sure how they knew this.
Day 16 (6/9)
Stopped by the Tortilla Factory and stocked up with a couple dozen.
West Texas is ridiculously flat! Heading to Colorado Springs. Drive through a thunderstorm in New Mexico.
Stayed at the Golden Eagle 🦅 Campground. It was nice! $44 with power and water. We were going to stay at Cheyenne Mt. State Park but it was full (and more expensive!) As we were driving in, we had to break for a Prairie Dog!!!🥰🥰
Very nice people running the Golden Eagle!
Day 17 (6/10)
Went towards Pike’s Peak and drove through the Garden of the Gods. Took pictures at the Balancing Rock with BunBun and Nut. Stopped at a Planet Fitness in Laramie and did a 30 min workout and took showers. Then drove another 3 hours to Lander WY. Stayed at Twin Pines RV Park. It was really nice. Camped in a tent space right on a little lake. Had to use our leveling blocks for the first time. Saw the most gorgeous sunset.
Day 18 (6/11)
Drove to Grand Teton National Park. Saw a moose on the way. Walked around Jackson and bought some t-shirts. Drove up to the Jackson Hole ski area and walked around. Then drove thru the park. Hoped to see some animals but didn’t. Set up camp at Gros Ventre campground. Used the hammock. Cooked pasta with pesto for dinner.
Day 19 (6/12)
Rainy morning. Went to the visitor center and watched a 30-minute movie about Grand Teton National Park. Waiting for rain to stop. Went for a hike at Jenny Lake to Hidden Falls. It was really nice. Lots of signs about bears and foxes but we didn’t see any. Ate lunch in the van and played Wordle before leaving. On the drive to Jackson we got caught in a hail storm. All cars pulled over and stopped. It was a lot of hail. We went to Albertsons and bought more groceries.
Camped a 2nd night at Gros Ventre. On the drive in we stopped and watched 2 moose eating by the river. Finally saw some animals. This campsite was really far from the bathrooms. It rained and thunderstorms all night.
Day 20 (6/13)
Slept in until 10am. It was rainy. Went to North Jenny Lake and hiked the String Lake loop. Heard from a ranger that Yellowstone was closed. Not sure of details. Went to Jackson Lake Lodge and looked around. Then drove to Flagg Ranch. Yellowstone is closed past Flagg Ranch. Campsite was nice. It got cold at night. We made penne pasta with tomato sauce and andouille sausage. It was really good.
Day 21 (6/14)
Snow flurries in the morning. Ate breakfast in the van. Took showers and bought some stuff at the Flagg Ranch store. Since Yellowstone is closed, we have to go south thru Jackson and over Teton Pass to Idaho. Google maps routes us over Grassy Lake Road, but it is a 50-mile dirt road with snow. Don’t think so google.
Saw cars pulled off road near Coulter Bay. So, we stopped. It was a large bull elk laying in the forest.
Drove to Jenny Lake and checked email (didn’t get good cell service anywhere else) then drove south to Moose Junction. Saw more cars pulled off road then saw the big black bear walking by. Stopped and got a few pics.
Went to Moose Junction visitor center and bought a new national park pass since our old one expires at the end of June. They started requiring masks again since Teton county is now in a high Covid level.
Got gas in Jackson then headed over Teton pass.
Stopped in Driggs for lunch and bought some wine and beer for the Benton’s since we stayed with them at a cabin their family rented at Henry’s Lake. Had a nice dinner with trout that they had caught earlier that day. Learned how to play the Monopoly Deal card game. Then we played Pass the Pigs before bed.
Day 22 (6/15)
Got up and left for Coeur d’Alene. Got there at 3pm and went to Planet Fitness. Walked on the treadmill for a bit to loosen up and took showers. Decided it was early enough to just drive on home instead of camping one more night. Got gas here and it was the first time we had to pay over $5/gal. $125 to fill up. Stopped in Moses Lake and got some chicken strips at Dairy Queen. Then drove on. Stopped for gas one last time in Ellensburg. Got home by 10pm. 14-hour travel day (with several stops, ~11 hours driving). About double our previous longest days.
Day 23 (6/16)
Back at home. Refilled the empty bird feeders, Drained the hot tub to put in fresh water and need to mow the grass that is about one foot tall. But a bunny seems to have moved into the back yard so trying not to disturb her.
Emptied the van and cleaning it out in preparation for our next trip.
- States covered in this leg
- Texas
- New Mexico
- Colorado
- Wyoming
- Idaho
- Montana
- Idaho (again)
- Washington
