Man... almost hard to believe we made it... over 450 miles from Burlington... to Meeker...i n the midst of a Colorado winter... and in one day!

And when I say winter, I mean full-on, snow-everywhere, a 9-degree morning, no-question-about-it winter.

The further we drove...it became more and more clear that winter had more than set in here.... but with a break in the weather.... felt like we had to make a break for it...at least get over those Rockies...and vail pass before looking for a spot to crash for the night.

The plains out here are something else. Nothin but snow....as far as we can see...like someone had just dumped a huge bag of flour on everything! This being our first trek through this part of the country...I kept thinking about how different this must look in the summer—green fields, grazing cattle, wildflowers here and there. But right now, so quiet, so cold....all snow-covered, and honestly, it’s kind of mesmerizing.

We kept driving, watching the scenery shift—rolling hills taking over, still blanketed in snow, of course. The trees are bare, their branches reaching up like they’re trying to grab some warmth out of the sky.... It’s like the world’s in some sort of hibernation mode out here.

And then the Rockies show up, and wow. These mountains, covered in snow, are pretty jaw-dropping....the massiveness of it all... The little towns I pass through—Dillon, Frisco—they’re picture-perfect, with snow piled high on rooftops and icicles dangling everywhere. It’s like a postcard come to life. Yet once again...imagining the summer vibe here in contrast to what we are looking at.... hikers hitting the trails, families biking, and wildflowers carpeting the slopes. Today, though, it’s all about the snow.

450 Miles Into a Colorado Winter… and some more History Waiting for Us in Meeker.

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Podcast written and recorded by Dougie, Billie, and Craig.

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Our next stop would be less “discovery”… and more “port in the storm.”

We’d come rolling in from Kansas on I-70… weather reports blaring… and honestly, we didn’t even need those. The road itself was saying it. Whispering… then shouting… find shelter. Find warmth. Find a place to stop this big metal box before Mother Nature really decides to test our commitment to the road.

By the time we hit Burlington... just 170 miles from Hayes Kansas, the skies were already bruising over. Temperatures dropping like a rock. Snow flurries doing that sideways dance they only do when the wind is in one of its moods. And this time? Oh the winds.....they were in a full-blown tantrum. Gusts punching us at 75 mph. Vacilando shaking just enough to remind us that yes… we are small… and Mother Nature’s NOT.

So we parked. And honestly? Felt lucky to have made it to a place where safe parking was even possible.

We’d spend the next two days tucked in tight… letting Mother Nature get whatever this was out of her system. And there was something almost cozy about it… warm lights on inside Vacilando while the wind tried to peel the siding off every structure within a mile radius. Movies. Popcorn. That very specific sound of wind slamming into aluminum. You feel it in your ribs after a while.

And outdoor exploration? Yeah… that wasn’t happening. We ventured out for a couple of brisk “just to say we tried” walks… but mostly… we stayed in. And I read this place called Burlington Colorado.

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Podcast written and recorded by Dougie, Billie, and Craig.

Logo’s designed and owned by Dougie, Billie, and Craig. Design assistance provided by Bing Copilot.

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Our next set of discoveries would come a few hundred miles up the road from Platte City… in a place called Hays, Kansas.

Once again, we found ourselves driving into an endless horizon. This one belonged to the Kansas prairie. The scenery around us in constant change — fall… to winter… then back again — but somehow, the faint scent of harvest still lingered in the air.

We pushed west, leaving behind Platte City, Missouri. The landscape morphing slowly but surely as you cross into Kansas. The grasslands are wide here, skies wide open… deep blue… in between those brief temper tantrums winter kept throwing our way.

And yet again… We would manage somehow to turn an over night stop… Into a week of exploring, learning, and meeting new friends.

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Podcast written and recorded by Dougie, Billie, and Craig.

Logo’s designed and owned by Dougie, Billie, and Craig. Design assistance provided by Bing Copilot.

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The drive into Platte City from St. Joseph is a slow one... a short one... just 30 miles or so. The rolling hills of northwest Missouri stretched out in front of us, the landscape framed by tall trees and farmland. It’s late fall, or maybe early winter, depending on how you want to look at it. The temperature fluctuates from one day to the next, and the golden hues of autumn are barely holding on. The occasional gust of wind sends the last of the dry leaves scattering across the road.

You’re not prepared for Platte City until you’re right on top of it, and even then, it’s easy to miss the heart of it. There’s a freeway sign that marks its existence, but beyond that, not much to suggest what lies ahead. You exit off I-29, and the choice is simple—head left, and you’ll find yourself at Platte Falls, part of a wildlife management area. Or turn right, over a small hill, and down into a town that’s quietly marked a piece of American history for nearly 180 years.

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Podcast written and recorded by Dougie, Billie, and Craig.

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A twist of fate landed us in a quaint Nebraska village named Western. It’s small-town America at its finest. We pulled into town with the singular objective of finding a spot to plug in so we could ride out an incoming cold front that threatened to bring a few inches of snow with it. Little did I know we would not leave Western for nearly 2 months!

Full transcript available on Substack and YouTube video versions of podcast.

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Podcast written and recorded by Dougie, Billie, and Craig.

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Made the 98 miles drive from Craig Missouri to Lincoln Nebraska in good time. We found a subdued Lincoln... the pandemic takes a much larger toll on larger cities than it has in the small towns we've spent the last several months in.

We spent 3 days in Lincoln... working and learning about this part of Nebraska and beyond.

A typical midwestern cold snap chased us out of Lincoln a little ahead of schedule... and on with the adventure.

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Podcast written and recorded by Dougie, Billie, and Craig.

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Our last night in Honey Creek saw Thunder storms moving in. And one of those late night light shows that make you wanna just watch. Things seemed to be clearing up as we headed out the following day.

Our zig-zagging around the heartland would take a turn south when I spotted a sign stating that we were some 60 miles from... and yep....another…Craig.

This one in Missouri, some 60 miles from the Iowa border and 90 miles north of Kansas City.

The rolling hills of Iowa's Loess region quickly gave way to corn fields, soy beans and ranches… at this point... all feeling pretty familiar.

We rolled into town late in the afternoon... not hard to spot the only RV parking available in a town of 100 folks.

Once parked, all hooked up and ready to stay for a few days... Dougie and I would take our first walk...

We could see it.. felt it... right away…

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Podcast written and recorded by Dougie, Billie, and Craig.

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In true Vacilando fashion… todays drive would involve some backtracking. Around 40 miles from Tekamah Nebraska...across that Missouri River and back into Iowa.

The road twisted through the Loess Hills of Iowa, a landscape so unique it exists in only a few places on Earth.

I couldn't wait to learn more about this truly unique find. I was also looking forward to a couple of weeks of working on a family farm… here in the heart of America’s midwest.

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Let us know what you think! We love your comments and feedback!

Podcast written and recorded by Dougie, Billie, and Craig.

Logo’s designed and owned by Dougie, Billie, and Craig. Design assistance provided by Bing Copilot.

Information sources referenced in podcast include Bing Copilot, Wikipedia, and YouTube.

Intro/Outro music by Audio Jungle and used with permission and acknowledgment.

Third party content shared with acknowledgment and credited in video.

Shared under fair use published material. No copyright infringement intended.