In the Beginning... There Was Middle America

We found a diner, off old highway 90 (exit 192 off current highway 90), and grabbed a table.  This town had the classic story: the highway used to route people through town and the town thrived; now they are on the "scenic route," which is too slow for most travelers, and therefore see a lot less traffic and a lot less business.  But, what they did have was a veggie burger.  Imagine my amazement after seeing a billboard that read, “We South Dakotans Reject Animal Activists.” The veggie option on the menu led to the eternal discussion between Jon and I: why is it so hard to have a veggie burger on a menu?   If a diner  in nowhere South Dakota or Minnesota can have one, why can't everyone?  A veggie burger is generally not a seasoned vegetarian's first choice meal, but we'll take it in a pinch.

I should clarify: I, Lauren, am vegetarian and have been for over 10 years.  What "vegetarian" means to me has changed and will likely remain fluid (sometimes vegan, sometimes macrobiotic/vegan, etc), but it always means that I don't eat actual animal meat products.  HOWEVER, I will admit here and now that when I was in Mexico in 2007, living with a Mexican family while working as a teaching assistant, I ate spaghetti sauce flavored with powder from a plastic can with a rooster on it.  My guess is your guess: chicken powder?  Now that my dirty dirty secret is out there, let's tell some of Jon's.

Jon’s secret is less dirty and more an everyday reality: he is type 1 diabetic.  At 17 he was diagnosed with diabetes and has been using insulin every single day of his life ever since.  He is, as the diabetic community says, thriving with diabetes.  Jon is one of the most athletic people I know and because of that, the boy can eat.  He eats unbelievable amounts of food and is fairly indiscriminate about it.

We both bike, hike, swim, boulder, run around with our dog, Gordie Howe, and do whatever else.  We live active lives.  The point of telling you all this is to say that our entries will involve a lot of destinations that are off the map (or on the map, if you have a topo) and our trips always entail strategic food planning.  Right now we live in Bozeman, Montana (both originally from Massachusetts and I got here after a couple years in Iowa) and are planning to move to Chattanooga, Tennessee in December.

 Sphinx summit, Montana 2010

 Hyalite Reservoir, Montana 2008

 Iceberg Lake in Glacier Nat'l Park, 2010

Gordie Howe, Deep Creek, Montana, 2009

Basically this blog was born of a few things: why don't I know more veggie friendly eateries the country/world over?  Why is there a cheap motel in Idaho with a "Londoner" restaurant attached (where actual British people work!) with wooden cut-outs of "bobbies" and Queen's guards?  Why is some destination not as great as the internet lead us to believe? 

We'll post some of our attempts to answer those questions, or at least some helpful anecdotes to get other people through the muck of travel.

We also think that travel stories are great and helpful from people you know.  We'll try to write like we know you.