Days #706-712 of Our Epic Trip

10-8-2025
H: 59°F L: 43°F
Kristin’s Parent’s House, Brighton, Michigan

Marcel is being a trooper with his therapy which we do three times a day. He is so loved by his family and I think he knows that.

We went to a lecture at University of Michigan: 2025 Ta-You Wu Lecture in Physics | Einstein, Gravitational Waves, Black Holes and Other Matters by Gabriela González. Dr. González is an astrophysicist and a founding member of the LIGO Scientific Collaboration which seeks to detect gravitational waves. The lecture was in the beautiful art deco Rackham Auditorium.

We loved the lecture! Dr. González was so personable and it was obvious she loved physics. Daniel asked Dr. González a question at the end of the lecture and he also saw one of his physics professors. Fun fact: Daniel went back to college for physics when he was ~50. He loves physics and it would be his choice now if he had to pick a profession.

After the lecture we went to dinner at Gora’s Grill (100% plant based) in Ypsilanti, MI. We passed by the Ypsilanti Water Tower also known locally as the “Brick Dick”. I think some architects do not fully think through their creations.

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10-9-2025
H: 59°F L: 34°F
Kristin’s Parent’s House, Brighton, Michigan

After purging the camper of unnecessary stuff, we had to find a place to store it. We shoved clothes into a spare bedroom in my parent’s house and found space in the barn where the rest of our stuff is. I also gave our plants some much needed tender care.

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10-10-2025
H: 66°F L: 37°F
Kristin’s Parent’s House, Brighton, Michigan

We met our friend, Lisa, for coffee in Jackson, MI. It was so great catching up with her! (She didn’t want to be in pictures.) Fun fact: This is the coffee shop where Peter first met Daniel. Peter is very nervous with strangers but, by the end of the night, Peter was offering his paw to Daniel. Now, the two are inseparable.

We love Jackson Coffee Co which is two stories and allows dogs. They have an Art-O-Mat which is a repurposed cigarette vending machine which now dispenses art.

After a wonderful visit with Lisa, we took the boys for annual checkups with their vet, Dr. Brie Dagenais, whom we have missed so much. She is so good with the boys! Fun fact: Marcel loves meeting new people but he holds a grudge against veterinarians and growls and barks at them.

After the vet visit, we drove by our old house. There are two new houses on our street! It was great seeing our old house where our love story began.

We had an early dinner and then stopped at Haehnle Sanctuary in Grass Lake, MI where sand hill cranes are frequently seen.

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10-11-2025
H: 64°F L: 46°F
Kristin’s Parent’s House, Brighton, Michigan

We have been considering our travel options for 2026. We have three options: 1) go back west for the winter and then spend the summer in Alaska 2) spend the winter in Florida and then explore the east coast 3) spend the winter in Florida and then start building our house in Tennessee. Our final decision? We’re going to explore the east coast in 2026!

Peter and Marcel have enjoyed the toys their Aunt Lisa got them. And they love the treats she made them!

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10-12-2025
H: 68°F L: 42°F
Kristin’s Parent’s House, Brighton, Michigan

We got some more things packed up and then helped my parents figure out some things on their computer. We definitely understand the importance of staying up-to-date as technology changes.

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10-13-2025
H: 72°F L: 48°F
Kristin’s Parent’s House, Brighton, Michigan

I have been going through some of my cookbooks that I picked up at thrift stores around the country and taking pictures of recipes I want to try. One of the books, The Vegan Slow Cooker by Kathy Hester, said you can cook dried beans over night in a slow cooker. That’s genius! I borrowed my mom’s slow cooker, which she then said I could have as she doesn’t use it. So I put some dry chickpeas in the slow cooker on the low setting. We’ll see how it turns out. Please note: Per the above cookbook, you can cook any bean in the slow cooker but kidney beans need an extra step. Kidney beans have a toxin and must be boiled for 10 minutes before cooking them in the slow cooker.

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10-14-2025
H: 71°F L: 47°F
Kristin’s Parent’s House, Brighton, Michigan

The slow cooker chickpeas came out great! As a bonus, it kept our camper warm last night. I made more beans during the day and added some to a bean-quinoa stew. I also made whole wheat bread and grilled broccoli. I love making healthy food. We’ve met so many people who said they are too tired to cook the way we do. The problem with this is they then look for quick fix meals which tend not to be healthy and just lead to poor health and lack of energy. At some point you have to break the cycle. Daniel and I have boundless energy during the day and sleep soundly at night. That’s one of the many benefits of whole food, plant-based.

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Stats

Expenses:

• Tesla Cybertruck fuel: $0
• Tesla Model X fuel: $0
• Campsite: $0
• Camping memberships: $38.26
• Food: $400.70

Tesla Cybertruck miles driven: 0 (0 kWh)

Tesla Model X miles driven: 260.8 (80.2 kWh)

Number of people asking about the Tesla pulling the camper: 0

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#BrightonMI #AnnArborMI #JacksonMI #YpsilantiMI #Dogs #physics #YpsilantiWaterTower #JacksonCoffeeCo #HaehnleSanctuary #SlowCooker #FullTimeTraveling #FullTimeCamping #FullTimeRVing #TravelingTheUS #HealthyVegan