This Thanksgiving, instead of traveling to a tropical island like last year (Vieques was fabulous) I decided to plan a family vacation to Moab, Utah. The whole family was invited: my sister and her husband and my niece and nephew, my mom, my cousin Lean & her husband Joe. Unfortunately, our furry babies couldn’t travel with us as we didn’t get a dog-friendly house.

Moab, Utah boasted gorgeous scenery, hiking, biking, national parks…an outdoor playground. And we were going!

Today, we packed the Lexus to the gills and hit the road. Mike, mom, me. Our Moab Tofurkey road trip had begun!

With Uncle Rico watching the furry babies, we waived goodbye to Arvada and hit the road. First stop: Glenwood Springs. Along the way, magnificent rocks surrounded us and as we wound through the canyon we imagined what it would be like to have been the first settlers of the wild, wild west. An untamed land, stretched out for miles and miles. The work that lay before them, the challenges they would face, the unknown, all was pushed aside for the sheer chance to explore. Bravery defined!

The ride from Arvada to Moab is 5 ½ half hours and our coolers were filled with plant-based Thanksgiving goodness.

Here’s what I made for Tofurkey Thanksgiving:

Vegan Gravy – I substituted the brown seasoning for liquid smoke here and it was delicious!

Buffalo Chickpea Dip – This is absolutely amazing!

Sweet potato & corn chowder – I actually forgot this in my freezer (DOH!) but I’ve made this before and it’s turned out beautifully. I’ve subbed the shallots with white onion, added a 1/2 cup of quinoa to the last 15 minutes of cooking, and left out the leeks (I didn’t have them at the time!).

Raw Dreamy Cacao Walnut Bars – Trying to get a bit fancier than normal, I gave these a whirl. From licking the spoon, I think I made the right choice!

Happy Thanksgiving!