Summer 2016
The entire road trip will take place from June 30th, 2016 to August 8th, 2016. Our general goal is to begin in New York, head west across the United States to Washington State, drive south along the Pacific coast, and back east to our final destination, Florida. We initially wanted to make the trip one month, but 40 days is more comfortable. With this year’s National Park Centennial in mind, we have planned out the trip so that we have ample amount of time to see our many amazing national parks, popular attractions, and true hidden gems, all while indulging in local food, and making time to visit with family and friends along the way.
As we take on this journey across America, we will plan to stray off the beaten path in search of the beautiful long and winding roads that line our country. We look forward to witnessing sunrises and sunsets from different parts of the country and learn from each experience along the way (the journey is everything!). We are excited to share our upcoming journey with all of our family, friends, and travel enthusiasts, so welcome and don’t be shy!
Our Cross-Country Route
We have a pretty concrete idea of the cities, friends, and National Parks we want to visit along the way. Many of these places came about after we began researching routes and our favorite parks. I considered myself somewhat proficient in geography, but later determined that knowing state location and their corresponding capitals doesn’t shed any light on this country’s geographical wonders.
Day 1-2: We will begin this journey from our apartment in New York City. From there, we’re going through the Delaware Water Gap (on the New Jersey side) and camping in the southernmost point of the Kittatinny mountain range for two nights at Worthington Campground.
Day 3-5: From the Delaware Water Gap, we’ll head south to Philadelphia, where we plan to get some Philly cheesesteaks for lunch and explore our nation’s early capital. We’ll get back on the road and head to Dewey Beach, Delaware, for the evening. After enjoying some beach weather on one of the busiest weekends on the Delaware beaches, we’ll make our way to Washington, D.C., where we’ll spend the next three nights with a friend. We plan to head west through Maryland, and into Washington, D.C., where we will tour our nation’s capital and go to the top of the Washington Monument! What’s better than the 4th of July in our nation’s capital?!
Day 6: After the capital city, we’ll head southwest through Virginia and the Shenandoah National Park and Appalachian Mountains to camp at Cade’s Cove Campground in the Great Smokey National Park.
Day 7: After a night Great Smokey Mountain National Park, we’ll head to the country music capital, Nashville, Tennessee, where we’ll spend our afternoon dancing through Music Row. After we master the square dance, we plan to head north to Mammoth Cave National Park to set up camp for a night. With only one night at Mammoth Cave National Park, we know a cave tour has to be top priority. We plan to do the Domes and Dripstones tour that sends you down hundreds of feet into the miles of underground caves!
Day 8-9: After a tour of the longest underground cave network in the world, we’ll continue our journey north through Indianapolis, where we will visit friends, and stop in Chicago for two nights with another friend.
Day 10: From Chicago, we will head west to where Illinois, Iowa, and Wisconsin meet, and drive north along the beautiful Mississippi River. From here it’s a straight shot west on I-90 to Badlands National Park for the night.
Day 11: Once through the Badlands, we’re going to rent a motorcycle in Sturgis, South Dakota for the day and drive through Wind Cave National Park and Mount Rushmore, and eventually set up camp a mile or two from Mount Rushmore.
Day 12: From there, we will head south into Colorado and visit the town of Boulder, Colorado before setting camp in Rocky Mountain National Park right along the Continental Divide at a cool 12,000 feet above elevation.
Day 13: We’ll leave relatively early to continue southwest through Colorado and Gunnison Nation Park, eventually staying with a friend in Crested Butte, Colorado.
Day 14: After enjoying a night with friends, we’ll drive through Mesa Verde National Park and end our night camping at Monument Valley, Arizona on Navajo land.
Day 15-16: After waking up amongst giants, we’ll go to Four Corners Monument to stand in four different states simultaneously. We’ll then head north to Utah and through Canyonlands National Park to set up camp at Arches National Park for two nights.
Day 17: After Arches, we’ll head north through the Flaming Gorge in the southwest corner of Wyoming and camp on the Utah side of Bear Lake.
Day 18-19: We plan to set out early and continuing north through Jackson, Wyoming, see a couple of friends who live out there now, and trek through Grand Teton National Park. After Jenny Lake, we’ll make our way into Yellowstone National Park, where we will camp for two nights and explore the falls, springs, geysers, and wildlife.
Day 20-21: After our hot natural baths, we will continue north into Montana to the border of Canada, where we’ll set up camp for two days on Lake McDonald in Glacier National Park. We plan on doing all sorts of fun activities on these glacial formations!
Day 22: From Glacier, we will head southwest and get back on I-90, heading west through Idaho and into Washington, where we will set up camp for a night at Ohanapecosh Campground in Mount Rainier National Park. This area of the park is know for its old growth forests, so we couldn’t be more excited!
Day 23-24: After Ohana, we’ll take the scenic route through Mount St. Helens, the Columbia River Gorge, and Mount Hood on our way to stay with friends and family for two nights in Portland, Oregon.
Day 25: After spending some time with friends and family, we’ll drive down the coast of Oregon on 101 to Crater Lake National Park where we’ll camp for a night on the edge of this giant dormant volcano!
Day 26: After a thrilling crater experience, we’ll continue south on 101 to Redwood National Park, where we will end our long day of scenic driving and camp amongst the giant redwoods for a night.
Day 27: We’ll pack up early and continue our drive down the Pacific Coast Highway to stay in San Francisco for a night with another friend.
Day 28-29: After a day and night in San Francisco, we’ll head east towards Yosemite National Park, where we’ll camp for two nights and explore the magnificent falls and beautiful granite domes.
Day 30-31: After taking in all of the beauty that Yosemite has to offer, we’ll head back east to the Pacific Coast Highway and south to Los Angeles to stay with friends for two nights.
Day 32: After visiting friends in SoCal, we’ll start our journey back east, heading out early to drive through Joshua Tree National Park and Death Valley National Park. Our final destination will be the Aria hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada to gamble the rest of our budget away!
Day 33: What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas…but one thing we can say is that we’ll be looking forward to getting back to our nature trail. This time, it’s off to Utah to explore Bryce Canyon National Park, Dixie National Forest, and set up camp at Zion National Park for a night.
Day 34-35: After we hike the Narrows in Arches National Park, we’ll drive south through the wave of Antelope Canyon in Arizona to the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park, where we will stay for two nights.
Day 36: After a canyon hike down the Kaibab trail, we’ll head east on I-40 through New Mexico, and stay near Cadillac Ranch in Amarillo, Texas.
Day 37-38: Getting up early, we’re going to drive south and make our way to Austin, Texas, where we’re going to see a live concert and spend two nights with two different friends.
Day 39: After some Texas cooking, we’ll be ready to head southeast through Houston, along I-10 and into the Louisiana bayou, staying at a hotel in New Orleans for a night (maybe two!?).
Day 40: After New Orleans, we’ll drive along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico into Florida, where our final destination of West Palm Beach, Florida awaits!