Road Trip USA

After planning a little for a LOT of exciting things to see along the way from Los Angeles, California to St. Louis, Missouri, we departed on the morning of June 17.

With a tentative route planned and a wish list of places to visit, we set out on our 2K+ mile scenic drive across half the length of the United States. Read on for the list of places we saw, and keep an eye out for posts about each place (coming soon).

Road Trip USA: Summer 2014

June 17 – July 2, 2014

This summer, we spent two weeks traveling through the Western U.S. between Los Angeles, California and St. Louis, Missouri. With stops in Nevada, Utah, Colorado, and Missouri, we saw some spectacular sights, including several National and State Parks, plenty of wildlife, the hike of a lifetime, and the fabulous wedding of one of my best friends since middle school.

With St. Louis (my hometown) as our final destination on our outbound trip, we spent several days in the good ol’ StL while I introduced Ian to some of my favorite people and places in St. Louis.

DESTINATIONS

June 17: California –> Nevada

• Valley of Fire State Park (camped at Atlatl Campground in Valley of Fire SP)

June 18: Nevada –> Utah

• Zion National Park (camped in Hurricane)

June 19: Utah

• Zion National Park
• Red Canyon (camped at Red Canyon Campground in Red Canyon/Dixie National Forest)

June 20: Utah

• Bryce Canyon National Park (camped at North Campground in Bryce Canyon NP)

June 21: Utah

• Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument
• Capitol Reef National Park (camped in BLM land past the park)

June 22: Utah

• Glen Canyon National Recreation Area
• Natural Bridges National Monument
• Arches National Park (camped at Devils Garden Campground in Arches NP)

June 23: Utah –> Colorado

• Telluride, Colorado (camped in Matterhorn Campground in Telluride/Uncompahgre National Forest)

June 24: Colorado

• Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park
• Rocky Mountain National Park (camped at Longs Peak Campground in Rocky Mountain NP)

June 25: Colorado

• Rocky Mountain National Park (stayed at Super 8 in Fort Morgan, Colorado)

June 26: Colorado –> Nebraska –> Iowa –> Missouri

• St. Joseph, Missouri (stayed at Ramada Inn in St. Joseph)

June 27: Missouri

• The MIZZOU Columns in Columbia, Missouri (plus lunch with a friend)
• Castlewood State Park (plus dinner with friends)
• Cecil Whittaker’s Pizza

June 28: Missouri

• The Jewel Box at Forest Park (plus the wedding of a friend)
• The Hill: Toasted Ravioli and St. Louis beer (with a friend)
• Ted Drewes Frozen Custard
• SLU Campus (plus my friend’s wedding reception)
• Oldfields (hanging out with friends after the wedding)

June 29: Missouri

• Storm Chasers baseball game (plus lunch and cards with family)
• Steak n’ Shake chili and shoestring fries (with a friend)

June 30: Missouri

• Lone Elk Park
• Anheuser Busch Brewery Tour (with a friend)
• The Arch

July 1: Missouri –> Kansas –> Colorado

• Via I-70 West with a brief detour to avoid toll roads in Kansas
• Colorado Springs, Colorado (stayed at Courtyard Marriott in Colorado Springs)

July 2: Colorado –> Utah –> Arizona –> Nevada –> California

• Via I-70 West –> I-15 South

 

On our list for future road trips:

• Canyonlands (Utah)
• Great Sand Dunes NP (Colorado)
• White Sands NM (New Mexico)
• Dinosaur NM (Colorado/Utah)
• Las Vegas (Nevada)

Want more? View our 2015 road trip destinations here!