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We took an epic household roundtrip highway journey throughout the USA from the West Coast to the East, and again once more! See all the main points you must plan your personal bucket listing cross-country drive.
Why we took this highway journey.
For the reason that ladies had been little (Maddie and Ashley that’s, I nonetheless consider Emmy as little at 11 although she is as tall as me), Pete and I’ve wished to take a cross-country highway journey.
For years we now have stated “that is the 12 months”, however then life would get in the way in which, or alternatives in Europe would name our names.
Quick ahead to 2021 and borders are nonetheless closed, we had enterprise to take care of on the East Coast and Emmy remains to be not eligible for a vaccine… so, we determine to drive there as an alternative of fly (we’re avoiding air journey till we’re all vaccinated) and FINALLY make that grand highway journey throughout the nation a actuality!
How we paid for this journey:
I used to be beginning to really feel very caught this previous spring, so I made a decision to problem myself to not pay for a single lodge or our rental automobile, however not within the regular manner that we journey with out a price working with journey companions. This time, I used bank card factors (you’ll be able to electronic mail me for hyperlinks to the playing cards we used) to pay for 56 lodge nights (28 nights- 2 rooms for every evening) and the cashback I earned to pay for our rental automobile.
I’m not a “journey hacker” who’s chasing each final level and we keep in largely upscale inns and resorts.
Plus, these had been lazy earned factors which means I used to be strategic the place I could possibly be, (like utilizing a card that earns additional factors for meals) however I made no additional effort past ensuring I used to be utilizing the right card for our completely different purchases. We additionally earned factors from sign-up bonuses.
A number of issues we took into consideration when planning this epic highway journey:
- 4 out of 5 of us are absolutely vaccinated.
- We bought high-quality masks for all of us to put on every time we had been inside; outdoors once we couldn’t preserve sufficient house from others, and we modified them after each use.
- We prioritized inns with balconies and home windows that opened in order that we may air out the rooms earlier than we eliminated our masks.
- We additionally traveled with a high-quality air air purifier and let it run for the required time to scrub the room air upon arrival, and we had it on the entire time we had been staying at every lodge.
- We wiped down the rooms with Clorox Wipes after which sprayed them with Lysol. It took simply a few minutes and was largely a precaution towards the widespread chilly and flu. The very last thing I wished was for any sickness to derail our journey.
- We solely ate outdoors with patio eating or in our lodge room.
- After we stopped for toilet breaks alongside the way in which, we made positive to get Emmy again outdoors as rapidly as possible- once more to restrict publicity.
- We stayed versatile on the journey. When spots alongside our route began to emerge as “sizzling spots” we did some last-minute modifications to mitigate the danger together with leaving a cease early and utterly skipping different ones.
- We by no means took an elevator with anybody else.
- We hand sanitized like loopy and washed our palms at each alternative!
Did all this make our journey with out danger? No, under no circumstances… however we felt prefer it didn’t take away from our enjoyment and hopefully decreased the danger. We now have now been again dwelling for over 21 days with none problem.
Right here is the route we took on our cross-country highway journey:
We initially deliberate to be gone for 31 days, but it surely ended up being 28 days and we traveled over 7,000 miles.
I’ll break the articles up by the completely different locations, however right here is the grasp listing of our cross-country highway journey!
- Began in Newport Seashore
- Flagstaff, AZ: 2 nights (spent a day on the Grand Canyon)
- Albuquerque: NM: 1 evening
- Oklahoma Metropolis: OK: 1 evening
- Memphis, TN: 2 nights
- Knoxville, TN: 1 evening
- Asheville, NC: 2 nights
- Charlotte, NC: 2 nights
- Chapel Hill, NC: 3 nights
- Nags Head, NC: 1 evening (want we had stayed right here for longer!)
- Ocean Metropolis, MD: 2 nights
- Washington DC: 2 nights
- Williamsburg VA: 2 nights
- Charlottesville VA: 1 evening
- Nashville TN: 2 nights
- Kansas Metropolis MO: 1 evening (last-minute change- deliberate St. Louis 1 evening after which 2 nights right here)
- Beaver Creek, CO: 2 nights
- Flagstaff, AZ: 1 evening (last-minute change- deliberate 1 evening in St. George UT + 1 evening Las Vegas)
- Newport Seashore, CA
All that apart, I spent months engaged on this journey and it was a extremely good distraction.
I truly love the strategy planning stage of holidays and I at all times have a plan B and C. This time I had a plan D, E, and F too.
Some journeys we arrive and I’ve finished little or no analysis and we simply discover. This was not a kind of journeys. I had each single cease on our driving days famous and eating choices outlined earlier than we even left. This wasn’t foolproof by any means, but it surely actually helped. Since journey and the world, on the whole, are always altering proper now, having lots of choices saved the day a number of instances.
Our rode-trip trip.
We had deliberate to take one among our SUVs on this highway journey however rapidly determined {that a} mini-van can be a greater possibility. Pete and I’ve bigger SUVs however they’d have been past filled with our baggage and the 5 of us and having a mini-van on highway journeys has at all times labored greatest for us.
After all, there was an enormous rental automobile debacle happening once we had been leaving and I used to be listening to tales from others that even with a reservation many weren’t getting their reserved autos or not getting a automobile in any respect. We had a bit of problem as a result of the primary mini-van we got had a mechanical problem, but it surely was rapidly changed and we had been good to go.
First cease: Flagstaff, Arizona
We made fairly good time driving from Newport Seashore to Flagstaff and I took a few fast cellular phone footage as soon as we arrived to share with you all. This lodge utterly exceeded our expectations and was the proper entry again out into the world. I liked the view into the woods from our rooms!
We stayed at The Little America Lodge.
I picked this lodge as a result of it was proper off the freeway and I’ve had household that stayed right here previously and so they liked it. The upper-end choices within the space felt missing once I was looking for them and though I’m unsure I might actually name this a high-end lodge, it was manner higher than I anticipated. The placement was excellent to seek out eating choices and it made it straightforward to drive out to the Grand Canyon throughout our keep.
Little America Inn had a pool that the children used every evening, a strolling/mountain climbing/working path, a restaurant, good web, and nearly every part else you can need from a highway journey lodge. It is also hooked up to a journey middle for truckers so we had been in a position to get a few a great deal of laundry finished earlier than we left. Who would have ever thought I might get all enthusiastic about quick access to laundry services, however right here we’re.
We stayed for 2 nights in Flagstaff and the primary evening we ate at The Cornish Pasty Co..
Flagstaff has a stunning variety of eating places with vegan (and gluten-free) choices. We liked the patio arrange and the meals was fairly good!
We additionally went to the native Entire Meals that day and picked up some lodge snacks, bottled water, and extra drinks to assist keep hydrated.
Emmy and I had been feeling the elevation at this level and we had been positively dehydrated after our 8+ hour drive from Newport Seashore, Ca.
Oh, and we additionally stopped to get drinks at Dutch Bros.
We don’t have these in CA and though we strive to not load up on sugar drinks, we think about this a “when in Rome” form of factor. When you haven’t had Dutch Bros, strive their glowing flavored waters and low. You received’t remorse it!
The subsequent morning was Grand Canyon day!
Are you able to imagine we had by no means been? As I stated, this was positively a bucket listing journey for us. We noticed so many issues and locations we now have by no means skilled earlier than and kicking it off with the Grand Canyon was the way in which to do it!
We began the morning with breakfast at The Toasted Owl.
I can’t even inform you how a lot we loved the meals right here. The service was tremendous fast and so they actually have one thing for everybody.
This was all vegan too! Yep, even vegan eggs and bacon!
After breakfast, we took a leisurely drive to the South Entrance of the Grand Canyon.
This passes you thru a bit of city and there’s a place for fuel earlier than you head in.
There are two fundamental methods to get to the South Entrance of The Grand Canyon from Flagstaff. The freeway route or the scenic route. One has you taking the 40 to the 64 (freeway) or 180 to the 64 (scenic). We selected the scenic route and it was superior. This takes you thru the forest with wildlife sightings doable. Each confirmed at about the identical distance and time (1 h 24 min).
Fast Tip: Use Google Maps. Not simply right here, however in your full highway journey. I created our maps earlier than we left on my laptop computer with Google Maps after which texted them on to my cellphone. A number of instances Google Maps would reroute us to assist averted accidents and main slowdowns. This saved us hours upon hours over our complete highway journey.
When visiting, your timing is fairly essential throughout peak season. We had been simply stepping into the busy season once we had been there at first of June. Absolutely the prime time to reach is earlier than the crowds, early within the morning (verify for present opening instances).
We’re not these individuals although. We had been nonetheless drained from the drive-in the day earlier than and determined for a later entry. We hit the timing fairly effectively with just a bit wait to get into The Grand Canyon. There are lots of people who drive in from Las Vegas and these outer areas too so they have a tendency to reach round 10 or so within the morning so additionally take that into consideration. We had been there about 11:15 am.
As soon as we had been into the gates we adopted the map we got to the Grand Canyon Village within the South Rim.
The Grand Canyon Customer Heart Constructing remains to be closed, however they’ve an Data desk arrange outdoors the guests middle constructing staffed by park rangers who keep bodily distanced from you whereas answering your whole questions.
There have been a few choices for meals and drinks right here too and the Grand Canyon Conservancy Park Retailer was additionally open. We cut up up on the finish of our go to and I purchased Emmy a magnet and Maddie and Ash memento shirts whereas Pete went to get us all a snack and one thing to drink.
It will get very popular, in a short time so costume in layers in case you are coming early and staying for any period of time.
Throughout our precise time taking within the Grand Canyon, we walked the Rim Path.
You possibly can catch this proper off the Grand Canyon Guests Heart space. There are indicators for it, or you’ll be able to simply comply with the group. It is a very straightforward stroll and an effective way to see the Grand Canyon with out having to drive wherever or exert your self. With as heat because it obtained, it was a extremely good go to. Pete would have liked to truly hike into the canyon, however there is no such thing as a manner I might even try any form of hike within the warmth.
Here’s what we noticed simply from the Rim Path of the Grand Canyon:
The Grand Canyon was much more stunning than we thought it might be.
There have been some severe purple hues being thrown once we had been there!
I nonetheless can’t imagine that we noticed the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone earlier than THE Grand Canyon!
We stayed simply a few hours and we’d positively return. Scratch that- we will certainly be again!
That evening we went to Pizza Patio for some vegan pizza.
They’ve common pizza too and in addition gluten-free so all of us had an excellent dinner. The Pizza Patio workers was a bit frazzled on the evening we visited, however the meals was good. Because the world is opening up, we now have been being additional affected person to permit restaurant and journey firms to ramp again up. You’ll want to mood your expectations. Most are actually making an attempt as arduous as they’ll in these getting-better instances.
We had a reasonably early begin the following morning for the following leg of our journey so we wished to get as a lot sleep as doable so we ate and went proper again to the Little America Flagstaff.
Early the following morning Pete, Ashley, and I obtained up additional early to go for a stroll on their nature path earlier than we obtained again on the highway. Driving all day is lots of sitting so we wished to maneuver as a lot as doable. We had been nonetheless in a position to get on the highway very first thing within the morning.
On this leg of the journey we went from Newport Seashore, Ca. —> Flagstaff, Az. (Grand Canyon) —> Albequerque, Nm. —> Oklahoma Metropolis, Okay.
As a result of I’ve a factor for stopping at anyplace talked about in a track that I like, we needed to cease in Winslow, Az. It was such a positive sight to see! (wink, wink)
Our stops in Albequerque and Oklahoma had been simply deliberate as locations to sleep at evening so we didn’t see a lot of something there.
Subsequent stop- Memphis Tennesee!
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