2 Epic American Road Trips by Ace Easter

Road trips may not be the quickest way from point A to point B, but they’re undoubtedly the best way to see a lot of amazing places in a short amount of time. Road trips, if done correctly, can be packed full of adventures and marvellous discoveries that you would otherwise would never get a chance to see. Here are two of my favorite great American road trips!

Oxford, MS to Seattle, WA (36 hours driving time)

While this drive seems unbearably long, the dramatic changes in scenery that you get are so worth it. The first day of the drive we made it to Kansas City, MI. While we were only there for a short night, I highly recommend going by Quay Coffee. This shop is in a cool part of town on the way out of the city. It gives you a chance to drive through downtown and catch a few cool wall murals before heading back out to the open road.

The next stop we made was Jackson Hole, WY. This was by far our favorite place on the road. We stayed an extra day to spend time exploring the charming town. We spent hours checking out the Tetons and had some delicious meals. My favorite was a breakfast spot, Persephone Bakery. We ordered almost every fresh pastry they had available so we could snack on some delicious treats for the long day of driving in store for us!

If you can swing it I recommend spending the extra time in Jackson Hole. There is plenty to do, and just a short drive from Yellowstone National Park and Grand Teton National Park, give you a myriad of adventurous ways to enhance your trip.

After Jackson Hole we packed in another full day of driving and made it Spokane, WA late that night. This was our last night on the road so we enjoyed a fun dinner in a small Montana town. We woke up early and finished the drive arriving in Seattle, WA in the afternoon. The things to do in Seattle are endless, so find a way to get there sometime if you have never been!

Dallas, TX to Lake Powell, UT (25 hours driving time)

We started this trip by going to one of the many Torchy’s Tacos located in Dallas then buckled up for a long day of wide open Texas roads. Once we get close to Amarillo we mapped out Cadillac Ranch, and made sure we’d packed some spray paint for a fun stop (and great Instagram opportunity!)

Next fun stop was in New Mexico: Santa Rosa Blue Hole. If you take this trip in the summertime, bring your swimsuit and jump on in for a bitter cold (yet still refreshing) swim. Also a good idea to stop here if you’re feeling drowsy, it will wake you right up! From there we rolled on to Albuquerque, NM for a night’s respite and ate at a small family restaurant called Buca di Beppo Italian Restaurant located downtown.

The next morning before leaving Albuquerque we took the Sandia Peak Tramway. It was a really fun excursion before getting back in the car all day. The views are beautiful but this is not the route to take for anyone who is afraid of heights! Before we reached our destination in Utah, we decided to go to Flagstaff, AZ.

On the way to Flagstaff we stopped on a corner in Winslow, AZ. Sound familiar? If you are a fan of the Eagles, or can’t help but always sing along with them every time ‘Take it Easy’ plays, then you must stop here and get a picture standing next to late great Glenn Frey! They even have a flatbed Ford parked for another great photo opportunity. Once we arrived in Flagstaff we stayed at the Little America Hotel and had a wonderful dinner there. This mountain town is adorable and I would highly recommend it.

The next day we reached Lake Powell around noon, but before we hopped on a house boat for a week we toured Antelope Canyon. This one is a MUST! Seeing the sunlight pour into lower Antelope Canyon is a sight that will be forever etched into my memory. Antelope canyon is divided into two parts; the upper and lower canyon. I will be touring upper Antelope Canyon this summer on my next road trip! We spent a week living on a boat on Lake Powell, and it is an experience I can’t recommend highly enough. The isolation and lack of service on the lake force you to unplug and enjoy the moments you spend there. By far one of the coolest lakes I have ever visited. As an added bonus the Rainbow Bridge National Monument is tucked inside. This trip is packed with great stops and is a perfect inaugural cross country road trip for anyone.

Road Trip Packing and Survival Guide:

•Bring a lot of books (if you do not get car sick)

•Make a TON of playlists, you never know what the scenery will call for

•Snacks, snacks, snacks. Also, snacks.

•The best blanket you can get your hands on

•That pillow that you should’ve thrown away by now, but is definitely the most comfortable one you own

•Download shows or movies on netflix onto your devices in advance

•An atlas! A GPS is great, but there’s nothing more fun than mapping out the trip yourself

•A reusable water bottle. You need to stay hydrated, but let’s try and avoid throwing more plastic into the ocean!

•A camera or a gopro! Something to capture your memories!

•A disposable camera is a fun option too and super cheap, fun to print out after and relive the road trip!

Thanks Ace, you rock! You can read more about her adventures over on her blog HERE.

Did you love hearing about these 2 Cross country US Road Trips? Same! Where should we road trip to next? Leave a comment below & we'll see what we can do my friends!