A Quintessential Great American Road Trip: 50 Days, 25 States, 20 National Parks

DATES: MAY-JUNE 2016

DAYS ON THE ROAD: 50

US STATES VISITED: 25

TOTAL MILEAGE: 11,160 MILES

AVERAGE DAILY MILEAGE: 223.2 MILES

LONGEST TRAVEL DAY: 574 MILES

NATIONAL PARKS VISITED: 20

OTHER NPS SITES VISITED: 13

NATIONAL FORESTS VISITED: 23

NATURAL WONDERS OF THE WORLD VISITED: 1

MINIMUM ELEVATION: -282 FT

MAXIMUM ELEVATION: 9,600 FT

MINIMUM TEMPERATURE: 29°

MAXIUMUM TEMPERATURE: 122°

SNOWSTORMS ENDURED: 6

HAILSTORMS ENDURED: 1

TRAFFIC JAMS ENCOUNTERED: 19

MAXIMUM SPEED: 104 MPH

DOLLARS SPENT: $5,663

AVERAGE COST PER DAY: $113

CAMERA USED: NIKON 1 J3

---

These photos are all out of order. I’ll fix it one day. Maybe.

---

CHAPTER ONE: GETTIN WEST

DAYS 1-5

CHICAGO, THE BLACK HILL, THE BADLANDS, (WALL DRUG)

CHAPTER ONE: WHY-OH-MING

DAYS 6-11

GETS ITS OWN CHAPTER, LOTS TO SEE AND ADMIRE, 2.18 COWS PER CAPITA

CHAPTER THREE: NORTHWEST IS BEST

DAYS 12-16

MY FIRST TIME VISITING MY FUTURE HOME

CHAPTER FOUR: WEST COAST

DAYS 16-23

OREGON + CALIFORNIA COASTS

CHAPTER FIVE: SOUTHWEST

DAYS 25-44

IN WHICH WE ENCOUNTERED:

THE WORLD’S LARGEST TREE

A VALLEY SO DESOLATE IT CALLS ITSELF DEATH, A CREEK SO HOT IT CALLS ITSELF FURNACE
(AKA TATOOINE)
IT WAS SO F*CKING HOT

A VERY BIG HOLE IN THE GROUND

THE UTAH FIVE—MOONRISE

CLIFF DWELLINGS, CAVES, CANYONS

ALIENS, MAN

CHAPTER SIX: UNPICTURED

DAYS 45-50

IN WHICH WE RAN OUT OF MONEY AND DROVE STRAIGHT HOME