2020… Do I need to say more? For most of us, 2020 was a time of struggle, hardship, and loss. With international travel essentially forbidden to US residents, I had to find a way to escape. What better way to escape than a good ol’ fashioned road trip! I hope you enjoy it!
Getting started – Planning a Road Trip
When the coronavirus hit, the United States was woefully unprepared for the mass loss of life, damage, and economic hardship. However, we pushed through as a group, and we are close to the other side. In times like these, you have to dig deep and push. You have to reflect inward on yourself and see what you are made of. This is what I decided to do with my country. I decided to travel within and find the good within.
I had never planned a road trip before, and I didn’t know where to start. So I started with a destination. I was browsing google one day and came across a picture of Glacier National Park. This one, to be exact.
I saw this picture and immediately texted it to my road trip buddy, my little sister. I said, “This is it. This is where we are going. I want to stand in this exact spot” So then, we had a starting point.
Where To Stay
Next came it was time to choose where we wanted to see it. I mapped out a path on google maps of some sights to see on our way to the “Crown of the Continent.” We had a rough layout of what we wanted to see.
- Grand Canyon – I had been there, but it was something I wanted my sister to experience.
- Horseshoe Bend – It looks fantastic from all the pictures I had seen, and we wanted to check it out.
- Monument Valley – The iconic landscape from all the old westerns.
- Goblin Valley – Rated as one of the darkest skies in the country.
- Couer d’Alene – I was already checking out retirement spots and wanted to see what this place was all about.
- Glacier National Park – This is where we planned to spend the most time
- Crater Lake / Oregon Coast – After seeing pictures of these places, we knew it was a must to stop.
- Big Sur – The iconic location on the California Coast.
From here with a rough plan of where we wanted to stay. I chose campsites close to or near most of these places. www.recreation.gov made it super easy to find campsites.
Our rough plan was coming together. It started to look a little like this.
- One Night at Grand Canyon
- Drive from Grand Canyon and see Horseshoe Bend/Monument Valley. Camp one night in Goblin Valley
- We needed a stop between Goblin Valley and Couer d’Alene, so we decided on Twin Falls, Id., for one night.
- Couer d’Alene for a night
- Glacier national park for three nights
- Crater Lake for a night
- Big Sur for a night.
Our plan was coming together. I was able to get campgrounds everywhere except Twin Falls (not a camping type of area. We stayed in a hotel) and Big Sur (coronavirus had closed down all campsites in California. We would find a place on the way).
Time To Hit The Road
With a solid plan in place, we rented a car, hit up Costco, and set off on an epic adventure.
